Download AP World Summer assignment 2016

AP World History Summer Assignment
2016-2017 School Year
The AP World History course covers an extremely large amount of historical information in a
relatively short period of time. The course is also designed to highlight certain skills you will
need to demonstrate on the AP Exam in May. In order to prepare you for the course rigor and
have you begin to learn the content, it is imperative that we assign you some work over the
summer. This summer assignment is broken down into six parts. All work should be submitted
electronically (via Google Classroom if possible) with the exception of Part IV, the map
activity/exercise. Combined, these six parts will count as your first test grade in the course. A
breakdown of the grading is located at the end of this document, and relevant rubrics are
posted in Google Classroom and on Mr. Bodnar’s web site.
It is critical not to wait until the last few days of summer vacation to begin this assignment.
Some of the assignments are challenging, and some will take time to complete. The due date
for this assignment is Tuesday, September 6, 2016 (The first day of school). If you have
questions, feel free to contact Mr. Bodnar. But don’t wait.
Jason Bodnar
Medford Campus
[email protected]
Grading
Combined, these 6 assignments will count as a test grade. Here is the breakdown of each part.
Rubrics for parts 2-5 are posted on Mr. Bodnar’s web site. Any grading using rubrics will be
broken down into the appropriate percentage. For the parts without specific rubrics, grading
will be based upon accuracy and thoroughness of answer.
Part I: 18 points (Questions 1-8 are 1.5 points each, Question 9 is 1 point, Question 10 is 5
points)
Part II: 24 points
Part A=9 points (1.5 points for the questions related to each of the six documents.)
Part B=15 points (See Writing a DBQ Essay Rubric)
Part III: 8 points (See Summary rubric)
Part IV: 16 points (See Map Exercise rubric)
Part V: 20 points (Each question is worth 10 points)
Part VI: 14 points (Each of the 7 questions is worth 2 points.)
Total: 100 points
***Please note: Everything must be written in complete sentences.***
Part I- Overview of AP World History
Read pages portions of pages 8-30 of the AP World History Course & Exam Description (click on
the link below). This reading will provide you with an overview of the historical thinking skills
this course is intended to enhance, as well as the themes of world history that provide the
framework for the course. Answer the questions below in complete sentences. To receive full
credit, your responses must answer the question fully and completely.
http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-world-history-course-and-examdescription.pdf
Look at Table 1 on page 8, which includes a description of Historical Thinking Skills that you
must master in this course. These Historical Thinking Skills are broken down in the smallest way
into nine different parts. For each of them:
a) In your own words, explain what this skill requires you to be able to do.
b) Give a SPECIFIC example of how you could demonstrate your proficiency in this skill.
Here’s an example for the first of those 9 parts: Analyzing Evidence: Content and Sourcing:
a) The skill of Analyzing Evidence: Content and Sourcing requires students to be able to
understand all types of primary sources, and how they help to understand the past. This also
requires students to analyze the purpose and point of view of those sources, so as to understand
the extent to which one can trust or use them to accurately understand history.
b) One could demonstrate his or her proficiency in this skill by analyzing a series of ColdWar-era political cartoons from various perspectives.
Do the same for each of the following skills:
1. Interpretation
a) In your own words, explain what this skill requires you to be able to do.
b) Give a SPECIFIC example of how you could demonstrate your proficiency in this skill.
2. Comparison
a) In your own words, explain what this skill requires you to be able to do.
b) Give a SPECIFIC example of how you could demonstrate your proficiency in this skill.
3. Contextualization
a) In your own words, explain what this skill requires you to be able to do.
b) Give a SPECIFIC example of how you could demonstrate your proficiency in this skill.
4. Synthesis
a) In your own words, explain what this skill requires you to be able to do.
b) Give a SPECIFIC example of how you could demonstrate your proficiency in this skill.
5. Causation
a) In your own words, explain what this skill requires you to be able to do.
b) Give a SPECIFIC example of how you could demonstrate your proficiency in this skill.
6. Patterns of Continuity and Change Over Time
a) In your own words, explain what this skill requires you to be able to do.
b) Give a SPECIFIC example of how you could demonstrate your proficiency in this skill.
