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A.P. World History Syllabus
Mr. Roberts 2010-2011
Princeton High School
Email: [email protected]
Course Description:
The objective of this course is to increase the student’s understanding of World
History with the goal having each student pass the AP World Examination in May. The
course is divided into FIVE units, it is then broken down into an overview of major
topics that will be covered in each chapter. In this class we will study 10,000 years of
history over six continents. European and United States history account for no more than
30% of the total class, so be prepared to look at societies and cultures from an entirely
new perspective. For students to better understand the complexity of the contemporary
world, they need to comprehend and appreciate the past. This course will embrace a truly
global view of history and civilization.
AP World History is challenging, compared to other high school courses, takes
more time and requires more work. This course is designed to be the equivalent of a
freshman level college course in a high school setting. Excellent reading and writing
skills, along with unquestioning devotion to homework and studying are necessary to
succeed. Further emphasis will be placed on critical thinking skills, essay writing, and
the interpretation of original/primary source documents. This course DOES NOT
concentrate on the regurgitation of names and dates, but rather focuses on students
analyzing cause and effect.
Students will be required to apply the effort necessary to act as a/an historian and
develop the ability to analyze historical evidence to determine its validity and relevance,
identify point of view and the nature of bias, and recognize the necessity of objectivity
and substantiation. The methodology of an historian involves skills that are highly
transferable – ability to formulate generalizations, interpret and use primary source
documents and weigh evidence from all sources.
Lectures and PowerPoint presentations on important themes and topics on World
History are the lifeline of this course. Students are also expected to participate in class
verbally through discussions of our primary source readings as well as debates on key
issues. Furthermore, students are expected to continually develop writing skills through
regularly assigned essays and essay exams. Students can expect to do a lot of reading,
from the text, as well as from two main primary source document books.
The teacher will focus on strengthening skills in taking multiple choice exams, in
addition to writing clear thesis statements, followed by writing riveting essays. Regular
studying, frequent practice in writing, analyzing primary source documents as well as
charts and graphs, and test-taking strategies are also a major element of this course.
Course Themes for Advanced Placement World History:
The content of the AP World History Course will guided by the following themes:
1. The impact of interaction among major societies (trade, systems of
international exchange, war, & politics).
2. The relationship of change and continuity across the world history periods
covered.
3. The impact of technology and demography on people and the environment
(population growth/decline, disease, manufacturing, migrations, agriculture, &
weaponry).
4. The systems of social structure and gender structure (comparing major
features within and among societies and assessing change)
5. The cultural and intellectual developments and interactions among and within
societies.
6. The changes in functions and structure of states and in attitudes toward states
and political identities, including the emergence of the nation-state.
Main Textbook:
Bulliet, Richard W., Pamela Kyle Crossley, Daniel R. Headrick, Steven W. Hirsch,
Lyman L. Johnson, David Northrup. The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History.
Second Edition. Boston, MA. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001.
Secondary Texts:
Andrea, Alfred J., Overfield, James H. The Human Record: Sources of Global History.
Fourth Edition, Volume I: To 1700. Boston, MA. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001.
Andrea, Alfred J., Overfield, James H. The Human Record: Sources of Global History.
Fourth Edition, Volume II: Since 1500. Boston, MA. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001.
Primary Sources:
A variety of primary and secondary sources will be used during the course. Examples
include but are not limited to selections from: Hammurabi’s Code, Epic of Gilgamesh,
The Republic, Confucius’ Analects, The Art of War, The Ten Commandments, The
Qu’ran, The Pillow Book, Magna Carta, The Decameron, The Travels of Marco Polo,
The True Story of the Conquest of Mexico (Montezuma’s Death), Tokugawa Iemitsu’s
Exclusion of the Portuguese; Closed Country Edict of 1635, The Way of the Samurai,
The Prince, 95 Theses, American Declaration of Independence, Vindications of the
Rights of Women, The White Man’s Burden, The Treaty of Nanjing, Fourteen Points,
Gandhi’s Indian Home Rule
Examples of Primary Source Texts to be used:
Perry, Peden, & Von Laue, Sources of the Western Tradition, Volume I & II
Bailkey, Readings in Ancient History: From Gilgamesh to Diocletian
Sherman, Western Civilization: Sources, Images, & Interpretation
Pacy, Technology in World Civilization
Course Requirement/Expectations
Many of you have had me as sophomores, this year as AP Students the bar is raised much
higher and this class is a totally different animal, therefore, expectations and workload
will increase dramatically. Mature behavior, unwavering focus during class, and
participation in class discussions are essentials. In addition, there are a number of
requirements for this AP Course:
 Weekly/Bi-Weekly writing assignments which include DBQ’s,
Compare/Contrast, and Change and Continuity over Time essays.
 Chapter Quizzes
 Unit Tests
 Primary & Secondary source analysis
 STUDENT-LED Class Discussions
LATE WORK: Will be accepted, however, each day that it is late 5 points will be
deducted until the assignment reaches a 60% or D-.
