Mr. Sherman
AP European History Syllabus
shermanh@osceola.k12.fl.us
Course Objective:
This course will aim to heighten students’ ability to see relationships and distinctions in European political, social,
economic, and intellectual history. The study of history goes far beyond the mastery of content. The study of history is
about developing critical skills that will serve students in college and as lifelong learners. In addition to providing a basic
narrative of events and movements, the goals of AP European History are to develop; an understanding of some of the
principal themes in modern European history, an ability to analyze historical evidence and historical interpretation, and
an ability to express historical understanding in writing.
Course Description:
According to the College Board, “The study of European history since 1450 introduces students to cultural, economic,
political, and social developments that played a fundamental role in shaping the world in which they live. Without this
knowledge, we would lack the context for understanding the development of contemporary institutions, the role of
continuity and change in present-day society and politics, and the evolution of current forms of artistic expression and
intellectual discourse. In addition to providing a basic narrative of events and movements, the goals of AP European
History are to develop (a) an understanding of some of the principal themes in modern European history, (b) an ability
to analyze historical evidence and historical interpretation, and (c) an ability to express historical understanding in
writing.”
The AP curriculum demands higher-order thinking skills within a rigorous academic context. Thus, students are
frequently required to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate primary and secondary historical sources, in addition to
comprehending, memorizing, and applying facts. These skills will be assessed through a number of tests, quizzes and
assignments. Tests will be composed of multiple choice questions and thematic essays designed to mirror the AP
European history Exam. One of the frequently recurring assignments is the analysis of primary source documents.
Students will also learn the Document Based Question (DBQ) process and will practice the DBQ numerous times
throughout the course.
A PDF version of the College Board's course description is available at:
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap-european-history-course-description.pdf
Primary Course Foundations:
All course activities will be organized around the following developmental themes:
1. Intellectual and Cultural History
 Changes in religious thought and institutions
 Secularization of learning and culture
 Scientific and technological developments and their consequences
 Major trends in literature and the arts
 Intellectual and cultural developments and their relationship to social values and political events
 Developments in social, economic, and political thought, including ideologies characterized as “-isms,” such as
socialism, liberalism, nationalism
 Developments in literacy, education, and communication
 The diffusion of new intellectual concepts among different social groups
 Changes in elite and popular culture, such as the development of new attitudes toward religion, the family,
work, and ritual
 Impact of global expansion on European culture
2. Political and Diplomatic History
 The rise and functioning of the modern state in its various forms
 Relations between Europe and other parts of the world: colonialism, imperialism, decolonization, and global
interdependence
 The evolution of political elites and the development of political parties, ideologies, and other forms of mass
politics
 The extension and limitation of rights and liberties (personal, civic, economic, and political); majority and
minority political persecutions
 The growth and changing forms of nationalism
 Forms of political protest, reform, and revolution
 Relationship between domestic and foreign policies
 Efforts to restrain conflict: treaties, balance-of-power diplomacy, and international organizations
 War and civil conflict: origins, developments, technology, and their consequences
3. Social and Economic History
 The character of and changes in agricultural production and organization
 The role of urbanization in transforming cultural values and social relationships
 The shift in social structures from hierarchical orders to modern social classes: the changing distribution of
wealth and poverty
 The influence of sanitation and health care practices on society; food supply, diet, famine, disease, and their
impact
 The development of commercial practices, patterns of mass production and consumption, and their economic
and social impact
 Changing definitions of and attitudes toward social groups, classes, races, and ethnicities within and outside
Europe
 The origins, development, and consequences of industrialization
 Changes in the demographic structure and reproductive patterns of Europeans: causes and consequences
 Gender roles and their influence on work, social structure, family structure, and interest group formation
 The growth of competition and interdependence in national and world markets
 Private and state roles in economic activity
AP European History Required Text:
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McKay, John P., Bennett D. Hill, and John Buckler. A History of Western Society: Since 1300. 7th ed. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, 2002.
AP European History Review Book(Your choice)
Additional Resources:
• http://college.hmco.com/history/west/mckay/western_society/7e/instructors/index.html with History Companion
(HC)
• Primary sources and recent historical scholarship: http://college.hmco.com/history/west/mosaic/home.html
Additional Required Reading (includes but not limited to):
The Prince, Niccolo Macchiavelli
Utopia, Thomas More
Candide, Voltaire
Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx & Fredrick Engels
All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
Animal Farm, George Orwell
Required Materials:
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2”-3” Three Ring Binder
College Ruled Paper
Pens & Pencils
Highlighters
Post-It Notes
AP European History Review Book
Course Organization/Outline:
Advanced Placement European history consists of twenty chapters that will be grouped into ten units.
