Shmoop, an online education resource that specializes in test prep and digital curriculum, has expanded and revamped its guide to AP U.S. History to more comprehensively cover everything the test might throw at you. You want American imperialism? We’ve got it. Interested in the causes of the Civil War? You’ve come to the right place.

We also cover less depressing material, in case you were wondering.

You will find numerous test-taking tips throughout the guide, as well as a smattering of practice drills and four     full-length practice exams that will prep you for the big day. No, not that big day. Not that other one, either. We’re talking about the AP U.S. History exam, of course, which you’re obviously waiting for with bated breath.

You will learn:

• Why pirates are only the second-most-interesting thing to happen during English colonization in the 16th century. First place: Roanoke’s mysterious disappearance. Seriously, where did it go? It couldn’t leave a note? We’re not going to worry?
• What Monty Python can teach you about hunting witches. Hint: It has to do with ducks. Do you know the connection? Do you? Sorry. You probably weren’t expecting the Spanish Inquisition.
• How Paul Revere spent more than two centuries (and counting) as U.S. history’s most frequently misquoted revolutionary. For one thing, he couldn’t exactly yell on his midnight ride through Boston, with the whole “secret warning” thing. Maybe he used semaphore.
• Why Oregon Trail—the computer game—might be more accurate than you thought. No, not the part where you shoot 7,000 pounds of buffalo and leave it all behind on the trail. How wasteful. There are people starving in Prussia. Wait, that’s AP European History…
• What Star Wars had to do with the Cold War. Think Death Star, not Millennium Falcon. The AC on the Death Star was much glitchier.

If you care about your future, learn all about our past with Shmoop’s Guide to AP U.S. History. That way, you can pass the test, graduate from high school, and make a Declaration of Independence…from your parents.

…Nah, nice try. We’re pretty much all nerds. But at least we revel in our nerdiness.

To help bring out the nerd in you, Shmoop, a publisher of digital curriculum and test prep, introduces a brand new AP Statistics guide, which is guaranteed to fill your brain to the brim with all sorts of statistical data and know-how. Without Shmoop’s help, you would only have a 64.872 percent chance of passing your AP Statistics final. Approximately, that is.

Shmoop can teach you:

• Why statistics are like bikinis. Yes, statisticians are generally concerned with bigger numbers, but we think they might be interested in a two-piece or two.
• How a limitless supply of Skittles can help you taste the rainbow—er, spot patterns. Like why your eyeballs keep twitching on the mornings you eat a healthy breakfast of Skittles and Pepsi.
• Why you can’t conduct experiments on your younger siblings without knowing the appropriate confidence interval. On the other hand, you can be 100% confident that you’ll be grounded for at least a week if you do turn them into guinea pigs.
• How Facebook knows about your burning love for Bruce Springsteen. Not that the body paint and foam finger gave anything away, of course.
• What statistical bias, mushrooms, and chaperones have in common. Aside from the fact that we don’t want any of them on our pizza.

Let Shmoop’s AP Stats guide turn you into a complete datahead. Check it out, stat.

The college application process is a stressful, confusing and lonely one. Like The Beatles, Shmoop wants to hold your hand. Cramming for standardized tests is an American rite – slapping a few last minute extracurriculars to pad your resume is just sad. The Scholarship Scramble is not an historic board game, now a popular iPhone app. Your beloved students are in this frey – support them with us and let them find the “more” in their lives… lest they simply come down with a crippling case of senioritis, in which case they’ll be in our prayers.

Five reasons why you should take a gander at this resource:

• 97 out of 101 students agree that test prep stinks. That leaves only 5 who love it. And even they have trouble with simple arithmetic.
• Luckily, Shmoop Test Prep smells like roses: We speak student. We also speak Mokpwe, in case you happen to hail from Cameroon. (We’re really hoping you don’t call our bluff on that one.)
• Icons from bastions of literature, the film industry and the finest modern cartoons will reach your classrooms as if test prep was created… by humans.
• Our proprietary “dashboard” and reporting systems give you immediate feedback on how Shmoop is being used in your school. Big Brother has nothing on us.
• Caesar from the most recent Planet of the Apes movie commented, “I can’t believe how easy Shmoop’s platform is to use; I may just apply to grad school.”
• You want depth and breadth? We’ve got your depth and minty breadth, right here. You can get a crash course on any of five commonly administered tests (SAT, PSAT, ACT, CAHSEE and ISEE), dive into the US History, English Literature and Biology SAT Subject Tests, go en Español, and prep for a ton of different AP Exams. We are constantly adding to the site, too, so if you don’t get started now, you’ll never catch up. Just ask Heinz.

