COURSE OUTLINE
Each Unit will contain an assignment or activity centered on the following:
1) Examining Historical Interpretations & Primary Sources: this will include the text, supplemental readings of books, videos, &
articles, while primary sources will come primarily from the internet (www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook.html), past AP
exams, & the reader. Students will be required to complete writing assignments over what they read & discuss the major
points in class. These DBQs will include primary documents, photo/pictures, table/graphs, & works of art,
2) Contextualization Analysis: students will be required to connect a selected part of the world to other parts of the world
fitting that area into the correct time period of events & finding meaningful connections
3) Historic cause & effect processes: students will select an event & connect it other events briefly explaining the connection
4) Change & Continuity over Time Outline & Essay: students will be completing detailed outlines according to the AP scoring
guide for the C/COT essay & will have to write a minimum of one C/COT per unit
5) Periodization Debate: students will debate in small groups &/or whole class the periodization dilemma to each unit
6) Comparison Outline & Essay: students will be completing detailed outlines according to the AP scoring guide for the C/C
essay & will have to write a minimum of one C/C per unit.
Unit One: Foundations – ca. 8,000 BCE to 600 BCE (2 weeks)
This major focus of this unit is on laying the foundation of world civilizations through the dev. of political, social,
religious, & economic institutions reflecting the impact of geography, contact among peoples, & changes in technology. Students
will be required to read the appropriate chapters from the text, read & analyze documents related to the time period, & be
active participants in on-going classroom discussions. During the unit, I will build a foundation of knowledge from my lecture &
PowerPoint presentations coupled w/ the text & discussion questions.
During the unit students will be developing skills related to analyzing history in the context of the five themes, making
major comparisons for similarities & differences, & laying the foundation for comparison essay writing. Students will also be
examining maps for changes & continuities & writing essay outlines to answer the major essay topics for the unit. At the end of
the unit students will take a multiple choice exam & an essay exam over one of the major essay topics.
Each class will start w/ a short five minute writing assignment designed to have students create a thesis & support that
thesis w/ appropriate evidence & analysis. I use this technique in analyzing a short primary document, a photo/picture, or
table/graph, to summarize notes or discussion, to respond to one of the five themes of world history, or to write a response to
4-5 key terms which must be used in their response.
Key Concepts for Unit One:
1.1 Big Geography & the Peopling of the Earth
1.2 Neolithic Revolution & Early Agricultural Societies
1.3 Dev. & Interactions of Early Agricultural, Pastoral, & Urban Societies
Lecture/PowerPoint Topics:
1) Intro (incl. the six time periods; five themes; famous historians & interpretations of history; “turning points”; why
study history?)
2) Paleolithic to Neolithic (incl. SPRITE; nature of civilizations; what is a civ?) (KC 1.1, 1.2)
--focus topic: Technology (pottery, plows, metallurgy, wheels)
3) Analyze the four RVCs (incl. SPRITE; art & architecture)
(KC 1.3)
--focus topic: new weapons (iron weapons); new trans. (chariots); monumental architecture (ziggurats); art (sculpture);
record
keeping (cuneiform & hieroglyphics); literature (Epic of Gilgamesh)
Required/Optional Historical Interpretation Readings: (students will read & complete Cornell style notes)
Stearns, Prologue; Chapter 1 (required)
Ponting, Chapters 1, 3, 4, 5 (required)
Ropp, Chapter 1: The Formative Age—Beginnings to Third Century BCE (p. 1-12)
Articles from the web: Peter Stearns “Why Study History?” at www.historians.org/pubs/free/WhyStudyHistory.htm
or
William McNeill at www.historians.org/pubs/archives/whmcneillwhystudyhistory.htm (one required)
Supplemental Articles from History for Us All: Metallurgy; Civilization?; Assyrians; Phoenicians; Hinduism
Skills:
1) Teach the SPRITE chart method of gathering information for compare/contrast essay. (HST-1, 3)
2) Teach the art of writing the compare/contrast essay & developing & proving a thesis. (HST-1, 3)
3) Analyzing point of view/bias, need for additional documents, & grouping in documents.
