APUSH New Teacher Training

At Your Own Place and Time Without Having to Pay a Dime

If you’re a new APUSH teacher, this post seeks to provide you with answers to many of the questions you’re most likely asking yourself.

I’m a San Marino High School social studies teacher with many years of APUSH teaching experience, and I have produced this post because I believe that no teacher should have to leave their home to learn what is taught at a summer APSI (Advanced Placement Summer Institute).

In other words, I believe that we live in an age where new APUSH teachers should be able to find answers to any questions they might have online and at no cost.

That’s not to say I discourage new teachers from attending an APSI or any other online, for-a-fee, APUSH teacher training. I’ve attended many over the years, and from each, I’ve always learned something of value. It’s just that I think new teachers today should have a no-cost, no-travel-needed, own-pace, own-time training option.

That said, if there’s a question you would like me to answer that you don’t find addressed in this post, send it my way, and I’ll answer it. In this regard, think of me as your personal research assistant. And if I do have the answer to your question, I will reach out to others to find it. I have direct email access to many of the most respected APUSH teachers in the country, some of whom run their own APSIs. We are all here for you!

Questions Related to the Textbook

Selecting the right textbook can prove a significant challenge for new APUSH teachers if given a chance. So, too, how best to utilize a textbook, whether one to be purchased or currently used. Here are some of the most common questions new teachers have:

• I have the choice of picking a textbook; any recommendations?
• What textbook does your school provide the students?
• Can you give me some student-friendly, easy-to-read recommendations?
• If I were to ask the members of either of the two online communities you’ve recommended (CB’s OTC and the FB APUSH Teacher Community) what textbook they would recommend, what are some typical responses?
• Does the College Board have a recommended list of textbooks?
• I hear that students don’t read the textbook today; is this true?
• How often do you require your students to read something from the textbook and then hold them accountable?

For the answers to these questions, click here.

Questions Related to AP Classroom

AP Classroom is a valuable resource provided by the College Board to support AP teachers and students. It offers a variety of tools and materials to enhance teaching and learning. Here are some common questions new teachers have about AP Classroom:

• Where do I find this AP Classroom?
• How do I set up my AP Classroom account and enroll my students?
• What types of tools and materials are available on AP Classroom for APUSH?
• How can I use AP Classroom to assign practice questions and track student progress?
• What’s all this I’m hearing about there being a bunch of boring videos on AP Classroom?

For the answers to these questions, click here, but before doing so, keep in mind that mastering AP Classroom takes time, effort, and patience, much like learning to use any specialized tool. So, don’t expect to become proficient overnight. Instead, prepare yourself mentally to invest time in exploring and understanding its features.

Questions Related to Pacing

Pacing your lessons effectively is crucial to ensure that all the required material is covered by the AP exam. Finding the right balance can be especially daunting for new APUSH teachers. Here are some of the most common questions new teachers have about pacing:

• What do I need to do to create a year-long pacing guide that ensures all APUSH content is covered before the exam
• What would CB’s recommended pacing guide look like at your school if applied to APUSH Period 1?
• What should I do if I fall behind schedule?

For the answers to these questions, click here.

Questions Related to Content

The word content is a word that new APUSH teachers will hear over and over from more experienced teachers

Here are some common questions new teachers have about the APUSH content:

1. In the context of APUSH, what does the word “content” refer to?
2. I’ve been told that a new teacher should refer to the APUSH Course and Exam Description to learn what content students need to learn. Not the textbook?
3. How exactly does the CED reveal the content students need to know?
4. How do you respond to those who say, “Forget the CED and the curriculum found there? Teach the history of America from 1491–2015 as you see fit, and don’t worry about the CED”?

For the answers to these questions, click here.

Questions Related to the Use of Lectures to Deliver Content

Over the years, lectures have gotten a bad rap. Some say they’re outdated and boring, yet others argue they’re the best way to ensure content is thoroughly covered.

Here are some common questions new APUSH teachers have about the use of lectures to teach content content:

1. Is it true that the best way for students to learn the content is via lecture?
2. As a new teacher, I believe that lectures are necessary for APUSH, but I worry that I might not be able to lecture well enough to cover all the content and keep my students engaged. What should I do?
3. What is your primary approach for delivering content among all the teaching strategies and methods available?
4. What are your go-to content-delivery teaching strategies other than interactive lectures?
5. What about using “Flipped Learning” to deliver the content?
6. How do the teachers belonging to various APUSH online teacher communities respond to your post?