7. Periodization
a) In your own words, explain what this skill requires you to be able to do.
b) Give a SPECIFIC example of how you could demonstrate your proficiency in this skill.
8. Argumentation
a) In your own words, explain what this skill requires you to be able to do.
b) Give a SPECIFIC example of how you could demonstrate your proficiency in this skill.
Now look at the Thematic Learning Objectives section. The introduction to it is on page 10, and
you will need to read only the introductory sections that follow on pages 12, 15, 19, 25 and 30.
9. Come up with one word to describe each of the five Course Themes.
10. (Prior to taking this course, you should have studied two years of United States History. This
question requires you to apply that knowledge.) For EACH of the five Course Themes, list and
explain THREE specific ways this theme has played itself out in the course of United States
history. Make sure you are specific.
Part II- Document-Based Essay Question
Please find the DBQ exercise titled ‘Achievements of Ancient Civilizations’. Analyze the
documents and answer the questions related to all six documents (Part A). After analyzing the
documents write an essay complete with a thesis statement and evidence from the text that
answers the essay prompt (Part B).
The following question is based on the accompanying documents in Part A. As you analyze each
document, take into account both the source of the document and the author's point of view.
Part B. Choose three ancient civilizations. What were the achievements of each civilization?
How did each of these civilizations make lasting contributions to humankind?
***Note: Read the handout titled Writing a DBQ Essay for guidance and tips. If you have had
Mr. Bodnar as a teacher before, you have some experience in writing DBQs. For the AP course,
there are some differences in expectations. You will be doing many more of these DBQs over
the course of the year; do your best on this one, but realize that your skills will increase greatly
with more practice and guidance.***
Part III- The History of Our World in 18 Minutes
Watch this brief Ted Talk given by David Christian (see link below). As you read take notes (you
may need to hit pause as you notate). Afterward, write a one paragraph summary of the
purpose of Christian’s lecture. Be sure to support your answer with evidence from Christian’s
point of view.
http://www.ted.com/talks/david_christian_big_history?language=en
Part IV- Map Activity
Create or print an outline map which you can locate and label each of the items listed below.
Items listed with a color and number can be labeled using the appropriate color/number
combination. All other items must be neatly hand drawn or outlined and clearly labeled. Make
sure you also include a legend/key. Your map should be at least 11”x17”, but can be as large as
13”x19” in size. You may have a map quiz of some sort during the first week of school, so
please study this as you complete it.
Continents (RED)
1. North America
2. South America
3. Australia
4. Europe
5. Antarctica
6. Asia
7. Africa
Oceans, Seas, Bays, Lakes (BLUE)
1. Atlantic Ocean
2. Pacific Ocean
3. Indian Ocean
4. Arctic Ocean
5. North Sea
6. Baltic Sea
7. English Channel
8. Mediterranean Sea
9. Adriatic Sea
10. Aegean Sea
Rivers (GREEN)
1. Nile River
2. Tigris
3. Euphrates
4. Amazon River
5. Indus River
6. Yellow (Huang He) River
7. Yangtze
8. Ganges River
9. Mekong
10. Congo River
11. Rhine
12. Danube
13. Niger River
Deserts (TAN or YELLOW)
1. Gobi
2. Kalahari
3. Sahara
4. Mojave
5. Arabian
6. Namib
Mountain Ranges (ORANGE)
1. Himalayas
2. Hindu Kush
3. Andes
4. Sierra Madre
5. Alps
6. Appalachian
7. Rocky Mountains
8. Atlas
9. Pyrenees Mountains
10. Ural Mountains
Straits (PURPLE)
1. Bosporous Strait
2. Strait of Magellan
3. Strait of Gibraltar
4. Strait of Malacca
AP World Regions- Bold Label
North Africa
West Africa
East Africa
Central Africa
Southern Africa
Middle East
East Asia
Central Asia
South Asia
Southeast Asia
Latin America, including regions of Mesoamerica and the Caribbean
North America
Mexico
Caribbean
Europe
Oceania
The Americas
Peninsulas & Other Landforms (STRIPED LINES)
Arabian Peninsula
Balkans
Crimean Peninsula
Horn of Africa
Iberian Peninsula
Yucatan Peninsula
Great Rift Valley
Asian Steppe
Part V- Reading Historical Literacy & Comprehension
While the AP World History curriculum technically begins firmly in the Neolithic Era (c.
