Regents Readiness: US Exam
Resources that can be used throughout the year to help prepare teachers and students for the NEW New York State US History and Government Regents Exam.
New York State Grades 9-12 Social Studies Framework:
11.1
KEY IDEA: COLONIAL FOUNDATIONS (1607– 1763): European colonization in North America prompted cultural contact and exchange between diverse peoples; cultural differences and misunderstandings at times led to conflict. A variety of factors contributed to the development of regional differences, including social and racial hierarchies, in colonial America.
11.1a
CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING: Contact between Native American groups and Europeans occurred through cultural exchanges, resistance efforts, and conflict.
11.1a1
CONTENT SPECIFICATION: Students will trace European contact with Native Americans, including the Dutch, the English, the French and the Spanish.
11.1a2
CONTENT SPECIFICATION: Students will examine the impacts of European colonization on Native Americans, who eventually lost much of their land and experienced a drastic decline in population through diseases and armed conflict.
11.1b
CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING: A number of factors influenced colonial economic development, social structures, and labor systems, causing variation by region.
11.1b1
CONTENT SPECIFICATION: Students will examine the impacts of geographic factors on patterns of settlement and the development of colonial economic systems.
11.1b2
CONTENT SPECIFICATION: Students will examine the factors influencing variations in colonial social structures and labor systems.
11.1b3
CONTENT SPECIFICATION: Students will analyze slavery as a deeply established component of the colonial economic system and social structure, indentured servitude vs. slavery, the increased concentration of slaves in the South, and the development of slavery as a racial institution.
11.1c
CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING: Colonial political developments were influenced by British political traditions, Enlightenment ideas, and the colonial experience. Self-governing structures were common, and yet varied across the colonies.
11.1c1
CONTENT SPECIFICATION: Students will examine colonial political institutions to determine how they were influenced by Enlightenment ideas, British traditions such as the Magna Carta, and the colonial experience.
11.1c2
CONTENT SPECIFICATION: Students will examine colonial democratic principles by studying documents such as the Mayflower Compact and the Maryland Toleration Act of 1649, colonial governmental structures such as New England town meetings and the Virginia House of Burgesses, and the practice of the right of petition in New Netherland.
Regents Readiness: Framework USH Exam
These resources help students prepare for the US History Regents exam by exposing them to the format of the exam, asking them to reflect on their current confidence levels, and helping them prepare a study plan for the months and days leading up to the exam.
My Strategy Framework USH Exam
Students prepare a strategy for tackling the regents exam
June 2025 USH Regents Preparation Plan for Students
An 8 week plan for students to study and prepare for the US Regents. (8 weeks)
USHG Practice Regents Exam based on items from the NYS USHG Prototype Exam and New Visions end of unit assessments.
Find the NYSED Prototype, Educator’s Guide, and Part 2 Anchor Papers here: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/ss/framework-ushistory.html
USH Practice Exam w/ Teacher Materials
Based on NYSED prototype and NV end of unit assessments
- If you click on this link and can view the document, then you already have access.
- If you do not have access to the assessments, please fill out the form linked here.
- You will need to provide your official school email address AND a Google email address. In some cases, these will be the same email account. You will only need to fill the form out once to gain access to all of the assessments and teacher materials in the curriculum.
- After you fill out the form, you will receive notification that you have been added to a Google Group called “New Visions Social Studies Assessments Access.” Once you receive that notification, you can access all of the assessments through the New Visions Social Studies Curriculum website, but you must be logged into the Google account you provided in the form to view the assessments.
- We will try to respond to all access requests within 72 hours. We are sorry if this delay causes any inconvenience.
USH Regents (Practice) Itemization
An analysis of the stimuli and prompts of the Regents Exam and an item-by-item break down of its characteristics.
As each US History Regents Exam is administered we put together an analysis of the stimuli and prompts to more easily examine the content and skills students need to perform well.
USH Regents Analysis (All Exams: 2023-2024) – Assessment Data Spreadsheet
An analysis of the stimuli and prompts of the Regents Exam from the June 2023 onwards and an item-by-item break down of its characteristics.
The USH Regents Exam Question Bank containing all of the items created and adapted by New Visions. The bank includes stimulus-based multiple choice questions (Part I), Short Essay Tasks (Part II), and Civic Literacy Document Based Essays (Part III).
Exam Question Bank aligned to Framework USH Regents Exam
Exam questions for USH content aligned to the NEW USH Regents.
Starting in June 2020, US History and Government students in New York State will be able to take the USHG Framework exam. To help administrators, teachers, and students prepare for the exam, we have written test items that align with the prototype put out by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) in June 2019.
As we learn more about the assessment and get feedback on these items we will revise and add to this exam bank. In addition, we hope to include exemplars and example student responses in the future.
As social studies educators in New York State, we are all in this together, so let’s collaborate! If you would like to share test items you have written with others, please send items to [email protected]. We’ll be glad to give you credit for the items you’ve created.
The end of unit assessments below come from units in the New Visions Social Studies Curriculum. They are aligned to the new US History Regents Exam aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework first administered in June 2020. Most exams include Part 1: Stimulus-based Multiple Choice Questions, Part 2: Short Essay Questions, Part 3: Civil Literacy Essay.
For some of these resources:
- If you click on the “Open in Google Docs” button below and can view the document, then you already have access.
- If you do not have access to the assessments, please fill out the form linked here. You will need to provide your official school email address AND a Google email address. In some cases, these will be the same email account. You will only need to fill the form out once to gain access to all of the assessments and teacher materials in the curriculum.
