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AP World History
Mr. Smith
Room 305
Course Overview: AP World History focuses on developing students’ abilities to think conceptually about world
history from approximately 8000 BCE to the present and apply historical thinking skills as they learn about the past.
Five themes of equal importance — focusing on the environment, cultures, state-building, economic systems, and
social structures — provide areas of historical inquiry for investigation throughout the course. AP World History
encompasses the history of the five major geographical regions of the globe: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe,
and Oceania, with special focus on historical developments and processes that cross multiple regions.
Course Content: The AP World History course is structured around themes and concepts in six different
chronological periods from approximately 8000 BCE to the present:
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Technological and EnvironmentalTransformations (to c. 600 BCE)
Organization and Reorganization of Human Societies (c. 600 BCE to c. 600 CE)
Regional andTransregional Interactions (c. 600 CE to c. 1450)
Global Interactions (c. 1450 to c. 1750)
Industrialization and Global Integration (c. 1750 to c. 1900)
Accelerating Global Change and Realignments (c. 1900 to the Present)
Within each period, key concepts organize and prioritize historical developments. Themes allow students to make
connections and identify patterns and trends over time.
Historical thinking skills: The historical thinking skills provide opportunities for students to learn to think like
historians, most notably to analyze evidence about the past and to create persuasive historical arguments.
Focusing on these practices enables teachers to create learning opportunities for students that emphasize the
conceptual and interpretive nature of history rather than simply memorization of events in the past. Skill types and
examples for each are listed below.
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Chronological Reasoning
Comparison and Contextualization
Crafting Historical Arguments from Historical Evidence
Historical Interpretation and Synthesis
Course Grading: Grades will be calculated based on the Carroll County Public Schools Grading Policy.
Examinations: Examinations are given at the end of each unit and will include multiple-choice and essay
components. Exams are cumulative and will focus on the comparative and thematic components of the course.
The final exam will be cumulative and count for 10% of the students overall grade.
Essays: Essays are assigned on a regular basis. The length of each assignment varies with each topic. These essays
will exercise writing and analytical skills necessary for success on the AP Exam.
Quizzes: Take home exams and written assignments, such as response papers and map activities, are designed to
check and reinforce student progress through the course material.
Text: Go to the following website to use the online book resources and activities to help you study and review
important content.
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/strayer2e/#t_810421
Identifications: The identifications are designed to help students work through the textbook. They include 7 to 12
short-answer or essay type questions. Students are to gather evidence (supporting fact) and process the information
for understanding while identifying important vocabulary. ID’s are found on the class blog and it is expected that
students come to class prepared to discuss the topics included. All identifications will be collected.
Materials Needed:
Notebook or 3-ring binder
Pencils/Pens
Paper
Set of Highlighters (Pink, Blue, Green, Orange, Yellow)
3” x 5” index cards
Contact Info & Blog site:
Email: [email protected]
Blog: http://blogs.carrollk12.org/dnsmith/