History

Hello all!

I am so excited about teaching you all in the US Government and Politics course this coming school year.  I would like you to begin to think about current events by starting with a summer current events assignment. Here is the link to the assignment.  Please note you need to join our Google Classroom using this code k65cobw to get the template and rubric that you need for this assignment.  It is best to chip away at this over the course of the summer. You should start with the Supreme Court as they have recently issued a number of major decisions and there are a couple more about to drop. You probably should look first at the cheerleader, Instagram, free speech case. Here is a link to some info.  You may also be interested in the case that allows NCAA athletes to be paid. Here is a link. If you have any questions, please email me.  Thanks!

Take care,

Ms. Ryan

July 1, 2021

To all potential AP American History Students:

The increased pace of the American History course necessitates that we cover some material over the summer. We will ask you to read sections of Alan Taylor’s American Colonies.  This book is available both new and used on Amazon.com.

You will only need to read Chapter 1&2 “Natives” and “Colonizers”, Chapter 4 “The Spanish Frontier” and Chapters 6 -12 (Part II).  This amounts to about 200 pages of reading.  Of course, if you choose to read the whole book, you will only increase the breadth and depth of your understanding of early American history, especially with regards to Native Americans and Spanish America.  You will be held accountable for the material assigned above during the first week of classes, and you will have to write an essay (either in class or as a take home assignment) to demonstrate that you understand the material and are able to communicate that understanding through the written word.  Anyone who clearly has not done the reading or is unable to make insightful and considered comments about the readings will be asked to discontinue the course.  Please note that you are not expected to earn a 95 on this assignment, but you are absolutely being held accountable for doing independent work.

Why are we inflicting this upon you?  Part of the reason, as explained above, is to allow us to complete the course material in time for the AP Exam.  But there is more at stake here.  AP American History requires a great deal of independent work.  It is not a course for those who simply want an AP course designation on their syllabus; it is for serious students of this nation’s history.  We hope you will embrace this exercise as an opportunity to expand your knowledge of American history and prepare for the coming year’s course, and that you will not see this as some sort of hoop to jump through.

In the interest of “active reading” please consider the following Thematic Learning Objectives.  As you read, consider these themes in your reading:

• Identity
• Work, Exchange and Technology
• Peopling
• Politics and Power
• America in the world
• Environment and Geography
• Ideas, Beliefs and Culture

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me through Taft e-mail.

Sincerely,

Greg Hawes
Section Head, AP US

June 2021

To: Students studying Advanced Placement Modern European History during the 2021-2022 School Year.

From: John Kenerson, History Teacher

Regarding: Summer Reading

As part of your preparation for Advanced Placement Modern European history, you will be required to read William Manchester’s A World Lit Only by Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance, Portrait of an Age. This historical narrative of early modern Europe is a fascinating look at the individuals and events of a time that is both remote and relevant to our world. This work will also help you prepare for many of the topics we will be studying during the first semester. Also, be a scholar – try to separate fact from fiction.

We will start the first semester using A World Lit Only by Fire, and as you read Manchester’s work, identify his thesis in each of the three chapters: (I) “The Medieval Mind”, (II) “The Shattering”, and (III) “One Man Alone”. More importantly, as you read A World Lit Only by Fire, identify and note how the narrative reveals the themes that will guide our study this year. Please bring printed to our first class what you have identified as Manchester’s theses and themes.

AP European History Themes:

1. Interaction of Europe and the World
2. Economic and Commercial Developments
3. Cultural and Intellectual Developments
4. States and Other Institutions of Power
5. National and European Identity
6. Technological and Scientific Innovation

If you have any questions about your summer assignment, please do not hesitate to contact me at: kenersonjo@taftschool.org

William Manchester. A World Lit by Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance.

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

I trust you will enjoy your summer vacation.

Mr. Kenerson

AP Human Geography Summer Work 2021