European History

I have been an AP European History exam reader since 1996 and over the years have served as a question leader, a table leader, and a sample selector. I am a College Board endorsed presenter and have taught AP workshops and summer institutes since 1998. I have written curriculum modules for the College Board, along with teachers’ manuals and review guides for several publishers.
Currently, I am a member of the AP European History Test Development Committee, the AP European History Course Audit Scoring Guide Development Committee, and the AP European History Instructional Design Team. I am also the chairperson of the History Academic Advisory Committee and a member of the College Board Academic Advisory Council.
I am passionate about helping every student succeed and received both the Spokane Public Schools Distinguished Teacher Award and the Spokane Public Schools Equity Award for promoting racial and cultural equity and for encouraging more students to challenge themselves in AP classes at my school. I am excited about the opportunities that AP European History can provide to students, and I am very much looking forward to working with you this summer!
The following are some of the goals for the week:
1. To understand some of the basic elements involved with teaching the AP European History course:
• Understanding the Course Requirements
• Mapping out the Year—Pacing the AP European History Course and Outlining the instructional plan by Unit and Topic in your academic calendar
• AP Classroom Instructional Resources
• Using Instructional Planning Reports
• Instructional Strategies and Tools to teach the Content and Skills in the CED
• College Board Processes
• The AP Audit
• Test Taking Strategies
• Document Based Question Writing
• Long Essay Writing
• Stimulus Based Multiple Choice Questions
• Short Answer Questions
• Student Enrollment
• Textbook Selection
• Supplemental Readers
• Resources
• Test Development
• Equity and Access
3. To achieve an understanding of necessary course content for the course curriculum and exam by looking at sample questions provided by the College Board, examining the latest AP reading samples released by the College Board, and analyzing the rubrics for all parts of the exam.
4. To examine a variety of ways to structure the course so that students will be prepared to score well on the AP exam.
5. To acquire many resources from the instructor and from other participants to help make the teaching of the course more manageable. These will include:
• Available samples from the most recent AP Reading
• College Board information concerning the themes and skills in AP European History
• Long Essay Rubrics
• Document Based Question Rubrics
• Instructional Handouts
• Instructor-prepared Classroom Resources in an instructor-created google drive
•Online access to materials provided by publishers
• Materials provided by College Board
What to Expect During the Week:
Schedule for Monday through Thursday:
● Lunch break
● Afternoon session
Daily workshops will be a blend of synchronous learning via Zoom Meetings and asynchronous learning. Each morning and afternoon session will start with the synchronous presentation of information offering two-way, real-time video and audio with short videos, demonstrations, Q & A, and instructions for the asynchronous time.
The ratio of synchronous to asynchronous instruction will vary depending on the day, but approximately 75 - 80% of the time will be spent in synchronous activities, large group discussions, and examination of College Board materials. Asynchronous learning will include a mix of independent planning and small break out group activities. Participants will have a specified amount of time to complete various tasks, and the presenter will be available during asynchronous time to answer questions or to provide additional support. Each day will end with a Zoom wrap-up.
Daily Summer Institute Schedule
Day 1: Understanding the Course, Curriculum Framework: Themes, Skills, and Content, and Online Learning Resources
• Orientation to our Online Workshop Format
• Equity in AP
• What's New in AP European History? Curriculum, Course and Exam Description (CED), College Board Resources
• Exploring the AP European History Required Course Themes (CED)
• Exploring the AP European History Required Course Skills (CED)
• Exploring the AP European History Content Requirements (CED)
• AP Classroom Resources for Teachers and Students
• Instructional Strategies and Tools to incorporate in Lesson Plans to teach the Content and Skills in the Course and Exam Description
• Skills and Content: What do students need to know to be successful on the AP Euro exam?
• The Stimulus-based Multiple Choice Section of the AP Exam
• Multiple Choice Strategies for Students
• Internet Resources
• Reading Strategies for Students
• Choosing a Textbook
• Using the Instructional Planning Report to identify student strengths and weaknesses and reflect on implications for instruction
• Instructional Strategies and Tools to incorporate in Lesson Plans to teach the Content and Skills in the Course and Exam Description
Day 3: Sample Exam Questions, Instructional Strategies, and Lesson Planning
• Document Analysis (SOAPS and APPARTS), Authorship, and Attribution
• Grading of the DBQ: Using the Scoring Rubric—What do students need to do to write a successful DBQ?
• Grading of latest released DBQ Samples from the AP exam
• Strategies for Teaching Historical Context, Intended Audience, Purpose, and Point of View
• Contextualization
• Internet Document Archives
• Converting “Old” DBQs into the “New” DBQ
• Strategies for Analysis of Visual Sources & Using Art to Teach Social History
• Instructional Strategies and Tools to incorporate in Lesson Plans to teach the Content and Skills in the Course and Exam Description
• Grading of latest released Long Essay Samples from the AP exam
• Strategies and Activities for Teaching the Long Essay
• Thesis Writing Strategies
• Building an Argument: Strategies for Students
• Grading of Short Answer Questions: What do students need to do to be successful on Short Answer Questions?
• Curriculum ideas: films, literature, documents, simulations, etc.
• Supplemental materials: books, primary sources, etc.
• Instructional Strategies and Tools to incorporate in Lesson Plans to teach the Content and Skills in the Course and Exam Description
• Mapping out your School Year: Outlining the instructional plan by Unit and Topic in your academic calendar
• Unit Development: Development of Units that include the New Themes/Skills/Content Requirements and the New Types of Exam Questions
Day 5: Sharing Session and Online Learning Resources
• More Reading and Critical Thinking Strategies for Students
• Creative Ideas for Teaching AP European History
• Sharing of Developed Units and Exam Questions
• Roundtable of Best Ideas
• Equity in AP
• Questions/Answers
If you have any questions or concerns prior to the APSI please email Susie Gerard at trgerard@comcast.net (home) or susieg@spokaneschools.org (work)