If this sounds like something you could use (and we think that it is), contact Shmoop to find out about our great deals for schools and school districts. Let’s get our kids ready for those all-important tests, so that they earn the life they want.

Our 11-unit guide marches readers through the pivotal events that reshaped European history. Not impressed yet? Read the last sentence out loud in a ludicrously deep voice—a rich baritone, if you can manage it—and you will have the opening to a very nice PBS documentary.

The Shmoop guide to AP European History examines the social and cultural issues from the turn of the 15th century to the present. True, Europe has been around since long before the 15th century, but not much happened before then—at least according to the AP test. In a nutshell? Some guys walked around in togas and fought some pretty epic wars. If you are more of a visual learner, you can also rent Troy.

We will help you tackle those Europe-related questions that fester in your brain at night:

●      Whatever happened to the first Defenestration of Prague? How many times has it been defenestrated since?

●      How many Napoleons are too many Napoleons? The dictator, not the cream pastry…when it comes to those, the more the merrier.

●      Why is it a terrible idea to start a land war in Russia in the middle of winter (aside from missing the next season of Russia’s Got Talent and Russian Idol)?

●      What caused Czechoslovakia to split? Irreconcilable differences?

●      Why is starting a new Church with a capital “C” the most melodramatic response ever to a bad marriage?

Shmoop has answers. In fact, we zero in on Europe’s technology, politics, culture, religion, ideologies, war, economics, art, literature and more. We also put together a glossary of relevant terms and key players at the end of each unit, so you can keep all your Henrys, Williams and Edwards straight.

As George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” The same goes for History class, so brush up on those wars, treaties and revolutions.

Start gellin’ like Magellan with Shmoop’s guide to AP European History.

We know that there are plenty of bright, motivated 4th- and 5th-grade students who want to grab their futures by the horns and take an active part in improving the quality of their own educations. For those brave souls, or for those of you who are being coerced into taking the test by your parents, there is help.

After reading our ISEE test prep, you will

●      Understand how answering sentence completion questions can help you track down globetrotting criminals, or vice versa.

●      Realize why Ti Quan Do is more than just a misspelled martial art and can help you kick some reading comprehension butt. Only use in self-defense, like when a paragraph lashes out at you without provocation.

●      Learn what driving a Ferrari blindfolded* has to do with unit conversions. And no, we are not talking about converting your vehicle to scrap metal.

●      Ponder whether eating your weight in Skittles is really all that bad, especially considering what it could teach you about algebraic word problems. Taste the rainbow…of knowledge. (Corniness intended.)

*Performed only by professionals. Do not try this at home.

In addition to showing you exactly what you can expect on test day and how you can prepare for the ISEE, our guide provides an in-depth topic review that covers both the Math and Verbal portions of the exam. Then, when you are done reviewing the material, take our drills and practice exams to get in the zone. Just remember to put your pencil down when you are done. Also, stop writing on your computer monitor with a pencil.

Let Shmoop’s ISEE test prep guide help you prepare for the biggest test of your life…until the 8th grade, anyway.

How’s the brain? Full of stale sugarplums and stupid advertising jingles? (Seriously, those State Farm songs need to just stop.)

Hey, it’s hard for anyone to make the transition from zoning out over Jersey Shore reruns to memorizing the metaphors in Macbeth. We feel for you. Don’t sprain anything. Sit back and have some Shmoop. On us.

ISEE Prep Is Out and About

We know that a gaggle of you probably have your eyes on an independent school or three. Fear not! Shmoop has all the news that’s fit to print or download…when it comes to the Lower Level Independent School Entrance Exam, that is.

We like to call it the LL ISEE. You know, the slightly nerdier version of the original LL, Cool J.

Digital Literacy

The Internet is good for much more than just videos of adorable kittens sitting on Roombas. Whether you can’t tell your Twitter from your Tumblr or simply need a crash course on how to cite digital sources, we have the resource for you:Shmoop Digital Literacy!

The guide includes a heap of helpful curriculum for teachers looking to instill some internet-savvy in their students. As if you didn’t have enough of a reason to untag those horribly unflattering photos of you on Facebook…

Friend of Shmoop: Random House

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, Random House Audio and Listening Library is hosting a contest beginning January 10, 2012.

