Homework Syllabus for the 2010-2011 School Year
WHAP
Ms. Napp
The World History AP curriculum is a cross-cultural, chronological, and historical
examination of the connections and encounters between the world’s diverse peoples and the
development of individual cultures within diverse regions. The curriculum considers the
complexity of human relationships between and within communities. Students of World
History AP are encouraged to interact with information on many levels. From the
gathering of facts concerning when and how events happened to the greater complexities of
how circumstances impacted different groups within societies and between societies,
students examine world history from a multiplicity of perspectives. As such, the world
history student is full of questions and in search of a multiplicity of answers.
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Therefore, in order to ensure that students interact meaningfully with the historical
record, students will be required to read an average of twenty pages per week from
the textbook, create Cornell Notes for each weekly reading assignment, answer one
TWEDY, and be prepared to complete one additional enrichment piece per week.
The homework syllabus has been created to ensure that the fundamentals for each
weekly assignment are known in advance.
In addition, throughout the year, students will process and write the three types of
essays included on the World History AP examination: Document-Based, Change
over Time, and Comparative Essay.
Students will also complete unit examinations and quizzes in preparation for the
World History AP examination which consists of 70 multiple-choice questions and
three essays to be answered in 3 hours and 5 minutes.
Important Facts to Know Before Starting the Assignments:
1- What are Cornell Notes?
Unlike most note-taking systems, Cornell Notes are interactive. Cornell Notes require
that students take notes but then reflect on and review the notes. Designed by Walter
Pauk, director of Cornell University’s reading and study center, the Cornell NoteTaking System is designed to help students understand and retain information in a
meaningful way. *A Template is available on Ms. Napp’s Social Studies Webpage/
http://www.whiteplainspublicschools.org/411212512167531/site/default.asp
To create Cornell Notes, a student must design the
proper layout for each page of notes. To divide the page
properly, students must either examine the diagram to
the left or read the following directions:
 Write a proper heading on every page (Name,
Date, WHAP, Ms. Napp)
 Underneath the heading, draw a line that is 8.5
inches long
 Draw a horizontal line 2 inches from the bottom
of the paper
 Draw a vertical line 2.5 inches from the left side of
the paper to connect the top line to the bottom
line (Or visit the webpage – World or Homework
sections - for an online template )
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Write or type notes while reading in the largest space, the 6 inch area
Afterwards, create several summaries about the notes written at the bottom of the
page
In the left-hand margin, write several cue words or key words for the notes on that
page
For each twenty page reading, students will create a maximum of four pages of
notes
2- What is a TWEDY?
TWEDY is an acronym for “To What Extent Do You Agree or Disagree” with the
statement. Writing a TWEDY is great practice for the essay writing component of the
World History AP examination. Ultimately, a TWEDY involves the writing of an
argument statement and the presentation of evidence to defend the argument. On the
World History AP exam, students will be asked to answer seventy multiple-choice
questions and write three essays (DBQ, Change Over Time, Compare and Contrast). In
order to receive full points, students must write a thesis statement and defend it. So,
what is a thesis statement?
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A thesis statement is a one- or two-sentence condensation of the argument or
analysis that the essay will prove or present
A thesis statement is the main point the writer wants to make in the essay
All of the points the writer wants to make must lead to or support the thesis
statement
It is not difficult to write a thesis statement but it does take practice. Through the
creation of a TWEDY, students learn how to write a thesis statement and how to prove it.
For our purposes, the maximum length of the TWEDY will be 250 words.
Some practical suggestions for the construction of a TWEDY:
Students will respond to a question by writing an extended thesis paragraph. The
paragraph will begin with the thesis statement. Additional sentences will be written to
provide evidence which supports the thesis statement.
Paragraph Outline
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Thesis Statement
First Major Idea Supporting Thesis
Second Major Idea Supporting Thesis
Third Major Idea Supporting Thesis
Concluding Statement
An Example:
TWEDY Statement:
Do what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement:
“Culture survived the rise and fall of civilizations.”
Sample Answer:
Culture did not survive the rise and fall of civilization. Since culture was a way of life of a
group of people, the complex structures provided by civilization necessarily shaped the
ways in which people lived. With the fall of Rome, the collapse of the central government
profoundly altered the way in which people lived. Without a Roman army for protection,
people had to look for new ways to live in order to survive. Thus, the life of a feudal serf
differed radically from the life of a Roman peasant. Unlike a peasant, the serf was bound
to his lord’s land. He could not leave the lord’s land in return for a new kind of protection
offered by his local lord. The condition of serfdom altered culture. Even language, a
critical component of culture, changed. During the time of the Western Roman Empire,
Latin was the official language of the empire. But with the collapse of Roman civilization,
languages evolved into the modern languages familiar to world speakers today. From
Latin came far more localized languages like Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and
Romanian. Even clothing styles and food choices changed with the fall of Rome. As trade
greatly diminished, spices from long-distance trade were replaced with more local options.
