ap social studies
AP® Gov: Constitutional Amendments
One of the most important goals of civics education is to get students to understand the imperfections of the constitutional system of the United States. The system, webbed together through a series of compromises, reflects the values of the authors, largely based upon Judeo-Christian values, shaped, of course, by...
AP® World History: Sports & Colonization
This lesson module can be used by regular or AP® World, U.S., or European History teachers to develop an understanding of how sport has been used as a "tool" to assimilate Indigenous cultures into the Imperial state's economy, politics, and culture. Portions or all of the lesson modules could also be used in...
APUSH: Comparisons in Colonial America
Between 1607 and 1754, the British presence in North America vastly increased and there were more than 30 British colonies. Among those colonies were the “13 colonies” that eventually became the United States.
AP® World: Cultural Diffusion Activity
Cultural diffusion and cultural syncretism are two important concepts in the AP® World History curriculum. Because of its importance, I’ve developed this activity as a fun and creative way to introduce or review the concept of cultural diffusion. It is best used at the beginning of the year as an introductory...
The Most Foundational Document: The U.S. Constitution
As you know in our study of the AP
® U.S. Government, there are nine Foundational Documents. But one of these towers among the rest:
the U.S. Constitution.
Current Events & Your AP® Government Classroom
Around 2005, I started a more regular and purposeful current events routine in my AP® Government and Politics class. I would supply three articles on Sunday, and students needed to read them by class time on Tuesday. I creatively called it “Current Events Tuesday.” No students cheered, but I soon noticed that...
What is Human Geography?
So, you have taken the plunge and are now teaching AP® Human Geography. People will ask “What is Human Geography?” but you have no idea how to answer (yet). I get this question all the time (from students and teachers alike) and I have a short and longer answer that will help kick off your understanding of this...
AP® Gov: Starting the Year Strong
The beginning of the school year is an important time for establishing expectations and forming relationships, both teacher-student and student-student. In my district, we teach government and civics and AP® U.S. Government and Politics to sophomores, so I used to spend a good bit of time convincing 15 year olds...
8 Tips for New Teachers on How to Be Successful in an AP® Course
Over years of experience teaching an AP® course (in my case, AP® World History), I’ve been able to compile a list of “must do” tips and suggestions for teachers who have never taught an AP® course before. They offer insight into not only surviving your first year teaching AP®, but also how to guide you and your...
Organizing Your AP® United States History Course
Do you need some ideas and/or extra support to organize your AP® United States History course? Join Lou Gallo as he shares ideas on how to organize your course and explains strategies that he has used successfully with his students.
