Summer
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Below is all the information you will need to to complete your AP US History Summer Assignment for Mr. Hinkin.
This assignment was designed to introduce you to the major skills that will focus on throughout the course and to give you a little taste of the content. |
The summer assignment is divided into 4 Parts and all parts must be completed by the 2nd class period. The entire assignment is listed below or you can click the button below for a PDF copy of the assignment.
If you have any questions, go to the contact page located at the bottom of this page.
Part I: Supplies and Tools
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Click Pictures below for
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Part II: Forever Dates
The forever dates will become your best friend. Forever Dates will help you remember historical content, put that content into the correct time period, and help you successfully recall these important events in your historical writing. We will discuss the larger context of these dates and time periods as we cover them in class. These dates will be on every assessment that we have in class and it is your benefit to study these and know them! I promise you will not regret it!
YOU WILL TAKE A QUIZ ON THESE DATES WITHIN THE FIRST 2 WEEKS OF CLASS! |
BEFORE YOU BEGIN PARTS III & IV
Skip 5 pages at the beginning of your spiral notebook to be used as a Table of Contents.
Number all pages, label every assignment, and enter assignments into your Table of Contents.
Part III: APUSH Themes Personal Project
History is not a practice in memorizing facts, names, and dates. While facts, names, and dates are important, history is actually the study of past events. The word study has important meaning here. To study is more than to memorize. Study requires thought, examination, and analysis. But, why study history? Why does it matter? For more on this, read the first 5 paragraphs of this linked article and think about what historian Penelope Corfield has to say. http://goo.gl/bw4AKt
As emerging historians, you will have multiple tasks. First you must acquire the content. In other words, you must seek out sources for information. You must learn the feared and hated facts, names, and dates. What is most important, however, is what you do with that information. History, as Penelope Corfield appropriately states, “is inescapable.” To that same point writer James Baldwin also stated, “the great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do.”
Therefore, most of our work will not revolve around what we know, but instead what we do with what we know. In order to learn and practice the work of historians, we will focus on mastering the historical thinking skills described briefly in the table below. To read about them in more detail, use the following link: https://goo.gl/LsUIgL.
Your task is to apply each historical thinking skill to your own life - to your history. Remember the study of history requires thought, examination, and analysis. Therefore, as you reflect on your own life (your facts, names, and dates) to apply these historical thinking skills, you must do thorough examination and analysis.
The list below contains a brief description of each historical thinking skill as well as directions for what you should produce as you apply them to your own life and history.
As emerging historians, you will have multiple tasks. First you must acquire the content. In other words, you must seek out sources for information. You must learn the feared and hated facts, names, and dates. What is most important, however, is what you do with that information. History, as Penelope Corfield appropriately states, “is inescapable.” To that same point writer James Baldwin also stated, “the great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do.”
Therefore, most of our work will not revolve around what we know, but instead what we do with what we know. In order to learn and practice the work of historians, we will focus on mastering the historical thinking skills described briefly in the table below. To read about them in more detail, use the following link: https://goo.gl/LsUIgL.
Your task is to apply each historical thinking skill to your own life - to your history. Remember the study of history requires thought, examination, and analysis. Therefore, as you reflect on your own life (your facts, names, and dates) to apply these historical thinking skills, you must do thorough examination and analysis.
The list below contains a brief description of each historical thinking skill as well as directions for what you should produce as you apply them to your own life and history.
- Historical causation
- Refers to the relationship among historical events, as both causes and effects
- To demonstrate this skill, choose a personal characteristic, decision you’ve made, or some other “effect” in your life and describe its various causes. Write a paragraph (minimum of 6 sentences in length) that describes the causes of one important effect.
- Patterns of continuity and change
- Refers to discovering patterns and tracing change over time using themes
- In your own life, think about attitudes, beliefs and ideas that help to shape your own identity. Think about those attitudes, beliefs and ideas that have either remained constant or changed. To demonstrate this skill, write a paragraph (minimum of 6 sentences) that both describe and analyzes those patterns. What has remained the same? why? What has changed? why?
- Periodization
- Refers to analyzing and organizing history into blocks
- Periodization can emphasize what one thinks is important. Historians might define a period as a decade, by one specific theme or central event, or by the significant events it sits between. To demonstrate this skill, create a timeline including eras, specific years, and an explanation for your choices in periodization. How do your periodize your life? Why? Does it change when looking at different aspects of your life? why?
- Comparison
- Describes, compares, contrasts, and evaluates two or more developments in the same era or from different periods
- Choose two different events or periods in your own history to compare and contrast. You might compare the outcomes of particular choices, you might compare your experience with a certain activity at different ages or in different places, or you might choose some other characteristic or development. To demonstrate this skill, create a T-chart, or venn diagram.
