1. Castlelearning Multiple Choice practice: Go to Castlelearning.com and follow the directions:
Enter your castle learning student ID # - It is the following: nc840-NCWISE# Type in the password you have used before or if you have never used castle learning, create one.
You should have one new assignment for this class: a 30 Question Multiple Choice Test called AP Benchmark Through 1877.
Use only the Castle Learning Navigation tools.
Work independently, utilize the second chance opportunities and hints to score as high as you possibly can.
2. Next, create an animoto review video on a topic from the list below - these are some topics that are emphasized on the AP exam. (links to animoto site are in the left hand column) Follow the simple directions to create an account and get busy making your own videos! Include relevant videos and brief textual facts) Some sample animoto video links are provided too.
***EMAIL me a copy of your animoto - we can use it for review and include links here on the blog:
My email is:
carla.mcswain@stanlycountyschools.org
TOPICS:
1. Women's History (Colonial Period)
2. Women's History (Revolutionary War effects)
3. Women's History (Early 1800s Reforms)
4. Women's History (20th century - 1950s - Feminist movement)
5. African American History (1700s)
6. African American History (1800s)
7. African American History (Turn of the 20th century)
8. African American History (Civil Rights Movement - 20th century)
9. Vietnam
10. Key Terms list (Choose 5 from the list of 41 to visually represent in your video)
**** Be sure to read through the description of the AP exam posted below.
***** Also there are a couple of study sites listed in left column.
2.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Description of the AP US History Multiple Choice Exam
Below is the College Board's website description of the multiple choice section of the exam. Perhaps some of you may want to read this and even comment about your experience taking multiple choice tests like the SAT and other APs.
Section I: Multiple-Choice
There are 80 multiple-choice questions on the AP U.S. History Exam. To score a grade of 3 or above, you need to answer about 60 percent of the multiple-choice questions correctly—and write acceptable essays in the free-response section.
Approximately 20 percent of the questions deal with the period through 1789, 45 percent cover 1790 through 1914, and 35 percent cover 1915 to the present including questions on events since 1980.
Within those time periods, 35 percent of the questions are on political institutions, behavior, and public policy; 40 percent are about social and cultural developments; approximately 15 percent of the remaining questions cover diplomacy and international relations; and 10 percent cover economic developments. A substantial number of the social and economic history questions deal with such traditional topics as the impact of legislation on social groups and the economy, or the pressures brought to bear on the political process by social and economic developments. As you've learned, historical inquiry is not neatly divided into categories so many questions pertain to more than one area.
The bulk of the questions focuses on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The questions in the multiple-choice section are designed to test students' factual knowledge, breadth of preparation, and knowledge-based analytical skills.
Students often ask whether they should guess on the multiple-choice questions. Haphazard or random guessing is unlikely to improve scores because one-fourth of a point is subtracted from the score for each incorrect answer. (No points are deducted for a blank answer.) But if you have some knowledge of the question and can eliminate one or more answers, it's usually to your advantage to choose what you believe is the best answer from the remaining choices.
Section I: Multiple-Choice
There are 80 multiple-choice questions on the AP U.S. History Exam. To score a grade of 3 or above, you need to answer about 60 percent of the multiple-choice questions correctly—and write acceptable essays in the free-response section.
Approximately 20 percent of the questions deal with the period through 1789, 45 percent cover 1790 through 1914, and 35 percent cover 1915 to the present including questions on events since 1980.
Within those time periods, 35 percent of the questions are on political institutions, behavior, and public policy; 40 percent are about social and cultural developments; approximately 15 percent of the remaining questions cover diplomacy and international relations; and 10 percent cover economic developments. A substantial number of the social and economic history questions deal with such traditional topics as the impact of legislation on social groups and the economy, or the pressures brought to bear on the political process by social and economic developments. As you've learned, historical inquiry is not neatly divided into categories so many questions pertain to more than one area.
The bulk of the questions focuses on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The questions in the multiple-choice section are designed to test students' factual knowledge, breadth of preparation, and knowledge-based analytical skills.
Students often ask whether they should guess on the multiple-choice questions. Haphazard or random guessing is unlikely to improve scores because one-fourth of a point is subtracted from the score for each incorrect answer. (No points are deducted for a blank answer.) But if you have some knowledge of the question and can eliminate one or more answers, it's usually to your advantage to choose what you believe is the best answer from the remaining choices.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
TOP TEN TIPS FOR THE AP US HISTORY EXAM
These are Martin Kelly's Top 10 Tips for Passing the AP US History Exam (Worth a read)
The AP US History exam is one of the most popular Advanced Placement exams administered by the College Board. It consists of two parts: Multiple Choice and Free Response. There are 80 multiple choice questions which count for 50% of the test. The other 50% is made up of two types of essays: standard and document-based (DBQ). Students answer two standard essays (55% of the Free Response section) and one DBQ (45%). Here are my top ten tips for doing well on the challenging AP US History exam.
