AP US History Live Review Session Seven

Introduction

• Instructor: Dan Chung, AP US History Teacher, Heights Town High School, NJ
• Focus: Review for Units 8 and 9, preparation for AP exam
• Exam Format:
  • Two sections, back to normal format
  • Section 1: 55 multiple choice questions in 55 minutes
  • Short answer questions follow with a short break
  • Section 2: 100 minutes for DBQ and LEQ

Key Topics for Review

• Cold War & Red Scare
• America as a World Power
• Vietnam War
• Great Society
• African-American Civil Rights Movement
• 1960s Youth Culture
• Reagan and Conservatism
• End of the Cold War
• Economy Shifts, Migration, Immigration
• 21st Century Challenges

Review Strategy

• Profiling Time Periods
  • Breakdown into politics, economics, social issues, foreign relations
  • Understand major themes and patterns

Time Period Breakdown

1950s

• Politics: National security focus, efforts to defeat communism
  • Example: McCarthyism, Second Red Scare
• Economy: Post-WWII prosperity, culture of consumerism
  • Example: Levittowns, television advertising
• Foreign Relations: Cold War containment
  • Example: Berlin Airlift, Korean War

1960s and 70s

• Politics: Government social welfare improvements, fractured government relationship
  • Example: New Frontier, Great Society, Vietnam War
• Economy: Continued prosperity, efforts to address poverty
  • Example: War on Poverty, Economic Opportunity Act
• Foreign Relations: Continued containment efforts, proxy wars
  • Example: Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War

1980s

• Politics: Rise of new conservatism, reduction in federal influence
  • Example: Reaganomics, Strategic Defense Initiative
• Economy: Desire for lower taxes, balanced national budget
• Foreign Relations: Engagement in Middle East, fall of Soviet Union
  • Example: Berlin Wall fall, Iran Contra Affair

Social Issues Evolution

• 1950s: Challenges to traditional norms, civil rights movements
  • Example: Sit-ins, Brown vs Board of Education
• 1960s: Counterculture, equality movements
  • Example: Civil Rights Act, Roe v Wade
• 1980s: Conservative reaction, moral majority influence

21st Century Challenges

• Post 9/11: Terrorism, national security vs individual rights, democracy abroad
• Multiculturalism, Technology Revolution: Similar to Gilded Age or Progressive Era

DBQ Strategy

• Determine Prompt Requirements: Identify causation, comparison, etc.
• Group Documents: Generate thesis based on document grouping
• Make a Strong Argument: Focused and strong argument using documents
• Explicitness & Clarity: Be clear and direct, justify points

Sample DBQ Analysis

• Prompt: Causes of the rise of women's rights movement, 1940-1975
• Thesis: Workforce entry, resentment of inferiority, unity among women
• Document Analysis:
  • Workforce: Documents 1 & 2
  • Inferiority: Documents 3 & 6
  • Unity: Documents 4 & 5

Conclusion

• Practice and Preparation: Utilize AP Daily videos, own notes for deeper understanding
• Upcoming Sessions: Exam day expectations and simulations

Note: This session provides a broad overview of key themes and strategies for the AP US History exam, focusing on Units 8 and 9. Practice with these strategies can help improve understanding and performance on the exam day.