American History I and II

Description: The class represents a comprehensive study of American history, emphasizing historical analysis. It combines the content of American History I and American History II into one year, and is for students who want a rigorous college preparatory course, but not an Advanced Placement (AP) course. Students will explore the vast landscape and key events of American history, from pre-Columbian cultures to the War on Terror. Special attention will be paid to political, economic, and cultural trends, and their impact on the American experience. Students will learn to critically analyze history and formulate arguments through essay assignments, where they will learn to appreciate and express the “hows” and “whys” of history. The class will be a combination of lecture and discussion, and each week students are assigned work to complete outside of class. Assignments include an extensive reading of primary and secondary sources, essays, and online assessments. Students will need to devote approximately 60 minutes per day for this class. The grade is based on participation, quizzes, essays, and exams. This class is worth 1 high school credit in Social Studies or History.

Grade Level: 9-12 (ages 14-18)

Prerequisites: Students should be able to read a college-level textbook, willing to work hard, and able to write grammatically correct, complete sentences.

Required texts: Students who register for this course will be notified when these books are available for purchase from Memoria Press. Students will also need a headset microphone (built-in microphones also work).