AP US History
Quarter Three Project
2013-2014
You will be choosing a topic related from post-Civil War expansion through to the present (1870s to now) to research using primary and secondary sources found in the library and/or on the Internet. The topic should cover an aspect of American history that the nation economically, socially and/or politically. Included in this packet is a list of topics to choose from. Once a topic is chosen, no other student may have it. If you want to do a topic that is not listed in the packet, you MUST see your teacher to have it approved.
Your research will be presented in the following way:
Looking through the project choice menu on the next page, you will choose how you want to present your historical topic. The catch is that your
Project Choice Menu
20 Pointers Design and create a mobile for your topic/subject. Design an interactive timeline of your event/topic.
Create a product cube that presents the key elements of your topic/subject.
50 Pointers Write and perform a song/rap that demonstrates an understanding of your topic.
Create a multi-entry diary/journal from the point of view of a person who experienced your historical event.
Write a children’s short story book that tells your subject’s tale and presents a final lesson to be learned.
80 Pointers Create and perform a play/skit connected to your subject/topic.
Create and conduct a class lesson on your topic/subject.
Create a ten minute “news report” video on your topic that can be accessed through an online media source.
My project choices are:
Product _________________________ Point Total _____ Product _________________________ Point Total _____
Plan of Attack
Your project will follow a three-phase plan in order to complete it. The plan is as follows:
I. Phase One: Planning (Task Definition and Information Seeking) a. What is my task?
b. What are my questions I need to answer in order to complete my task?
c. What information will I need?
d. What possible sources will I need to check in order gather the information necessary to answer the questions tied to my topic?
e. What are the best sources from letter d to go with for my research? Why?
II. Phase Two: Doing (Locate, Access, Use, Synthesize) a. Where are my resources?
b. Where is the information that I need in those resources? c. What do I expect to find in these resources?
d. What relevant information have I found? e. How will I organize my information? f. How will I present my information?
III. Phase Three: Reviewing (Evaluate) a. Did I do what was required?
b. Did I complete each step efficiently?
Product Guidelines
Class Lesson Must be an original lesson plan
that is not taken from a secondary source.
States objectives that will be
taught.
Includes a warm-up question.
Presents information in a clear
manner.
Includes all key information.
Has an exercise that allows
students to practice the content.
Includes a method of assessment.
Diary/Journal Neatly written/typed
Should include at least seven (7)
detailed entries.
Should be appropriately dated.
Should be written in the first
person.
Mobile Includes at least ten (10) pieces
of related information.
Includes color and pictures.
At least three layers of hanging
information.
Hangs in a balanced way.
News Report Video Must address the 5 W’s and how.
Script must be turned in.
Must be performed live or taped.
Can include more than one person.
Taped videos must have an
accessible link for classroom viewing.
Product Cube All six sides must be filled with
information.
Neatly written or typed.
Includes color and pictures.
Name must be on one side of
Play/Skit Must be at least six minutes in length.
Script must be handed in day
before performance.
Performance must be presented
to audience live or taped.
Should have some props and/or
costumes.
Can include more than one person.
Song/Rap Words must make sense.
Must be presented live or
recorded to an audience.
Written lyrics must be turned in
day before performance.
Song should be at least two
minutes in length.
(Children’s) Short Story Book Must have a cover with book’s
title and name of author.
Must have at least 10 pages.
Each page should have an
illustration to accompany the story.
Neatly written or typed.
Can be computer created.
Timeline Must use half a bulletin board.
Must be divided into equal time
units.
Must contain at least ten (10)
important happenings that include paragraph explanations.
Must have meaningful objects and
images that are connected to the topic.
Must explain how object/image is
connected to subject.
Must have at least one
Scoring
Student written responses will be assessed using the argumentative or explanatory school-wide scoring rubric.
Student artifacts will be assessed using the product-based rubric.
Rubrics can found at the end of this packet on pages 11-13.
Bibliography
Begin your Bibliography on a separate page called Bibliography (with no quotation marks, underlining, etc.), which should be centered at the top of the page.
Double-space all entries, with no skipped spaces between entries.
Alphabetize the list of works cited by the first word in each entry (usually the author's last name).
Put list in alphabetical order by author's last name.
**NOTE: some sites, such as World Book Online have the correct way to cite already written for you, just cut and paste it into your Works Cited
Topics
Students may also choose any significant event or person from this time period that is not listed above with permission from the teacher.
Societies of the Far West Cattle Kingdom
The Indian Wars
Rise and Decline of the Western Farmer Industrial Growth
Social Darwinism Social Gospel
Unionization in the Late 19th Century Horatio Alger and Louisa May Alcott Rise of the Cities
Urban Plight at the Turn of the Century Mass Consumption
Leisure Time Patronage Agrarian Revolt
Rise and Fall of Populism “Cross of Gold”
Hawaii and Samoa Spanish-American War Open Door Policy The Muckrakers
Settlement House Movement Woman’s Suffrage
Progressivism
Governmental Reform
Theodore Roosevelt’s Presidency Woodrow Wilson and the “Great War” The Red Scare
Consumerism The “Flapper” Harlem Renaissance Prohibition
Nativism and the Klan
1950s: Rise of Suburbia 1950s: Birth of Rock n’ Roll 1950s: Birth of Television Rise of the Civil Rights Movement Causes and Implications of Vietnam The Legacy of Kennedy
Lyndon Johnson and His “Great Society” Black Power Movement
1968: The Watershed Year American Counterculture Women’s Liberation Movement The Watergate Crisis
Carter and the Middle East The Reagan Presidency Death of the Cold War
America and the Middle East: Bush Doctrines The Clinton Presidency
Rubrics
CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Required Elements The product includes all required elements as well as additional information.
All required elements are included in the product.
All but 1 of the required elements is included in the product.
Several required elements were missing.
Content - Accuracy All content that was displayed/presented in the product was without error.
Product content was presented with few errors noted.
Product content was presented with many errors noted.
Product content was presented with extreme lack of care or was clearly
plagiarized materials.
Knowledge Gained Product accurately answers all questions related to the subject matter.
Product accurately answers most questions related to the subject matter.
Product accurately answers few questions related to the subject matter.
Product does not answer any of the questions related to the subject
accurately.
Grammar/Mechanics/S pelling
There are no mistakes found in the product.
There is 1 mistake found in the product.
There are 2 mistakes found in the product.