(HST-1-4)
Major Unit One Essay Topics: (prepare detailed essay outlines for each—one will be chosen for the unit exam)
(each essay topic matched to corresponding primary AP world history theme)
1) Explain how the Neolithic Revolution led to the dev. of new & more complex economic & social systems when
compared to the Paleolithic. (T-3-5)
2) Explain how agriculture & pastoralism began the transform human societies. (T-1, 2)
3) Explain how culture played a significant role in unifying states through laws, language, literature, religion, myths, &
monumental art. (T-2)
4) C/C the political, social structures, & one other area of two of the following: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley,
Shang/Zhou Dynasties (T-2, 4, 5)
Major activities during Lecture/PowerPoint centered on the Themes & Historical Thinking Skills (HST) of World History:
1) Create a timeline of the major points--include the rise & fall of empires &/or regions during this time period. (HST-2)
2) Analyze documents for POV, audience, groupings, impact of geography, purpose, missing voice, & reliability: (HST-1,3,4)
--Flood Stories: Epic of Gilgamesh; Sumerian; Assyrian; Chaldean; Hebrew; Zoroastrian
--Creation Stories: Rig Veda; Greek; Japanese; Norse
--Sennacherib & Hebrew versions of victory
3) Map Interpretation & Analysis: Create a map of this time period w/ major places, regions, features—using in-class
atlases & maps in text (HST-4)
--Complete Map Interpretation Sheet: Summarize 1) major events of the time period for the area w/ C/C;
2) WWW connections w/ C/C; & 3) Contextual Analysis of the area in relationship to other regions
Whole Class/Small Group Discussion/Debate Questions: (can also be used as writing prompts)
1) Why is 500 BCE used as a point to stop this unit? Do you agree or disagree?
2) What is a civilization & at which point do humans create a civilization?
3) What patterns & impacts of interaction/syncretinization existed during this time period among major societies: (ie.
trade, war, diplomacy, etc…--increase in WWW—how did the world go from Pre-WWW to Old-WWW?) What
are 3 examples of civilizations/societies w/ one another & the short/long term results?
4) What are some examples of change & continuities during this time period? Explain w/ examples the sources of
change (either connection/diffusion or independent invention).
5) What new technologies arose & how did technology impact people & the environment?
6) How did geography effect the civilizations in this unit? what was the interaction b/t geography & climate w/
the dev. of human society? what was the impact of agriculture on the environment?
7) How do historians interpret this period of time? What conclusions can you reach? What limitations are there?
Supplemental Socratic (Inner/Outer Circle) Discussions:
a. Geography more than any other factor influenced this early time period. Do you agree or disagree? What
evidence can you provide to support your opinion? (see Stearns, pp. 72-73, 102-103)
b.
All civilizations go through stages as they rise & fall. Agree or disagree? What evidence do you have to support
your opinion? (See Stearns, pp. 24-25, 250-51)
c.
Can we really examine history objectively? Can we know historical truth? (See Stearns, p. 336)
Unit Two: Classical Civilizations 600 BCE to 600 BCE (2 weeks)
This major focus of this unit is on continuing the laying the foundation of world civilizations through the dev. of
political, social, religious, & economic institutions reflecting the impact of geography, contact among peoples, & changes in
technology w/in the Classical Civilizations. Students will be required to read the appropriate chapters from the text, read &
analyze documents related to the time period, & be active participants in on-going classroom discussions. During the unit, I will
build a foundation of knowledge from my lecture & PowerPoint presentations coupled w/ the text & discussion questions.
During the unit students will be developing skills related to analyzing history in the context of the five themes, making
major comparisons for similarities & differences, & laying the foundation for comparison essay writing. Students will also be
examining maps for changes & continuities & writing essay outlines to answer the major essay topics for the unit. At the end of
the unit students will take a multiple choice exam & an essay exam over one of the major essay topics.