The contest is simple: If you had the chance, what advice would you write to your future or past self? Starting today, visitwww.timetravelcontest.com to post your entry. Have your friends vote for you, and vote on other posts (if you feel especially charitable).

Oh, bee tee dubs, the Grand Prize is a new DSLR camera!

Literary Birthday: Jack London Jan. 12, 1876

Back in the day, before “Klondike” was the word that came before “bar,” Jack London was all about celebrating the Klondike Gold Rush: Gold Rush 2: Son of Gold Rush: Alaska Boogaloo with gritty novels like White Fang and Call of the Wild.

Here’s wishing a happy 136th birthday to the San Francisco native, onetime Cal student, and scurvy survivor.

Get Shmoop for Your School

You know what’s better than getting Shmoop for your school? Nothing. That’s right. Absolutely nothing. We’re in the computer! It can’t get much easier than that.

If you are harboring a secret desire to be everyone’s favorite teacher, administrator, or librarian—and really, who isn’t?—jump on over to our School or District page to find out how.

This Week in History: Treaty of Versailles Ratified Jan. 10th, 1920

A short list of things not to put in your peace treaty after the Great War if you want it to be the only Great War in the 20th century:

• A clause that sticks Germany with all the blame for causing World War I
• A requirement for Germany to give up giant swathes of land, and
• A bill—for Germany, who else?—that came out to about $442 billion over the next 92 years.

Of course, those weren’t the only terms of the treaty…but try telling that to Germany in the late 1930s. Read more here.

Shmoop Shout Out: Mapping Dark Matter

For those of you who enjoy a good mystery within a mystery,* you’ll love dark matter. If you aren’t hip to the substance—yet—it actually makes up 85% of the universe. (Unfortunately, it’s not the material in Darth Vader’s suit.)

Trick is, we can’t see it. In fact, we only know dark matter exists at all because it has gravity that pulls on things, like light. The result? Using images of bent light to map it out. This is your brain. This is your brain on dark matter.

How cool is that?

Good luck at school this week,

Your Shmoop Support Team

*Like those little Russian dolls that have a doll inside, and then another doll, and then another doll, all the way to the eensy knob doll.**

**Or Inception.***

***Or these asterisks.

Are you concerned about the state of the Earth’s environment? Do you take reusable bags with you to the grocery store? (Bless you.) Do you go weeks without showering to conserve water? (Please don’t.)

Environmental science is all about learning how to fix our planet’s problems, whether we caused them ourselves or not. If you’re in the mood to get guilt-tripped by a class, or just want to help make this world a better place, you’re probably taking the AP Environmental Science exam (or APES, for those of us who think better in primate acronyms).

In addition to an overview that prepares the diligent for the length, content, and format of the test, the Shmoop guide to APES explores each topic on the exam in incredible detail. For now, here’s a brief overview of each subject:

●      Earth Systems and Resources. Volcanoes. Soil. Rocks. Those big ocean things. What has been here for millions of years, and what will be here for millions more?

●      The Living World. Ecosystems are ecointeresting. (Bada boom.) Learn the ins and outs of biological populations and the process of natural selection.

●      Population. We’re growing—not just individually (although that much is terrifyingly true), but as a species. How long can we keep consuming resources and destroying habitats before we run out of potatoes to slather with oil?

●      Land and Water Use. Let’s have a conversation about conservation. H₂Oh no…

●      Energy Resources and Consumption. Why don’t fossil fuels live in a museum? What are the safest and most effective alternatives to using these limited resources? We’re thinking Soylent Green…but we hear that’s people, so maybe not.

●      Pollution. It’s nice that you want to have your friends over for a social gathering, but does it have to be an aerosol party? Learn ways how we can clean up our collective act—and our planet.

●      Global Change. Is it getting hot in herrrrrre? No? Just us?

Throughout the guide, Shmoop will answer some of your most burning questions:

●      How do I separate my Mesozoic from my Cenozoic?

●      How are scientists trying to genetically modify organisms? And will this engineering give pigs the penchant for flight they’ve always dreamed of?

●      Why do we need more than 1,200 varieties of banana? Exactly how big can that Chiquita woman’s hat get?

●      What does Black Friday have to do with survival of the fittest? Is this about getting in line early so you can be sure to snag the new Xbox?

Get the answers—and get in the (o)zone—with Shmoop’s new guide to AP Environmental Science.

