Keith Wood

U.S. History

kwood@murrayschools.org

 

 

 

 

Keith has taught in Utah schools since 1974, beginning in a private alternative high school then moving to Murray High School where he currently teacher Honors Sophomore English and AP* U. S. History. He graduated from the University of Utah with a major in history and a minor in English and has an M.Ed. in instructional technology from Utah State University. He has been an AP* reader since 1999 and has been a College Board consultant since 2001. In his spare time, he teaches introductory college writing courses at Salt Lake Community College

Planning for the institute in advance: • What do you need from this institute?  The most important thing a participant can do is to come to the institute with a list of need-to-know skills that concern you.  Consider the following o   What text reading/note taking strategies do students need to have to succeed in the class? o   Organizing the course around broad, thematic, concepts. o   What should be emphasized?  What should be excluded?developing chronological understanding, keeping students accountable for their reading, pacing the syllabus, etc. • Information about your current (or future) AP U. S. History textbook—version or edition, number of chapters, quality of publisher-provided supplementary and online materials, quality of inclusion of women & minorities, balance of presentation (social, economic, political), etc. • A lesson plan, teaching strategy, or activity that worked well in your class (AP or other history course) that you can share with other participants (copies can be made on-site). •  Laptop computer (optional, but handy).   2012 U. S. History Session Outline This is a very general overview.  A much more detailed agenda will be provided on the first day.  Part of each day will provide participants the chance to share ideas and strategies with the group. Day 1 • Institute housekeeping • Introductions • Expectations:  What do you need to know how to do by noon Friday! • Understanding the challenge • The philosophy of Advanced Placement • Course coverage—what to include, what to leave out • Clarifying the AP* “culture” of your school • Developing a syllabus • Suggestions for teaching early colonial and revolutionary American history Day 2 • Follow up items from yesterday • Skill building • Chronology • Reading and note-taking skills • Multiple choice test-taking skills • Textbooks, supplementary materials—selection and use • Organizing thinking skills around “big picture” concepts • Suggestions for teaching the antebellum period, the Civil War, and Reconstruction Day 3 • Writing in the AP* history classroom. . . • Fundamentals for you and your students • Teach the rubric, it should be overt and ever-present • Be consistent in using the rubric—no waffling, no 4.5’s or 6.7’s! • Conference with students rather than writing on their papers • Practice in parts • Understanding the task, i.e. addressing the prompt! • Intro paragraphs backwards from thesis Day 4 • Questions & discussion • Authors, artists, and others who should be included • Free response essays • The document-based question • Handling the horrendous avalanche of papers under which you will shortly be buried. . . Day 5 • Review of the week’s session • Questions. . .anything left out, left unclear, left un-discussed • What’s coming from the College Board in the course curriculum update • Evaluations & certificates

*College Board, AP, Advanced Placement Program, and the acorn logo are registered trademarks of the College Board. Used with permission.