Each class will start w/ a short five minute writing assignment designed to have students create a thesis & support that
thesis w/ appropriate evidence & analysis. I use this technique in analyzing a short primary document, a photo/picture, or
table/graph, to summarize notes or discussion, to respond to one of the five themes of world history, or to write a response to
4-5 key terms which must be used in their response.
Key Concepts for Unit Two:
2.1 Dev. & Codification of Religious & Cultural Traditions
2.2 Dev. of States & Empires
2.3 Emergence of Transregional Networks of Communication & Exchange
Lecture/PowerPoint Topics:
1) Intro to Classical Civilizations—Rise & Fall of the following: (incl. SPRITE charts) (KC 2.2)
-- Achaemenid Persia; Maurya & Guptas; Mediterranean Greece & Rome; East Asia: China’s Qin & Han; Americas
--focus topics: Indian literature & architecture; administrative institutions in China; tribute method; deforestation;
frontiers
issues in China & Rome
2)
Rise of trading networks & how technology facilitated long distance communication & exchange. (KC 2.3)
--focus topics: Chang’an; new technology (saddles/stirrups; lateen sail; qanat system) & domesticated animals (horses);
spread
of disease in Rome & China
3)
Rise of new religious traditions & their diffusion & solidification.
(KC 2.1 & 3)
--focus topics: influence of Daoism on architecture; ancestor veneration in E. Asia;
Required/Optional Historical Interpretation Readings: (students will read & complete Cornell style notes)
Stearns, Chapters Two (China); Three (India); Four (Greece/Rome); Five (required)
Cowley, “No Glory that was Greece”
Headrick, Chapter 3: Iron, Horses, & Empires (1500 BCE – 500 CE)
Lockard, Ch. 2: SE Asia in the Classical World ca 200 BCE – 800 CE (p. 20-33)
Ropp, Finish Chapter (p. 13-19); Ch. 2 The First Empires (p. 20 – 36); Ch. 3: The Era of Division (p. 37-49)
Article from the web: Hindu Beginnings: Assessing the Period 1000 BCE to 300 CE, Guy Welbon
(http://www.asian-studies.org/eaa/welbon.pdf) (required—students evaluate arguments on origins of Hinduism)
Supplemental Articles from History for Us All: Achaemenid Persia; Mauryan India; Greece; Global Trade Routes
Skills:
1) Continue to teach the art of the Comparison essay (HST-3)
2) Continue to analyze point of view/bias, need for additional documents, & grouping in documents.
(HST-1-4)
Major Unit Two Essay Topics: (prepare detailed essay outlines for each—one will be chosen for the unit exam)
(each essay topic matched to corresponding primary AP world history theme)
1) C/C how the codification of religious traditions provided a bond among people, an ethical code, & affecting gender
roles among two of the following: Confucianism/Daoism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism. (T-2)
2) Explain how new belief systems & cultural traditions emerged & spread both hierarchically & contagiously. (T-2)
3) Explain how artistic expression, incl. literature & drama, architecture & sculpture, show distinctive cultural
developments. (T-2)
4) C/C empires & states which developed new techniques of imperial administration based on earlier forms, incl. social &
labor systems. (T-3,4,5)
5) C/C how water & land routes became the basis for transregional trade, communication, & exchange networks & how
technology facilitated long distance communication & exchange b/t the Silk Roads, Trans-Saharan, Indian
Ocean, & Med Sea routes. (T-1)
1) Explain & C/C how Rome, Han China, Persia, Mauryan, & Gupta empires created political, cultural, & administrative
difficulties, which in part led to their downfall. (T- 3,4,5)
Major activities during Lecture/PowerPoint centered on the Themes & Historical Thinking Skills (HST) of World History:
1) Create a timeline of the major points--include the rise & fall of empires &/or regions during this time period. (HST-2)
2) Analyze documents for POV, audience, groupings, impact of geography, purpose, missing voice, & reliability: (HST- 1-4)
--Confucianism & Daoism; Hinduism, Buddhism, & Jainism
--Christianity & Judaism
--Gender Issues
3) Map Interpretation & Analysis: Create a map of this time period w/ major places, regions, features—using in-class
atlases & maps in text (HST-4)
 Egyptian Empire
Empires of China
Assyrian & Persian Empires
Empires of India
Greece
Roman Empire
--Complete Map Interpretation Sheet: Summarize 1) major events of the time period for the area w/ C/C;
2) WWW connections w/ C/C; & 3) Contextual Analysis of the area in relationship to other regions
Whole Class/Small Group Discussion/Debate Questions: (can also be used as writing prompts)
1) Why is 600 CE used as a point to stop this unit? Do you agree or disagree?
