Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In MCPS, high school US History is year 2 of a 2-year USH sequence that starts in 8th grade.

That's what causes the ill-advised structure of trying AP USH in 9th, to be scheduled alongside Honors USH.

That's also why some schools do the flip of AP Gov and Honors USH in 9th, and honors gov and AP USH on 10th.

can you expand on this, please? Where does honors USH start compared to APUSH?

Honors starts around Civil War.

AP starts back to Independence Era and maybe a bit before.

Anonymous wrote:In MCPS, high school US History is year 2 of a 2-year USH sequence that starts in 8th grade.

That's what causes the ill-advised structure of trying AP USH in 9th, to be scheduled alongside Honors USH.

That's also why some schools do the flip of AP Gov and Honors USH in 9th, and honors gov and AP USH on 10th.

can you expand on this, please? Where does honors USH start compared to APUSH?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why isn’t this an option at all MCPS high schools?!?

Meaning APUSH in 9th? What's wrong with taking AP Government in 9th and then APUSH in 10th? AP Government is the easier class, compressing a 1 semester class into a full year of HS. Seems like a better way to start. APUSH covers 2 semesters of college work so moves at a faster pace and is the more challenging course. Seems better to start with APUSH.

Do they have a textbook for APush? What books do they need to read? Asking for Blair freshman.

Not Blair but I bought my kid American Yawp Vol 1 and 2. It made a big difference to be able to read in bed instead of sitting in front of a screen long hours.

Is that the textbook they used for the course? Or was that a supplement to whatever textbook they used? TIA.

The textbook doesn't really matter. It is covering the same content.

Some textbooks have DEI

In MCPS, high school US History is year 2 of a 2-year USH sequence that starts in 8th grade.

That's what causes the ill-advised structure of trying AP USH in 9th, to be scheduled alongside Honors USH.

That's also why some schools do the flip of AP Gov and Honors USH in 9th, and honors gov and AP USH on 10th.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why isn’t this an option at all MCPS high schools?!?

Meaning APUSH in 9th? What's wrong with taking AP Government in 9th and then APUSH in 10th? AP Government is the easier class, compressing a 1 semester class into a full year of HS. Seems like a better way to start. APUSH covers 2 semesters of college work so moves at a faster pace and is the more challenging course. Seems better to start with APUSH.

Do they have a textbook for APush? What books do they need to read? Asking for Blair freshman.

Not Blair but I bought my kid American Yawp Vol 1 and 2. It made a big difference to be able to read in bed instead of sitting in front of a screen long hours.

Is that the textbook they used for the course? Or was that a supplement to whatever textbook they used? TIA.

The textbook doesn't really matter. It is covering the same content.

What are the main differences between Honors and AP US history? How are they different?

Our school offered AP Gov for 9th which as some other posters mention, is a far easier class because it's a semester curriculum stretched over a year. I didn't realize that wasn't the standard AP option for 9th graders...

APUSH is a fantastic class, but it's not a great class for freshman IMO. Taking in 10th was perfect because I think all of the reading and writing helped prepare her for PSAT and SATs and she'd already acclimated to HS level classes.

I don't think she would have had the option to take APUSH her senior year (and not sure she would have wanted to if it was mostly freshman in the class).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why isn’t this an option at all MCPS high schools?!?

Meaning APUSH in 9th? What's wrong with taking AP Government in 9th and then APUSH in 10th? AP Government is the easier class, compressing a 1 semester class into a full year of HS. Seems like a better way to start. APUSH covers 2 semesters of college work so moves at a faster pace and is the more challenging course. Seems better to start with APUSH.

Do they have a textbook for APush? What books do they need to read? Asking for Blair freshman.

Not Blair but I bought my kid American Yawp Vol 1 and 2. It made a big difference to be able to read in bed instead of sitting in front of a screen long hours.

Is that the textbook they used for the course? Or was that a supplement to whatever textbook they used? TIA.

This the book my child's class used, among a lot of other shorter readings.

It doesn't make sense to use a textbook that isn't assigned for the class.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why isn’t this an option at all MCPS high schools?!?

Meaning APUSH in 9th? What's wrong with taking AP Government in 9th and then APUSH in 10th? AP Government is the easier class, compressing a 1 semester class into a full year of HS. Seems like a better way to start. APUSH covers 2 semesters of college work so moves at a faster pace and is the more challenging course. Seems better to start with APUSH.

Do they have a textbook for APush? What books do they need to read? Asking for Blair freshman.

Hemler's History on You Tube is a great study guide. I thought most schools though were switching to AP Gov for freshman? If you have an option, take AP Gov freshman year and APUSH sophomore year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why isn’t this an option at all MCPS high schools?!?

Meaning APUSH in 9th? What's wrong with taking AP Government in 9th and then APUSH in 10th? AP Government is the easier class, compressing a 1 semester class into a full year of HS. Seems like a better way to start. APUSH covers 2 semesters of college work so moves at a faster pace and is the more challenging course. Seems better to start with APUSH.

Do they have a textbook for APush? What books do they need to read? Asking for Blair freshman.

Not Blair but I bought my kid American Yawp Vol 1 and 2. It made a big difference to be able to read in bed instead of sitting in front of a screen long hours.

Is that the textbook they used for the course? Or was that a supplement to whatever textbook they used? TIA.

My kid graduated from PHS SMCS program several years ago. He took AP Gov in 9th grade and APUSH in 10th grade, as that was the only option available to his cohort.

Our strategy was very simple -

1) Take one AP test from all 5 core subjects (English, Foreign language, Math, Science, Social Science) before applying to college. So, by end of 11th grade they had taken 8 APs and covered all 5 core subject areas.

2)Since AP exams are held at least a month before school ends, the teachers are never able to finish the curriculum in time, or the last few units were taught in a rush. So, my kids had to get ahead for all APs before school started and studied some units during summer break. They were usually a quarter ahead in APs.

3) Study using the Barron's study guide and they bought it during summer and studied during summer.

I think there are a subset of kids who can handle APUSH as freshmen, unfortunately, I think it's very difficult for MCPS to do a good job of predicting that and I think parents have a 50/50 chance of getting it right.

Our high school (Kennedy) does AP GOV as the earliest AP-level course made available to 9th graders, saving APUSH for sophomores and above. I think that makes sense but I know other high schools flip the order, since the traditional order for social studies in MCPS for years has been:

9th ---> U.S. History
10th ----> NSL Gov
11th ----> World History

We have A History of American People by Paul Johnson at home. Would this be helpful?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why isn’t this an option at all MCPS high schools?!?

Meaning APUSH in 9th? What's wrong with taking AP Government in 9th and then APUSH in 10th? AP Government is the easier class, compressing a 1 semester class into a full year of HS. Seems like a better way to start. APUSH covers 2 semesters of college work so moves at a faster pace and is the more challenging course. Seems better to start with APUSH.

Do they have a textbook for APush? What books do they need to read? Asking for Blair freshman.

Not Blair but I bought my kid American Yawp Vol 1 and 2. It made a big difference to be able to read in bed instead of sitting in front of a screen long hours.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why isn’t this an option at all MCPS high schools?!?

Meaning APUSH in 9th? What's wrong with taking AP Government in 9th and then APUSH in 10th? AP Government is the easier class, compressing a 1 semester class into a full year of HS. Seems like a better way to start. APUSH covers 2 semesters of college work so moves at a faster pace and is the more challenging course. Seems better to start with APUSH.

Do they have a textbook for APush? What books do they need to read? Asking for Blair freshman.