For the answers to these questions, click here.

Questions Related to the Teaching of the SAQs

SAQs, aka short-answer questions, are worth 20% of the total exam score and are designed to assess the student’s ability to analyze historical sources, make connections, and demonstrate understanding concisely. Here are some common questions new teachers have about the SAQs:

1. I hear that the SAQs are stimulus-based. What does that mean?
2. Where can I find a bank of high-quality stimulus-based SAQs to put before my students?
3. What about a bank of high-quality, non-stimulus-based SAQs? Do you know where I can get one?
4. What’s the best way to teach my students how to respond to the SAQs?
5. How can I provide constructive feedback to my students on their SAQ responses?
6. How do I design my own SAQs to ensure they align with the APUSH exam format and rigor?
7. Do you have a collection of various SAQ prompts and responses? I want to present them to my students and then have them assume the role of a College Board grader. I believe this would be an effective way to teach students how to craft strong SAQ responses.
8. Do you have any SAQ-related videos?
9. How do the teachers from various APUSH online teacher communities respond to your post?

For the answers to these questions, click here.

Questions Related to the Teaching of the LEQs

LEQs, aka long essay questions, are another critical component of the APUSH exam. LEQs are worth 15% of the total exam score and are designed to assess students’ ability to develop a coherent argument supported by historical evidence over an extended response. Here are some common questions new teachers have about teaching LEQs:

• How are LEQs structured in the APUSH exam? Is it true that there are only two different ways?
• What are the best strategies for teaching students how to respond to an LEQ effectively?
• Where can I find high-quality sample LEQs and exemplar responses to use as teaching tools in my classroom?
• How do I design my own LEQs to ensure they align with the APUSH exam format and rigor?
• What are the key elements to look for when assessing students’ LEQ responses, and how can I provide constructive feedback to help them improve?

For the answers to these questions, click here in early Fall.

Questions Related to the Teaching of the DBQs

DBQs, aka document-based 1uestions, are yet one more critical component of the APUSH exam. DBQs are worth 25% of the total exam score and are designed to assess students’ ability to analyze and synthesize historical documents and to develop a coherent argument based on these sources.

Here are some common questions new teachers have about teaching DBQs:

1. How are DBQs structured on the APUSH exam?
2. What are the best strategies for teaching students how to respond to a DBQ effectively?
3. Where can I find high-quality sample DBQs and exemplar responses to use as teaching tools in my classroom?
4. How do I design my own DBQs to ensure they align with the APUSH exam format and rigor?
5. What are the key elements to look for when assessing students’ DBQ responses, and how can I provide constructive feedback to help them improve?

For the answers to these questions, click here in early Fall.

Questions Related to the Teaching of the MCQs

MCQs (aka multiple-choice questions are the most important part of the APUSH exam, comprising 40% of the total exam score. MCQs assess students’ ability to recall factual information, analyze historical sources, and apply historical thinking skills. Here are some common questions new teachers have about teaching MCQs:

• How are MCQs structured on the APUSH exam?
• What are the best strategies for teaching students how to answer MCQs effectively?
• Where can I find high-quality sample MCQs and practice questions to use as teaching tools in my classroom?
• How do I design my own MCQs to ensure they align with the APUSH exam format and rigor?
• What are the key elements to look for when assessing students’ performance on MCQs?

Questions Related to Teacher and Students Use of AI in APUSH

AI is here, and it’s not going away, so it’s time to engage with it, especially since a year or two of use suggests it helps students learn more, better, faster.

Here are some common questions new teachers have about integrating AI into the APUSH classroom.