Food became increasingly local and bland. Since culture defined every aspect of a person’s
existence and the collapse of a civilization’s central government impacted every aspect of a
person’s existence, culture could not survive the fall or the rise of a civilization.
Let’s examine the TWEDY:
 It has a thesis statement.
 It has three points briefly explaining support for the thesis statement.
 It has a concluding statement.
 It is no longer than 250 words.
Every week, in addition to reading twenty pages and creating Cornell Notes, students will
answer one TWEDY similar to the sample above and using information from the reading.
3- What does it mean that there can be one additional enrichment assignment added
each week?
While routines provide order, opportunities for practice, and stability, they sometimes
prevent flexibility. Naturally, there will be times, when flexibility is called for. Perhaps
there is a critical world event that students need to turn their attention to. Or maybe there
is a need for greater creativity. The additional enrichment assignments are intended to
address these areas and other areas of interest for all learners.
4- What if a student hands in an assignment late or there is a snow day?
Every student is entitled to one “Get out of homework free” card because sometimes
things happen. Therefore, students are encouraged to use their homework free pass wisely
since there is only per student. However, generally, if an assignment is late, the first day
late will cost one grade letter. The second day late will cost two grade letters, etc. After
four days, that particular homework window is closed. In the event of a snow day or an
unforeseen holiday, the assignment is due the day students return to school.
The Assignments
Strayer Text for
Cornell Notes:
TWEDY
of the Week:
This Week’s
Surprise
Due
Date:
Read pp. xli – 9
The Prologue and
Introduction to
Beginnings in
History to 500
B.C.E.
“The Neolithic
Revolution was the
most significant
turning point in the
history of humanity.”
Thursday,
September 16,
2010
Read pp. 12 – 32
Chapter 1/ First
Peoples: Populating
the Planet
“The establishment
of human settlements
in Africa, Eurasia,
Australia, and the
Americas depended
more on
environmental
factors than human
ingenuity.”
Thursday,
September 23,
2010
“Environmental
factors and cultural
choices gave rise to
distinct kinds of
agricultural
societies.”
Thursday,
September 30,
2010
*Start at “Out of
Africa…”
Read pp. 36 – 53
Chapter 2/ First
Farmers
*Start at “The
Agricultural
Revolution…”
Read pp. 56 - 74
Two-thirds of
Chapter 3/ First
Civilizations
*Start at
“Something
New…”
*The remainder of
the chapter will be
read next week.
“Civilization gave
rise to profound
inequalities.”
Thursday,
October 7, 2010
Read pp. 75 – 95
*Remainder of
Chapter 3/ First
Civilizations and
Introduction to The
Classical Era
“From the earliest
days of civilization,
cross-cultural contact
through nonviolent
or violent means was
more common than
isolation.”
Thursday,
October 14, 2010
Read pp. 99 – 121
Chapter 4/
Eurasian Empires
“The history of
empire is the history
of conflict.”
Thursday,
October 21, 2010
Read pp. 125 – 138
The first half of
Chapter 5/
Eurasian Cultural
Traditions
“While the
philosophers of the
classical period in
China and India
differed greatly from
one another, their
fundamental
concerns were more
similar than
different.”
Thursday,
October 28, 2010
Read pp. 139 – 152
The second half of
Chapter 5/
Eurasian Cultural
Traditions
“The creation of a
world religion
depends on factors
beyond the initial
founding of the belief
system.”
Thursday,
November 4,
2010
“Class and gender
were the most
significant factors in
determining the lives
of classical era
people.”
Friday,
November 12,
2010 (Due to
Veteran’s Day)
*Start at “Empires
and Civilizations in
Collision…"
Read pp. 156 – 176
Chapter 6/
Eurasian Social
Hierarchies
*Start “Society and
the State in …”
Read pp. 183 –
203
Chapter 7/
Classical Era
Variations
“Geographic
diversity more
significantly
impacted the history
of Africa and the
Americas than
Eurasia.”
Thursday,
November 18,
2010
Read pp. 209 – 215
The Introduction to
the Post-Classical
Period
(Due to the
Thanksgiving
holiday, this
shortened
assignment will be
collected on
Tuesday)
“Third Wave
civilizations were
influenced more by
continuity and
change than Second
Wave civilizations.”
Tuesday,
November 23,
2010
Read pp. 219 – 238
Chapter 8/
Commerce and
Culture
“Trade had a greater
impact on world
history than
empires.”
Thursday,
December 2, 2010
“Within a unified
China, there has
always been great
diversity.”
Thursday,
December 9, 2010
*Start at “The
African
Northeast…”
(Happy
Thanksgiving!)
