Download AP World History Reading Guide Stearns

AP World History
Reading Guide
Stearns-Chapter 2
NOTE: you will find repetition in the reading (especially in these early chapters)—just helps you remember better!
Introduction to Part II- The Classical Period, 1000 BCE-500CE: Uniting Large Regions, p. 32-37
Discuss the major development of the classical period? Examples?
Again—READ (through the “Big Changes” for a full answer.
Although each civilization developed separately with distinctive cultural and institutional patterns, what contacts
did exist?
What is syncretism? What example is provided in the intro?
What made larger empires possible?
What were the continuities of the time period?
Which classical civilization most emphasized respect for the elderly? Why?
Chapter 2—Classical Civilization: China
Here is the vocab you should be familiar with:
Middle Kingdom
Shang Dynasty
Mandate of Heaven
Laozi/Daoism
Analects
Five Classics
Legalism
Warring States Period
Shi Huangdi
Great Wall
Wudi (Wu Ti)
mandarins
Zhou Dynasty
Confucius (Kong Fuzi)/Confucianism
patriarchalism
Qin Dynasty
Han Dynasty
Silk Road
What were some of the characteristics of Confucius’ social philosophy? How was he a product of the time period
in which he lived? Why is his philosophy so important?
 You’ll read much more about Confucianism once you get into the meat of the chapter.
“Patterns in Classical China” p. 41-44
This section will give you an overview of classical China
How does Stearns describe the dynastic cycle? How has if affected the Chinese conception of history?
Note: this overview identifies some of the characteristics of the specific dynasties as well as some of the key
changes and continuities from one dynasty to the next. The chapter will elaborate on much of this in later sections,
but this overview is helpful too!
 Zhou—when?
Themes:
o political structures & forms of governance—read ALL about Zhou…then notes
 Where did similar governments develop?
 Why use decentralized/feudal government?

o agricultural production
o religion…changes from Shang?
 Qin—when?
o political structure & forms of governance
 how changed Zhou?
 make sure you take notes on the details about how Shi Huangdi centralized the
government.
o empire
 Han—when?
o political structures & forms of governance
note: Wu-ti is Wudi
 similarities/difference from the Qin?
o empire
o trade
o belief systems, philosophies, ideologies
p. 44-52: most of the rest of the chapter breaks down classical China thematically
POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS (i.e. political structures)
 Discuss the two key features of Chinese government—from the Qin? from the Han?
 Hint—you have to keep reading after the part about how local units never completely
disappeared (BTW—the fact that local units never totally disappeared would be an
example of a continuity from Zhou through Qin/Han times).
 What does Stearns mean when he says that China did not depend on steady expansion?
 What other areas of Chinese society did the government dominate?
i.e. political impact on:
o science & technology
o belief systems, philosophies, ideologies
o economy
o technology (the kind that relates to human-environment interaction)
 Even though the Qin-Han government was highly centralized and impacted may areas of Chinese society,
explain why Chinese rulers didn’t direct the daily lives of their subjects.
 What powers did the Chinese government have over its people?
RELIGION & CULTURE
 Discuss the aspects of religion and rituals in the Zhou period.
 What does Stearns mean when he says that Chinese civilization was unusual in that its dominant values
were secular rather than religious?
 Belief systems, philosophies, ideologies—p. 46-48
Read and review about the Chinese philosophies Confucianism, Legalism, and Daoism. THEN do your
best to summarize the important ideas about each:
about ethics, about human nature, about spiritualism, about social relationships, about
government, etc.
PS-you should have the most about Confucianism
THEN look at the document on p. 47
 Do what is says: read each short excerpt and try to determine if it is Confucian or Daoist
and why you think what you think…we’ll discuss this doc in class.
 In the end, did a single religion unite the Chinese people? Discuss.
 Other Cultural Themes:
 art (we will include literature with art)
 science & technology
ECONOMY & SOCIETY
Some the information about the themes below overlap so accumulate the related information as you go
 social & economic classes
 labor systems
who did the work in classical China?
 agricultural production
 technology (more on p. 54)
 “industrialization”
 trade (more about this related to the Silk Road on p. 54)
 family & kinship
 gender roles & relations
about China specifically AND read the “In-Depth” on p. 50-1 about women in patriarchal societies which
includes specifics about China as well as other ancient civilizations
“How Chinese Civilization Fits Together” p. 52-53
How do Chinese politics and culture fit together?
How was classical China a “cultural island”? What is the exception to this general rule?
How does Chinese politics relate to the economy?
How was China different from India
As you read the “Global Connections” section on p. 53-54, add any new information to your notes about the themes
above.