One Way to Help Students Review for the APUSH Exam
Teach them the themes
There are many different ways for teachers to help students review for the annual APUSH Exam. One way is to teach the eight APUSH CED themes after the course content has been taught chronologically; then hold the students accountable via various AP Classroom MCQ and SAQs.
Below are the eight APUSH CED themes.
Theme 1 (Reading)
Click here to view a good but lengthy reading produced by Fiveable’s Ashley Rossi and entitled Theme 1 — American and National Identity.
Theme 2 (Reading)
Click here to view a good but lengthy reading produced by Fiveable’s Will Pulgarin and entitled Theme 2— Work, Exchange, and Technology
when it comes to Theme 2, the story of the invention of the steam engine and its subsequent use relating to America’s inland river steamboats is a story worth knowing.
Theme 3 (Reading)
Click here to view a good but lengthy reading produced by Fiveable’s Sander Owens and entitled Theme 3 — Geography and the Environment
Theme 4 (Slideshow, Word Bank, and SAQs)
Below are two lengthy “slideshows” I’ve produced and that should prove helpful to teachers wanting to teach Theme #4 (Migration and Settlement)
Click here to view a number of words/phrases students should know relating to the theme of “migration within America from 1763 to 2016” and click here to view a number of words/phrases students should know relating to the theme of “migration to America from 1763 to 2016.”
Click here for thirty SAQs relating to the theme of migration to America (1865–1930)
Click here for 15 questions designed to help students review for the annual exam and that relate to the Immigration Act of 1924, (aka the post-World War I Congressional law seeking to preserve the ideal of U.S. homogeneity.)
Click here for 15 questions designed to help students review for the annual exam and that relate to the Sunbelt Migration (aka the post-World War II migration that resulted in the Sunbelt region of America emerging as a significant political and economic force.)
Theme 5 (Reading)
Click here to view a good but lengthy reading produced by Fiveable’s Sander Owens and entitled Theme 5— Politics and Power
Theme 6 (Slideshow, Word Bank and SAQs)
Below are two lengthy slideshows for teachers wanting to teach Theme #6 (America in the World). Aka American Foreign Policy.
Now a slideshow and a video for teachers wanting to teach to Theme #5 (Politics and Power) subtopics.
I’ve also created four slideshows to help teaches teach some all-important themes NOT expressly addressed by any of the eight themes mentioned in the CED.
Now several videos exploring various themes.
Each of the slideshows appearing in this post is aligned with the AP US History Key Concepts and uses media in the public domain. As photographs of actual objects and events are often not available, various images found online (including works of art) are used to support and/or illustrate the claims made in the Key Concepts. No graphic violence is shown. No political agenda is intended. Works of art may lack historical accuracy. Many short video clips are also included.
A word of caution for any teacher planning to utilize my slideshows — I created these slideshows several years ago and, for various reasons, have not yet in any way updated, though updating is needed.
Still, as is, teachers and students everywhere should find review value in these slideshows. I do
Sidenote #1
Click here to view a number of words/phrases students should know relating to the theme of “migration within America from 1763 to 2016.”
