History: The Importance Of Studying AP US History

One of the major accomplishments I have made in my recent years include my experience in my AP US History class which I took in my junior year. As an international student, I knew little about United History before, and I was not familiar with many terms used in the course. At the beginning, I struggled to get over the challenge from the language by reading the textbook as the teacher had required; meanwhile, I spent time looking up words I did not recognize. As the problem with language gradually got solved, another challenge came along—history essays. Writing in second language about a subject I’m not familiar was not easy at first. In order to overcome this, I frequently spent time reading essays written by eminent scholars. All my efforts

American history is an imperative part of our nation. It allows the upcoming generations to understand the successes and hardships the country has endured. How can the past become the hope for our future? Before answering the complex question, we need to understand what is history. History is not only a class, or a text book, but experiences, stories, and monuments. It is the foundation for the present civilization. Each monument, or memorials are to teach, but also remind younger generations of the fallen citizens, soldiers or public figures and show their sacrifices, and achievements. They are physical stories, instead of being only an account or written in a book.

1. According to Ellis’s preface, explain what is so phenomenal about the founding of the United States?

United States History, or U.S. History for short, is a course that explores the history of the Americas and how they were formed to come out the way they are today. At Clackamas High School, students have the option to take regular US History as well as Advanced Placement U.S. History (APUSH). Although the two classes are similar in content, the rigor and depth of information differ immensely between the two courses.

One of the major struggles of my life was changing my outlook on school and consequently life. A large part of human thinking revolves around the fact that the appreciation of something one has does not nearly come close to the appreciation of something one used to have. I did the same with my mom’s advice to me, the classic put-it-away-for-later technique that almost everybody learned how to do when it comes time for parental suggestion. My mom used to try and tell me about how chasing interests would always be better than following anything else, and that applied to high school as well. She emphasized that she’d rather I take a class that piqued my curiosity than one that was just for the prestige. This advice at the time neither seemed relevant,

War is an obliterate machine employed by every nation from Third World countries to Global Empires throughout world’s history. This essay will attempt to review Modern American History from the World War II to present day. Key areas will be exam are 1) patriotism and propaganda used by the government during wartime, 2) the role of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) enforcing domestic laws during the Cold War era of American history, 3) the intervenes of the United States abroad in many aspects from gaining strategic advantages, control of natural resources, depose of oppressive governments, the spread of political and religious system, and commercial self-interest, to 4) how the media shapes our historical world both past and present.

According to a recent Smithsonian article, fewer than 20 percent of 8th graders have a basic knowledge of American history. However, while most people disregard the importance of history, there are proven ways that you can expand your own knowledge of the American past.

Many Americans do not appreciate history. They do not take the time to delve into how the United States was founded, and how it has stood for many years as the symbol of hope. For more than two hundred years, the United States has stood under many beliefs, but all have been defended with the blood of many fallen heroes. When countries told the United States to submit, it stood firm. When war was at America’s footsteps, she planted her feet and said, “No, you move.” America’s history is vast. America has had missteps, but at the end of the day she is worth defending. Eighteen percent of eighth graders are not proficient in history, which in turn are the future Americans who will take charge of America. These future leaders must learn that many men and women have died for their freedom, and many mistakes have been made that need to be addressed and learned more about. Parents, your children must learn the history of this great country. Ask yourself, do not we owe it to the future of America to learn our wrong doings and our greatest achievements? This country will not know where it is going, if it does not know where it came from.

Our History has been riddled with violent occurrences that are often doctored to appear to be symbolic or significant rather than observed as the bloody atrocities they are. I’ve often wondered what sort of moral transformation have we had to go through to even get to where we are today; Which Unfortunately- Isn’t too far from where we were.

History can change the path of an entire nation, or change an individual family. Every historical event affects the future in some form. Although America as a whole may be affected by certain noteworthy events, a country is made up of individuals. Exploring and focusing in on the effects an individual experiences through historical events is important to understanding the history as a whole.

Since introducing his book with the notion that high school students hate history, Loewen (1996) devotes a considerable amount of his work debunking facts and theories taught in history classes in American schools. He appeals to the trust of the readers with his comparisons on what textbooks include and what they omit. He accomplishes this by recounting some sparse facts taught in most textbooks, appealing to the emotions of all former, current and future history students with his empathy on how boring most history textbook. Finally, he reaches the logic of his readers with heavily pocked paragraphs footnoted with his sources that presume his great understanding of the history itself.

History is a fundamental class in a person’s academic life. To understand and learn the importance of modern society as a whole is key. From learning so, we not only understand who we are today as a nation, community, and society, but also as individuals, and from there, we are able to understand a little more about how we are where we are as well; therefore, history, specifically American history, is a core class in the academic curriculum across the nation. Most high school students, however, do not take American history for the reasons stated above. Instead, it is primarily taken to meet and receive the credentials to graduate high school. The reduction of

While learning about the 54th Massachusetts in my US History class, I felt much emotion and curiosity rising into me. I wondered “Why are they being treated so badly? They’re still a regiment like any other at the time”, and from having emotions such as anger, confusion, hatred, I remembered almost every detail of what we were taught. Whenever I am in a history class, I sometimes have the tendency to really get into what we are learning that day, causing me to learn more, but also have fun. I feel as if I was watching a movie or was there myself.

Historians for centuries have analyzed, researched, and examined historical documents and then made new connections with the historical information. They have gained technical skills to validate sources based on their historical knowledge of the content. Teachers have wanted to assess history students like an historian using Document Based Questions (DBQ) to identify if students are grasping the historical material. DBQ’s are a series of primary or secondary sources that are used to support and argument in answering the questions or writing an essay. I selected this curriculum because DBQ’s are becoming more and more common in history classes across America. My students really lack critical thinking, writing, and document analysis skills necessary to be successful. DBQ’s assist students with these skills so that they can think, write, and to analyze like an historian. A few years ago we started slowly integrating DBQ’s into our curriculum a few times a year. We started off with the basics or what are primary and secondary sources. Then they used the sources to answer higher level thinking questions. Next they took a position and defended it an argumentative historical paper. The students really struggled at first because it was a different way of comprehending the historical material. DBQ’s can be implemented at any time of the school year and benefit all academic classes, not just honors. They were used to memorizing the content and answering low level questions. After a

From VOA Learning English, welcome to The Making of a Nation, our weekly program of American history for people learning English. I’m Steve Ember.