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AP World History
AP World History will provide you with the opportunity to study and analyze the
processes of the world. The causes and consequences of the rise and fall of empires and
how and why ideas move from one place to another are just examples of the breadth of
information that will studied by students in this class. Students will also be expected to
compare and contrast these global evolutions.
AP World History involves six broad themes that will be used to analyze the information
that is presented.
1) The continuities and changes that cross the time period parameters.
2) Different forms of interaction amongst societies: war, trade, diplomacy, and
international organizations.
3) The effects on people and the environment by technology, demographics and
economic development.
4) Changes and continuities in social and gender structures within societies.
5) Cultural, religious and intellectual developments that occur, including those that
occur between cultures.
6) Changes in political identity and the development of the state.
Texts
Documents in World History. Pearson: Upper Saddle River, NJ, volumes I and II. 2005.
Overfield, James and Andrea, Alfred. The Human Record. Houghton Mifflin: Boston, 5th
edition. 2004.
Sanders, Thomas et al. Encounters in World History: Sources and Themes from the
Global Past. Volumes one and two. McGraw Hill: New York, 1st edition. 2006.
Stearns, Peter N. et al. World Civilizations: The Global Experience. Pearson: New York,
5th edition. 2007.
AP World History is equivalent to an entry level college course. Just like college
students you are expected to read required pages before class time, take notes on the
required readings and act in a mature fashion while in class. While designing this class
the College Board (the company that administers AP tests) has required that students
practice a series of higher order thinking skills that you will need in order to be prepared
to be a success in the college of your choice.
At least once a week the class the will analyze and deconstruct primary or secondary
sources that further the students’ understanding of the topic at hand. Students will
become experts not only at analyzing the content of the document but also Point of View
of the author, the context in which it was written, and what additional documents would
be useful to better understand the topic. This skill will not only further your knowledge
of the topic but also help prepare students to create a coherent argument during practice
Document Based Questions and the DBQ that will be on the AP Exam.
Another habit of mind that is important for college preparation and for success on the AP
Test is that of recognizing and analyzing changes over time. Students will need to
understand how change is a process and that while many things change there is also many
constants within societies. Students will track these changes and continuities using a
series of detailed timelines with distinct changes and continuities highlighted.
Students will also have the opportunity to learn about a series of diverse historical
interpretations. With the information presented students will be expected to analyze
benefits and faults with each interpretation.
At least twice a unit, students will have the opportunity to use these new skills when they
will write extended essays. Students will also have the opportunity to hone these skills
with shorter writings and activities.
AP World History will be organized chronologically as well as thematically
Unit 1 – Foundations and the Classical Period(c. 8000 BCE – 600 CE)
Chapters 1-5
Essential Questions– What is a civilization? How does a group become civilized? What
are some potential problems with this line of thinking? Where does change come
from? Independent thought or cultural diffusion?
Objective 1 – Understand importance of geography in world history
Objective 2 – The development of agriculture and technology.
Objective 3 – Basic features of early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China,
Mesoamerica and Andean.
Objective 4 – Developments in the classical civilizations of Greece, Rome, India and
China including the major movements of groups such as the Huns, and Germanic
tribes.
Objective 5 – Major belief systems of polytheism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism,
Daoism, and Christianity.
Objective 6 – Interregional networks until 600 CE.
Major Comparisons – The role of women in different belief systems, the collapse of
empire in western and eastern Mediterranean, caste systems, societies with cities and
pastoral societies, development of traditions and institutions, political and social
structures of early and classical civilizations.
Primary and Secondary Sources: Sanders, Encounters in World History, volume one. pgs.
31-60 “Creation Origin Myths and the Mythic Mode of Thought”, pgs. 78-80 “
Kingship in China”, pgs. 89-90 “The Chinese Tradition”, pgs. 112-3 “Buddhism”,
pgs. 115-7 “Southwest Asian Traditions”, pgs. 119-20 “The Hebrews: Second
Isaiah”, pgs. 140-5 “The Roman Tradition”, pgs. 161-3 “Women and Confucian
Values in China”, pgs. 172-4 “Women in Classical Hindu Culture”, pgs. 221-3
“Christianity”
Documents in World History, Volume I: to 1850. pgs. 20-1 “The Code of Hammurabi”,
pgs. 21-3 “Daily Life in Egypt”, pgs. 53-5 “Mencius: the Counterattack on Legalism”
pgs. 92-8 “Khammapada: Buddhism”, pg. 120 “From Confederacy to Empire:
Thucydides”, pgs. 120-1 “The City-State of Sparta”, pgs. 130-1 “The Transition from
Republic to Prinicpate: Tacitus”, pgs. 131-2 “Gladiatorial Combat: Seneca”.
