Master Teacher: Sara Ziemnik
Course Dates: July 2–August 13, 2024
Live Session Time Slot: Tuesdays, 5–6 p.m. ET
Online Platform: Zoom
Eligibility: High school students (grades 9–12)
Deadline to register: Friday, June 28
Image: François X. Habermann, La Destruction de la Statue Royale a Nouvelle Yorck, Augsburg, Germany, ca. 1776 (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC06952)
This course will focus on “complex understanding” in AP US History (APUSH). It is a large part of the assessment, yet it is hard to describe and achieve. By focusing on nuance, effective use of evidence, and sophisticated argumentation, this course will help you apply your content knowledge to demonstrate complex understanding in the free-response section of the APUSH exam. The aim is for you to feel confident in the skills needed to excel on the APUSH exam.
To complete a course, you will need to attend 5 out of the 6 live sessions.
Please email historyschool@gmail.com with any questions.
Week 1: Tuesday, July 2: Introduction to the AP US History Course and Exam
Week 2: Tuesday, July 9: Complex Understanding in AP US History
Week 3: Tuesday, July 16: To What Extent?: Understanding Cause and Effect
Week 4: Tuesday, July 23: Echoes Everywhere: Continuity and Change Over Time
Week 5: Tuesday, July 30: “The Unicorn Point”: Option 1, Sophisticated Argumentation
Week 6: Tuesday, August 13: “The Unicorn Point”: Option 2, Effective Use of Evidence
You must have a Gilder Lehrman K–12 Student account to register for a History School course.
Sara Ziemnik has taught American history and world history for twenty years at Rocky River High School in Ohio, where she centers her students’ experience around discussion and inquisitive learning. Ms. Ziemnik encourages her students to learn from one another. Of her approach, she says, “My students have the responsibility as American citizens to form their own opinions.” In 2017, Ms. Ziemnik was named the National History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute.