To learn about the emergence and development of the United States as a world power, AP U.S. History classes are trying alternative methods of learning in their current unit.

AP US History teacher Kenneth Schiumo, is taking a new approach to student instruction through class-wide discussions.

“Right now, we’re doing a power discussion, so the way our power discussion is built is we give them either topical information via slides, we give them primary source information to review, videos to review, and then we have discussion questions,” Schiumo said. “They might have to discuss in front of the whole class and just generally express what their group might have said or what they might have thought.”

Junior Shreyas Kadari sees future benefits in this alternate learning method.

“It’s very different because now we’re getting feedback directly from our teacher through a form of speech,” Kadari said. “Discussions could happen in future courses, so practicing now at this early stage can help translate to easily express ideas that are in current period 7. Also, in future history classes, it allows you to better relay your information in a concise manner.”