If you don’t have strange habits you need to kick, you could always resolve to boost your brain power with our brand new AP Guides.

AP European History

From Magellan to the Maastricht Treaty, we are a one-stop shop for all things AP European History. If you’ve ever wondered how many Napoleons are too many Napoleons, you’ve come to the right place. Check it.

AP Environmental Science

We have dinosaurs and 1,200 varieties of bananas. What more could you need? Tips to help you ace this exam? Good thing, because we totally have them too. Explore your inner environmental scientist here.

Friend of Shmoop: Random House

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, Random House Audio and Listening Library will be hosting a contest beginning January 10, 2012.

The contest is simple: If you had the chance, what advice would you write to your future or past self? Starting 1/10/12, visit www.timetravelcontest.com to post your entry. Have your friends vote for you, and vote on other posts (if you feel especially charitable).

Oh, bee tee dubs, the Grand Prize is a new DSLR camera!

Literary Birthday: J.D. Salinger Born Jan. 1, 1919

In case you need a bit of a refresher course, Salinger authored The Catcher in the Rye, one of the most controversial and widely taught books in the Western canon. It’s one of those books that you either love or hate. Personally, we hope all that angsty goodness inspires generations of teenagers for decades to come.

A New Year’s Resolution: Get Shmoop for Your School

Okay, so the flossing resolution may not make it. However, if you want to leave a lasting impression on the the students in your school or district, getting them Shmoop would be a rockin’ kick-off to the New Year—just like Dick Clark’s show before he was 157 and muttered ominously about breaking Seacrest in half. (We love you Uncle Dick!)

Science Birthday: Isaac Newton Born Jan. 4, 1643

Good ol’ Newton…thinking up gravity by getting hit in the head with an apple. We wish every time we tripped over our own feet (read: a lot), we could remember where we left our keys, much less discover a groundbreaking physics concept. Cheers to falling fruit and the inventor of calculus.

Shmoop Shout Out: Spider-Man Web

Did you resolve to be a superhero in 2012? What if we told you that becoming Spider-Man was a legitimate possibility? Well, not including the radioactive blood part. And, minus all his powers, really…except the web!

Yep, scientists have figured out a way to get genetically modified silk worms to produce spider-quality silk. Learn more about these super-charged worms here. Shmoop Shout Out 2.0: Time Hole As we march forward into another year, it’s always important to ask the question, “Well, is science fiction here yet?” Here’s a list of things we’d like to see: Time travel Cloaking devices The ability to move at the speed of light Invisible soldiers that trick time by bending light The future may be closer than you think. The soldier doesn’t exist yet, but physicists at the Pentagon have created a “Time Hole” to conceal something that’s happening by bending the light around the event so that it doesn’t exist to observers. Super, super cool. Check it out here, if you still can. Keep those resolutions, The Jell-O Swimmers at Shmoop

We have a few tips to help keep this season sane:

Shmoop Holiday Tips

• Tip #1: Don’t go to the mall. At all. Shop online, naked (just not outside your room).
• Tip #2: Take joy in the small things. A smile or a story, for example, that only your grandfather could possibly tell well.
• Tip #3: Get into games* with family. It’s better than discussing everybody’s favorite sibling.
• Tip #4: Enjoy some relaxing Shmoop by an open fire…or, you know, in close proximity to some kind of controlled burn. Our picks?
  • The Golden Compass – Philip Pullman
  • “Winter Dreams” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • Walden – Henry David Thoreau
  • Missed our list last week? Check out our Holiday Book List.

Movie Madness: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Stieg Larsson’s thriller is a book that became a movie that became another movie, so you know it has to be good.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 2: Made in Sweden but with Americans and Also James Bond** flies into theaters tomorrow, so check out our guide for a little preview of what goes down.

Friend of Shmoop: Bake Some Apple into Your Holiday Pie

Macbook Pro: A gift with the power to fulfill any holiday wish. Save with Apple Education Pricing plus free 2-3 day shipping. Shop now.

This Week in History: You Get New Orleans! You Get New Orleans! Dec. 20, 1803

The treaty for the Louisiana Purchase was signed in April of 1803 (for the low, low price of $15 million, or something along the lines of 3 cents an acre), but the actual transfer didn’t happen until months later.

There ain’t no party like a New Orleans party. Find out more about one of the best holiday bargains ever here.