- Contextualization
- Refers to how a specific event or development fits into the context of larger and broader historical developments
- How do events in your life fit (or not fit) within the broader context of your family? Of your school? Of Elba? Of the United States? Of the era in which we live? These are some examples of broader contexts, but you can also choose another. To demonstrate this skill, write a paragraph response (minimum of 6 sentences) to describe how you, or an important event in your life, fits into a broader context.
- Historical argumentation
- Analyzing a question through the construction of a plausible and persuasive argument
- Make a claim about your own life or identity that is specific, and that can be supported with relevant historical evidence. To demonstrate this skill, write a clear claim or thesis statement in one or two sentences that, if asked to, you could support with facts and details. (see below)
- Appropriate use of relevant historical evidence
- Analyzing evidence in terms of content, author’s point of view, intended audience, purpose, or historical context
- Choose a minimum of two pieces of historical evidence. This might be a fact about your life, or it might be an artifact, such as a photograph, a mention of you in the local newspaper, etc. To demonstrate this skill, write a paragraph describing your evidence, and analyze that evidence according to at least one of the terms described in the column to the left. Make sure your evidence is used to support the claim you’ve made about yourself.
- Interpretation
- Refers to describing, analyzing, and evaluating diverse interpretations of historical sources to construct your own interpretation
- Ask a minimum of three people (think about the people you choose) to describe you, your identity, or to answer some other question of your choosing that is related to your claim. Be sure to choose people from different parts of your life. You might ask one family member, one friend, one coach or teacher, a person you have worked with or volunteered with, etc. You might choose people who know you well now, and others you only knew when you were younger. Analyze or evaluate their interpretations of who you are by drawing conclusions and/or asking new questions.
- To demonstrate this skill, write the transcript of your interviews. You should record the questions you ask each, as well as their complete responses. Then write a paragraph reflecting on those interviews and what conclusions you can draw from them.
- Synthesis
- Refers to developing a persuasive understanding of your own past by combining diverse and contradictory evidence to avoid a one-sided or narrow interpretation
- Reflect on what you have produced so far and draw conclusions by examining all of the evidence from various sources and perspectives.
- Write a paragraph that demonstrates your own critical reflection on all of the research you’ve done into your own history, and especially on your claim. To demonstrate this skill, write a paragraph that does more than simply summarize what you’ve learned. Extend your analysis and deal with diverse evidence.
Part IV: 1st Semester Movie Review
- The APUSH film review assignment is designed to supplement student knowledge of a particular historical period, person(s), event, or institution through the analysis of a related film. This is an opportunity to experience a richer encounter with history, as well as connect the rise of cinema as a prominent facet of American cultural history.
- Historical films open up history to people. Films provide viewers a unique insight to events that we may never have the opportunity to experience. And although no movie can be entirely accurate, when done well, filmmakers can immerse audiences into a world lost in time, captivating our attention and connecting our understanding to history beyond the classroom. The list below represents topics we will cover first semester.
- For the film reviews, students are responsible for critically viewing the work, evaluating historical accuracy, and writing an overall evaluation following the guidelines provided. Students are expected to review one film from the list below using the template on the following pages. (Mr. Hinkin will accept one other film review from a different category than the original for extra credit if turned in on the same due date.) If you would like to review a movie that is not on this list, it must be approved by Mr. Hinkin. Use the contact button at the bottom of the page.
Colonial Era – Foundations of America (1492 – 1820s)
- John Adams (2008)—HBO series of John Adams
- Last of the Mohicans (1992) – French & Indian War (R)
- The Crucible (1996) – Salem witch trials; Puritans (PG13)
- The Patriot (2000) – Revolutionary War (R)
- Roots – Path of Diversity in America
- Amistad (1997) - Slave Revolt (R)
Jacksonian Democracy - Reconstruction (1824-1877)
- Gettysburg (1993) – decisive battle of the Civil War (PG)
- Glory (1989) – Civil War; African-American regiment 54th Massachusetts (R)
- Gone With the Wind (1939) – Antebellum and Civil War South (PG)
- Lincoln (2012) – President Lincoln & the Civil War (R)
Immigration & American Frontier (1800s)
- Gangs of New York (2002) – Civil War era cities and immigrants (R)
- Far & Away (1992) – Immigration & Western Frontier Land Grab (PG13)
- Tombstone (1993)— Law & Order on the Western Frontier (R)
- True Grit (2010) – Law & Order on the Western Frontier (PG13)
AP LANG MOVIES – ONLY FOR STUDENTS TAKING AP LANG! You can choose one of these movies to help you with your summer reading assignment with Ms. Miscovich!
- We Were Soldiers (2002, R)
- Platoon (1986, R)
- Good Morning Vietnam (1987, R)
- Rescue Dawn (2006, PG-13)
- The Green Berets (1968, G)
REMINDER: If you choose a "R" rated film, you must have a parent signature on your review to receive credit for this portion.
NO SIGNATURE, NO CREDIT!