Thank yu fr yur interest in AP US Histry Online 2015-2016, led by Mrs. Susan Richman Print ut this frm and return via US mail, signed and dated t: Pennsylvania Hmeschlers, Attn: AP US Histry 105 Richman LN Kittanning PA 16201-5737 Alternatively: fill in applicatin, scan and email as PDF t spr1951@gmail.cm Applicatin Frm fr PA Hmeschlers Online AP US HISTORY curse Curse shall run frm August 26, 2015 t May 31, 2016. Frmal instructin ends with the APUSH exam, but any back wrk can still be submitted t the curse website thrugh May 31, 2016. Curse website will be peratinal by July 15, 2015 fr ptinal summer bnus wrk. Estimated number f hurs f study per week: minimum 10. See basic descriptin f this curse at www.aphmeschlers.cm, including the student reviews f the curse this shuld help yu understand the range f activities invlved in AP US Histry. There is NO real time required cursewrk (n nline required live lectures/discussins); all wrk is dne asynchrnusly (each student can participate and submit wrk at the time f day that best suits his schedule and time zne). Written assignments are submitted weekly directly nt the class website, where the instructr and ther students can then respnd t the wrk, and there is a message bard fr infrmal discussin and cmmunicatin. Teaching Assistants d lead ptinal bnus live Study Grups. Official PA Hmeschlers AP Online Transcript f curse grade (ABC grades) is available bth midyear and at the end f the curse. All students are expected t take the AP US Histry exam at a public r private schl testing site n Friday mrning, May 6, 2016. The actual AP exam grade (1-5 grading scale) will be used by any future clleges t determine pssible cllege credit r advanced placement. Yu will receive yur fficial AP exam grade directly frm the Cllege Bard website in July 2015 n scres are mailed t families. This curse is fully authrized thrugh the Cllege Bard AP Audit prcess, meeting all curricular guidelines fr the revised exam. Hmeschl students cmpleting this curse are therefre authrized t use the AP designatin n their fficial high schl transcript. STUDENT INFORMATION Student name: Age /DOB / By / Girl Address: City: zip cde: Hme Phne: cell phne Student email address: Parent s name : Parent email address Tday s date GRADE fr 2015-2016 schl year circle ne: 9th 10th 11th 12 th
Csts f AP US Histry curse: Once a student has been ntified f acceptance int the curse by Susan Richman, the family shuld then pay the fllwing tuitin fee nline, starting in late February 2015, at www.aphmeschlers.cm, r by mailing a check. See ur www.aphmeschlers.cm site fr inf n ur payment plan. Students must have all needed texts by August 15, 2015: Tuitin: $625 *early bird* tuitin fee. On July 1, 2015, tuitin fee will be $650. Please nte the refund and dismissal plicies fr ur AP nline curses at ww.aphmeschlers.cm Bks are nt included with tuitin fee. Required texts: 1. Basic text: Our main text is a FREE digital nline text, which students will *supplement* with a traditinal 900+ page print text. Here is inf n bth texts: ONLINE FREE multi-media HISTORY BY ERA text fund at the www.gilderlehrman.rg website. Students will need t pen a free accunt at this site, and then will have access t all ptins primary dcuments, text essays, histry lectures by a wide range f histrians, and much mre. Students need t be nline t use this text, althugh daily reading assignments can easily be printed ut fr use away frm a cmputer. This surce uses writings by a wide range f histrians, and students find the writing refreshing and nt bring and there are ample extra credit readings that students can als explre as they chse. We have a direct link frm ur class site t this nline multi-media text. This website includes extensive material beynd just the cre text including excellent review materials and much mre. The special AP US Histry StudyGuide is a part f this verall website, and students will be assigned regular readings and listening / viewing here als. Print text fr supplementary use: Making America: A Histry f the United States, by Berkin, Miller, Cherny, Grmly (5 th editin) This text can be purchased used at many 2nd hand textbk sites nline, ften VERY inexpensively. This text is authred by sme f the majr histrians fr ur cre nline Histry by Era text, and s wrks well as a print cmpanin text fr reference r further study r fr reading when students are traveling and Internet access may be difficult. NOTE: Be sure t get bth Vlume I and Vlume II f this text in the paperback editins (each with half f US histry these are used fr ne-semester cllege curses; AP US Histry is like a 2-semester cllege curse). The text has multiple ISBN numbers any are fine just d a search n the title and 5 th editin, and yu ll find it. I was able t buy cpies fr just a cuple dllars, plus pstage. 2. APUSH Study Guide: All students will purchase their wn cpy f the 2012 bk The Insider s Cmplete Guide t AP US Histry: The Essential Cntent, by Larry Krieger (www.insidertestprep.cm fr full inf n this bk and the authr and t see the free nline 3-5 minute pdcasts n 50 specific APUSH tpics). This is the 3rd year using this as a study guide, and students really appreciate bth the targeted frmat and the clear and nn-verwhelming cntent. Althugh nt specifically geared twards the revised APUSH exam, it is still an excellent review text that has really benefited students. Cst is $16.95 new n www.amazn.cm. I will prvide free PDF files fr dwnlad frm ur curse website fr the twice-mnthly essay assignments using past APUSH exam essay questins, as well as the new frmat shrt-answer questins that will be part f the exam. Recmmended but nt required: an mp3 player r smart phne/ ipd r tablet fr listening t audi lectures away frm yur cmputer; a family accunt with Netflix r Hulu fr viewing further histry dcumentaries. Our nline HBE text and APUSH StudyGuide can als be read n a tablet.