2) What patterns & impacts of interaction/syncretinization existed during this time period among major societies: (ie.
trade, war, diplomacy, etc…--increase in WWW—how did the world go from Pre-WWW to Old-WWW?) What
are 3 examples of civilizations/societies w/ one another & the short/long term results?
3) What are some examples of change & continuities during this time period? Explain w/ examples the sources of
change (either connection/diffusion or independent invention).
4) What new technologies arose & how did technology impact people & the environment?
5) How did geography effect the civilizations in this unit? what was the interaction b/t geography & climate w/
the dev. of human society? what was the impact of agriculture on the environment?
6) Is there a pattern that we can apply to the rise & fall of empires? Is it valid for today?
Supplemental Socratic (Inner/Outer Circle) Discussions:
a. What was the nature of women in patriarchal societies & social inequalities? How does this compare w/ the
Mediterranean? (Stearns, pp. 50-51, 70-71, 84-85)
b.
Geography more than any other factor influenced this early time period. Do you agree or disagree? What
evidence can you provide to support your opinion? (see Stearns, pp. 72-73, 102-103)
c.
All civilizations go through stages as they rise & fall. Agree or disagree? What evidence do you have to support
your opinion? (See Stearns, pp. 24-25, 250-51)
d.
Can we really examine history objectively? Can we know historical truth? (See Stearns, p. 336)
Unit Three: 600 CE to 1450 CE (6 weeks)
This major focus of this unit is on the major changes in the world wide web as migrations, urbanization, & technology
changed resulting in changes w/in the political & social structures of the time period. The impact & ripple effects from Islam &
the Mongol invasions will also be covered. Students will be required to read the appropriate chapters from the text, read &
analyze documents related to the time period, & be active participants in on-going classroom discussions. During the unit, I will
build a foundation of knowledge from my lecture & PowerPoint presentations coupled w/ the text & discussion questions.
During the unit students will be developing skills related to analyzing history in the context of the six themes, making
major comparisons for similarities & differences, & continue their quest to use historical evidence & analysis in writing
comparison & change over time essays. Students will also be examining maps for changes & continuities w/in the time period &
comparing to the previous & writing essay outlines to answer the major essay topics for the unit. At the end of the unit
students will take a multiple choice exam & an essay exam over one of the major essay topics.
Each class will start w/ a short five minute writing assignment designed to have students create a thesis & support that
thesis w/ appropriate evidence & analysis. I use this technique in analyzing a short primary document, a photo/picture, to
summarize notes or discussion, responding to one of the five themes of world history, or to write a response to 4-5 key terms
which must be used in their response.
