In a 2004 Gallup survey, history and social studies ranked as the least popular subject for teenagers. Why is this? Many adults recount history class as being forced to memorize names, dates, and events without a connection to one another. Acronyms like SOAPStone (Speaker, Occasion, Audience,...
One of the most common tasks I see in the social studies classroom is the use of primary sources. The power of letting people choose their own story and bringing diverse perspectives to the historical narrative is essential and worthy work. After all, teaching with textbooks, for a wide variety of...
With just one percent of students earning the complexity point on the 2021 AP® World History DBQ, is teaching it even worth it? John Maunu says, "YES!"
Experienced AP World History teacher Dave Drzonek and AP World History Exam table leader Charlie Hart discuss what students did well and what they struggled with on the 2022 AP World History Exam, and offer tips on how to use this information to better prepare students for the upcoming 2023 exam.
Teaching Advanced Placement® classes can be daunting. You’ll ask yourself questions like “what is the rigor?”; “How do I test them?”; “Should I stick closely to the book, or can I deviate?”; “How much writing do they need to do?”; “What is the graphing requirement?” and so on. If you’ve never...
AP® instructor and consultant Brian Stevens shares how he implements Cornell Notes in his AP® Government classroom. Be sure to download his template below and share it with your class!
The test is over! Your students feel much better and relieved now that the exam is over. Score releases are in the distant future. You feel relieved as well. Now…we wait.
Political cartoons have influenced the public and brought about change like other tools in the press. The historic 1754 cartoon of a sliced-up snake, each piece marked as a colony, appeared in Ben Franklin’s newspaper preceding the French and Indian War. You’re probably familiar with Thomas Nast’s...
It’s about that time. The Advanced Placement® Government & Politics Exam is around the corner. I’m sharing my top five tips to help you prepare students for the big day. These include some of the basics like knowing the obscure vocabulary and some of the AP® Buzzwords, using the CED as a review...
In 2021, the College Board® added a new section to the AP® U.S Government and Politics Exam: quantitative analysis. This counts for four raw points on the exam. Along with the data project, students are asked to evaluate data and use their critical thinking skills to connect data to political...
