AP Course Syllabus and Themes

In addition to the themes designated by the College Board, Mr. Fossett and I have discussed and noted several themes which will be relevant to our specific course at CCDS. Many of the themes and their corresponding ideas overlap and each list is no less important than the other. Please be advised, you should comprehend the ideas in each.

Course Specific Themes for A.P. U.S. History at CCDS

Themes and Descriptions from the College Board

The following themes have been chosen and designed by the College Board to "encourage students to think conceptually about the American past and to focus on historical change over time." Furthermore, "the themes are not presented in any order of importance." While the College Board does feel these particular themes are of immense importance, they clearly articulate their support for teachers and students developing "their own course themes as they look at the American past through a variety of lenses." (AP College Board Advance Placement Program: 2006-2007 Professional Development Workshop Materials)

Theme	AP Description
American Diversity	The diversity of the American people and the relationships among different groups. The role of race, class, ethnicity, and gender in the history of the United States.
American Identity	Views of the American national character and ideas about American exceptionalism. Recognizing regional differences within the context of what it means to be an American.
Culture	Diverse individual and collective expressions through literature, art, philosophy, music, theater, and film throughout U.S. history. Popular culture and the dimensions of cultural conflict within American society.
Demographic Changes	Changes in birth, marriage, and death rates; life expectancy and family patterns, population size and density. The economic, social, and political effects of immigration, internal migration, and migration networks.
Economic Transformations	Changes in trade, commerce, and technology across time. The effects of capitalist development, labor and unions, and consumerism.
Environment	Ideas about the consumption and conservation of natural resources. The impact of population growth, industrialization, pollution, and urban and suburban expansion.
Globalization	Engagement with the rest of the world from the fifteenth century to the present: colonialism, mercantilism, global hegemony, development of markets, imperialism, cultural exchange.
Politics and Citizenship	Colonial and revolutionary legacies, American political traditions, growth of democracy, and the development of the modern state. Defining citizenship; struggles for civil rights.
Reform	Diverse movements focusing on a broad range of issues, including anti-slavery, education, labor, temperance, women's rights, civil rights, gay rights, war, public health, and government.
Religion	The variety of religious beliefs and practices in America from pre-history to the twenty-first century; influence of religion on politics, economics, and society.
Slavery and Its Legacies In North America	Systems of slave labor and other forms of unfree labor (e.g., indentured servitude, contract labor) in Native American societies, the Atlantic World, and the American South and West. The economics of slavery and its racial dimensions. Patterns of resistance and the long-term economic, political, and social effects of slavery.
War and Diplomacy	Armed conflict from the precolonial period to the twenty-first century; impact of war on American foreign policy and on politics, economy, and society.