Key Concepts for Unit Three:
Lecture/PowerPoint Topics:
3.1 Expansion & Intensification of Communication & Exchange Networks
3.2 Continuity & Innovation of State Forms & Their Interactions
3.3 Increased Economic Productive Capacity & Its Consequences
1) Growing WWW & regional globalization (KC1)
--focus topics: Guangzhou; spices; camel saddles; credit; paper money; Hanseatic
League; impact of Vikings; diffusion of Arabic; diasporic Jews; Ibn Battuta;
diffusion of Confucianism & Greek/Indian knowledge in Islam; new rice in
Asia
2) Rise & Demise of gov’t/empires—successes/failures & borrowers/innovators (KC2)
--focus topics: religion as source of power; taxation; Abbasids; Italian city-states;
influence of China in Japan
3) Global & regional economic trends—causes & results (KC3)
Required/Optional Historical Interpretation Readings: (students will read & complete Cornell style notes)
Stearns, Chapters Six – Fifteen (required)
Armstrong, Chapters 1-3
Bernstein, Chapters 3 - 6
Ropp, Ch. 4-5
Hendrick, Ch. 4 Postclassical & Medieval Revolutions (500 – 1400)
Lockard, Chapter 3: The Kingdoms of the Golden Age, ca. 800 - 1400
Skills:
1) Teach the Double-T chart method of gathering information for changes/continuities (HTS 1,2,3)
2) Teach the art of writing the Change over Time (COT) essay (HTS 1,2,3)
--use the 2002 Released Exam essay on Islam & Christian attitudes to merchants as a model
3) Continue analyzing point of view/bias, need for additional documents, & grouping in documents. (HTS 1,2,3)
--use the 2004 Released Exam question on Buddhism
--Documents on Social & Gender Issues (from Modern History Sourcebook aka MHS)
--DBQ from 2007 on Roman & Han attitudes toward technology
4) Chart the trading networks (map the routes, key hubs/cities, & products) (HTS 4)
Major Unit Three Essay Topics: (prepare detailed essay outlines for each—one will be chosen for the unit exam)
(each essay topic matched to corresponding primary AP world history theme)
1.
Explain how improved transportation technologies & commercial practices led to an increased volume of trade, &
expanded the geographical range of existing & newly active trade networks. (T-1, 2)
2. Explain how the movement of peoples caused environmental & linguistic effects, incl. the continued diffusion of crops
& pathogens throughout the Eastern Hemisphere along the trade routes. (T-1, 2)
3. Explain how cross-cultural exchanges were fostered by the intensification of existing, or the creation of new,
networks of trade & communication both land & maritime based (T-1, 2) or C/C interregional contacts &
conflicts b/t states & empires encouraged significant technological & cultural transfers. (T-2, 3)
4. Explain how & C/C empires collapsed & were reconstituted; in some regions new state forms emerged in two of the
following areas: Europe, North Africa, India, China, Japan. (T-3)
5. Explain how innovations stimulated agricultural & industrial production in at least two regions. (T-4)
6. C/C the fate of cities varied greatly, w/ periods of significant decline, & w/ periods of increased urbanization
buoyed by rising productivity & expanding trade networks. (T-1, 4)
7. Despite significant continuities in social structures & in methods of production, C/C important changes in labor
management & in the effect of religious conversion on gender relations & family life. (T-5)
Major activities during Lecture/PowerPoint centered on the Themes & Historical Thinking Skills (HST) of World History: 
1) Create a timeline of the major points--include the rise & fall of empires &/or regions during this time period. (HST-2)
2) Create COT Charts for the following: 1) Islamic Empire (including diffusion into Africa & India) (KTS- 1-3)
2) East & West Europe. (KTS- 1-3)
3) China from the Sui, Tang, Song, & Yuan. (KTS- 1-3)
4) Japan (including C/C European & Japanese feudalism) (KTS- 1-3)
5) Role & function of cities & how they COT (600 BCE to 1450 CE) (KTS- 1-3)
6) Technology from Unit 1-3 (KTS- 1-3)
3) Analyze documents for POV, audience, groupings, impact of geography, purpose, missing voice, & reliability: (HST- 1-4)
4) Map Interpretation & Analysis: Create a map of this time period w/ major places, regions, features—using in-class
