James L. Smith

Strategies and Handouts

for Teaching AP U.S. History

A list of strategies for teaching history can be found at

http://whyteachhistory.com/teachinghistory/strategies/

Strategies for Teaching AP U.S. History

Study GuidesProvide students with a study guide that contains a list of important events, terms, and people for each time period. The study guide should narrow the period down to the basic and essential information that AP U.S. history students should know. Students should complete the study guides with information gained from textbooks, lectures, research, and classroom activities. Sample study guides based on the concept outline for AP U.S. History can be found at …

http://whyteachhistory.com/apush/studyguides/

Essential QuestionsBegin each unit with questions that address “essential” or “big picture” topics. Answers to Essential Questions should be open to interpretation. Encourage students to link historical information in the unit to the Essential Question. Examples:

1. To what extent, if any, was slavery the primary cause of the Civil War?2. To what extent, if any, was a northern victory in the Civil War inevitable?

Headings and SubheadingsAssign a reading from a textbook and tell students to pay close attention to headings and subheadings while taking notes. After students finish the reading ask them to turn each heading and subheading into a single sentence that expresses the main idea of the section. Tell students to review each sentence and then turn to the section heading to make a complete sentence that expresses the main idea of the section. After students complete the chapter tell them to turn the chapter title into a complete sentence that expresses the main idea of the chapter.Examples:

Subheading: Andrew Carnegie Main Idea: Andrew Carnegie made money in the steel industry through the use of new technology.

Chapter 23: Titans of IndustryMain Idea: Titans of Industry were powerful men who helped the nation by manufacturing products, but they were often unfair to competitors and workers.

Unit 14: The Rise of IndustryMain Idea: The Rise of Industry was dependent on the rise of businessmen who used new technology and new methods of organization to maximize profits and production.

Degrees of SeparationProvide students with two events in U.S. History and ask them to fill in the information that takes them from one event to the other.

Stamp Act Declaration of Independence....................................................................................

Seneca Falls 19th Amendment...................................................................................................

Missouri Compromise Fort Sumter.............................................................................................

14th Amendment Civil Rights Act of 1964 ...................................................................................

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Questions for Developing Historical Thinking SkillsHistorical Causation• What prompted this historical development? What prompted this person/group to act/react

this way?• What cause seemed to be the most significant? What had the greatest impact?• What resulted from this development/action? What were the short-term effects? What were

the long-term effects?

Patterns of Continuity and Change over Time• How has group X's identity/rights/status changed over time? What challenges/achievements

marked their experience in the U.S.?• How have the country's policies on X changed? How have they stayed the same?• How have they changed in some ways but not in others?

Periodization• Why was this date/year chosen to represent the beginning/end of this period?• What was happening that was significant at that time?• Why did this source define X year/date as the beginning of X period, but another source

starts the period with X year/date?• What might the person who chose that date have considered significant?• How would choosing a different beginning/end change the story of what happened?

Comparison• How did different groups approach the same problem?• How was one development like/unlike another development from the same time/a different

time?• How does a viewpoint (from a historical actor or historian) compare with another that I've

read or learned about?

Contextualization• What else was going on at the time the event happened, or the document was written/

created that might have had an influence?• What other developments/events/actions were going on simultaneously elsewhere in the

country? Elsewhere in the world? Were they similar/different/related?

Historical Argumentation• Was the historical movement a success or a failure?• Support, modify, or refute the following assertion.• To what extent did the issue revolve around economic/political/social ideas?• Did one historical movement/action have more lasting impact than another?

Appropriate Use of Relevant Historical Evidence• Which of the following was the most likely intended audience for the excerpt/cartoon/artwork

etc.?• Which of the following would be most likely to support/oppose the ideas in the excerpt/

cartoon/artwork, etc.?• Which details did the historian use to support his/her argument?

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Interpretation• What is the main idea of the excerpt written by Historian X? • What is one piece of information from this time period that supports the argument of

Historian X?