1. Multiple Choice: Time and the Test Booklet You have 55 minutes to answer 80 multiple choice questions which gives you about 40 seconds per question. Therefore, you need to use your time wisely answering the questions you know best first and eliminating obvious wrong answers as you go through. Don’t be afraid to write on your test booklet to keep track. Mark through the answers you know are wrong. Clearly mark when you skip a question so you can return to it quickly before the end of the test.
2. Multiple Choice: Guessing and Points Deducted Remember, an additional 1/4 of a point is deducted on the test for each wrong answer. For example, if you leave a question blank, your score is impacted by 1 point. However, if you make an incorrect guess, your score is reduced by 1 1/4 points. If you cannot eliminate any answers, it is better to leave the question blank. That being said, you should try not to leave more than 4–6 questions blank.
3. Multiple Choice: Reading the Questions and Answers Look for key words in questions such as EXCEPT, NOT, or ALWAYS. The wording of answers is important too. In the AP US History exam, you are choosing the best answer which may mean that several answers could appear to be correct.
4. General Essay Writing: Voice and Thesis Be sure to write with “voice” in your essay. In other words, pretend that you have some authority on the subject. Make sure to take a stand in your answer and not be wishy-washy. This stand should be stated immediately through your thesis which is one or two sentences that directly answer the question. The rest of the essay should then support your thesis.
5. General Essay Writing: Data Dumping Be sure that your essay includes historical facts to prove your thesis. However, “data dumping” will not gain you any extra points and can result in a lowering of your score. It also runs the risk of you including incorrect data which would hurt your overall score.
6. Standard Essay Questions: Avoid broad survey questions. They appear easy because you know a lot of information about them. However, they are often the most challenging because of the breadth required to answer them effectively. Writing a provable thesis can pose real problems for these types of questions.
7. DBQ: Reading the Question Make sure to answer all parts of the question. It is important to spend some time going over each part and it may even help to reword the question.
8. DBQ: Examining the Documents Carefully examine each document. Make a judgment concerning point of view and the possible origin of each document. Don’t be afraid to underline key points and make relevant historical notes in the margin.
9. DBQ: Using the Documents Do not try to use all of the documents in your DBQ answer. In fact, it is better to effectively use less than to ineffectively use more. A good rule of thumb is to use 4 documents well to prove your thesis.
10. General AP Exam Tip: Eating and Sleeping Eat a healthy dinner the night before before, get a good night’s sleep, and eat breakfast the morning of the exam.
The AP US History exam is one of the most popular Advanced Placement exams administered by the College Board. It consists of two parts: Multiple Choice and Free Response. There are 80 multiple choice questions which count for 50% of the test. The other 50% is made up of two types of essays: standard and document-based (DBQ). Students answer two standard essays (55% of the Free Response section) and one DBQ (45%). Here are my top ten tips for doing well on the challenging AP US History exam.
1. Multiple Choice: Time and the Test Booklet You have 55 minutes to answer 80 multiple choice questions which gives you about 40 seconds per question. Therefore, you need to use your time wisely answering the questions you know best first and eliminating obvious wrong answers as you go through. Don’t be afraid to write on your test booklet to keep track. Mark through the answers you know are wrong. Clearly mark when you skip a question so you can return to it quickly before the end of the test.
2. Multiple Choice: Guessing and Points Deducted Remember, an additional 1/4 of a point is deducted on the test for each wrong answer. For example, if you leave a question blank, your score is impacted by 1 point. However, if you make an incorrect guess, your score is reduced by 1 1/4 points. If you cannot eliminate any answers, it is better to leave the question blank. That being said, you should try not to leave more than 4–6 questions blank.
3. Multiple Choice: Reading the Questions and Answers Look for key words in questions such as EXCEPT, NOT, or ALWAYS. The wording of answers is important too. In the AP US History exam, you are choosing the best answer which may mean that several answers could appear to be correct.
4. General Essay Writing: Voice and Thesis Be sure to write with “voice” in your essay. In other words, pretend that you have some authority on the subject. Make sure to take a stand in your answer and not be wishy-washy. This stand should be stated immediately through your thesis which is one or two sentences that directly answer the question. The rest of the essay should then support your thesis.
5. General Essay Writing: Data Dumping Be sure that your essay includes historical facts to prove your thesis. However, “data dumping” will not gain you any extra points and can result in a lowering of your score. It also runs the risk of you including incorrect data which would hurt your overall score.
6. Standard Essay Questions: Avoid broad survey questions. They appear easy because you know a lot of information about them. However, they are often the most challenging because of the breadth required to answer them effectively. Writing a provable thesis can pose real problems for these types of questions.