Cmputer requirements and pre-requisite cmputer skills: Student must prvide wn hme cmputer (with an updated web brwser) fr this curse. Family must have a hi-speed and reliable Internet cnnectin that will enable students t view nline vide lectures r listen t audi files (sme internatinal students in remte areas have truble with this). Students will need an email address, and I will als need a separate email address fr the parents. 1. D yu already meet this minimum cmputer requirement? YES / NO 2. D yu knw hw t type effectively? YES / NO (if n, yu can t be in the curse typing with ease is a prerequisite) 3. D yu already knw hw t use the Internet? YES / NO 4. Check cmputer Internet skills yu have: use search engines cpy-and-paste int frms bkmark favrite sites, g t links, use sidebars, etc. sme type f nline chat prgram, such as Skype r Ggle Hanguts (ften used fr student-t-student interactin and study times, and students can als message the teacher with quick questins) website design experience (nt a pre-requisite, but there will be a website r multimedia creatin prject during the year). Recent standardized testing inf, if available-- I m mstly interested in tests that reflect reading ability there is a majr crrelatin between higher reading/verbal scres and AP US Histry scres. Latest achievement test scres: Test Reading Math Date SAT scres, if any: Critical Reading Writing Math Date(s) SAT Subject Test scres, if any: tests taken scres Previus AP Scres, if any: curse name scre(s): Previus AP exams taken (scres nt in yet): Was this an AP n-line curse? Independent study? Grup class? Other tests: PSAT, ACT, etc. NOTE re/ testing scres: I certainly wuldn t expect any student t have scres fr all f these tests just put NA, if scres are Nt Available. If abslutely n back scres are available it wuld be a help t have the parent r anther teacher/evaluatr yu ve wrked with write a brief recmmendatin letter r summary f yur past prgress, especially related t reading and witing ability. It is crucial that yu be able t read advanced high schl and cllege level material with ease, as all f ur texts are at this level. Educatinal Backgrund and Plans fr this year: 1. Have yu ever *cmpleted* an n-line curse befre? Please describe briefly, including any grades r basic evaluatins received (add an attachment if yu need mre rm): 2. Are yu planning n ther AP curses this cming year? If s, which nes? 3. Are yu planning n taking any cllege curses at a lcal cllege this year? If s, which curses? On-campus r nline?
