AP World History Syllabus
Mrs. Echard
Course Overview
Welcome to AP World History! This is a year-long course designed to increase your knowledge of global events,
perspectives, and interactions from 8000 B.C.E. to the present. This course is equivalent to a full-year introductory
college course. Students will study an engaging and rigorous curriculum that allows them to develop an understanding
of selected themes in world history, make comparisons between various human societies, observe and discuss change
and continuity of these societies over time, recognize and discuss different historical interpretations, critically analyze
historical evidence, and express that understanding and analysis in writing. Students who take AP World History can
seek college credit and/or advanced placement from institutions of higher learning.
The course will use the AP World History Themes throughout the year to identify the broad patterns and processes that
explain change and continuity over time. All themes receive approximately equal attention throughout the course.
Themes
1. Interaction between humans and the environment
• Demography and disease
• Migration
• Patterns of settlement
• Technology
2. Development and interaction of cultures
• Religions
• Belief systems, philosophies, and ideologies
• Science and technology
• The arts and architecture
3. State-building, expansion, and conflict
• Political structures and forms of governance
• Empires
• Nations and nationalism
• Revolts and revolutions
• Regional, trans-regional, and global structures and organizations
4. Creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems
• Agricultural and pastoral production
• Trade and commerce
• Labor systems
• Industrialization
• Capitalism and socialism
5. Development and transformation of social structures
• Gender roles and relations
• Family and kinship
• Racial and ethnic constructions
• Social and economic classes
The course will also address four Historical Thinking Skills and their components which provide an essential framework
for learning to think historically.
The Historical Thinking Skills
1. Crafting historical arguments from historical evidence
2. Chronological reasoning
3. Comparison and Contextualization
4. Historical Interpretation and Synthesis
Textbook
Strayer, Robert W. Ways of the World: A Global History with Sources for AP. 2nd Ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s,
2013
Course Planner
To cover the entire curriculum the course will be broken down into units of study based on time periods guided by our
textbook. Students should note that this course curriculum also requires global coverage of all major areas of the world.
Approximate equal time will be spent on the study of Africa, the Americas, Asia, Oceania and Australia, and Europe with
no more than 20% of the course focused on Europe. For every unit of study students will be asked to examine historical
evidence from diverse sources including written documents, maps, images, quantitative data and works of art and
analyze primary sources. For every unit of study students will be asked to examine and discuss differing historical
interpretations or viewpoints for an event or issue of that time period. Also, students will be introduced to the three
types of essays utilized by the College Board for World History; the Comparative essay, the Continuity and Change-OverTime essay (CCOT) and the Document Based Question essay (DBQ). Students will practice their writing skills throughout
the course until they are proficient in all three styles.
Period One: Technological and Environmental Transformations to 600 B.C.E.
8 class days (5%)
Textbook Correlation= Chapters 1-2
Key Concept 1.1 Big Geography and the Peopling of the Earth
Key Concept 1.2 The Neolithic Revolution and Early Agricultural Societies
Key Concept 1.3 The Development and Interactions of Early Agricultural, Pastoral and Urban Societies
Period Two: Organization and Reorganization of Human Societies, 600 B.C.E. – 600 C.E.
23 class days (15%)
Textbook Correlation= Chapters 3-6
Key Concept 2.1 The Development and Codification of Religious and Cultural Traditions
Key Concept 2.2 The Development of States and Empires
Key Concept 2.3 Emergence of Transregional Networks of Communication and Exchange
Period Three: Regional and Transregional Interactions, 600 C.E. to 1450
30 class days (20%)
Textbook Correlation: Chapters 7-12
Key Concept 3.1 Expansion and Intensification of Communication and Exchange Networks
Key Concept 3.2 Continuity and Innovation of State Forms and Their Interactions
Key Concept 3.3 Increased Economic Productive Capacity and Its Consequences
Period Four: Global Interactions, 1450-1750 (20%)
30 class days (20%)
Textbook Correlation: Chapters 13-15
Key Concept 4.1 Globalizing Networks of Communication and Exchange
Key Concept 4.2 New Forms of Social Organization and Modes of Production
Key Concept 4.3 State Consolidation and Imperial Expansion
Period Five: Industrialization and Global Integration, 1750-1900
30 class days (20%)
Textbook Correlation: Chapters 16-19
Key Concept 5.1 Industrialization and Global Capitalism
Key Concept 5.2 Imperialism and Nation State Formation
Key Concept 5.3 Nationalism, Revolution and Reform
Key Concept 5.4 Global Migration
Period Six: Accelerating Global Change and Realignments, 1900 to Present
30 class days (20%)
Textbook Correlation: Chapters 20-23
Key Concept 6.1 Science and the Environment
Key Concept 6.2 Global Conflicts and Their Consequence
Key Concept 6.3 New Conceptualizations of Global Economy, Society and Culture
Review for AP World History Exam: 7 class days
AP World History Exam: Thursday, May 14, 2015
Course Assignments, Activities and Evaluations
Assignments, activities and evaluations used throughout the year may include but not be limited to the
following:
1. Lecture: I will lecture on specific, detailed content to enhance what you read in the text.
2. Maps: Students will create several historical maps for each unit of study.
3. Timelines: Students will create annotated timelines for each unit of study to track changes over time.
4. Cornell/Two-Column Notes: Students will take Cornell Notes for each assigned reading.
5. Identifications: Students will identify the importance of people, places and events from their reading.
6. Quizzes: Quizzes will be given over the assigned readings from the textbook.
7. Debates and Mock Trials: These activities will help us better understand differing historical interpretations.
8. Class Discussions: Students will be asked to participate in various forms of discussion for different purposes such as
retention, clarification and review of information, hearing differing viewpoints and interpretations, and
categorizing and comparison. Discussion may take forms such as Socratic Seminar, Fishbowl, Inner-Outer Circle,
Roundtable, Jigsaw, etc.