atlases & maps in text (HST-4)
World, 600-1000 CE
Silk Road Routes
Cities: Samarkand, Chang’an, Damascus, Babylon, Jerusalem,
Battle of Manzikert
Guangzhou, Cordoba, Fustat (Cairo), Mecca, Medina,
Grand Canal
Tikal, Teotihucan, Tenochititlan, Constantinople, Rome,
Angkor Wat
Baghdad, Moscow, Kiev
Nile, Yellow (Huang He), Tigris, Euphrates, & Yangtze Rivers
Indian/Atlantic/Pacific Oceans
Gobi Desert, Himalayas
Empires: Abbasid, Fatamid, Spanish Umayyad, Kingdom of the Franks, Byzantine Empire, Silla, Japan,
Kievan Russia, Tang China, Maya, Olmec, Chavin, Mound Cultures, Anasazi
World, 1000-1450 CE
The Four Mongol Empires
Cities: Moscow, Kiev, Samarkand, Baghdad, Karakorum, Beijing,
Battle of Ain Julat
Hangzhou, Mombassa, Zanzibar, Mogadishu, Tombouctu,
Great Zimbabwe
Delhi, Cuzco, Nara, Chang’an, Osaka, Toyko/Edo,
Mali
Inca
Aztec
Song
Mamluk Sultanate
Holy Roman Empire
France
Champa
Delhi Sultanate
Spain
England
Annam
--Complete Map Interpretation Sheet: Summarize 1) major events of the time period for the area w/ C/C;
2) WWW connections w/ C/C; & 3) Contextual Analysis of the area in relationship to other regions
Whole Class/Small Group Discussion/Debate Questions: (can also be used as writing prompts)
1) What are the major points of this unit, including the rise & fall of empires/regions during this time period?
2) Why is 1450 used to end this unit? Do you agree or disagree? Why not 1000 CE?
3) How did patterns & impacts of interaction change during this time period among major societies?
4) How did China & Islam influence their surrounding areas culturally & economically & what limitations existed?
5) Explain how innovations stimulated agricultural & industrial production in many regions.
Supplemental Socratic Discussion Topics:
1) There were 3 main areas of syncretization during this time period (Islam, Tang/Song China, Europe), what specific
historical evidence exists of the nature of syncretism & its short/long term results?
2) How did the www grow during this time period? What were the causes of growth, the impact &/or effects of the
growth, what was exchanged, & what role did the various civilizations play in its growth?
3) History is driven by economics (or ideologies” or “geography”), do you agree or disagree? Why or why not? What
specific evidence & analysis from this unit can be used to prove your point.
4) Some historians ascribe turning points to historical interpretation. Select the three most significant turning points
during this unit that you feel made a significant change. Why is this event significant to what came before &
the short & long term ripple effects; how would history be different if this event was altered?
Unit Four: 1450 to 1750 CE (6 weeks)
This major focus of this unit is on the European quest to “create others in our own image” & the resulting effects in
the Americas, Africa, & Asia. Students will be required to read the appropriate chapters from the text, read & analyze
documents related to the time period, & be active participants in on-going classroom discussions. During the unit, I will build a
foundation of knowledge from my lecture & PowerPoint presentations coupled w/ the text & discussion questions.
During the unit students will be developing skills related to analyzing history in the context of the six themes, making
major comparisons for similarities & differences, & using historical evidence & analysis in writing logical, coherent essays.
Students will also be examining maps for changes & continuities w/in the time period & comparing to the previous one & writing
essay outlines to answer the major essay topics for the unit. At the end of the unit students will take a multiple choice exam &
an essay exam over one of the major essay topics.
Each class will start w/ a short five minute writing assignment designed to have students create a thesis & support that
thesis w/ appropriate evidence & analysis. I use this technique in analyzing a short primary document, a photo/picture, to
summarize notes or discussion, responding to one of the six themes of world history, or to write a response to 4-5 key terms
which must be used in their response.