Unit 2 – The Post Classical Period (600 – 1450)
Chapters 6-15
Essential questions – Should we study states or cultural areas? What are some
difficulties in choosing either? Did the changes that occurred during this time period
come from migration or urban growth? Is it fair to say that there is a world economic
system during this era? Are their any commonalities among the treatment of elite
women during this period? Can we draw any conclusions from this?
Objective 1 – Developments in the Islam and Christianity including the Crusades and
schisms
Objective 2 – Interregional trade networks including missionary work by the major
religions
Objective 3 – The expansion of China including intellectual, cultural and artistic
developments
Objective 4 – Developments in Europe including economic, cultural and artistic growth
Objective 5 – Social, economic and political developments in the Americas.
Objective 6 – Impacts of the migrations of peoples including long distance migrations
such as the Mongols and the increased urbanization.
Major Comparisons – Japanese and European feudalism, political and social institutions
in eastern and western Europe, the role of cities in different societies, Islam and
Christianity, different gender systems, Aztecs and Inca, impacts of Islam on contacts
with Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Primary and Secondary Sources: Sanders, Encounters in World History, volume one. pgs.
179-205 “Encounters with the “Other”: Nomads and Sedentary Societies” pgs. 22733 “Islam” pgs. 235-64 “Conversion Encounters: The Spread of the Salvation
Religions” pgs. 313-9 “Christian Accounts of the First Crusade” pgs. 320-6 “Islam
and War” pgs. 327-30 “Buddhism and Warfare” pgs. 360-84 “Intellectual Traditions”
pg. 402 “Art from the Plague Years”, pgs. 409-10 “ Medical Explanations” pgs. 42254 “Expanding Global Encounters in the Fourteenth Through Sixteenth Centuries.”
Documents in World History, Volume I: to 1850. pgs. 179-81 “Islam in the Prophet’s
Absence: Continuation Under the Caliphate”, pgs. 190-2 “Shiism and Caliph Ali:
Controversy Over the Prophetic Succession”, pgs. 194-5 “Sung (Song) China:
Imperial Examination System”, pgs. 218-21 “Mansa Musa: The “King Who Sits on a
Mountain of Gold”, pgs. 221-3 “The Cities of the Zanj and The Indian Ocean Trade”,
pgs. 225-6 “The Mongol Khan’s Ultimatum to the Nations of Europe”, pgs. 242-3
“Sunni versus Shi’ite: “We Exhort You to Embrace the True Faith”
Unit 3 – The World Shrinks (1450 – 1750)
Chapters 16-22
Essential Questions – When does Europe become the predominant cultural area in the
world? What is different about the world economic system during this period as
compared to the last unit?
Objective 1 – Impact of new technologies and products during the Columbian Exchange.
Objective 2 – Knowledge of major empires including Ottomans, China, Portugal, Spain,
Russia, France, England, Tokugawa Japan, Mughal India and characteristics of
African kingdoms and including the role of gender in these empires.
Objective 3 – The slave trade including demographic changes
Objective 4 – Cultural and Intellectual developments including the Scientific Revolution.
Major Comparisons – European monarchies and Asian land based empires, slavery and
other coercive labor systems, empire building in Africa, Asia and Europe, the
interaction with the west by Russia, Ottomans, China, Tokugawa Japan and Mughal
India.
Primary and Secondary Sources: Sanders, Encounters in World History, volume two. pgs.
14-19 “The Chinese Naval Expeditions of Zheng He. pgs. 74-84 “The Perspective of
a Slave Trader”. pgs. 132-8 “Akbar of Mughal India”.
Documents in World History, Volume I: to 1850. pgs. 266-9 “Luther vs. Erasmus: A
Reformer’s Attack on Free Will”, pgs. 270-6 “Council of Trent: The CatholicReformation” pgs. 300-2 “The British Encounter Maoris: A Sailor’s Impressions”
pgs. 306-10 “Commerce, Slavery, and Religion in North Africa”.
Unit 4 – The Industrial Age (1750 – 1914)
Chapters 23-27
Questions to Consider – How can the concept of modernization explain the events of this
time period? Are there any problems with using this theory? How did industrial and
colonial societies have different roles for women?
Objective 1 – The transformative effects of the Industrial Revolution.
Objective 2 – Changes in demography including the end of the slave trade, increased
food supply, migrations and new birthrate patterns.
Objective 3 – Changes in social and gender structures because of the Industrial
Revolution, the emancipation of slaves/serfs, and developing ideas about gender
roles.
Objective 4 – Political revolutions in North and Latin America, France, and China, the
rise of nationalism and the limits of democracy.
