Dear Parents/Guardians,
Your child is enrolled in AP World History for the upcoming school year, 2013-2014 Following this, you will find the required texts for the class as well as required summer readings. I have also included the books I recommend, but please understand that you do NOT have to purchase these. They are just suggestions for extra help. Please encourage your child to get started early. The summer reading assignment is due on the first day of class. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS FOR THIS. I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE WORK IN AP WORLD
HISTORY. Arrows noting important sections of the summer assignment are provided on the right side. Please pay attention to the specific criteria.
Sincerely,
Carrie E. Lawrence
AP World History
East Forsyth High School celawrence@wsfcs.k12.nc.us
AP WORLD HISTORY REQUIRED TEXTS FOR 2011-2012
World History by William J. Duiker and Jackson J. Spielvogel, 5 th edition (I will issue this the first day of class but some of you may choose to purchase this so the student may write in it, take notes, highlight, etc.)
World History: A Comparative Reader by Kevin Reilly, 3 rd edition (You must purchase this…if you cannot please contact me and I will make sure your student has what he/she needs in this book. This is available in
1 Hardback volume or 2 paperback volumes).
AP WORLD RECOMMENDED TEXTS FOR 2013-2014…NOT REQUIRED BUT HIGHLY
RECOMMENDED
Cracking the AP World History Exam: Student Study Guide.
Princeton Review.
A Short History of the World: The Story of Mankind from Prehistory to the Modern Day by Alex Woolf
AP SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT
For your assignment this summer, you are going to read a book entitled The History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage.
Below is a short summary of the book from Publishers Review.
Standage starts with a bold hypothesis—that each epoch, from the Stone Age to the present, has had its signature beverage—and takes readers on an extraordinary trip through world history. The Economist's technology editor has the ability to connect the smallest detail to the big picture and a knack for summarizing vast concepts in a few sentences. He explains how, when humans shifted from hunting and gathering to farming, they saved surplus grain, which sometimes fermented into beer. The Greeks took grapes and made wine, later borrowed by the Romans and the
Christians. Arabic scientists experimented with distillation and produced spirits, the ideal drink for long voyages of exploration. Coffee also spread quickly from Arabia to Europe, becoming the "intellectual counterpoint to the geographical expansion of the Age of Exploration." European coffee-houses, which functioned as "the Internet of the
Age of Reason," facilitated scientific, financial and industrial cross-fertilization. In the British industrial revolution that followed, tea "was the lubricant that kept the factories running smoothly." Finally, the rise of American capitalism is mirrored in the history of Coca-Cola, which started as a more or less handmade medicinal drink but morphed into a mass-produced global commodity over the course of the 20th century. In and around these grand ideas, Standage tucks some wonderful tidbits—on the antibacterial qualities of tea, Mecca's coffee trials in 1511,
Visigoth penalties for destroying vineyards—ending with a delightful appendix suggesting ways readers can sample ancient beverages.
Continued on Back
**In addition to reading this book, please complete the Book Evaluation assignment below.
SUMMER BOOK EVALUATION ASSIGNMENT
Whether you are analyzing a non-fiction or fictitious book about history it is important to understand and think about what the author is trying to say. To help you analyze these books), I am providing general questions below. Based on your summer reading, complete these questions. EACH NUMBER SHOULD BE A
PARGRAPH!
1.
What region(s) of the world is the author addressing? What time period(s) are examined? Are there any specific events consistently discussed?
2.
What is the author arguing in this book? Provide 3 EXAMPLES of how this author proved his argument.
3.
What is your opinion of this book? Do you think it was well-researched? Did the author convince you of anything? Did the author change your opinion of a particular event or time period? How did your view of the book change from the beginning to the end?
4.
Based on this book, how has the history of the world changed through time? Be specific using this book as the basis of your answer.
Important things to think about and do as you complete your evaluation.
DO NOT USE THE WORD “I”—NO PERSONAL TENSE AT ALL. NO
I , WE , US , ME , OUR , etc.
If the person grading this assignment had no idea about the book, could they understand your answers?
Is the language you use academic and formal as opposed to the way you would write a letter or email?
The word “BECAUSE” needs to be included at least once in numbers 2-4. Trust me…I know what I am doing!
SUMMARY OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE DAY 1 OF CLASS
*Purchase Summer reading book and write the Summer Book Evaluation Assignment
*Purchase the Reilly book
*Study the world map and be ready to take a quiz on day 1.
1 st DAY OF CLASS QUIZ
In order to help us out throughout the year, we need to make sure we know some of the major regions and places in the world. Please be prepared to take a map quiz on several countries, regions, and geographical landmarks ON DAY 1. I will only choose 25-30 of the following, but you must be prepared for all. I have included a blank map for you to practice.
REGIONS:
Middle East (Near East)
West Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
East Africa
Latin America
South America
North America
Europe
Eastern Europe
S. Asia
SE Asia
Oceania
N. Africa
All 7 continents
Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic Oceans
Andes Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
Rocky Mountains
Atlas Mountains
Alps
Caucus Mountains
Ural Mountains
Zagros Mountains
Caspian Sea
Black Sea
Mediterranean Sea
North Sea
Arabian Sea
Bay of Bengal
Red Sea
Iberian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
Sea of Japan
South China Sea
East China Sea
Caribbean Sea
Gulf of Mexico
Persian Gulf
Kalahari Desert
Sahara Desert
Gobi Desert
Countries
(also be able to name the capital of each of the following nations AS WELL AS
THE REGION EACH IS LOCATED)
Mexico
Panama
Cuba
Peru
Argentina
Spain
Germany
Italy
Greece
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Poland
Russia
Turkey
Egypt
Mali
Ethiopia
Tanzania
South Africa
Dem. Republic of Congo
Saudi Arabia
Iraq
Iran
Afghanistan
India
Pakistan
Israel
China
North Korea
South Korea
Japan
Vietnam
Australia
Indonesia