ADVANCED PLACEMENT

EUROPEAN HISTORY 1450 TO TODAY

Dear history student,

Welcome to the Advanced Placement European History class. This elective is presented to you for the third time at KVHS. The Social Studies department is very pleased to see you participate in this ambitious course. We are sure you have many questions and many expectations. We hope to reach all our goals in offering this course to you.
What does this course entail? In a nutshell: reading, studying, discussing, questioning, writing, listening, interpreting and testing. In May 2003, you will be writing the AP European History Exam and this is what is expected in the Advanced Placement Course Description: History.
"The AP {European History} Exam is based on college-level course content. Students are expected to demonstrate a knowledge of basic chronology from the High Renaissance (about 1450) to the present. They are expected to be conversant with three areas of historical inquiry: political/diplomatic, social/economic, and intellectual/cultural. They should also be able to demonstrate their proficiency in historical analysis. To that end, the Development Committee has created a three-hour test which consists of two parts."


Part I: Multiple-Choice

Part I consists of 80 multiple-choice questions.

About ½ emphasizes the period from 1450 to the French Revolution and Napoleonic era, the other ½ covers the period from that era to the present.

Part II: Free-Response

After a mandatory 15-minute reading period, students must answer a document-based question (DBQ) and two thematic questions, one each from two groups of three. Thematic questions are grouped in wide range of historical periods and approaches. Groupings change from year to year
130 minutes
50% of TOTAL EXAM (Source: from Teacher's Guide: AP European History)

Methodology

A.Lecture/Discussion

Chapters 10 to 31 will be discussed in the classroom. A schedule will be given to the students. Students are expected to have read and prepare questions or have discussion points to bring up during class. This is very important. The more the student is prepared the higher the quality the discussion will be. This is to prepare you for the Multiple Choice section of the Exam, and the Thematic essay section to some extent.

B. Research documents and presentations
Each student is required to prepare 2 research documents in point form. This should not be longer than two pages long. I will evaluate them, and then post them on the KVHS website. These will be presented in class in a seminar format. The testing will be varied but will be the same format as the exam to better prepare you for the final AP examination. A calendar will be provided to every student. This is to help you prepare for the DBQ and the thematic essay portion specifically.

C. Some library time, but not much!!!

Evaluation
Criteria for evaluation
In the tests, the presentations and researh documents you will be preparing, these will be the criteria for evaluation.
1. Thesis statement or thesis question
2. Use of primary and secondary documents (need to be cited)
3. Support thesis statement with appropriate evidence
4. Understand the meaning of the documents used
5. Analyze and understand the bias of particular documents
6. The grouping of a variety of documents supporting or disputing the thesis statement (at least 3 groups)

For additional points
1.A clear, analytical and comprehensive thesis
2. Persuasive use of documents as evidence
3. Additional groupings or other forms of analysis
4. Analysis of bias or point of view in at least four documents cited
5. In a DBQ, the use of all or almost all of the documents
6. Careful and insightful analysis of the documents

Research Document
How will a research document be done?
1. The student chooses a topic.
2. Determine a question of research to focus the work.
3. Find primary, secondary and other sources discussing the topic. Make a list of these and include them in your paper.
4. Interpret and weave a document focusing on the research question.
5. Prepare notes in point form on the topic in question.
6. The teacher will receive a diskette or have a copy sent by e-mail to heberrod@nbed.nb.ca the notes will then be placed on the school web site.
7. The teacher will evaluate the work. Sometimes the teacher may return the work, so that it should be redone!!
8. All students are responsible to go read these research documents.

Seminar
How will a seminar be done?
1. The student will have two seminars to present in the semester.
2. The student chooses the seminar topics from his/her research documents.
3. In a round table setting, the students presents his/her research to the class.
4. A discussion on the research then ensues.
5. Students should have a copy of the research document with them in order to additional notes that come out during the class discussion.
6. Students will participate actively in the discussion and should clarify any points at this point.
7. The teacher will be the facilitator and evaluator of the seminar. Sometimes other students may evaluate according to a checklist provided.


The Class textbook is the Western Heritage since 1300. In order to prepare for the AP examination, it is strongly recommended that Chapters 9 to 32 are read. Here is a basic outline of the course material that will be covered:

Course Syllabus
A. Introduction
B Outline: See the Table of Contents of the textbook.
C. My expectations:

  1. You will write the Advanced Placement European History Examination.
  2. Hand in two research documents.
  3. You will participate actively and positively.
  4. We will meet in my classroom or you will be in the Library doing research on your own!
  5. I will give you a timetable of the presentation dates a week in advance at the very least.
  6. You will receive a mark for this course, I will provide you feedback to your research documents, seminar presentations and your tests, in order to prepare you for the examination.
  7. After the Advanced Placement Examination, you will hand in a 15 to 20 page formal historical essay to me due for June 6th, 2003.

Evaluation
Tests: /50 If writing my exam: Exam: /40
Seminars: /20 Tests: /30
Final paper: /30 Seminars: /12
Final paper: /18
100 % 100 %

Scores will be scaled:
Free-response questions Multiple choice
9 = 20/20 avg + 18 and more = 20/20
8 = 19/20 avg + 14 = 19/20
7 = 18/20 avg + 10= 18/20
6 = 17/20 avg + 6 = 17/20
5 = 16/20 avg + 2 = 16/20
4 = 15/20 Average/80 = 15.5/20
3 = 14/20 avg - 2 = 15/20
2 = 13/20 avg - 6 = 14/20
1 = 12/20 avg - 10 = 13/20
0 = 11 or less avg - 14 = 12/20
avg - 18 and more = 11 or less

Rodrigue Hébert