Objective 5 – The rise of Western dominance and resistance to it.
Objective 6 – Cultural and artistic interactions
Major Comparisons – Industrial Revolution in Europe and Japan, Revolution in France
and Haiti, Reactions to foreign domination in the Ottoman Empire, Japan, India, and
China, different forms of nationalism, Western interaction in Latin America and
Africa, roles and conditions of elite women and working class women in western
Europe.
Primary and Secondary Sources: Sanders, Encounters in World History, volume two. pgs.
162-7 “The Fears of the Founding Fathers”. pgs.183-6 “Terror in Defense of
Liberty”. pgs. 208-13 “Two Perspectives on the Factory System in England”. pgs.
215-20 “The Marxist Critique of Capitalism and the Communist Alternative”. pgs.
309-16 “A British View of the Paradoxes of Empire”.
Documents in World History, Volume II: Since 1500. pgs. 347-8 “’The Mortal God’:
Leviathan (1651)”. pgs. 359-61“Women Miners in the English Coal Pits”. pgs. 374-6
“Karl Marx and Friederich Engels” pgs. 392-7 “The Scramble for Africa”. pgs. 405-6
“’Why Are Western Nations Small and Yet Strong’: Feng Guifen”.
Unit 5 – The Modern World (1914 – present)
Chapters 28-36
Questions to Consider – Is cultural convergence or diversity the best way to understand
the increased intercultural contact during the twentieth century? Are there any
advantages to using terms such as nation, the world, the West and the developing
world in the analysis of the twentieth century? Are there any disadvantages?
Objective 1 – The impact and the World Wars including the Holocaust and the Cold War.
Objective 2 – New ideas of nationalism including fascism, decolonization, racism,
genocide and the breakup of the Soviet Union.
Objective 3 – Global economic systems and its effects including the Great Depression
and multinational corporations.
Objective 4 – New ideas of revolutions and sources for political change.
Objective 5 – Social reform and revolution.
Objective 6 – Development of science and art.
Objective 7 – Demographic and environmental changes including migrations, birthrate
patterns, urbanization and deforestation.
Major Comparisons – Decolonization of Africa and India, the impact on women in
revolutions in China, Iran, Russia and Cuba, effects of the two World Wars on areas
outside of Europe, economic development and the impact of colonialism in Asia,
Africa and Latin America, the east and the west in Cold War ideology, nationalism in
Europe and colonial societies, different types of independent struggles, impact of the
western consumer culture, and high-tech and guerilla warfare.
Primary and Secondary Sources: Sanders, Encounters in World History, volume two. pgs.
422-6 “An Islamic Voice”. pgs. 431-6 “Soviet Views of the United States and the
Cold War”. pgs. 497-500 “The Global Environment”.
Documents in World History, Volume II: Since 1500. pgs. 415-6 “The Horror of Battle”.
pgs. 447-9 “Adolf Hitler”. pgs. 455-8 “Japanese Imperialism”. pgs. 471-2 “The
Rape of Nanjing”. pgs. 512-4 “Views of a Viet Cong Official”. pgs. 538-42 “Ethnic
Cleansing in Northwestern Bosnia: Three Witnesses”.
Schedule
Each chapter will be given five days in class and it is expected that each chapter will be
given five days of treatment at home by students. The Quiz will be extensive and will be
the second day in class for each chapter.
Example: Day 1 – In class – Doing World History Activity Chapter 3
Homework – Scan Chapter 4
Day 2 – In class – Quiz Chapter 3
Homework – Skim Chapter 4
Day 3 – In class – Documents Chapter 3
Homework – Read Chapter 4
Day 4 – In class – Lecture Chapter 3
Homework – Take Notes Chapter 4
Day 5 – In class – Skill Chapter 3
Homework – Doing World History statements/timelines Chapter 4
Day 6 (1) – In class – Doing World History Activity Chapter 4
Etc…
Quiz Schedule
1 – 8/31
2 – 9/6
3 – 9/13
4 – 9/20
5 – 9/27
6 – 10/4
7 – 10/12
8 – 10/19
9 – 10/26
10 – 11/2
11 – 11/9
12 – 11/17
13 – 12/5
14 – 12/12
15 – 12/19
Semester 1 Test – 12/21
16 – 1/12
17 – 1/23
18 – 1/30
19 – 2/6
20 – 2/13
21 – 2/22
22 – 3/1
23 – 3/8
24 – 3/15
25 – 3/22
26 – 3/29
27 – 4/5
28 – 4/16
29 – 4/23
30 – 4/30
31 – 5/7
32/33 – 5/14
AP Test – 5/17
Semester Test – 5/21