NOTE: Past experience has shwn that if students try t take n t many AP curses in ne year, mst have a very tugh time f it (ne student a number f years ag signed up fr 4 curses nline with us, and ended up drpping ALL f them lts f mney and pprtunity wasted...). Likewise, students wh take mre than ne curse at a lcal cllege ften find that they begin ignring their AP Online curse s dn t feel yu need t impress me with saying yes yu ll take fur ther AP s and three cllege curses! In fact, I ll be mre leery f taking n students wh are taking t many ther very challenging curses, unless they have already prven that they can handle this type f curse lad. 4. Are yu in any very time-cnsuming utside activities, such as hmeschl debate, a sprt with daily practices and many away games r meets, many theatre r dance prductins, r any activity that may necessitate extensive travel away frm a cmputer? While debate tpics usually fit in very well with histry study, the time cmmitment can be very challenging t handle yu may need t make special arrangements with me during the curse s that yu will nt fall behind. Please explain: 5. Special Questin: I am especially lking fr students wh like t DISCUSS and DEBATE with fellw students via regular cmmunicatin n the curse wwwbard r in bnus study grups run by the curse TA s, as this makes fr a much livelier interactive class, and I value having students with a full range f pinins n histry issues (it s nt much f a discussin if everyne immediately agrees!). Students have shared that the regular discussins n-line were ne f the best tls in helping them learn t defend their psitins and decide what they really did believe abut difficult issues. If yu are the srt wh prefers t sit back and let thers d the talking and thinking, this class may nt be fr yu. Can yu *guarantee* me that yu ll d yur best t take part actively and regularly in curse discussin n-line? YES / NO Explain if necessary... 6. Des the student have any special learning r physical challenge that I shuld be aware f (dyslexia, ADHD, visin/hearing challenges, small muscle prblems that might necessitate getting permissin t use a keybard fr the exam, chrnic illness r severe allergies, etc.)? Nte: I have wrked with students with varied physical handicaps and als with students with sme learning challenges this will nt affect the student s acceptance int the curse (if all else pints t the student being ready fr the class), but will enable me t best meet the student s needs and give apprpriate feedback and plan fr accmmdatins if necessary. Fr example, a student with a reading challenge culd use a full range f histry dcumentaries r recrded lectures in place f a text. (Just ne mre page t g!)
7. STUDENTS: Please include n a separate sheet, and then ALSO send it via e-mail t spr1951@gmail.cm, a minimum 500-wrd essay which includes: A descriptin f yur histry studies t date, including what areas f histry yu ve studied and learned abut in the past few years What time perids interest yu the mst, and any special research prjects r papers yu ve cmpleted n any histry tpic. Any favrite histry bks yu ve read r vides yu ve seen r places yu ve visited. Add smething abut why yu want t take this curse, and anything else yu d want me and ther students in the curse t knw abut yu. This statement will eventually g n the curse website t intrduce yu t everyne if yu are accepted int the curse s make it persnal and fun and let us get t knw yu. Yur essay will als help me t assess yur basic writing abilities and readiness fr the writing demands f the curse, s d yur best with this. It is f paramunt imprtance that yu cme int the curse with strng writing abilities and a gd cmmand f English writing cnventins. Evaluating this essay will be an imprtant part f the decisin-making prcess t select the students fr the curse, as I limit the curse t 45 students at mst. CHECK BOTH: Here s my persnal histry essay printed ut n paper (r scanned in). It s ALSO been sent t spr1951@gmail.cm with subject line New APUSH student essay 8. Statement f intent fr all students and their parents t sign: I have read the curse descriptin n the PA Hmeschlers website and many f the student cmments abut the curse, and the requirements abve in this applicatin, and I understand what this curse will require frm me. I further understand that if I d nt participate fully in the curse, keeping up with required assignments as best I can (I realize the teacher will be very understanding f real emergencies and cmputer prblems, but a busy day hanging ut at the mall is n excuse fr missing a deadline!) I may be dismissed frm the curse. Specifically, nce the curse starts n August 26, 2015, I will be expected t check in weekly with my nline Assignment Lg, giving an update f my studies. If I d nt send in my assignments fr tw cnsecutive weeks, r cntact the instructr t explain why wrk is late, I will be n prbatin, and have exactly tw weeks t turn in all back assignments. Parents will be cntacted at this pint, if wrk is nt turned in. Being n prbatin twice culd be grunds fr being dismissed frm the curse, as it wuld indicate that I just d nt have the time r self-discipline t wrk at the curse cnsistently. I understand that if my wrk is f cnsistently pr quality, my parents will be cntacted with ideas n hw t help me upgrade my study and writing skills s that my perfrmance can imprve, s I will be set t be as well-prepared as pssible fr the AP exam in May. I will wrk hard all year t learn as much as I can abut US Histry. I m ready t g!!! Signed: Student Signed: Parent Date Return this applicatin frm via the US Pstal Service (r by email attachment) ASAP t: PA Hmeschlers Online, attn: AP US Histry 105 Richman LN Kittanning PA 16201-5737 Thanks fr cmpleting this applicatin and fr yur interest in this curse! I will get back t yu as sn as pssible n yur acceptance int the curse and yu will be sent a frmal letter f acceptance via email, alng with further instructins fr paying the tuitin fees fr the curse at ur site at www.pahmeschlers.cm, by check, r thrugh ur payment plan ptin. Hpe t have yu in APUSH this year! Sincerely, Mrs. Susan Richman