Every 2400 Begins with Shmoop

No matter what you’re celebrating this time of year, Shmoop is the perfect gift for all ages. Yes, it’s corny, but at least we don’t threaten you with simple spelling exercises or murder scenarios. And we’re a lot less expensive than diamonds.

Give the gift of a well-lived life. Our guides are here to help you unlock your potential now…and in the future. Peruse our selection here.

Birthday: Colo the Gorilla, Dec. 22, 1956

You might think that celebrating a gorilla’s birthday is a little strange, but 1) we love a good gorilla birthday party, and 2) Colo isn’t just any gorilla—she was the first gorilla born in captivity.

And, at 55, she’s the oldest gorilla in the world, although we here at Shmoop do have a couple of hairy relatives we swear might be primates (hi, Burt). Also, her parents were named Millie Christina and Baron Macombo, which are way cooler than our parents’ names. Happy birthday, Colo***!

Shmoop Shout Out: Vaclav Havel, Leader of the Velvet Revolution

Vaclav Havel is kind of our hero (or our kind of hero). He was a playwright who became heavily involved in politics, ultimately leading the movement to overthrow communism in Czechoslovakia.

Basically, this dude was fantastic at everything, and he changed the lives of millions. Rest in peace, Mr. Havel.

Shmoop Shout Out 2.0: Army Sandwich

Shmoop paradox: We here at Shmoop HQ love all kinds of sandwiches, from roast beef to turkey and Swiss cheese to Cheddar. However, all of us have had our fair share of cold cuts sprout mold and perish in our fridges, uneaten and unenjoyed, when we’re grinding the late night gears.

Solution: The U.S. Army has developed a sandwich that stays fresh for two years. Yes, that’s 730 and one half days of tastiness. We don’t know how to get our hands on one yet, but we will find a way. Let your stomach read on here.

Have a safe and sane holiday,

The Shmoop Elves

*We recommend Settlers of Catan.

**Not its actual title.

***Also, happy birthday to Sophie!

Many studentws might regard math as their sworn enemy. The mere mention of a Cartesian Coordinate System may cause toes to curl. The concept of a box and whisker plot may be nothing more than a plan for keeping litter off the carpet.

Shmoop to the rescue. The new Pre-Algebra section starts with the most basic fundamentals and focuses on making algebra fun, easy and – for the most part – painless. The section provides a number of worksheets and quizzes designed to steer even the most fervent algebra-hater gently and comfortably through the learning process. There is also an extensive glossary of terms and series of learning guides covering everything from Basic Operations to Ratios and Percentages to Basic Algebra. Once a student has gone through and studied all of the material, they’ll be able to identify alternate exterior angles like nobody’s business.

A student will also be able to quickly and confidently solve any of the problems below:

• Poppy has five dresses, four hoodies and three pairs of shoes to choose from. How many different outfits can she make from these choices (no matter how hideous they might be)?
  




• In a recent survey, two-thirds of people questioned preferred Wired Energy Drink to Awake Soft Drink. If 732 people were surveyed, how many preferred Awake? (Assuming they were all able to respond before crashing and conking out.)
  




• Ambiance, which sells jeans, is having a great sale. All jeans are one-third off the original price. You find a great pair for $79.50. How much are the jeans after the discount, assuming there is no sales tax?
  




• The Krispy Kreme “hot” light is on! A customer buys a dozen doughnuts for $7.50 and then stop at Starbucks and get three lattes for $8.85. The sugar happy consumers is splitting this treat with two friends. How much does each of them owe? And do they really need more sugar after downing all those Wired Energy Drinks?
  




• A student is a master procrastinator. Easily wasting one-fourth of an hour on Facebook, one-third of an hour chatting with friends, and one-fifth of an hour on iTunes. How many minutes (of that precious hour) are left to do homework?
  




• In 1901, Cy Young had a Strikeout/Base on Balls (walk) ratio of 4:1. If he struck out 160 hitters, how many total strikeouts and walks did Cy Young have that year?

The tools with which a student will be equipped after mastering Pre-Algebra will prepare them for every other branch of mathematics they will ever encounter. Believe it or not, there may be a time that the student will long for the good ol’ days of simply having to pick out a geometric pattern or convert decimals to scientific notation. But by taking advantage of Shmoop’s helpful worksheets and quizzes, students will be setting yourself up for success now and in the future.

Get a jump on the compu-tition with Shmoop’s guide to Pre-Algebra.