High SCHOOL HUMANITIES
American History I
US History II
AP World History: Modern
AP US History
US History I continues where the Second Year Program ends, providing an overview of American history from Reconstruction to the present day. For high school students new to the North Fork School curriculum, American History 1 takes students on a journey through our country’s history from the period prior to European contact through the closing of the Western Frontier. This is a significant year for our history students, as we examine the roots of issues that continue to dominate contemporary debate and discourse. As a preparation for AP US History, students acquire excellent note-taking and outlining skills as they learn to prepare for exams which focus on cohesive, coherent essay writing.
Through an exploration guided by our textbook and various primary and secondary source documents, historic voices begin to sound not-so-far-distant from those around us as the story of our nation comes alive. The flow of our explorations will follow the calendar below (with some flexibility):
September: North America prior to contact, the Columbian Exchange, Spanish Conquest
October: Establishment of the First English colonies through the French & Indian War
November: The American Revolution
December through mid-January: Constructing the Constitution & Launching the Republic
mid-January through March: War of 1812 through the beginnings of Western Expansion
April and May: the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Closing of the Western Frontier
In American History 1, students work closely with their textbooks and practice good note-taking, guided by unit study guides. Students are responsible for managing their time, meeting deadlines, working independently and in small teams, contributing thoughtfully to discussions, being thorough in their work, and striving toward excellence. In this course, students will learn to read, analyze, and interpret source texts, identify points-of-view, and understand historical context.
Additionally, students complete a 3rd quarter research paper using both primary and secondary sources, complete with formal citations. Political geography accompanies history studies, as students engage in memorizing the locations of all 50 US states and their capitals by years' end. After American History 1 at the North Fork School, students may take US History 2 OR AP US History to complete their high school US history requirements. Students who completed History 2.5 in Middle school may take US History 2 + AP US History to complete their high school US history requirements.
US History II picks up the journey through our country’s history from the period just after the closing of the Western Frontier all the way through to the present. Through an exploration guided by our textbook and various primary and secondary source documents, historic voices and events will grow more and more resonant as we approach our current era, as well as the events that our parents and grandparents lived through. The flow of our explorations will follow the calendar below (with some flexibility):
1st Quarter: The Gilded Age, Immigration & Cities, US Imperialism
2nd Quarter: World War I, The Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression
3rd Quarter: World War II and the Cold War
4th Quarter: "Proxy Wars," Energy & Technology, Environment, Globalization
In US History II, students continue to work closely with their textbooks and practice good note-taking, this time without teacher-provided study guides. Students are responsible for managing their time, meeting deadlines, working independently and in small teams, contributing thoughtfully to discussions, being thorough in their work, and striving toward excellence. In this course, students read, analyze, and interpret source texts, identify points-of-view, and understand historical context. Students work on constructing strong claims based on evidence and present their perspectives and arguments through clear, organized written work.
Additionally, students complete a year-long History Portfolio project focused on a topic of their choice (every interest area has a history - sports, fashion, music, etc.). For their portfolios, students will produce a short (2 page) research paper each month, with each paper focused on a particular decade. Portfolio pieces use both primary and secondary sources and are accompanied by formal citations. Students who complete US History II may choose to take AP US History as juniors or seniors if they like (in fact, they will be very-well prepared for AP work).
AP World History: Modern equips students with the skills and content needed not only to score well on the year-end AP World History exam, but also to provide important foundational knowledge necessary for university studies. AP World History offers a college-level, accelerated journey through world history from 1200 to the present era. As a survey course, AP Modern History will focus more on the comprehension of larger themes, relationships, and patterns than on specific dates, details, and events (though those are important, too).
In this course, we focus heavily on interpretation, analysis, and crafting historically-defensible claims which will strengthen students’ critical thinking and communication skills. AP World History requires a fairly heavy reading load, so most homework will consist of reading. Students must keep up with reading assignments to gain the content knowledge necessary for our in-class work. In class, we work hard at interpreting, analyzing and discussing content as well as crafting historical claims, compiling evidence, and supporting our ideas with excellent writing. In this class, we practice being historians, engaging in history as an action verb (wondering, interpreting, searching, justifying, understanding, story-telling) rather than simply as a noun (a compilation of facts, dates, and source documents). Much of our work will center on the exploration of causation, continuity and change over time, and comparison.
All of the skills learned in this class will be useful across other academic disciplines, especially at the university level; they will have value far beyond the completion of the AP World History: Modern exam.
The College Board breaks down the study and testing of AP World History: Modern into nine parts:
1 The Global Tapestry 1200-1450
2 Networks of Exchange 1200-1450
3 Land-based Empires 1200-1450
4 Transoceanic Interconnections 1450-1750
5 Revolutions 1750-1900
6 Consequences of Industrialization 1750-1900
7 Global Conflict 1900-present
8 Cold War and Decolonization 1900-present
9 Globalization 1900-present
In Advanced Placement U.S. History, students develop analytical skills and acquire a thorough knowledge of United States History. The approach to this course includes, but is not limited to, developing substantial knowledge of social, cultural, economic and military events relevant to the history of the United States. This class equips students with the skills and content needed not only to score well on the year-end AP US History exam, but also to deepen important foundational knowledge and strengthen skills necessary for university success. AP US History offers a college-level, accelerated journey through US history from 1491 to the present era. As a survey course, AP US History will focus mainly on the comprehension of larger themes, relationships, and patterns (though significant dates, people, and events will also be highlighted).
This course focuses heavily on interpretation, analysis, and crafting historically-defensible claims which will strengthen students’ critical thinking and communication skills. AP US History requires a heavy reading load and good comprehension ability, so most homework will consist of reading and note-taking. Students must keep up with reading assignments to gain the content knowledge necessary for our in-class work. In class, we work hard at interpreting, analyzing and discussing content as well as crafting historical claims, compiling evidence, and supporting our ideas with excellent writing. Students practice being historians, engaging in history as an action verb (wondering, interpreting, searching, justifying, understanding, story-telling) rather than simply as a noun (a compilation of facts, dates, and source documents). Much of our work centers on the exploration of causation, continuity and change over time, and comparison. The College Board breaks down the study and testing of AP US History into nine parts:
Period 1: 1491-1607
Period 2: 1607-1754
Period 3: 1754-1800
Period 4: 1800-1848
Period 5: 1844-1877
Period 6: 1865-1898
Period 7: 1890-1945
Period 8: 1945-1980
Period 9: 1980-present
All of the skills learned in this class will be useful across other academic disciplines, especially at the university level; they will have value far beyond the completion of the AP US History exam. If possible, students intending to take both AP World History: Modern and AP US History should complete AP World History: Modern first.