At Stampede Learning Systems, we are dedicated to helping students succeed on the AP Exam.
The Stampede Origin Story
We started Stampede after years of searching for an AP U.S. History textbook that really worked for our students. Our APUSH students — mostly high school sophomores — are bright and ambitious, but many of them found it difficult to master the level of discourse found in the college-level textbooks typically assigned in AP classrooms. It’s not their fault; their brains are still developing. We found that when we broke down the material in more concise, direct language, focusing on the events and concepts that students really need to know for the APUSH exam…they got it.
Not only did their essays and quiz grades improve, but their AP exam scores did too. By a lot.
So we stopped searching for the ideal AP U.S. History book. Instead, we wrote it ourselves…
…and then we wrote two more.
About Our Books
The Big Book
We packed our first book, AP U.S. History Exam Prep Guide and Course Reader, full of original readings and exercises to help students master the most critical historical content for the APUSH exam.
The exercises — 16 different kinds in all — make students look at events and concepts from different angles, beyond just knowing names and dates. We give students practice in making connections and formulating arguments that reinforce their understanding of the material, and we give their analytical skills a workout along the way.
This 438-page book is bursting with APUSH goodness (and it costs way less than those college textbooks)!
The Little Book
Our second book, APUSH Pocket Dictionary, may be tiny, but its content is mighty. We distilled information about hundreds of historical people, places, and events into easy-to-digest summaries.
This 136-page book is a perfect study aid for students looking to brush up on the basics before the AP exam.
The Green Book
Our latest book, APUSH Writing Guide, focuses on the writing portion of the test, which makes up 60% of the total score on the AP U.S. History exam.
Simply knowing the historical information is not sufficient; students must be able to explain it in a very specific way for APUSH exam readers to award maximum points. So we break down each type of writing prompt — the Short Answer Question (SAQ), Long Essay Question (LEQ), and Document-Based Question (DBQ) — and share strategies for answering each one effectively. We give students plenty of practice in responding to sample writing prompts and we include model responses that can be used for comparison.
This 246-page book is a great supplement for students looking to brush up on their writing skills as they get ready for the APUSH exam.
Who Are We?
We are an alliance of experienced writing professionals and AP instructors who have a solid track record of student achievement on AP Exams. Our instructors and authors hold Master’s degrees, giving them deep knowledge in their respective subject areas.
The primary author of our AP U.S. History books has been teaching APUSH for 12 years; his students’ exam scores consistently outpace the national average (85% of his students pass each year vs. 50% nationwide).
We keep our materials current to reflect the most recently published official AP Exam questions and AP course outlines published by the College Board.
AP U.S. History Teachers: Want to Use Our Books?
If you are an APUSH instructor interested in adopting our books in your classroom, visit our Information for Teachers page to learn more about how Stampede Learning guides stand out among the other APUSH teaching resources out there. Contact us for bulk pricing information.