Download AP World History Summer Assignment 2016

AP World History Summer Assignment
2016-2017 School Year
“Why do we have to do a summer assignment?” This is a
commonly asked question within educational circles and groups
of local high school students. The reason is NOT because we are
trying to take away from your summer and burden you with a
heavy workload. You must complete a summer assignment for
two reasons… First, it keeps your mind active and thinking about
history when you are away from school. We want you ready to
go when you return on August 3. Second, AP World History
covers 10,000 years of human history. That’s a lot of information
to pack into the 8 months we will have together before you take
the AP Exam on May 11, 2017. And believe or not, the first 6
chapters of our textbook will account for only 5% of the material
on the AP Exam! So, we want to move through that material
quickly at the start of school and get to the heart of the course.
The summer assignment is broken down into five tasks. That’s about one task every two weeks during
the summer. Plan ahead and budget your time. You will need to submit the summer assignment on the
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, August 3, 2016. No late assignments will be accepted, unless a student registers
after that date.
Unless otherwise noted, your summer assignment tasks should be handwritten and submitted in a
portfolio or presentation folder. At our meeting before the summer break, I will show you some
examples of acceptable folders. You might have questions during the summer. If you do, please email me
at my school account ([email protected]). I will be checking this account regularly, though it might still take
a couple days for you to get a response. This entire summer assignment will also be available on my
school webpage, should you accidentally misplace your copy.
Finally, let me say WELCOME TO AP WORLD HISTORY! You should be proud of yourself for choosing the
more challenging path. You will be asked to work hard, but you will also gain wonderful experience that
will serve you well in future endeavors. Competitive universities look at your transcripts to see if you
have challenged yourself and opted for the most rigorous course load available at your high school. Have
a great summer. Rest up, relax, manage your time, and be ready to hit the ground running in August.
Remember, I will be right there with you. We’ll work hard together!
TASK 1: Why Study History?
Read “Why Study History?” by Peter
Stearns. This article discusses why the
study of history is essential to our
society, and also how it can benefit you
as a person making your way into your
adult life. It may be accessed at:
http://www.fcps.edu/FairfaxHS/pdfs/summer2013/APWH_2013_2of3.pdf
If, for any reason, you are unable to access the link, you may simply perform a Google search for the
article. Type in “Why Study History by Peter Stearns”, and multiple formats will appear. Be sure to
choose one that includes the whole article, and not a review of the article by a third party.
Read slowly. Make sure you understand each paragraph before moving on to the next.
After you read, answer the following questions on a piece of notebook paper labeled “Task 1”:
1. What arguments does Mr. Stearns make to support the idea that it is beneficial for a society when
its members study history? Please site specific evidence from the text.
2. In what ways does Mr. Stearns show the study of history to be beneficial to the individual, both on
a personal level and in whichever career path he or she may choose? Please site specific evidence
from the text.
TASK 2: Maps
You will be labeling and shading four maps. For maps 1 through 3, the information may be obtained in
any atlas or on the internet. For map 4, you will need to use page 22 of the AP World History Course and
Exam Description, which may be accessed at:
http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-world-history-course-and-examdescription.pdf
Familiarity with these locations and regions will be key to an underlying understanding of each unit as
we begin. Be sure to WRITE NEATLY and COLOR NEATLY. I will not spend time trying to decipher crazy
handwriting or labels scrawled all over the papers.
Map #1 = World Continents and Oceans
Map #2 = Western Hemisphere
Map #3 = Eastern Hemisphere
Map #4 = AP World History Regions (a closer look)
Please note that you will be tested on this material soon after school starts in the fall. Many of you took
World Geography as freshman. Hopefully that experience has given you a working knowledge of where
various locations and countries are located on the Earth. Either way, spend time with your maps this
summer. Familiarize yourself with them. It will help you when you try to learn about different cultures,
and how they interacted with each other throughout history.
Map #1: World Continents and Oceans
Label:
Africa
Antarctica
Asia
Australia
Europe
North America
South America
Arctic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Southern Ocean
Color each continent a different color. Take care where you break Europe and Asia and Africa, because
while these continents do “blend” into each other, there are clear borders between them, as decided upon
by geographers and cartographers. We will discuss the concept of Eurasia and Afroeurasia at the start of
school. For now, let’s blindly accept the notion of 7 continents on our planet!
Map #2: Western Hemisphere (Americas)
Label water bodies:
Draw ∧∧∧∧∧∧∧ and label mountain ranges:
Caribbean Sea
Gulf of Mexico
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Bering Strait
Andes Mountains
Sierra Madre Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
Rocky Mountains
Label landforms:
Draw and label rivers:
Amazon River
Mississippi River
Rio Grande River
Yucatan Peninsula
Map #3: Eastern Hemisphere
Label water bodies:
Draw and label rivers:
Adriatic Sea
Aegean Sea
Arabian Sea
Atlantic Ocean
Baltic Sea
Bering Strait
Black Sea
Caspian Sea
East China Sea
Indian Ocean
Mediterranean Sea
North Sea
Pacific Ocean
Persian Gulf
Red Sea
Sea of Japan
South China Sea
Congo River
Euphrates River
Ganges River
Huang He River (Yellow River)
Indus River
Niger River
Nile River
Rhine River
Tigris River
Yangtze River
Draw ∧∧∧∧∧∧∧ and label mountain ranges:
Alps
Atlas Mountains
Himalayas
Hindu Kush
Ural Mountains
Shade yellow and label deserts:
Arabian Desert
Gobi Desert
Kalahari Desert
Sahara Desert
Map #4: AP World History Regions (a closer look)
Shade and label regions (use striping or another pattern to indicate overlaps):
North Africa
West Africa
East Africa
Central Africa
Southern Africa
Middle East
East Asia
Central Asia
South Asia
Southeast Asia
Latin America
Caribbean
North America
Western Europe
Eastern Europe
Oceania
TASK 3: The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race
The Neolithic Revolution is also called the Agricultural Revolution. It is considered one of the pivotal
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
noted the fundamental and positive significance of the change from hunting and gathering to farming.