1. What percentage of APUSH teachers are utilizing AI for a classroom-related purpose?
2. What are some reasons why so many APUSH teachers still aren’t using AI for a class-related purpose?”
3. Isn’t it true that AI-generated content often relies on copyrighted material scraped from the Internet, making the use of tools like ChatGPT for educational purposes unethical?
4. I’m concerned that any work I assign to be completed outside of class that requires a written response will be done using AI. Grading such work, even for completion, seems pointless. That said, I’m wondering what APUSH teachers are planning to do. Never assign any homework that requires a written response.
5. How do you respond to those who say that in the Age of AI, all writing should be done in class with pen and paper, avoiding digital tools?
6. Are there any AI tools that can help my students master the skills needed to effectively respond to the exam’s SAQs, LEQs, and DBQs without requiring me to spend endless hours grading their responses?
7. Are there any AI tools that can provide my APUSH students with an unlimited number of APUSH-style MCQs and instant feedback?
8. Given that the CED suggests providing students with an opportunity to engage in a Socratic seminar for Topics 4.9 to 4.11, I would like to know if allowing students to use AI for any part of this or any other seminar might enhance their engagement and learning experience.
9. Can AI be used to enhance the effectiveness of entry tickets, exit tickets, and checks for understanding?
10. I want to present my students with two project-based learning opportunities that allow them to use AI. Do you have any suggestions?
11. What is a GPT, and how can it help my students learn what I want them to learn?
12. What is ChatGPT’s Voice Chat, and how can it help me learn what I need to learn?
13. What are APUSH teachers in the various online communities saying about the use of AI for classroom-related purposes?

For the answers to these questions, click here.

Questions Related to the First Month of School

Jumping into the school year as a new APUSH teacher can be challenging. The first month sets the tone for the rest of the year, and getting off to a strong start is crucial. Here are some common questions new teachers have about navigating the first month:

Here are some common questions new teachers have aboutthe first month of school:

1. What should I do on Day One to set the right tone for my APUSH class?
2. Can you give me a one-month plan so that I can see how you structure the first few weeks?
3. What should I do for Back to School Night to effectively communicate with parents and guardians?

For the answers to these questions, click here in early Fall.

Questions Related to the May Exam Scores

Navigating the complexities of exam scores, from interpreting their impact to supporting your students in response to their results, will be an essential part of your role as an APUSH educator.

Here are some common questions new teachers have about the May Exam Scores:

1. How and why do APUSH exam scores matter to the students?

2. Is there any way to predict a student’s exam score?

3. Can I request that a student’s exam be re-scored?

4. How are the scores reported to teachers

5. If APUSH exam scores are important to me, what are the three best pieces of advice you can give?

6. What should I do if my first-year APUSH exam scores prove disappointing?

Questions Related to Mentoring

College Board Professional Learning

College Board offers both face-to-face and online professional learning for new and experienced AP teachers as well as AP coordinators. Led by experienced instructors, AP professional learning provides educators with the support and training needed to successfully teach an AP course.

AP Summer Institutes

June–August

AP Summer Institutes are offered online and in-person, with 30+ hours of content-rich training on the course and exam, leveraging AP resources, and strengthening teaching and learning.

Scholarships are available for qualifying teachers.

AP Online Workshops

September–April

Online workshops are offered as a combination of live and on-demand sessions led by expert AP teachers. Targeted exercises will explore the course and exam, enable effective lesson planning using AP resources, and model using data-driven feedback year-round.

AP Mentoring

During the School Year

AP Mentoring is an online professional learning experience where you can collaborate with peers and expert mentors, share ideas, and get real-time and personalized support to respond to the changing needs of the classroom.

Find out more about AP Mentoring.

Teaching and Assessing

Teaching and Assessing AP United States History gives you online access to sample free-response questions, examples of how to score student responses, videos of master educators modeling key instructional strategies, and resources to help implement these strategies in your classroom.

Teachers can access these self-paced modules at any time throughout the year and will earn 0.2 CEUs and a certificate for each module completed.

To access the training:

1. Sign in at https://myap.collegeboard.org/login.
2. Click the Go to AP Classroom link for AP U.S. History.
3. Click on the Overview page under Course Resources, then select the More tab.
4. Click the Professional Learning link. The Teaching and Assessing course will open in a new browser tab.

Online Modules

Working with Challenging Primary Sources

These free online resources offer strategies for teaching reading and writing focused on challenging primary sources. The modules were developed for AP U.S. History teachers, but the nonfiction reading and writing strategies they explore will be useful for teachers of a variety of AP subjects:

LINK

Close Reading of Challenging Primary Sources

LINK

Writing from Challenging Primary Sources

AP Community

Sign In to the AP U.S. History Community.

• Share real-time strategies, ask questions, and collaborate with teachers worldwide.
• Search, add, and rate teacher resources with your peers in the resource library.
• Daily or weekly digests help you keep up with your community, wherever you are. Select all discussions or just the topics and discussion threads you choose to follow. You can also reply to discussion posts through email.

Learn more about the AP Community.

For the answers to these questions, click here in early Fall.