*Start at “The Silk
Roads…”
Read pp. 242 – 264
Chapter 9/ East
Asian Connections
*Start at “A
‘Golden Age’ of
Chinese…”
Read pp. 271 – 295
Chapter 10/ The
Worlds of
European
Christendom
*Start at “Eastern
Christendom…”
Read pp. 302 – 327
Chapter 11/ The
Worlds of Islam
*Start at “The
Birth of a New
Religion”
Read pp. 334 – 358
Chapter 12/
Pastoral Peoples on
the Global Stage
(This assignment
will be completed
over the December
break.)
“The division of
Christendom had less
to do with political
realities and more to
do with views
regarding the outside
world.”
Thursday,
December 16,
2010
“The expansion of
Islam and the
building of Islamic
empires made a
unified Muslim
community
impossible to
achieve.”
Thursday,
December 23,
2010
“Before the modern
era, the interactions
between nomadic
cultures and settled
cultures depended
less on lifestyle and
more on
opportunity.”
Thursday,
December 30,
2010
(Theoretically
due but
realistically
handed in the
first Monday
after the vacation
– January 3,
2011)
*Start at “Looking
Back and Looking
Around…”
Read pp. 369 – 389
Chapter 13/ The
Worlds of the
Fifteenth Century
*Start at
“Civilizations of the
Fifteenth
Century…”
“The Fifteenth
Century led to the
extinction of
alternatives to
civilizations.”
Thursday,
January 6, 2011
Read pp. 400 – 425
Timeline for
Introduction to
Early Modern Era
and Chapter
Fourteen/ Empires
and Encounters
“Empire building in
the early modern era
permanently changed
the relationship
among states and
between states and
stateless societies.”
Thursday,
January 13, 2011
Read pp. 435 – 456
Chapter 15/ Global
Commerce
“Globalization is not
a twentieth century
phenomenon.”
Thursday,
January 20, 2011
“The willingness to
adopt new
perspectives benefits
fragmented regions
more than unified
regions.”
Thursday,
January 27, 2011
Read pp. 491 – 497
Introduction to The
European Moment
in World History
(A very brief
reading assignment
after many weeks
of hard work)
“Europeans had the
greatest impact on
world history.”
Thursday,
February 3, 2011
Read pp. 501 - 522
Chapter 17/
Atlantic
Revolutions
*Start at “The
North American…”
“The Atlantic
Revolutions had little
in common with one
another.”
Thursday,
February 10,
2011
*Start at “A
Portuguese Empire
of Commerce”
Read pp. 463 – 483
Chapter 16/
Religion and
Science
*Start at “Western
Christendom
Fragmented…”
Read pp. 530 – 553
Chapter 18/
Revolutions of
Industrialization
“Industrialization
harmed humanity
more than it
benefitted
humanity.”
*Students will need
to turn back to p.
529 for the first
words of the
starting sentence.
Read pp. 563 – 584
Chapter 19/
Internal Troubles,
External Threats
*Start at “New
Perceptions of the
‘Other’
Read pp. 590 – 611
Chapter 20/
Colonial
Encounters
Thursday,
February 17,
2011
(But if this
happens to be
midterm week,
then it is due the
Monday after the
February
vacation –
Monday,
February 28.
2011)
“The responses of
colonial subjects to
imperialism
influenced history
more than
imperialism itself.”
Thursday,
March 3, 2011
“The Second Wave of
European Conquests
had little in common
with the first phase of
conquests.”
Thursday,
March 10, 2011
*Start at “A Second
Wave of European
Conquests”
Read pp. 617 – 623
Introduction to
Twentieth Century
(A very brief
reading
assignment) 
Read pp. 627 – 653
Chapter 21/ The
Collapse and
Recovery of Europe
*Start at “An
Accident
Waiting…”
“The most significant
feature of the
twentieth century
was the
disintegration of
empires.”
“The factors which
led to Europe’s
success in empirebuilding were the
very same factors
which led to its
collapse.”
Thursday,
March 17, 2011
Thursday,
March 24, 2011
Read pp. 662 – 686
“The failure of
Chapter 22/ The
communism had less
Rise and Fall of
to do with its
World Communism promises and more to
do with its reality.”
*Start at “Russia:
Revolution …”
Thursday,
March 31, 2011
Read pp. 693 – 718
Chapter 23/
Independence and
Development in the
Global South
Thursday,
April 7, 2011
*Start at
“Explaining
African …”
“Colonial experiences
determined the
strengths and
weaknesses of the
newly independent
nations of the Global
South.”
Read pp. 729 – 751
Chapter 24/
Accelerating Global
Interaction
“The clash between
Thursday,
proponents of
April 14, 2011
modernity and
traditionalists will
determine the
*Start at Map
future.”
Congratulations! You have completed the assigned readings from the text.
For the next three weeks, students will prepare for the AP Examination. It is
strongly suggested that each student purchase a World History AP review book.
After the AP Examination, several creative projects will be assigned.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
~Nelson Mandela 