Each unit will be introduced with a unit outline that sets forth a schedule of assignments, lesson plans and class
activities. All of the course organization material, including the schedule, is available at the class website. Many of the
class materials will be distributed through the website. Students are encouraged to visit the site often for course
announcements, homework assignments, unit outlines, and links to useful resources on the Internet.
A wide variety of activities will be employed in this course. Students can expect to participate in cooperative projects,
oral presentations, simulations and role playing. Students are also required to participate in small and large group class
discussions (thoughtful and active participation in class discussions and presentations comprise part of the grade).
Below is a tentative outline of the material covered in this course. We will spend approximately three weeks on each
unit. Each unit will include a multiple choice unit test and an alternating DBQ or FRQ assignment. In addition to each
unit, there will be assigned readings and primary document analysis related to the material covered.
Semester One: First Nine Weeks
Unit 1: The Transition from Medieval to Modern Europe (3 Weeks)
 Introduction to Course, DBQs and FRQs
 European Geography
 European History prior to 1450
 The Italian Renaissance
 The Northern Renaissance
 Politics and the State in the Renaissance
 Chapter 12: The Crisis of the Later Middle Ages
 Chapter 13: European Society in the Age of the Renaissance
Additional Reading: The Prince, Utopia
Unit 2: Reformation and Expansion (3 Weeks)
 Crisis in the Roman Catholic Church
 Martin Luther and the German States
 Calvinism
 The English Reformation
 The Catholic Counter Reformation
 Wars of Religion 1559-1648
 New knowledge and technologies
 The Age of Exploration; Colonization
 Price Revolution; Mercantilism
 Chapter 14: Reform and Renewal in the Christian Church
 Chapter 15: The Age of Religious Wars and European Expansion
 Primary Reading Listening to the Past: On Christian Liberty
 Primary Reading Listening to the Past: Columbus Describes His First Voyage
Unit 3: The Conflict Between Absolutism and Constitutionalism (3 Weeks)
 Western Europe
 French Absolutism: 1588-1643
 The Age of Louis XIV
 Wars of Louis XIV
 Eastern Europe
 Decline of Holy Roman Empire, Polish Kingdom, Ottoman Empire
 Absolutism in Russia, Austria, Prussia
 Constitutionalism in England and the Dutch Republic
 Chapter 16: Absolutism and Constitutionalism in Western Europe(ca 1589-1715)
 Primary Reading Listening to the Past: The Court of Versailles
 Chapter 17: Absolutism in Central and Eastern Europe to 1740
 Primary Reading Listening to the Past: A Foreign Traveler in Russia
Semester One: Second Nine Weeks
Unit 4: Changing Thoughts and the European World View (3 Weeks)
 Scientific Revolution
 Astronomy
 Medicine
 Impact on European Society
 The Enlightenment
 Philosophy
 Exceptions to Enlightenment Thought
 The Philosophes
 Enlightened Despotism in Russia, Austria, Prussia
 Agricultural Revolution
 Population Growth
 Mid-Century Wars/Colonial Wars
 Chapter 18: Toward a New Worldview
 Primary Reading Listening to the Past: Voltaire on Religion
 Chapter 19: The Expansion of Europe in the Eighteenth Century
 Primary Reading Listening to the Past: The Debate over the Guilds
Additional Readings: Candide
Unit 5: Social Change and Political Revolution (3 Weeks)
 The French Revolution and Napoleonic Era
 Impact of the Revolution
 Napoleonic France
 Chapter 20: The Changing Life of the People
 Primary Reading Listening to the Past: A Day in the Life of Paris
 Chapter 21: The Revolution in Politics, 1775-1815
 Primary Reading Listening to the Past: Revolution and Women’s Rights
Unit 6: Revolution in Industry, Thought and Politics (3 Weeks)
 The Industrial Revolution
 Social Impact; Reforms
 Impact on the Continent
 Conservatism (1815 – 1848)
 Rise of Liberalism (1815 – 1848)
 Rise of Nationalism (1815 – 1848)
 Revolutions of 1848
 Romanticism
 Contrasts to the Enlightenment and National Revolution
 Romantic Literature, Art, and Music
 Chapter 22: The Revolution in Energy and Industry, 1780-1860
 Primary Reading Listening to the Past: The Testimony of Young Mine Workers
 Chapter 23: Ideologies and Upheavals, 1815-1850
 Primary Reading Listening to the Past: Speaking for the Czech Nation
Additional Readings: The Communist Manifesto
Semester Two: Third Nine Weeks
Unit 7: Social and National Change in the 19th Century (3 Weeks)
 The Age of Realpolitik
 Aftermath of the Revolutions of 1848
 Crimean War
 The Second French Empire under Louis Napoleon
 Unification of Germany and Italy
 Austro-Hungarian Empire
 The Rise of Socialism
 Impact of Socialism on European Politics
 The Age of Mass Politics (1871 – 1915)
 Intellectual Movements: Science
 Artistic Movements (1850 – 1914)
 Chapter 24: Life in the Emerging Urban Society in the Nineteenth Century
 Primary Reading Listening to the Past: Middle-Class Youth and Sexuality