7. DBQ: Reading the Question Make sure to answer all parts of the question. It is important to spend some time going over each part and it may even help to reword the question.
8. DBQ: Examining the Documents Carefully examine each document. Make a judgment concerning point of view and the possible origin of each document. Don’t be afraid to underline key points and make relevant historical notes in the margin.
9. DBQ: Using the Documents Do not try to use all of the documents in your DBQ answer. In fact, it is better to effectively use less than to ineffectively use more. A good rule of thumb is to use 4 documents well to prove your thesis.
10. General AP Exam Tip: Eating and Sleeping Eat a healthy dinner the night before before, get a good night’s sleep, and eat breakfast the morning of the exam.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
AP US History: Take Home Assignment (Easter Break)
1. Complete the DBQ assigned in class (1920s Foreign Policy)
2. Complete the OPEN BOOK exercises from Bailey that correspond with chapters 32, 33, and 34 in your textbook. *** There will be a short quiz (no notes allowed) on this information on the day we return. This work will be collected as well.
3. Select a Person to interview that is EITHER: at least 4 times your age or has personal memories of the Depression era or WWII.
Complete the following about the person you are interviewing as a BLOG POST:
1. Name, age, and year of birth of your person:
2. What is the first major historical event that you remember (national or world)and describe briefly what you remember?
3. What specific facts and details do you either remember personally or have been given the impression of by others about life during the Great Depression (1930s) in your hometown or town where you lived?
4. What specific facts and details do you either remember personally or have been given the impression of by others concerning World War II?
5. Think of 3 questions on your own to ask your interviewee and record the questions and answers on the blog.
6. Write a brief comparison (on the blog) of information concerning the Depression and WWII found in your Bailey textbook and the oral history information. Does Bailey back up what you learned or are there differences, explain.
There is a website link in the left hand column that might provide some tips for the Oral History Interview.
2. Complete the OPEN BOOK exercises from Bailey that correspond with chapters 32, 33, and 34 in your textbook. *** There will be a short quiz (no notes allowed) on this information on the day we return. This work will be collected as well.
3. Select a Person to interview that is EITHER: at least 4 times your age or has personal memories of the Depression era or WWII.
Complete the following about the person you are interviewing as a BLOG POST:
1. Name, age, and year of birth of your person:
2. What is the first major historical event that you remember (national or world)and describe briefly what you remember?
3. What specific facts and details do you either remember personally or have been given the impression of by others about life during the Great Depression (1930s) in your hometown or town where you lived?
4. What specific facts and details do you either remember personally or have been given the impression of by others concerning World War II?
5. Think of 3 questions on your own to ask your interviewee and record the questions and answers on the blog.
6. Write a brief comparison (on the blog) of information concerning the Depression and WWII found in your Bailey textbook and the oral history information. Does Bailey back up what you learned or are there differences, explain.
There is a website link in the left hand column that might provide some tips for the Oral History Interview.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Assignment for Tuesday, March 23: Lab "Tech" Time
1. Complete Civil War Scavenger Hunt and turn in if you haven't already - link is in left hand column.
2. Try Quia activities that you haven't completed (Providing Java update is working) Link is in left hand column.
3. Explore Age of Imperialism Online history website - (Link is in left hand column) Look around at all the information and primary source documents. Also, check out the unit test. Quiz yourself and check answers with the answer key - (You might see some of these same questions tomorrow).
2. Try Quia activities that you haven't completed (Providing Java update is working) Link is in left hand column.
3. Explore Age of Imperialism Online history website - (Link is in left hand column) Look around at all the information and primary source documents. Also, check out the unit test. Quiz yourself and check answers with the answer key - (You might see some of these same questions tomorrow).
Friday, March 12, 2010
AP US History Technology Assignment for Friday, 3-12-10
Go to the Quia class page - remember there is a link over in the left column.
1. First, complete the two activities that deal with our first 20 Presidents. One is a concentration game and the other is a word search. You can find them under UNTITLED assignment.
2. Next, complete the class survey, it is named: AP US HISTORY CLASS SURVEY #1
3. If there are any other technology activities that you need to complete, please use extra time to do that: (Civil War Scavenger Hunt / comment on DBQ 1 / suggested website / Civil War Quiz
1. First, complete the two activities that deal with our first 20 Presidents. One is a concentration game and the other is a word search. You can find them under UNTITLED assignment.
2. Next, complete the class survey, it is named: AP US HISTORY CLASS SURVEY #1
3. If there are any other technology activities that you need to complete, please use extra time to do that: (Civil War Scavenger Hunt / comment on DBQ 1 / suggested website / Civil War Quiz
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
US History Tombstone Assignment
Welcome to the Blog - US History students - you will find a couple of links to related tombstone websites in the left hand margin. If you find some good ones - follow the directions to get an account and you can post a comment and include these sites.
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