Course Description
Attending this AP summer institute will be a great chance to network with other AP European History teachers and explore course and exam materials. This institute will provide many practical resources and ideas for organizing the AP European History course and will help both experienced and new teachers prepare to confidently teach the required curricular, thematic, and skill components. Time will be spent making sure that all teachers are ready to prepare their students for success in the course and on the exam, with the latest released College Board materials and test samples being examined. This institute will provide many creative strategies for helping students learn to love history while they master the skills and content outlined by the College Board.
The following are some of the goals for the week:
- To understand some of the basic elements involved with teaching the AP European History course:
- AP European History Curriculum, Themes, and Skills (CED)
- Understanding the Course Requirements
- Mapping out the Year—Pacing the AP European History Course and Outlining the instructional plan by Unit and Topic in your academic calendar
- AP Classroom Instructional Resources
- Using Instructional Planning Reports
- Instructional Strategies and Tools to teach the Content and Skills in the CED
- College Board Processes
- The AP Audit
- Test Taking Strategies
- Document Based Question Writing
- Long Essay Writing
- Stimulus Based Multiple Choice Questions
- Short Answer Questions
- Student Enrollment
- Textbook Selection
- Supplemental Readers
- Resources
- Test Development
- Equity and Access
- To understand the content and structure of the AP* European History exam, and to develop appropriate strategies for maximizing student scores and to examine ways to provide students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the content, skills, and materials in AP European History.
- To achieve an understanding of necessary course content for the course curriculum and exam by looking at sample questions provided by the College Board, examining the latest AP reading samples released by the College Board, and analyzing the rubrics for all parts of the exam.
- To examine a variety of ways to structure the course so that students will be prepared to score well on the AP exam.
- To acquire many resources from the instructor and from other participants to help make the teaching of the course more manageable. These will include:
- Sample test questions for the exam provided by the College Board
- Available samples from the most recent AP Reading
- College Board information concerning the themes and skills in AP European History
- Long Essay Rubrics
- Document Based Question Rubrics
- Instructional Handouts
- Instructor-prepared Classroom Resources in an instructor-created google drive
- Access to materials provided by publishers
- Materials provided by the College Board
AP European History: Daily Summer Institute Schedule
***Each day will have a theme and a tentative list of topics but expect that the agenda may be revised to satisfy the needs of the group.
Day 1: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Equity in AP, Understanding the Course, Curriculum Framework: Themes, Skills, Content, Learning Resources, and Exam Format
- Introductions and Wish List
- Orientation to our Online Workshop Format
- Equity in AP
- What’s New in AP European History? Curriculum, Course and Exam Description (CED), College Board Resources
- Exploring the AP European History Required Course Themes (CED)
- Exploring the AP European History Required Course Skills (CED)
- Exploring the AP European History Content Requirements (CED)
- AP Classroom Resources for Teachers and Students
- Instructional Strategies and Tools to incorporate in Lesson Plans to teach the Content and Skills in the Course and Exam Description
- Exploring the AP Exam Content/Format: Overview of available practice test materials (Multiple Choice, Short Answer, and Essay sections)
Day 2: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sample Exam Questions, Instructional Strategies, and Online Learning Resources
- Exploring the AP Exam Content/Format: Overview of available practice test materials (Multiple Choice, Short Answer, and Essay sections)
- Skills and Content: What do students need to know to be successful on the AP Euro exam?
- The Stimulus-based Multiple Choice Section of the AP Exam
- Multiple Choice Strategies for Students
- Internet Resources
- Reading Strategies for Students
- Using AP Classroom to identify student strengths and weaknesses and reflect on implications for instruction
- Using the Instructional Planning Report: Implications for instruction
- Instructional Strategies and Tools to incorporate in Lesson Plans to teach the Content and Skills in the Course and Exam Description
- Document Based Question Writing Activities and Strategies
- Document Analysis (SOAPS and APPARTS), Authorship, and Attribution
- Grading of the DBQ: Using the Scoring Rubric—What do students need to do to write a successful DBQ?
- Grading of latest released DBQ Samples from the AP exam
Day 3: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sample Exam Questions, Instructional Strategies, Mapping out the Year, and Lesson Planning
- Strategies for Teaching Historical Context, Intended Audience, Purpose, and Point of View
- Contextualization
- Internet Document Archives
- Strategies for Analysis of Visual Sources & Using Art to Teach Social History
- Instructional Strategies and Tools to incorporate in Lesson Plans to teach the Content and Skills in the Course and Exam Description
- Grading of the Long Essay Questions: Using the LEQ Core Scoring Rubric—What do students need to do to write a successful Long Essay?
- Grading of latest released Long Essay Samples from the AP exam
- Strategies and Activities for Teaching the Long Essay
- Thesis Writing Strategies
- Building an Argument: Strategies for Students
- Mapping out your School Year: Outlining the instructional plan by Unit and Topic in your academic calendar
- Unit Development: Development of Units that include the Themes/Skills/Content Requirements and the various types of Exam Questions
Day 4: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Sample Exam Questions, Instructional Strategies, Sharing Session, Online Learning Resources
- Grading of Short Answer Questions: What do students need to do to be successful on Short Answer Questions?
- Curriculum ideas: films, literature, documents, simulations, etc.
- Supplemental materials: books, primary sources, etc.
- Instructional Strategies and Tools to incorporate in Lesson Plans to teach the Content and Skills in the Course and Exam Description
- Hub Dates
- More Reading and Critical Thinking Strategies for Students
- Creative Ideas for Teaching AP European History
- Sharing of Developed Units and Exam Questions
- Roundtable of Best Ideas
- Equity in AP
- Questions/Answers
Homework: Unit Development
- For the two-hour homework requirement, participants will be expected to do unit development to share with the other participants on Day 4 of the APSI.
If you have any questions or concerns during or prior to the APSI please email Susie Gerard at trgerard@comcast.net
