| AP European History |
We have two sections, one taught by Gloria Harrison and one taught by Jeanette Geary.
Instructor: Mrs. Gloria Harrison
Email: harrison220@juno.com
Email me at the above address to request an application form, which will include a more detailed class description.
Class fees: Tuition $595, books around $100.
Texts Required:Main text Western Civilization Since 1300, by J. J. Spielvogel,6th edition Three other books are required, and are described in the application form. Optional texts will also be recommended
Technical Requirements: A computer in peak working condition, with a good anti-virus program. Reliable Internet access with separate email addresses for student and parent. Latest version of free Adobe Acrobat Reader, easily downloaded from the Internet. Microsoft Word is preferred, but not required.
Registration Deadline: July 15, 2008. This year, class size is limited to 10 students. Apply early, as the class will fill up quickly, and students will be required to read three books during the summer. I may accept students after the deadline, depending on the student's qualifications and on whether there is still room in the class.
Who should apply: Homeschooled students in grades 10-12, who are avid and mature readers, have advanced writing skills and a strong passion for history. Students should NOT apply unless they are extremely self-motivated, hard-working, and have both the time and the willingness to spend about 12 hours a week on the class. The student will be expected to actively participate in the class through regular discussion on the website. The student’s academic performance must be above average, as substantiated by standardized tests scores, such as SAT I, PSAT, other AP scores, college course already completed, etc.. I may consider advanced 9th graders for this class, but all things being equal, priority will be given to sophomores through seniors.
This class is very intense and fast paced. Students and their parents must understand that the reading and writing commitment is significant. Students will also be expected to use outside sources as well as their textbooks: movies, novels, biographies, and Internet research. They will be submitting two or three essays a month, as well as taking weekly multiple-choice tests. The class website is highly interactive (rating: 3) with a message board, links to history sites, quizzes, etc.
Class Meeting Time: Students do not "meet" at a scheduled time, but all homework is due via an online checklist by Friday evening. The instructor reviews the website syllabus and sends out weekly class updates via email on Friday for the following week.
Class description: A study of the social, economic, cultural, intellectual, political and diplomatic history of Europe and its place in the history of the world from 1300 to the early 21st century. The class will thoroughly prepare students for the College Board examination in European History given in May. All students electing this class must take the Advanced Placement Exam in European History.
The class lasts 34 weeks (not counting a three-week Christmas break) and will begin Monday, August 25, 2008. There is no spring break. Thanksgiving and Easter weeks will have minimal assignments. There will be a midterm exam in December and a final exam at the end of April. We will have finished the textbook by the end of March, and will spend April reviewing.
General Objectives of the Class:
Instructor qualifications: This will be my eighth year teaching this class online. I have participated in a workshop for AP European History teachers, and am on the AP European History teachers' list-serve. My teaching experience also includes homeschooling my four children for 24 years, running the Homeschoolers Geography Club from 1995 to 2001, creating and maintaining during three years a Geography enrichment website for homeschoolers, and giving French lessons. My background is extremely international. My father was Portuguese, my mother from Argentina, and one of my grandfathers was Italian. I have relatives in England, Belgium and France as well as in Portugal. I was born in France, educated in several different European schools, and graduated from the College of Translators and Interpreters in Lisbon, Portugal. This intensive three-year college-level course included, among other subjects, the history, culture and civilization of Great Britain and of France. I speak four languages fluently. I believe though that my greatest asset for teaching this particular class is my life-long passionate interest in history. I have an extensive home library of fiction and non-fiction titles relating to European history. I am eager to share with my future students my love and enthusiasm for this subject.
My approach to the class: This is not a "Christian" class. All good textbooks dealing in any kind of depth with the enormous and complex subject of European History are secular. All of them have material that students and/or their parents might find potentially offensive. For example, prostitution, birth control practices and homosexuality are topics that are discussed in the textbook, although not graphically. I will not dwell on those topics while teaching the class. That is, I will not ask students to write essays on these or other subjects that might be deemed inappropriate, nor will my exams contain questions on these topics. I will not require my students to watch R-rated movies or read 'racy' novels. I approach the class from a relatively conservative point-of-view, but I do not seek to enforce my own opinions. In turn, students should feel free to express theirs, while always being respectful of others' religious or political views, even if those views don't agree with theirs. I monitor the class website and reserve the right to caution any student whose postings are likely to offend others. I believe that careful reading and study of historical texts with an unbiased mind can help us better understand the world we live in and God's plan for it.
Click here to read class reviews from past participants in Mrs. Harrison's section
Instructor: Mrs. Jeanette Geary
Email: Contact me at gearyapeh@live.com for an application, summer assignment, and a required and recommended book list.
Class fees: Tuition $595, books around $150
Required texts:
Registration Deadline: July 15, 2008. Apply early for acceptance into the course. A summer reading and writing assignment is required.
Who should apply: Homeschooled students in grades 10-12 who are avid and mature readers with advanced writing skills and a strong passion for history. Students should NOT apply unless they are extremely self-motivated, hard-working, and have both the time and the willingness to spend about 12 hours a week on the class. The student will be expected to actively participate in the class through regular discussion on the website. The student’s academic performance must be above average, as substantiated by standardized tests scores, such as SAT I, PSAT, other AP scores, and/or other college course already completed. Advanced 9th graders may be considered for this class, but all things being equal, priority will be given to sophomores through seniors.
This class is very intense and fast paced. Students and their parents must understand that the reading and writing commitment is significant. Students will also be expected to use outside sources as well as their textbooks: movies, novels, biographies, and Internet research. They will be submitting two or three essays a month, as well as taking weekly multiple-choice tests. The class website is highly interactive (rating: 3) with a message board, links to history sites, quizzes, documents, and art.
Class Meeting Time: Students do not "meet" at a scheduled time, but all homework is due via an online checklist by Friday evening. The instructor reviews the website syllabus and sends out weekly class updates via email on Friday for the following week.
Class description: A study of the social, economic, cultural, intellectual, political and diplomatic history of Europe and its place in the history of the world from 1300 to the early 21st century. The class will thoroughly prepare students for the College Board examination in European History given in May. All students electing this class must take the Advanced Placement Exam in European History.
The class lasts 34 weeks (not counting a three-week Christmas break) and will begin Monday, August 25, 2008. There is no spring break. Thanksgiving and Easter weeks will have minimal assignments. There will be a midterm exam in December and a final exam at the end of April. We will have finished the textbook by the end of March, and will spend April reviewing.
General Objectives of the Class:
My approach to the class: Elements of European history pervade our culture. APEH presents an amazing opportunity to seek, to identify, and to understand so much that we encounter every day. The study of European history through the online format of this class enables the student to take advantage of the myriad resources available on the Internet. By integrating modern history scholarship, classic literature, and analytical writing in coursework and projects, the student is challenged to do the noble and exacting work of the historian.
As such, it must be noted that the course does not have a religious component except in the study of the histories of the various religions from 1450 to the present. These movements are encountered and reviewed as they impact Europe socially, politically, intellectually, and economically. No attempt is made, nor should any be inferred, to place one religion before any other in this course. Students are encouraged to approach this and any other potentially or apparently controversial elements of the course in an open-minded and mature manner. Through the use of the discussion board, students will post comments, questions, and insights on a variety of topics as we move through the course. This activity is a vital part of the course and offers students to participate in academic discourse with others.
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