However, some do not agree. In AP World History, you will develop your ability to question mainstream
interpretations of history. Read “The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race,” by Jared
Diamond. Mr. Diamond is one historian who disagrees with the positive view many have about the
Neolithic Revolution. He argues that not only was the shift to agriculture NOT a positive change, but that
it led to many of society’s troubles that exist in the world even today.
Jared Diamond’s article may be accessed at:
http://www.ditext.com/diamond/mistake.html
But, once again…if the link does not work, you can always perform a Google search to find the article in
any number of online locations.
After reading the article, write a response addressing the following questions. This is an opportunity for
me to see your writing skills, so be sure to form your thoughts well on paper. Use good conventions.
Please keep your response to 250 words or less.
Prompt: What is Jared Diamond’s thesis in this article? Which evils of modern society does Mr. Diamond
cite as evidence that the Neolithic Revolution was a negative event in the history of mankind? Please site
specific evidence from the text.
TASK 4: World History Vocabulary
The following is a list of terms that will be used over and over throughout the course. They apply to
many different cultures throughout history. It is important that you become familiar with their
meanings, and that you learn to use them in your speaking and writing. Traditions and Encounters is a
college-level text, so it does not have separate vocabulary sections the way some high school textbooks
might. You will understand our reading much more easily if you are comfortable in the use of some
academic terms historians use when discussing various cultures. For each term on this list, please use a
dictionary or the internet to find a definition THAT BEST RELATES TO THE STUDY OF WORLD HISTORY.
For instance, the term, “commercial,” has many definitions. Clearly, when studying world history, we
don’t usually talk about commercials as paid advertisements on TV. A better definition for our purposes
would be one that relates the term to commerce and business in various societies. Remember, as with
the rest of this summer assignment, your definitions should be handwritten on notebook paper.
1. Absolutism
2. Agrarian
3. Aristocracy
4. Bias
5. Bureaucracy
6. Cash crop
7. Chiefdom
8. City-state
9. Civilization
10. Commercial
11. Coup d’etat
12. Demography
13. Economic
14. Empire
15. Epidemic
16. Globalization
17. Hegemony
18. Kingdom
19. Merchant
20. Monotheism
21. Nation
22. Nobility
23. Nomad
24. Pandemic
25. Papacy
26. Pastoral
27. Patriarchal
28. Periodization
29. Political
30. Polytheism
31. Prehistoric
32. Primary Source
33. Rural
34. Scribe
35. Secondary Source
36. Secular
37. Serf
38. Social
39. Steppe
40. Urban
TASK 5: Cornell Notes on Chapter One
In AP World History, and again next year in AP US History,
you will be encouraged to take Cornell notes as you read
your textbook. The Cornell note-taking method was
developed at Cornell University in the 1950’s. Many
colleges and universities today recommend using the
Cornell note-taking method. When you read each chapter of
your text, take good notes. You will be allowed to use these
notes on open-note reading checks at the start of each unit.
And, even better…they will come in handy when studying
for your midterm, your final, and the AP EXAM!
Taking Cornell notes begins by dividing your notebook paper into columns. The left column should be
roughly 1/3 of the page, and the right column should be 2/3.
As you read, take notes in the wider, right column. Then, go back and put headings, key points, or
questions in the left column next to the corresponding details on the right side. Your left column will
have much less writing than the right column. When you finish reading a chapter, draw a horizontal line
below the two columns, and use about 3 inches of space to summarize the chapter in a few sentences.
This last step charges your mind with synthesizing the various parts into a bigger picture. Some people
draw this last horizontal box at the bottom of every PAGE of notes, but for our purposes taking reading
notes, I think the two columns will suffice, with the final summary box left at the end of the entire chapter
of notes. You will get more comfortable with this process and will figure out what works for you during
the year.
There are a number of helpful YouTube videos you may watch to really understand how to take Cornell
notes. I particularly like this one, put together by a nursing student:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4uzQEWj0X8
Feel free to watch this video, or any others you can find. Then, read the first chapter of your textbook,
titled “Before History.” You will be issued a text in August, but I am simply giving you a photocopy of
Chapter One for your summer assignment. As you read, take Cornell notes on separate sheets of
notebook paper. Being an active reader, someone who takes notes and engages with the text while
reading, will help you to really remember and understand. Have you ever read something and then
realized that your mind had wandered, and that you could recall almost nothing your eyes just saw?
Well, we need to avoid that! So, Task #5 is to read Chapter One and take Cornell notes on the
information. On average, most students take somewhere between 2 and 4 pages of notes per chapter.