- After you fill out the form, you will receive notification that you have been added to a Google Group called “New Visions Social Studies Assessments Access.” Once you receive that notification, you can access all of the assessments through the New Visions Social Studies Curriculum website, but you must be logged into the Google account you provided in the form to view the assessments.
- We will try to respond to all access requests within 72 hours. We are sorry if this delay causes any inconvenience.
11.1 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned
Cumulative assessment aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework and new US History Regents Exam, administered June 2020 onwards. (1 class period)
11.1 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned- Teacher Materials
Cumulative assessment aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework and new US History Regents Exam, administered June 2020 onwards.
11.2 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned
Cumulative assessment aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework and new US History Regents Exam, administered June 2020 onwards. (2 class periods)
11.2 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned- Teacher Materials
Teacher materials for cumulative assessment aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework and new US History Regents Exam, administered June 2020 onwards.
11.3 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned
Cumulative assessment aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework and new US History Regents Exam, administered June 2020 onwards. (2 class periods)
11.3 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned- Teacher Materials
Teacher materials for cumulative assessment aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework and new US History Regents Exam, administered June 2020 onwards.
11.4 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned
Cumulative assessment aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework and new US History Regents Exam, administered June 2020 onwards. (2 class periods)
11.4 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned- Teacher Materials
Teacher materials for cumulative assessment aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework and new US History Regents Exam, administered June 2020 onwards.
11.5 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned
11.5 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned Cumulative assessment aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework and new US History Regents Exam, administered June 2020 onwards. (3 class periods)
11.5 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned- Teacher Materials
Teacher materials for cumulative assessment aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework and new US History Regents Exam, administered June 2020 onwards.
11.6 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned
11.6 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned Cumulative assessment aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework and new US History Regents Exam, administered June 2020 onwards. (3 class periods)
11.6 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned- Teacher Materials
Teacher materials for cumulative assessment aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework and new US History Regents Exam, administered June 2020 onwards.
11.7 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned
11.7 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned Cumulative assessment aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework and new US History Regents Exam, administered June 2020 onwards. (3 class periods)
11.7 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned- Teacher Materials
Teacher materials for cumulative assessment aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework and new US History Regents Exam, administered June 2020 onwards.
11.8 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned
11.8 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned Cumulative assessment aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework and new US History Regents Exam, administered June 2020 onwards. (3 class periods)
11.8 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned- Teacher Materials
Teacher materials for cumulative assessment aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework and new US History Regents Exam, administered June 2020 onwards.
11.9 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned
11.9 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned Cumulative assessment aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework and new US History Regents Exam, administered June 2020 onwards. (3 class periods)
11.9 End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned- Teacher Materials
Teacher materials for cumulative assessment aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework and new US History Regents Exam, administered June 2020 onwards.
The resources below provide some suggestions for structuring Regents readiness throughout the year and in the last months of the USHG course. They include materials for teachers and students.
15 Day Regents Prep Plan
Using NV Resources, out of class and in class activities
- Review of the 5 most high leverage topics: Constitution, Sectionalism leading to the Civil War, Gilded Age, Progressive Era, and the Cold War.
- Sample 15 day outline of in class and out of class review activities
- Suggestions for NV resources to use during Regents Prep periods
Sprints for Stimulus Based MC Questions Review
Support for pacing & content review
New Visions USH Review Sheets and Concept Maps for the Full Course
Review sheets for ALL of the topics in the USH curriculum and concept mapping activities to organize that information. Students contextualize the event, discuss its significance and think about related enduring issues.
PAGE Annotation Protocol for Stimulus Based MC Questions
Kahoot! Social Studies Review
These resources help teachers and students prepare for Part 2 of the new Framework USH exam: Short Essay
Document Set #1: Historical Context & Relationship
Document Set #2: Sourcing & Reliability
Short Essay Checklist
For student writing and teacher feedback. Students can use this checklist while writing OR teachers can use this checklist to give students feedback on their short essay responses.
Skill Support for USH Regents Part 2 SEQs
Historical Thinking and Writing Skills for SEQs
Document Set #1 – Rubric
Based NYSED OSA Rubric
Document Set #2 – Rubric
Based on OSA Rubric
Constitutional Issues Check- In: Presentation
Presentation to be modified for Constitutional and Civic Issues Check-Ins
Constitutional Issues Check-In: Worksheets
Student and teacher worksheets to be modified for Constitutional and Civic Issues Check-Ins
Concept Maps
Presentation to help teachers facilitate concept maps in the classroom – this can be used to review Constitutional and / or Civic Issues or any other content in both Global and US History
Constitutional and Civic Issues Graphic Organizer: Presentation
Presentation to help teachers unpack the graphic organizer for Constitutional and Civic Issues Essay
Constitutional and Civic Issues Graphic Organizer
Graphic Organizer to use with students in support of the Civic Literacy Document Based Essay
Constitutional and Civic Issues Graphic Organizer – Model
Model graphic organizer
Civic Literacy Essay Checklist
Checklist for student writing and teacher feedback
Rubric – Part 3 – Civic Literacy Essay
Based on NYSED educator’s guide
Synthesis Carousel – US: Constitutional Civic Issues
Given a constitutional/civic issue, evaluate a set of sources to analyze the main idea and determine their best use. (1 day)
Synthesis Carousel for US Constitutional/Civic Literacy Essay
Given a constitutional / civic issue, evaluate a set of sources to analyze the main idea and determine their best use