Cutting: If you cut this class on the day an assignment is due/the day of a test/quiz. It is
an automatic ZERO. This is an AP Class this type of behavior will not be tolerated.
Grading Policy:
Your grade will consist of an accumulation of points. Each assignment, assessment, or
activity will have a predetermined amount of points. Obviously the more comprehensive
the item, the more points associated with it. Students will be told ahead of time how
many points each item is worth ahead of time.
Description of Major Assignments
Advanced Placement World History Essays: For each unit, students will complete at
least one assignment for each type of essay found on the National AP Exam in May.
Whenever possible students will answer questions used in previous AP World History
Exams.
Document Based Question (DBQ): The DBQ requires students to evaluate
primary source documents and to formulate a thesis and an essay based on the
documents. Students are also required to find point-of-view within the given
documents, group the documents to support their thesis, and identify a ‘missing’
document. Students will complete 1-2 DBQ’s per unit.
Compare and Contrast: Students will be asked to pick items and then explain
similarities and differences depending on the question posed. Students will be
required to complete at least one compare/contrast per unit.
Change/Continuity Over Time: Students will be asked to describe how places or
peoples have changed over time. Students will also need to identify how things
have remained the same: CONTINUITY!
Annotated Timeline: For each unit students must complete an annotated timeline.
Students are to identify 15 events, explain their importance, place them on a
timeline, and then explain how these events are related and how they changed the
course of history. Students will then develop a thesis that links these events
together.
Annotated Map: For each unit students must complete an annotated map.
Students are to identify 10 major events and label them on a map. Next to each
location, students are to give an explanation why the event was important.
Students then develop a thesis linking the 10 events. The statement must address
either change/continuity over time.
Reading Quizzes: Students will be taking at least 2 reading quizzes per week, the
quizzes will never be announced. Students can expect 5-10 questions per reading
quiz.
Homework: Almost every night, students will be required to complete reading
assignments. Homework will include reading & questions from the text, primary
sources, maps, timelines, & take home essays. Students can expect assignments
over breaks, if necessary.
Chapter Quizzes: At the end of each chapter, there will be a chapter quiz. The
quiz will have 15-25 multiple choice questions with at least one essay
(compare/contrast or change/continuity over time).
Unit Tests: At the end of each unit, students will take a unit test. Each test will
have 50 multiple choice questions & two essays (compare/contrast and
change/continuity over time)
Suggested Materials:
 3 Ring Binder
 Loose-Leaf Paper
 Folder
Semester One: Course Outline
The course will be broken into the following five units of study spanning 8000 BCE to
the present. I have listed approximately how much time we will spend on each unit in
parenthesis:
Foundations, c. 8000 BCE to 600 CE (8 Weeks)
600-1450 (7 Weeks)
1450-1750 (6 Weeks)
1750-1914 (5 Weeks)
1914-2000 (5 Weeks)
UNIT I- Foundations, c. 8000 BCE to 600 CE (8 Weeks)
Chapters 1-8
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9/8, 9/9: Introduction to AP World History
9/10-9/18: Chapter 1: Nature, Humanity, & History
9/10-9/18: Chapter 2: The First River Valley Civilizations
 Agricultural Revolution to the first River-Valley Civilizations (8000-1500
BCE)
 Mesopotamia, Egypt, & Indus Valley
 Comparison of River Valley Civilizations
9/21-9/25: Chapter 3: The Late Bronze Age in the Eastern Hemisphere
 Early Chinese Civilizations, Middle East, Nubia, & The Aegean World
9/28-10/2: Chapter 4: New Civilizations in the Americas & Western Eurasia
10/5-10/9: Chapter 5: Greece and Iran, (1000-30 BCE)
 Rise of Greek City-States
 Struggles of Persia & Greece
 Spread of Hellenism
10/12-10/16: Chapter 6: An Age of Empires: Rome & Han China
 Comparison Essay
10/19-10/23: Chapter 7: India & Southeast Asia (1500 BCE-600 CE)
 Spread of Buddhism & Hinduism
10/26-10/30: Chapter 8: Networks of Communication & Exchange (300 BCE-600
CE)
 Silk Road, Indian Ocean, Saharan & Sub-Saharan trace and activity
 Introduce the Change over Time Essay: 1st Change over time essay
assigned
UNIT II: 600-1450 CE (7 Weeks)
Chapters 9-16
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11/2-11/13: Chapter 9: The Sasanid Empire & the Rise of Islam, 200-1200
 Origins of Islam, caliphates, and Islamic Civilization
