“THE APUSH FILES” on APUSHRx

This APUSH FILES page is where I will archive ideas, lessons, and connections that have worked for me across more than three decades of teaching AP U.S. History not a polished curriculum to follow step by step, but a working collection of the strategies, resources, and creative through-lines I've found genuinely useful in my own classroom. Some of what you'll find here is practical: retrieval activities, primary source pairings, and skill-building tools for the DBQ, LEQ, and SAQ. Some of it is more playful: mnemonic devices, historical connections, and the kind of classroom moments that make a four-hundred-year-old story feel alive to a sixteen-year-old.

Mission Statement for A.P United States History Ken Burns offers a powerful mission statement for studying AP U.S. History: history is not simply a fixed collection of facts and dates, but an ongoing effort to understand a complicated past through many voices and perspectives. His words provide a compelling framework for approaching the American story throughout the year.

Different Views on Columbus: Americans tend to think that in 1492, when Columbus sailed the ocean blue, he claimed this land for Spain, and simply went home. But Columbus played a huge role in the history of the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Columbus Day is one of celebration and protest in Latin America. Host Michel Martin speaks with author Timothy Kubal about how the holiday has turned from a day praising Columbus as the colonizer to the Day of Indigenous Resistance. LISTEN (6 mins)

The United States of America — Trailer This cinematic U.S. History trailer compresses centuries of the American story into a fast-paced montage of dramatic images and music. Use it as a first-day APUSH hook, then replay it after the AP exam and challenge students to identify the people, events, and turning points they now recognize.

Man on the Street This “Man on the Street” interview collection offers a fun, real-world example of how students can take learning beyond the walls of the classroom by interviewing members of the public and capturing their knowledge, opinions, and perspectives. The video highlights the value of asking simple questions to reveal what people know, believe, or misunderstand about history and current events. Teachers can adapt the idea by having students develop historically relevant questions, conduct interviews with classmates, family members, or community members, and then compare the responses with evidence from their course. The activity works especially well as an engaging introduction, formative assessment, or culminating project that combines historical thinking, communication skills, and authentic inquiry.

The APUSH Mindset: Alabama’s “Next Man Up” Mentality features coach Nick Saban discussing how successful teams respond to injuries and adversity by preparing every player to step into a larger role when needed. The clip emphasizes preparation, personal responsibility, resilience, and the idea that individuals must be ready when an opportunity arises. Teachers can use the video as a short motivational opener to discuss growth mindset, perseverance, teamwork, and classroom responsibility, connecting the “next man up” philosophy to students taking ownership of their learning and supporting one another. It can also serve as a springboard for asking students how preparation before a challenge influences their ability to succeed when their moment arrives.

Russell Shorto from Island at the Center of the World “ It was no coincidence that on September 11, 2001, those who wished to make a symbolic attack on the center of American power chose the World Trade Center as their target. If what made America great was its ingenious openness to different cultures, then the small triangle of land at the southern tip of Manhattan Island is the New World birthplace of that idea, the spot where it first took shape. “