Synthesis• How can lessons learned from the past be applied to the present?• What do the works of art/architecture/music/popular culture from a time period reveal about

the values embraced by Americans at that time?• What additional category of analysis would be helpful in answering this question?• Discuss two time periods in American history in which the events of one period inform those

of the other period.• What counterarguments can be made to a historical assertion?

Creating Multiple Choice and Short-Answer Questions Multiple Choice – IntroductionAP U.S. History teachers should provide students with multiple choice questions that test thinking skills rather than simply requiring factual recall. Before creating multiple choice questions, teachers should first know that multiple choice questions have three parts.

1. Stem (the question) 2. Distractors (plausible, but incorrect answers) 3. Key (one correct answer)

Writing Multiple-Choice Questions 1. Provide students with a primary or secondary source document (a reading, chart, graph,

work of art, political cartoon, photograph, etc.). Keep written documents less than 150 words.

2. Create a set of questions based on the document using the following stems to develop specific historical thinking skills. • Comparison

Which is the most similar to/different from ... ? • Contextualization

Which best expresses the relationship between ... ? • Causation

Which of the following resulted from/caused [the phenomenon described in the passage]?

• Change and Continuity over Time Which of the following [developments/ideas] demonstrate the strongest continuity with the idea expressed in the passage?

• Argumentation Which of the following would best support the conclusion/assertion that ... ?

3. Create distractors that are historically accurate, but not for the question being asked. 4. Place recall-type information (names, dates, terms, etc.) in the stem, keeping in mind

that when recall information is used as a distractor or in the key, the question might only be testing factual recall.

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Writing Short-Answer Questions Short-answer questions should include three questions and should be based on one of the following models:

Model #1 (Based on stimulus material.) A. Briefly explain the point of view expressed by the artist/photographer about ONE of the

following. • Topic 1 • Topic 2 • Topic 3

B. Briefly explain ONE development during the period ________ to ________ that led to the point of view expressed by the artist/photographer.

C. Briefly explain ONE development during the period ________ to ________ that challenged or supported the point of view expressed by the artist/photographer.

Model #2 (Not based on stimulus material.)A. Briefly explain why ONE of the following [developments/events] best marks the

beginning of [movement/era/school of thought]. • Development/Events: ______________________________, year ____________ • Development/Events: ______________________________, year ____________ • Development/Events: ______________________________, year ____________

B. Provide an example of historical information that supports your choice.C. Briefly explain why ONE of the other options is not as persuasive as the one you chose.

For examples of multiple choice and short-answer questions that will appear on the AP U.S. History Exam see the practice exam at the AP U.S. History Course Exam Page.

https://advancesinap.collegeboard.org/english-history-and-social-science/us-history

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Title of Document_____________________________________________________________

1. What information in the document catches your attention?

2. What questions of curiosity are sparked by the document?

3. What inferences or conclusions can be drawn from the document?

4. What evidence do you find in the document to support your inferences or conclusions?

ASKING QUESTIONS AND MAKING INFERENCES

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Title of Document_____________________________________________________________

Main Idea

Significance

Historical Context

Audience

Purpose

Point of View

Title of Document_____________________________________________________________

Main Idea

Significance

Historical Context

Audience

Purpose

Point of View

ANALYZING DOCUMENTS WITH “MS HAP-P”

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After completing the chart, identify the ways that information taken from the documents is similar and ways that it is different.

USING “MS HAP-P“ FOR COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

Title of Document

➔

Main Idea

Siginficance

Historical Context

Audience

Purpose

Point of View

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Title of Document_____________________________________________________________

ANALYZING A PRIMARY SOURCE DOCUMENT

COMPONENTS NOTES

Content• What point is the document trying to

make?

Authorship• Who created the document?

Purpose• Why was the document created?

Format• What medium is the document (letter,

newspaper article, cartoon, editorial, etc)?

Audience• Who was the document created for?• Does the audience affect the reliability

of the document?

Context• When and where was the document

produced?

Author’s Point of View• What might the author have been

affected by or reacting to at the time the document was created?

Limitations• What does the document not say?• What might the author not have known?• Was the author biased?

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�ANALYZING A SECONDARY SOURCE DOCUMENT

Author

Title

Topic

(“The Civil War,” “The Great Depression,” etc.)

Question

(What question does the document try to answer?)

Thesis

(What is the author’s answer to the question?

Reasons:

(What specific details does the author use to prove his or her thesis?)

Evaluation:

(Do you think the author proved his or her thesis? What was strong? What was weak?

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The first element of contextualization requires you to place individual historical events or documents within their specific circumstances of time, place, and occasion.

Event / Document #1__________________________________________________________Time

Place

Occasion

Event / Document #2__________________________________________________________Time

Place

Occasion

Event / Document #3__________________________________________________________Time

Place

Occasion

* * * * *The second element of contextualization requires you to make a connection between historical events and documents that can place them into a broader regional, national, or global theme.

Historical Event or Document___________________________________________________

Explain how the event and document listed above connects to a broader historical theme.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

IDENTIFYING TWO ELEMENTS OF CONTEXTUALIZATION

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Directions1. Select one of the following models to describe a historical development or event. (Add levels

to the model, if necessary.)

2. Provide a written explanation of how the model you selected best describes the historical development or event. (Use the back of this paper, another sheet of paper, or a word processor to write your answer.)

Historical Development or Event________________________________________________

Model that Best Describes the Development or Event_______________________________

UNDERSTANDING CAUSE AND EFFECT – FIVE MODELS

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Use the following chart to create a timeline that analyzes the effect of a historical event or development on significant historical themes. Explain how that event or development led to another event or development. (Add rows to the timeline, if necessary.)

Historical Event or Development________________________________________________

CREATING A CAUSE AND EFFECT TIMELINE

Year(s) Event / Development

Description Results of the event /

development

Effect on Theme of

____________

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In reference to a historical time period, identify three things in history that changed during the time period and three things that did not change. In reference to single date, identify three things that changed after that date and three that did not change from before to after the date.

Time Period or Date___________________________________________________________

Three Things That Changed1.

2.

3.

Three Things That Did Not Change 1.

2.

3.

Time Period or Date___________________________________________________________

Three Things That Changed1.

2.

3.

Three Things That Did Not Change 1.

2.

3.

IDENTIFYING CHANGE AND CONTINUITY OVER TIME

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Complete the following chart to show what changed and what stayed the same during a time period for one of the significant themes running through U.S. history.

Time Period__________________________________________________________________

CREATING A CONTINUITY AND CHANGE ANALYSIS CHART

Theme Basic Features at the Beginning of

Period

Key Continuities—

Key Changes

Basic Features at the End of the

Period

Reasons for Changes or Continuities

American and National Identity (NAT)

_______________

Politics and Power (POL)

_______________

Work, Exchange, and Technology (WXT)

_______________

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Culture and Society (CUL)

_______________

Migration and Settlement (MIG)

_______________

Geography and the Environment (GEO)

_______________

America in the World (WOR)

_______________

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Explain the reasons that various dates or events can be used to identify the beginning or end (circle one) of a historical era.

Historical Era________________________________________________________________

Date or Event #1________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Date or Event #2________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Date or Event #3________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Date or Event #4________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Explain which date or event best marks the beginning or end (circle one) of the era.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DEFINING HISTORICAL TIME PERIODS

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After analyzing several historical documents, consider the following questions when making a historical argument. Answering the questions should help explain three aspects of historical thinking.

• Do the documents reveal any contradictions in the historical argument you are?• Do the documents support or corroborate the historical argument you are making?• Are the documents reliable in supporting or qualifying your historical argument.

1. Which documents had similar points of view?

2. Which documents had different points of view?

3. What kinds of arguments do the documents support?

4. Which documents seem to support each other?

5. Which documents seem to contradict each other?

6. Which are the most reliable sources?

7. Which documents have the greatest limitations?

CONTRADICTION, CORROBORATION, AND QUALIFICATION

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