APs in European History & Comparative Government and Politics

I’m very much looking forward to teaching APs in European History & Comparative Government and Politics for Dumb Ox Learning, which prepares home educated students for college and careers through American qualifications which are also recognised by British universities. The courses will start in August and run through to May each year.

There is a lively discussion going on among home educators about the different options open to 15-19 year olds. Some families opt for GCSEs and A Levels but increasingly other home educators are looking to American models. I won’t go into the benefits in this post but thought it might be useful for you to see what’s involved if you haven’t come across these courses before.

Comparative Government and Politics

For AP Comparative Government and Politics we will study the political structures, policies, and political, economic, and social challenges of six selected countries: China, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Examining how different governments solve similar problems, we will read and interpret a wide range of data, make comparisons between very different political systems, and develop arguments based on evidence drawn from a variety of sources. Given the fast-paced nature of political change, we will remain alert to political developments in these key countries throughout the course.

Using Comparative Government and Politics by John McCormick, Rod Hague & Martin Harrop and other material, we will study the following units:

Unit 1: Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments 

Unit 2: Political Institutions

Unit 3: Political Culture and Participation

Unit 4: Party and Electoral Systems and Citizen Organizations

Unit 5: Political and Economic Changes and Development

You are not expected to be an expert in the politics of the six selected countries before you start the course but should be prepared to read widely, think deeply, and examine a range of different media sources outside lessons to help you develop a thorough understanding of the political world in which we all live.  

The AP Comparative Government and Politics exam is 2 hours and 30 minutes long and includes 55 multiple-choice questions and 4 free-response questions.

European History

In AP European History, we will study the history of Europe from AD 1450 to the present, taking in a wide range of political, religious, social, cultural and economic events. We will cover everything from the Renaissance to the war in Ukraine, via Protestant and Catholic Reformations, the French Revolution, and two world wars.

We will analyse primary and secondary sources, develop strong historical arguments, and make connections between different places and periods of history as we seek to understand how the modern world has been shaped. To excel in this course you will need to read widely outside lessons and think deeply about a wide range of historical material. During the course of the year we will study the following units:

Unit 1: Renaissance and Exploration

Unit 2: Age of Reformation

Unit 3: Absolutism and Constitutionalism

Unit 4: Scientific, Philosophical, and Political Developments

Unit 5: Conflict, Crisis, and Reaction in the Late 18th Century

Unit 6: Industrialization and Its Effects

Unit 7: 19th-Century Perspectives and Political Developments

Unit 8: 20th-Century Global Conflicts

Unit 9: Cold War and Contemporary Europe

The AP European History exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes long and includes 55 multiple-choice questions, 3 short answer questions, 1 document-based question, and 1 long essay question.