8000-3500 BCE), it is important to have a base knowledge of the Paleolithic Era, also known as
the “Stone Age”. For thousands of years leading up to the Neolithic Revolution, human beings
relied on a hunter-gatherer form of existence- a way of life that still exists today in parts of
South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia. While hunting and gathering may
seem to some today as a brutish existence, it has worked remarkably well and actually enjoyed
some advantages over early sedentary farming life. The survival skill set that early humans
developed during the Paleolithic Era allowed human beings to spread throughout the globe at
a surprising pace. By 12,000 BCE, human beings could be found on six of the world’s seven
continents. The purpose of this section is to introduce you to the movement of humans during
the Paleolithic period, the hunter-gatherer lifestyle they employed to survive, and the slow
transition toward sedentary agriculture during the Neolithic Revolution.
You will read a combination of sources and respond to the questions listed below. The
questions are designed to make you think critically about what you have read and combine
multiple sources to arrive at a single, well-written answer. In other words, you cannot and
should not try to hunt down a passage or two to find an answer - you must read and
understand the entire material to construct your response.
Your response for EACH question should be 400-700 words.
Read “Human Life in the Era of Hunters and Gatherers” developed by History-World.org at
http://history-world.org/paleolithic2.htm.
Read “Agriculture and the Origins of Civilization: The Neolithic Revolution” developed by
Historian-World.org at
http://history-world.org/neolithic.htm
Read “The Neolithic Transition” developed by History-World.org at
http://history-world.org/neolithic1.htm
Questions
1. Explain how human technology and social development fostered the rapid movement of
people throughout the globe during the latter phases of the Paleolithic Era (c. 60,000 to 12,000
BCE). Be sure to include how developments allowed early hunter-gatherers to cope with
various environmental pressures and challenges as they moved from continent to continent.
2. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of adopting a sedentary agricultural
lifestyle. To answer this question, you need to look at the factors that motivated formerly
nomadic peoples to settle down and adopt a sedentary lifestyle. What were some of the
benefits? Were there any negative consequences of settling down? How did the social roles of
men and women change?
Part VI- Jared Diamond & The Neolithic Revolution
The Neolithic Revolution is considered one of the seminal events in the history of the human
species. In a period of several thousand years, humans went from a largely migratory species
to an increasingly sedentary and agricultural society. Historians have often remarked on the
vital importance and positive nature of this change, as it led to the development of cities and
civilizations. However, some historians do not agree that this was a positive development. In
fact, many argue that the Neolithic Revolution was a horrendous turning point in the history of
the human species.
Jared Diamond is such a thinker. In his infamous article The Worst Mistake in the History of the
Human Race, Diamond argues that not only was the Neolithic Revolution not positive, but it
has led to all the evils that exist in the world today.
Read this article. Answer the questions that follow in complete sentences. There are no specific
length requirements, but to receive full credit, your responses must answer the question fully
and completely.
http://discovermagazine.com/1987/may/02-the-worst-mistake-in-the-history-of-the-humanrace
1. Write what you believe to be Diamond’s thesis.
2. What are Diamond’s two most persuasive statements? Why?
3. Many critics of Diamond argue that he has had plenty of opportunity to join a huntergatherer and he refused to. Should it influence our opinion of his argument if he is not willing
to live with the consequences of it?
4. What should human beings and human societies want from their existence?
Watch the video based on Diamond’s book Guns, Germs, and Steel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36BQW1SuHQ8
5. What was Yali’s question? How did it lead Diamond to do the research which led to Guns,
Germs, and Steel?
6. What is “cargo” as used in the question as posed by Yali? How was cargo viewed by many
New Guineans?
7. Compare and contrast the colonialist view of “genetic superiority” vs. Diamond’s view of
New Guineans in terms of abilities.