Key Concepts for Unit Four:
Lecture/PowerPoint Topics:
4.1 Globalizing Networks of Communication & Exchange
4.2 New Forms of Social Organization & Modes of Production
4.3 State Consolidation & Imperial Expansion
1) Intro to the Growing New World Order
2) Growing WWW: connections, technology, & diffusion (KC4.1)
--focus topics: astrolabe & caravels; horses; Vodun; woodblock art in Japan;
Cervantes
3) Global economics: Labor systems, political systems, & social structures (KC4.2)
--focus topics: potatoes/sugar/okra; labor systems in Americas
4) Power: Uses & Abuses (KC4.3)
--focus topics: daimyo in Japan; Americas caste system; art/religion as power; power
of elites (China’s exam system)
Required/Optional Historical Interpretation Readings: (students will read & complete Cornell style notes)
Stearns, Chapters 16 – 22 (required)
Ponting, Chapter 6: The Long Struggle (required)
Ropp, Ch. 6: Early Modern China
Lockard, Ch. 4 – 5
Bernstein, Ch. 7 - 9
Tokugawa Japan: An Introductory Essay by Marcia Yonemoto (at http://www.colorado.edu/cas/tea/curriculum/imagingjapanese-history/tokugawa/pdfs/essay.pdf) (required—students will evaluate the historical interpretations for the rise of the
Tokugawa)
Skills:
1) Continue to use the Double-T chart method of gathering information for changes/continuities
2) Teach the art of writing the Document Based Question (DBQ) essay analyzing point of view, bias,
need for additional documents, & context in documents.
--use the 2006 released exam question on Silver as a model
Major Unit Four Essay Topics: (prepare detailed essay outlines for each—one will be chosen for the unit exam)
(each essay topic matched to corresponding primary AP world history theme)
1)
2)
3)
4)
C/C the causes of increased/decreased regional trade networks w/ the political, social, & economic results b/t
two of the following: Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Silk Road, Sub-Saharan . (T-3 ,4)
C/C the new economic systems & resulting labor systems/social hierarchies. (T-4, 5)
C/C how rulers used a variety of methods to legitimize & consolidate their power. (T-2, 3)
C/C imperial expansion & the challenges facing land-based empires in the face of growing maritime powers. (T-1)
Major activities during Lecture/PowerPoint centered on the Themes & Historical Thinking Skills (HST) of World History:
1) Create a timeline of the major points--include the rise & fall of empires &/or regions during this time period. (HST-2)
2) Analyze documents for POV, audience, groupings, impact of geography, purpose, missing voice, & reliability: (HST- 1-4)
-- C/C motives for exploration
-- Evaluate the impact of trade b/t Russia, Asia, & Africa
-- Evaluate the attitudes toward Native America labor. (includes charts & statistics)
-- Analyze the interactions of peoples during this time period as cultures came into greater contact
-- Analyze the attitudes & responses toward the poor in Europe (AP Euro DBQ)
3) Utilize http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/21f/21f.027/home/index.html (MIT Visualizing Cultures website) to examine &
compare/contrast art (photo/pictures, primary documents, etc…) on East Asia from diverse sources.
4) Map Interpretation & Analysis: Create a map of this time period w/ major places, regions, features—using in-class
atlases & maps in text (HST-4)

Shade/label: Major European states, Ottoman Empire, Ming China, Tokugawa, Mughal Dynasty,
Russia, Aztec, Inca, America colonial possessions, Oyo, Dahomey, Benin, Songhai, Swahili Coast, Kongo

Cities: Tombocktu, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Cairo, Venice, Kilwa, Guangzhou (Canton), Samarkand, Tikal,
Baghdad, Heian, Teochititlan, Mecca, Rome, Moscow, St. Petersburg, London, Paris, Beijing, Macao,
Bombay, Angkor Wat

Features: Yellow River, Yangtze River, Indus River, Ganges River, Grand Canal, Trade Networks/Routes & major
products, Silk Road Routes, Routes of Ibn Battuta., Marco Polo, & Zheng He
--Complete Map Interpretation Sheet: Summarize 1) major events of the time period for the area w/ C/C;
2) WWW connections w/ C/C; & 3) Contextual Analysis of the area in relationship to other regions
Whole Class/Small Group Discussion/Debate Questions: (can also be used as writing prompts)
1) Outline the major points of this unit, include the rise/fall of empires & regions during this time period.
2) Why is 1750 used to end this unit? Why not another date, such as…?
3) What new patterns & impacts of interaction existed during this time period among major societies: (ie. trade, war,
diplomacy, etc…) (be sure to include the Atlantic, global trade, increase in WWW)
4) What are the new technologies & how did technology impact people & the environment?