 Chapter 25: The Age of Nationalism, 1850-1914
 Primary Reading Listening to the Past: The Making of a Socialist
Unit 8: Imperialism and the Great War (3 Weeks)
 The “New Imperialism”: Africa; Asia
 World War I and the Inter-war Period
 Long-Term Causes
 Modern Warfare
 Treaty of Versailles
 Aftermath of the War
 The Russian Revolution
 Chapter 26: The West and the World, 1815-1914
 Primary Reading Listening to the Past: A British Woman in India
 Chapter 27: The Great Break: War and Revolution, 1914-1919
 Primary Reading Listening to the Past: Arab Political Aspirations in 1919
Additional Readings: All Quiet on the Western Front, Animal Farm
Unit 9: Between the Wars, Totalitarianism, and the Second World War (3 Weeks)
 Europe Between the Wars
 The Great Depression
 The Rise of Dictatorships
 World War II
 Failure of Collective Security
 German Expansion
 Turning Points
 Diplomacy
 Society During the War
 The Holocaust
 Aftermath of the War
 Chapter 28: The Age of Anxiety, 1900-1940
 Primary Reading Listening to the Past: Life on the Dole in Great Britain
 Chapter 29: Dictatorships and the Second World War, 1919-1945
 Primary Reading Listening to the Past: Stalin Justifies the Five-Year Plan
Semester Two: Fourth Nine Weeks
Unit 10: The Post World War World and the New Modern Era (3 Weeks)
 1945 to the Present
 Immediate Postwar Issues
 European Recovery; Restructuring
 Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, United Nations, NATO
 The Cold War
 1940s; 1950s; 1960s; 1970s; 1980s
 Revolution of 1989
 Fall of the Soviet Union
 Nationalism
 Post-World War II society
 Impact of 9/11/2001
 Chapter 30: Cold War Conflicts and Social Transformations, 1945-1985
 Primary Reading Listening to the Past: A Feminist Critique of Marriage
 Chapter 31: Revolution, Reunification, and New Challenges: 1985 to present
Additional Reading: Brave New World
Unit 11: Review for Advanced Placement Examination (2 Weeks) – Exam May 6, 2011
Post-Examination Assignment: Historiography Paper (Due three weeks after AP exam on May 31, 2011). This assignment
will require the selection of a topic related to Modern European History. After selecting a topic, class time will be
provided to research the historical scholarship on your respective topic. Research should focus on finding different
historical interpretations relating to the selected topic. After research is complete the student will write an essay
comparing and contrasting the different historical interpretations of the selected topic.
Course Requirements:
Objective Tests: Multiple choice tests will be used to measure student mastery of concepts and provide a simulation of
what students will encounter when taking Advanced Placement European History Examination (See Below). Multiple
choice tests will usually take place every unit.
DBQ/FRQ: Writing is an essential part of this course. DBQs are in the same format as the AP exam and will prepare you
to do the work of a historian in brief. Looking for information, point of view, bias and analyzing graphs, figures, and
drawings, you will construct an essay which will be graded on the AP nine point rubric. There will be a minimum of five
DBQs. FRQs are in the same format as the AP exam and will test your detailed knowledge of modern European history
and will be graded on the AP nine point rubric. There will be a minimum of five FRQs.
Historiography: You will be assigned at least one essay assignment which deals with the historical scholarship on a given
subject. You will either be assigned or choose a given topic (event, person, etc.) and your task will be to research the
different historical interpretations related to your topic. This essay should be written in a compare a contrast format
that highlights the similarities and differences of the conclusions reached by researchers of your topic.
Projects: Student centered projects will be assigned periodically. These may be group or individual projects. Projects may
include, but will not be limited to, presentations, displays, role playing, documentaries, or simulations.
Quizzes: Periodically there will be quizzes to verify that students are keeping up with their reading, and mastery of key
terms. These may or may not be announced. It is up to the student to be prepared daily for quizzes. There will also be
DBQ/FRQ quizzes that will help train students how to successfully complete these tasks on a step by step basis.
Classwork/Notebook/Materials: Organization is a key to achieving success in this course. Students will be required to
keep a 3 ring binder that will be used to organize notes, handouts, and other course materials. Please see the required
materials section for more information.
Participation: Participation is a prerequisite for achieving success in this class. All students will be required to participate
in class discussions, debates, and other activities, which are part of the course curriculum. All students are expected to
be prepared to begin class immediately at the bell.
