CONTEXTUALIZATION
The historical skill of contextualization is mentioned in two separate cases in essay requirements:

Situates the argument by explaining the broader historical developments relevant to the prompt
And

Extends the argument by explaining the connections between the argument and a development
in a different historical period or geographic area
Most basically, contextualization is a thought process that involves connecting historical developments of
specific time/place circumstances to broader regional, national, or global processes.
A common error is to make comparisons between place or time periods instead of connections. In a
comparison, a student might write “___ also happened in East Asia.” In a comparison, two separate,
distinct ‘entities’ exist, which may share some overlapping similarities. Rather than discussing two distinct
but similar circumstances, contextualization relays how one circumstance is part of a larger development
or event.
Because contextualization is mentioned twice as a requirement, it likely necessitates writing an essay that
makes connections to both broader developments and different time periods. For example, an essay
about the American Revolution probably should note its connection to both the broader social contract
theory and to the Civil War in a different time period.
Organizationally, as connections to broader developments or different time periods arise, then it should
be routinely noted in body paragraphs. Still, a full contextualization warrants synthesizing these routine
body paragraph notations with full explanation in the conclusion of the essay. If body paragraphs note
broader developments, then the conclusion paragraph should synthesize these broader
contextualizations with connections to different time periods or geographic areas. However, if body
paragraphs note different periods or geographic areas, then the conclusion paragraph should synthesize
these contextualizations with connections to broader developments. Regardless of order, the follow up
within the conclusion is critical because the AP rubric states:

Contextualization is not awarded for merely a phrase or a reference, but instead requires an
explanation, typically consisting of multiple sentences or a full paragraph.
So, in summary, accurate world historical context must specifically explain how outside factors impacted
the topic in question or how factors within the topic impacted broader developments and different periods.
The analogy of a jigsaw puzzle is instructive. How does an individual piece relate to the surrounding
pieces and relate to the larger picture as a whole.