 DBQ Topic: Moral & Social Behavior in the Islamic World
11/16-11/20: Chapter 10: Christian Europe Emerges, 300-1200
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 Byzantine Empire, Medieval Europe, Kievan Russia, & the Crusades
11/23-12/4: Chapter 11: Inner & East Asia (600-1200 CE)
 Tang & Song China and New Kingdoms in East Asia: Korea, Japan, &
Vietnam
 DBQ Topic: Women in Tang & Song China
12/7-12/11: Chapter 12: Peoples & Civilizations in the Americas, 200-1500
 Mesoamerican Cultures: Maya & Aztecs
 Northern Cultures: Southwestern & Mississippian peoples
 Andean Cultures: Moche & Inca
 Environment & Technology: Inca Roads
12/14-12/18: Chapter 13 & 14 Western/Eastern Eurasia
 The Rise and Effect of the Mongols
 Ming China
 Environment & Technology: Gunpowder to Guns
 DBQ Topic: The Integration of Mongol Eurasia
12/21-1/8: Chapter 15: Tropical Africa & Asia, 1200-1500
 new Islamic Empires: Mali & Delhi Sultanate
 The Indian Ocean Trade
1/11-1/15: Chapter 16: The Latin West, 1200-1500
 Population Growth and Black Death
 The Renaissance, Hundred Years War, & New Monarchs
UNIT III 1450-1750 (6 Weeks)
Chapters 17-22
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1/18/10-1/22: Chapter 17: The Maritime Revolution to 1550
 Expansion before 1450: Pacific, Indian, & Atlantic Ocean
 European Expansion
 DBQ Topic: Cross-Cultural exchange in the Atlantic World
2/3-2/12: Chapter 18: The Transformation in Europe, 1500-1750
 The Reformation, Scientific Revolution, & Enlightenment
2/15-2/19: Chapter 19: The Diversity of American Colonial Societies, 1530-1770
 Spanish America & Brazil and the English and French Colonies
2/22-2/26: Chapter 20: The Atlantic System and Africa
 Plantations in the West Indies, the Gold and Slave Coasts
 Change-over-time Essays on World Trade & Change-Over-Time Essay on
the Atlantic World (2002 & 2005)
3/1-3/5: Chapter 21: Southwest Asia and the Indian Ocean, 1500-1750
 The Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires
3/8-3/12: Chapter 22: Eastern Eurasia, 1500-1800
 Japanese Reunification, Late Ming & early Qing Empires & The Russian
Empire
 Cultural, Social, & economic comparisons: Japan, China, & Russia
UNIT IV 1750-1914 (5 Weeks)
Chapters 23-29
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3/15-3/19: Chapters 23 & 24: Revolutionary Changes in the Atlantic World &
The Early Industrial Revolution, 1750-1850
 The Enlightenment & the Old Order
 The American & French Revolutions & how revolution spreads
 DBQ Topic: Revolutionary Ideas in the Americas & France
 Industrial Rev: Causes, technology, & Impact of the Industrial Revolution
 Comparison Essay Topic: Industrialization & the Non-Industrialized
World
3/22-3/26: Chapter 25: Nation Building and Economic Transformation in the
Americas, 1800-1890
 Independence in Latin America
 Abolition of Slavery & Women’s Rights
4/6-4/9: Chapter 26: Africa, India, and the New British Empire, 1750-1870
 New African States, European penetration, empires in Eastern Africa
 India under British Rule, & Britain’s Eastern Empire
 DBQ Topic: British Rule in India
4/12-4/16: Chapter 27: The Ottoman Empire & East Asia, 1800-1870
 The Ottoman, Russian, & Qing Empires
 Comparison Essay Topic: Europe & the Ottoman Empire
4/19-4/23: Chapter 28 & 29: The New Power Balance & The New Imperialism,
1850-1914
 Industrialization: new technologies, social changes, & labor movement
 Nationalism and the Unification of Germany & Italy
 Japan joins the Great Powers
 The Scramble for Africa
 Imperialism in Latin America
UNIT V 1914-2000 (5 Weeks)
Chapters 30-35
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4/26-4/30: Chapters 30 & 31: The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929 & The
Collapse of the Old Order, 1929-1949
 The Great War & The Russian Revolution
 Contrasting Destinies of China & Japan
 The New Middle East
 The Stalin Revolution & the Great Depression
 Rise of Fascism
 East Asia from 1931-1945
 WWII
 DBQ Topic: The Status of Women in the Mid-Twentieth Century
4/26-4/30: Chapter 32: Striving for Independence: Africa, India, & Latin
America, 1900-1945
 Vietnamese Nationalist Denounces French Colonialism
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5/3-5/7: Chapter 33 & 34: The Cold War & Decolonization, 1945-1975 & Crisis,
Realignment, & the Dawn of the Post-Cold War World, 1975-1991
 The Cold War, Vietnam & Korea
 Emergence of Environmental Concerns
 Revolutions in Latin America, Iran, & Afghanistan
 Collapse of the Socialist Bloc
 Persian Gulf War
 The Challenge of Population Growth, Unequal development, & The
Environment
5/3-5/7: Chapter 35: The End of a Global Century, 1991-2000
 The Global Economy & terrorism
 Universal & Women’s Rights
May 2-13: AP Exam Review
May ???? AP World Exam