Welcome to EDSITEment’s Advanced Placement US History Lessons
The lessons included
in this listing have been designed to teach the content and skills required
of students who are enrolled in AP US History and intend to take the AP
examination. The lessons are challenging, yet engaging. They draw on a wide
range of primary and secondary sources in all media including audio clips
and images as well as interactive maps and timelines. They teach both the
content and skills needed to complete AP US History successfully.
Scholar-reviewed Websites and Primary Sources
 EDSITEment
offers two important resources for AP teachers and students. The first
is a list of websites that have been reviewed by scholars and recommended
for use in the classroom. These sites have been evaluated on the basis
of their content, or, to be more specific, the quality and accuracy of
the resources that are contained on the main site and the links to websites
that can be reached easily from the entry site. The goal is to assure
teachers and students that the materials they are reading, evaluating,
and analyzing are either reliable reproductions of primary sources or
responsible interpretations of a subject. These websites provide a valuable
resource for teachers and students to use in their own research; however,
they also serve as the starting point for all EDSITEment l essons.
Equally important many of these sites are treasure troves of primary sources
documents such as letters, diaries, audio clips, photographs and political
cartoons which are the raw materials of history.
Scholar-developed Lesson Plans
 EDSITEment
lesson plans are developed either by individual scholars or by teams of
teachers and scholars. Authors mine the websites for primary as well as
secondary sources that are essential to an understanding of the subject.
Once they have identified and located the key documents on the web, they
build the lesson around a set of activities that engage the student in
close examination, evaluation, and analysis of the sources. These activities
are designed to teach  students—especially
those preparing for Document Based Questions in the AP exam—how to
read a document, compare and contrast historical accounts, and develop
generalizations from their study of the sources.
Active Learning
 Active
learning is fundamental to all
EDSITEment lesson plans. Each lesson begins with a brief introduction
to the lesson, one or two guiding questions, and a set of learning objectives
that focus on both content and skills. The
background essay provides information that a teacher needs in order
to teach the lesson thoughtfully and effectively. Teachers new to the
subject matter are strongly encouraged to read the essay before teaching
the lesson. Additional background is offered in the section "Preparing
to Teach the Lesson," with links to on-line resources that are chosen
by the author(s) to broaden and deepen the teacher's  knowledge
of the subject. They often take the teacher to more detailed discussions
of the historical issue, biographical materials on the leading actors,
and debates about long-term consequences. Occasionally, they introduce
conflicting interpretations that can be used to enliven and/or deepen
class discussions.
Mastery of Content
 Using
both primary and secondary sources, EDSITEment's
AP lessons emphasize mastery of content. Lessons deal with significant
themes, major events, and/or important changes. As a result, students
draw information from the sources that enable them to understand how the
facts relate to "the big picture." Students learn to identify what facts
are important, evaluate and understand the implications of various kinds
of evidence, and draw conclusions that are both valid and insightful.
Engaging the Students
 Recognizing
that students also need to learn skills, EDSITEment's
AP lessons require students to engage in close reading and careful
analysis of documents, maps, photographs, recordings, and other primary
source materials. They learn the questions that should be asked of all
primary sources as well as the specific requirements associated with different
kinds of sources. They also learn how to weigh evidence, resolve conflicting
accounts, organize their findings, develop generalizations, draw conclusions,
and/or determine the significance of the lesson's subject. In short, they
learn the discipline of history.
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