AP US Government & Politics (New Course) (Cum Laude Recognition)
Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics will give students an
analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. This course
includes both the study of general concepts used to interpret U .S. Government and
politics and the analysis of specific examples. It also requires familiarity with the various
institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that constitute U .S. Government and politics.
Students will become acquainted with the variety of theoretical perspectives and
explanations for various behaviors and outcomes. Topics that will be covered include:
political beliefs, the constitution, political parties, political institutions of government,
public policy, civil liberties, and civil rights. See Advanced Placement
Expectations/Criteria (pg 17)
AP European History (Cum Laude Recognition)
This energetic, hands-on course will enable students to earn college credit, if desired,
and to use upper-level thinking to explore some of the most fascinating aspects of
European History. This AP European History class uses art, music, creative projects,
and writing to explore essential topics of European history. The class covers content
from the Middle Ages to the present by studying the politics, economics, religion, social
history, intellectuals, and artists of Europe. In addition, all students serious about taking
the class must do required summer reading. Students will be expected to participate fully
in class, read independently, and use initiative and creativity to complete course work.
See Advanced Placement Expectations/Criteria (pg 17)
AP United States History (Cum Laude Recognition)
The AP program in United States History is designed to provide students with the
analytical skills and enduring understandings necessary to deal critically with the
problems and materials in United States history. The program prepares students for
intermediate and advanced college courses by making demands upon them equivalent to
those made by full-year introductory college courses. Students should learn to assess
historical materials—their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability, and
their importance—and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical
scholarship. An AP United States History course should thus develop the skills necessary
to arrive at conclusions on the basis of an informed judgment and to present reasons
and evidence clearly and persuasively in an essay format. See Advanced Placement
Expectations/Criteria (pg 17)
Civics
In a constitutional democracy with a strong civil society, civic engagement requires
deliberating with others and participating in civic and democratic processes. People
demonstrate civic engagement when they address public problems collaboratively and
when they maintain, strengthen, and improve communities and societies. Thus, civics is,
in part, the study of how people participate in governing society. Civics is not limited to
the study of politics and society; it also encompasses deliberation and participation in
classrooms and schools, neighborhoods, groups, and organizations. In civics, students
learn to contribute appropriately to public deliberations by citing evidence and explaining
why their favored processes and outcomes are constitutional, legal, fair, practical, and/or
effective. Their contributions may take many forms, ranging from personal testimony to
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