Make-up Work: Your attendance is required to successfully complete this course. Despite this fact, life happens and you
may be absent. Make-up work is the responsibility of the student. If you are absent from class, you have only three days
to make up a test or quiz and/or turn in any assignments that were given in your absence. Failure to turn your work in
will result in a zero. Please keep in mind I will not ask you for make-up assignments, tests, etc. It is up to you to hand in
assignments and schedule make-up tests. Only work missed because of an excused absence will be given full credit.
Late Work: When you miss class, it is YOUR responsibility to find out what work you have missed. Work will only be
accepted one-day late, and the work will receive a penalty of 20% of the grade. No work will be accepted more than one
day late. Any work missed because of an excused absence must be made up in accordance with the Osceola County late
work policy. However, if there is an assignment with a pre-assigned due date, then that assignment must be turned in
on the day you return from your absence. If an assignment is due the day you have a field trip, you must turn in the
assignment in the morning before you leave.
Grading:
Objective Tests 35%
DBQ/FRQ/Papers/Projects 35%
Quizzes 10%
Homework/Classwork/Notebook/Materials 20%
Osceola County School District Grading Scale:
A=90-100
B=80-89
C=70-79
D=60-69
F=0-59
Class Rules:
 Treat each other and the teacher with respect and dignity.
 Raise your hand before speaking.
 The use of electronic devices (Cell Phones, MP3 Players, etc.) is strictly prohibited.
 No Sleeping.
 Be seated and working on bellwork when the bell rings.
 Restroom Usage Policy: You will be allowed a total of three restroom passes per nine week period.
Advanced Placement Examination: Friday, May 6, 2011 (Afternoon)
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The examination is three hours and five minutes in length. It consists of a 55-minute multiple choice section and
a 130-minute free-response section.
The multiple choice section consists of 80 questions designed to measure your knowledge of European history.
Approximately one-half of the questions deal with the period from 1450 to 1815 and one-half from 1815 to the
present. Approximately 20 to 30 percent of the questions focus on cultural-intellectual themes, 30 to 40 percent
of the questions focus on political-diplomatic themes, and 30 to 40 percent on social-economic themes.
Section II, the free-response section, begins with a mandatory 15-minute reading period followed by Part A, in
which students are required to answer a document-based essay question (DBQ) in 45 minutes, and Part B, in
which students are asked to answer two thematic questions in 70 minutes. Students choose one question from
each of two groups of three questions; you are advised to spend 5 minutes planning and 30 minutes writing
each of your thematic essays.
Within the free response section, the 45-minute DBQ essay will be weighted 45 percent, and the two thematic
essay together will be weighted 55 percent. For the total examination score, the multiple choice and the freeresponse sections will be weighted equally. In other words, the break-down is as follows:
Section I Multiple Choice = 50%
Section II DBQ = 22.5%
Section II-A = 13.75%
Section II-B = 13.75%
Tips For Success:
 Don't be afraid to have fun. This is a challenging course with a rigorous curriculum that will require a substantial
amount of attention. If you are not enjoying the material or the class you will be less likely to find success.
 You must believe in yourself and be willing to accept a few setbacks along the way in order to grow as a young
scholar and as a person ("no pain, no gain"). Learn from your mistakes and setbacks, make adjustments, and try
again. The prize at the end is worth it! You can do it!!
 Do not procrastinate! The number one reason for a lack of success in a class such as this is to fall behind in your
work. Cramming for a unit test will not benefit you down the road (AP Exam).
 You should set aside time each night for reading, and always make sure to complete your readings when
assigned. They are much easier to complete when you “eat” them in smaller “bites”. By using this strategy you
will also retain more of the information you read.
 Don't be afraid to ask for help. I am here to assist you. I am always available after class and school. I can be
reached by email at anytime. “I did not know” is not an acceptable excuse in this class.
Syllabus Agreement:
 This syllabus is a contract between the instructor and the student with a parent/guardian witness. As an
instructor of this course, I am committed to abiding by this syllabus. As a student of this course, you also are
expected to abide by this syllabus.
 By signing this Terms of Agreement, you are affirming that you have read and agree to abide by the guidelines,
policies and agreements stated in this syllabus.
 As a student of this course, I have read and agree to abide by the guidelines, policies and agreements stated in
this syllabus.
 As the parent/guardian, I have read and agree to support this student in an effort to follow the guideline,
 policies and agreements stated in this syllabus.
Student Signature:______________________________________________ Date:_______________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature:_______________________________________Date:________________________________
Please note: I reserve the right to change or adjust any section of the course syllabus throughout the year to more
adequately meet he needs, abilities, and interests of the students.