9. Document Analysis: We will be examining various primary sources throughout the course. We will use
SOAPPSTone and OPTICS formats.
10. Graphic Organizers: Students will be asked to make mental maps or organization charts for the information
learned in class. Most of these charts will be used to compare societies or show change/continuity over time.
11. Notebooks: Students are asked to keep a binder that contains all assignments and evaluations from the class.
Students should use these notebooks to study for exams.
12. Exams: An exam will be given for every unit of study and for each semester. The exams will be 70 multiple choice
questions. You will have 55 minutes to complete each exam.
13. Essays: Students will learn how to successfully write the three types of essays required for AP World History; the
Comparative, the Change and Continuity over Time (CCOT), and the Document Based Question (DBQ). Students
will be introduced to and assigned these types of essays throughout the course. Essays will be graded using the
College Board Rubrics for AP World History.
Grading Policy
In accordance with district guidelines concerning grading, the following grading scale will be used:
90-100%=A, 80-89%=B, 70-79%=C, 60-69%=D, 0-59%=F
Student’s percentage grades will be determined by a weighted system as follows:
Daily Assignments and Homework = 30%
Reading Quizzes = 15%
Exams and Essays=40%
Semester Exam = 15%
Late Work: Assignments turned in one day late will receive only 75% of the earned credit for that assignment.
Assignments turned in two or more days late will not be accepted.
Extra Credit: Extra Credit may be earned once for the semester by completing an independent study project or paper.
Please see Mrs. Echard personally to discuss ideas for such a project. Extra Credit will be due one week before the end
of the semester. Extra Credit shall not exceed 5% of your semester grade.
Class Materials
Students will need to bring the following to class everyday:
1. Pen and/or pencil
2. Textbook with a book cover
3. Notebook (3-ring, 1” binder with 7 dividers)
4. Notebook paper
Besides these supplies, I ask that each student bring one box of facial tissue for the classroom.
Classroom Rules
Student Responsibilities
1. Be on time for class.
2. Be prepared and have all materials for class.
3. Respect the rights, property, and person of all your classmates and the teacher.
4. Expect the best!
Student Consequences
1. Verbal warning
2. Student/teacher conference
3. Fifteen minutes of detention and parent contact.
4. Thirty minutes of detention and parent contact.
5. Office referral
Tardiness and Absences
School policy will be followed concerning tardiness and absences. District policy requires a failing grade to be given to
any student upon his/her eleventh absence. Two unexempt tardies equals one absence. If a student is five minutes or
more tardy to class, the student is counted absent. Also, please remember in the event of an absence it is the student’s
responsibility to get any make-up work. You will find make-up assignments written on the agenda on online on the class
website.
Classroom Procedure
1. Each student must keep a notebook. Your notebook should be organized by historical period of study. In the
front of your notebook place this syllabus. Then you need a tab for “Writing” and then one for each of the 6
Units.
2. Students should put their first and last name, their hour, and the date in the upper right-hand corner of each
assignment.
3. No hall passes will be given. Don’t even ask.
4. There is to be absolutely no talking during announcements.
5. Students should always monitor their voice levels and match them to the activity at hand. When I give you a
quieting cue or ask you to be quiet, you are to stop talking immediately.
6. During group learning activities all desks must be touching.
8. All assignments will be written in complete sentences unless other directions are given.
9. The teacher, not the bell, dismisses the class. We will not exit the room until all trash has been disposed.
*A special note about plagiarism: Copying someone else’s work and passing it off as one’s own is wrong. It
is stealing and is obviously not permitted. Any student caught “cheating” on an assignment, exam, or essay
will receive a zero for that assignment. I will be greatly disappointed to witness this in our class. Respect
yourself enough not to do it.
If you need to contact me, you can reach me
by phone at Southmoore at 735-4900
by e-mail at lanaechard@mooreschools.com
or visit my website through the Southmoore High School homepage.
For more information about the Advanced Placement Program go to www.collegeboard.com/ap.
Please keep this course syllabus in your notebook for
the entire year along with your AP Writing Packet.
Dear parent or guardian,
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the 2014-2015 school
year. I have great expectations for an exciting year. I hope all of my students find
this AP World History course to be a wonderful learning experience. Please
understand that this is an Advanced Placement course. Your student will have the
opportunity at the end of the course to take the national World History AP Exam
offered by the College Board in order to receive college credit. It is a very
challenging exam and the course is demanding. Expect your student to have
reading, other homework, or projects to complete every night and weekend. I
encourage you to browse the Advanced Placement information for World History
on the College Board’s website www.collegeboard.com/ap
If you have questions or concerns regarding your child’s academic progress
or behavior, please contact me by phone at 735-4900 before or after school or
during my planning period, 8:20 a.m.-9:17 a.m., or e-mail me at
lanaechard@mooreschools.com. Please also remember that you can check your
student’s grade on Parent Portal provided by the school district. Additional
information and announcements regarding this class can also be found weekly at
my webpage at http://www.mooreschools.com/Domain/2214.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Lana Echard
Thank you for taking the time to read this course
information. Please return this signature page by
Friday, August 22nd .
I have read and understand the course information, classroom procedures, and classroom
rules for this AP World History class. I also understand the consequences if I choose to disobey
the rules.
_________________________________
Student signature
I have read and understand the course information, classroom procedures, and classroom
rules for this AP World History class. I also understand the consequences my son/daughter
will face should he/she choose to disobey the rules. . I am aware that I can check my
student’s grade on Parent Portal provided by the school district.
__________________________________
Parent /Guardian signature