AP WORLD HISTORY SUMMER WORK
COURSE OVERVIEW:
The Advanced Placement World History course is a challenging course that develops an understanding of
the evolution of global processes and contacts including interactions over time. This course will look at
the common threads of the human world—trade, religion, politics, society, and technology—and
investigates how each have changed and continued over time. The studies in this course will begin with
the emergence of Neolithic cultures and continue throughout the events of human history ending with the
21st Century, C.E. The emphasis of this class will include mastery of factual knowledge, demonstration of
an understanding of historical chronology, use of historical data to support an argument or position,
differentiating between historical schools of thought, interpreting primary sources, and effectively using
analytical skills of evaluation, cause and effect, and compare and contrast at the level of a college
freshman history course.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK: Bentley, Jerry H., and Herbert F. Ziegler. Traditions and Encounters:
A Global Perspective on the Past. 5th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2000.
****TRADITIONS AND ENCOUNTERS MUST BE CHECKED OUT FROM THE SCHOOL
LIBRARY BEFORE THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR TO COMPLETE SUMMER
ASSIGNMENTS*********
YOUR SUMMER ASSIGNMENT:
1. Check out a book before end of 2013-2014 school year.
2. Read Chapters 1 through 6 over the summer.
3. Take DETAILED CORNELL NOTES on the information from Ch. 1 through 6.
a. DETAILED means when you’re done you will have SEVERAL PAGES
per chapter.
4. This assignment will be due on the first day of class next year and will be
graded.
5. Complete the EXPLORING QUESTIONS that I have assigned you for
Chapters 1 through 6
6. Class Materials: This is a complete class materials list. You will not need
anything beyond this for the class.
i. One 3” three-ring binder & paper (FOR HOME USE)
ii. One Folder with dividers to store information
iii. One five-subject spiral notebook to use for CLASS NOTES.
iv. A valid GMAIL address
EXPLORING QUESTIONS
Chapter 1
1. Trace the development of Australopithecus, Homo erectus, and Homo sapiens. What effect did
they have on the world around them?
2. Explore the rise of the city. In what ways was the city different from the large villages of the
earlier neolithic age?
3. Richard Leakey wrote, “Humans are unique because they have the capacity to choose what
they do.” What is the significance of this statement? When did humans develop the ability to
choose? Is there a negative side to this capability?
4. What was the significance of the discovery of Lucy’s bones?
5. What set the genus Australopithecus apart from other animal species of the time?
6. What were the differences between the Neandertal and Homo sapiens?
7. What is the significance of cave art? The Venus figurines?
8. How did the gradual transformation from hunting and gathering to agriculture probably
occur? How did it spread?
Chapter 2
9. Examine the history of the Hebrews. Why did they have so much trouble uniting into a
powerful political force? How did their wanderings and misfortune affect the development of
Judaism?
10. Examine the rise of the Mesopotamians. What were the political and cultural foundations of
their society? Who were the most important leaders?
11. Examine the reign of Hammurabi. In what ways was his reign the high point of
Mesopotamian history? Explain the significance of his code.
12. What role did the Indo-Europeans play in history? What were their main contributions?
13. Examine the social structure of the Mesopotamians. Were there great divisions between the
different social classes? How had the social distinctions changed since the period of
prehistory?
Chapter 3
14. What were the major achievements of the Egyptians? How did they influence later societies?
15. What could the modern reader learn about the relationship between Egypt and Nubia by
reading Harkhuf’s account of his journey to Nubia? What did the two societies have in
common?
16. Examine the creation of early methods of writing. How did this innovation influence the lives
of the peoples of the ancient world?
17. Compare and contrast the worldviews of the Mesopotamians and Egyptians. What factors
help to explain any differences?
18. What was society like in Egypt and Nubia in terms of both social classes and gender roles?
19. What was the significance of the cult of Osiris?
20. How did the Bantu migrations influence the development of the societies of sub-Saharan
Africa?
Chapter 4
***Note today the term Aryan is often associated with racist groups like the Nazis or the Aryan
Nation. In a global history perspective Aryans were an Indo-European (originally from what is today
southern Russia) group that migrated to India. They eventually fused with the Dravidians the
resulting melding of religious beliefs gave birth to a new religion called Hinduism.
21. In the Rig Veda, the following lines relate to the sacrifice of the primeval being Purusha:
“The brahmin was his mouth, of both his arms was the kshatriya made. His thighs became
the vaishya, from his feet the shudra was produced.” What do these words mean? What is the
significance of the association with the various body parts? What does the preeminence of a
god such as Indra say about the Aryans at the time of their arrival in India? What happened to
the view of Indra as India evolved?
22. What were the advantages and disadvantages of the caste system? How did the caste system
reflect Indian society?
23. How are the Upanishads different from the Vedas? What might these differences tell us
about the evolution of Indian religious thought?
24. Discuss the nature of Harappan society. What makes this society so unique? Compare it to
other contemporary ancient societies.
25. Examine the changing role of women in ancient India. How does the Lawbook of Manu
reflect this transformation?
Chapter 5
26. What can the Book of Songs tell us about life in ancient China? Compare the Book of Songs
to other literary works of the ancient world. How does life in China differ from life in other
societies?
27. What could the use of oracle bones tell us about the ancient Chinese Shang dynasty? Was
this practice nothing more than superstition? Did other ancient societies attempt to foretell
the future?
28. What does the mandate of heaven tell us about the philosophy, religion, and social structure
of the ancient Chinese?
29. In what ways was the Zhou dynasty the foundation for Chinese thought and society?
30. Discuss the nature of the mandate of heaven. What were the foundations of this
governmental view? What was its long-term significance?
31. Examine Chinese political history from the Yangshao society through the decline of the Zhou
dynasty. What were the major themes and turning points during this period?
Chapter 6
32. What factors allowed for the exploration and settlement of Oceania? Did these societies change over
time?
33. Examine the Popol Vuh. What can this work tell us about the religious world of the Maya? Compare
it to other creation stories studied so far.
34. Explore the influence of the Olmecs on Mesoamerican society. What were the major foundations of
Olmec civilization? How did they influence other societies?
35. In what fundamental ways did the Mesoamerican and South American societies differ from those of
Oceania? What did they have in common?