Course Syllabus

WELCOME TO AP RESEARCH

GEORGE McKENDREE

Teacher Greeting

As I enter my 23rd year of teaching, I realize this will be my most challenging year yet.  I understand my strengths and weaknesses.  I love having students in class and interacting with them.  I realize that is a major challenge and I will have to adjust.  I have been married to my college sweetheart for 27 years and we have two wonderful children who are 25 and 23.  Empty nest is not as fun as I had thought it would be, but I am adjusting to that life. 

 I am teaching this class with the memory of a young me in 7th grade having an existential crisis about what I wanted do in my life.  Sitting in Math class, I decided I wanted to teach US History at the high school level.  My career has taken me from Life Skills teacher in a rural school in Ohio to an 8th grade history teacher in inner-city Houston and eventually landing in PearlandISD in 2005.  Through my years in Pearland, I have had the pleasure of opening Dawson High School.  I have enjoyed being a part of building an incredible school.  I have helped create the APUSH, AP Human Geography, AP Seminar and AP Research classes as well as taught AP Psychology, Military History, Inclusion Geography and US History.  I can sum up my teaching experience by saying the I have a paSSSSion for teaching: School, Students, Subject, and Success.

I welcome any and all communication.  I am a morning person, even though I do not drink coffee.    So, please never hesitate to reach out with any concerns.  I believe that to help the student, it takes a cooperative effort of parents, teachers, administration, and the students themselves.  As we proceed through synchronous and asynchronous instruction, I will make some mistakes.  But realize I will always try to do right by the student.   Go Eagles!!!!  We Are Dawson Strong!!!

What is AP Research?

Download Syllabus

AP Research, the second course in the AP Capstone experience, allows students to deeply explore an academic
topic, problem, issue, or idea of individual interest. Students design, plan, and implement a yearlong investigation to
address a research question. Through this inquiry, they further the skills they acquired in the AP Seminar course by
learning research methodology, employing ethical research practices, and accessing, analyzing, and synthesizing
information. Students reflect on their skill development, document their processes, and curate the artifacts of
their scholarly work through a process and reflection portfolio. The course culminates in an academic paper of
4,000–5,000 words (accompanied by a performance, exhibit, or product where applicable) and a presentation with
an oral defense

Schedule

1st Period        APUSH

2nd Period      AP Research

3rd Period       Conference

4th Period       AP Research

5th Period       AP Research

6th Period       APUSH

7th Period       APUSH