Download Rakestraw – AP World History Summer Reading Assignment I`m

Rakestraw – AP World History Summer Reading Assignment
I’m excited you are going to be in AP World History next year! AP World is a course that approaches history from a thematic
and periodic approach. Over the study of six major periods of history, students will focus on changes over time, patterns of
development, and how cultural characteristics impact social, political, and economic institutions. Throughout the year,
students will compare cultures and patterns of change and over the summer, they will be introduced to these concepts
through A History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standage. Standage tells the story of world history by focusing on six
different drinks that serve as symbols for major changes that take place within our periods of study.
A History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standage
(ISBN: 9780802715524). You can find this easily online for under $12.
Your assignment, as you read the book is to write a one page summary about how each of the drinks reflects the greater
world change. In writing your summaries, include answers to the following questions for each beverage discussed.
Beer:
1. Why does the author say the area is called the Fertile Crescent?
2. How does the production of beer display human control of their environment?
3. What was the effect of grain storage on hunter gatherers?
4. Why was beer so important to the Sumerians and Egyptians?
5. How did farming lay the foundation for the emergence of civilizations?
Wine:
6. What was the importance of wine to ancient Greece?
7. What was the importance of wine to ancient Rome?
8. What was the role of wine at the symposion?
9. What was a convivium and how did it reflect social structures?
10. Why was wine so important to Christianity, but not to Islam?
Spirits:
11. How did Europeans attain the ability to make spirits?
12. How was the discovery of distillation important to the rebirth of science in Europe?
13. How did spirits accelerate the process of colonialism?
14. How did spirits play a part in Britain gaining superiority over France?
15. How did spirits contribute to the growth of the Americas?
Coffee:
16. How did coffee spread to Europe?
17. What was the significance of the transition from alcohol to coffee?
18. How did coffee impact the economic power balance of the world?
19. Why did coffee play a role in the scientific revolution?
20. How did coffee play a role in the French Revolution?
Tea:
21. What benefits did humans gain from tea?
22. How did tea play a role in the expansion of Britain’s empire?
23. Compare trade in Europe and China.
24. How did tea impact the way Britain treated its colonies?
25. How did the relationship between Britain & the British East India Company change over time?
Coca-Cola:
26. What contributions did America make to manufacturing?
27. Why is the 20th century referred to as “the American century”?
28. How does Coca Cola serve as a symbol of American economic dominance?
29. What does the author mean by “Cola-Colonization?”?
30. Is Coca Cola an appropriate symbol of globalization?
Your assignment will be collected on the second day of school. Your first page should be a title page that includes your
name and email. Each page of your summary should be single spaced with default margins and 10 point font. Hopefully,
this assignment will serve as an interesting introduction to the content that we will study and a good practice assignment for
the type of work that we will regularly complete in AP World History. I look forward to discussing this book with you during
our first week of school next year.