5) What are some examples of systems of social & gender structures?
6) Discuss demographic & environmental changes (diseases, animals, new crops, & comparative population trends).
7) Discuss the causes, effects, & major events in the Scientific Revolution, Reformation, & Enlightenment.
8) Outline the changes & continuities w/in Confucianism (especially Neo-Confucianism).
9) How does the world economic system of this period compare w/ the world economic network of the Unit II?
Supplemental Socratic Questions:
1) There were 3 main areas of cultural hierarchical & contagious diffusion & syncretinization during this time period
(Asia, Americas, Africa), what specific historical evidence exists of the nature & the causes of European
diffusion & its short/long term results?
2) How did the www grow during this time period? What were the causes of growth, the impact &/or effects of the
growth, what was exchanged, & what role did the various civilizations play in its growth?
3) Compare & contrast the new world order w/ the previous time period. What has changed & stayed the same? Why
did the changes occur? Be specific in your evidence & provide excellent analysis.
Unit Five: 1750 -1900 (6 weeks)
This major focus of this unit is on the major industrial, political, & social changes that sweep the world unleashing the
forces of nationalism & conflict as the world wide web increases contact among peoples. Students will be required to read the
appropriate chapters from the text, read & analyze documents related to the time period, & be active participants in on-going
classroom discussions. During the unit, I will build a foundation of knowledge from my lecture & PowerPoint presentations
coupled w/ the text & discussion questions.
During the unit students will be developing skills related to analyzing history in the context of the six themes, making
major comparisons for similarities & differences, & continue to hone their essay writing skills. Students will also be examining
maps for changes & continuities from w/in the time period & to the previous & writing essay outlines to answer the major essay
topics for the unit. At the end of the unit students will take a multiple choice exam & an essay exam over one of the major
essay topics.
Each class will start w/ a short five minute writing assignment designed to have students create a thesis & support that
thesis w/ appropriate evidence & analysis. I use this technique in analyzing a short primary document, a photo/picture, to
summarize notes or discussion, responding to one of the six themes of world history, or to write a response to 4-5 key terms
which must be used in their response.
Key Concepts for Unit Five:
Lecture/PowerPoint Topics:
KC 5.1 Industrialization & Global Capitalism
KC 5.2 Imperialism & Nation-State Formation
KC 5.3 Nationalism, Revolution & Reform
KC 5.4 Global Migration
1) Unit Overview: Ism’s & action/reaction
2) Political & Industrial Revolutions (KC5.1)
--focus topics: China (Self-Strengthening); Marxism; suffrage; Enlightenment
3) Nationalism & the Reaction against Imperialism (Americas) (KC5.1-4)
--focus topics: Britain in India, West Africa, Australia; Opium War; Ottoman decline;
Zulu’s; German nationalism; slave resistance (maroons); Indian Revolt; Tiaping
Rebellion; Tanzimat
4) Europe, India, China & Japan (KC5.1-4)
5) Australia/Oceania, Africa & Middle East (KC5.1-4)
Required/Optional Historical Interpretation Readings: (students will read & complete Cornell style notes)
Stearns, Chapters 23 – 27 (required)
Ropp, Ch. 7 Decline, Fall, & Aftermath of the Qing
Ponting, Ch. 7 – 11 (required)
Lockard, Ch. 6 -7
Berger, Chapters 2 – 4
Bernstein, Ch. 10
Headrick, Ch. 6 The First Industrial Revolution (1750 – 1869)
Pamela K. Crossley, The Late Qing Empire in Global History (http://www.aasianst.org/eaa/crossley-13-2.pdf) (required)
Skills:
1) Continue to use the Double-T chart method of gathering information for changes/continuities
2) Practice the art of writing the Document Based Question (DBQ) essay analyzing point of
view/bias, need for additional documents, & grouping in documents.
--use the 2003 released exam question on Indentured Servitude as a model
Major Unit Five Essay Topics: (prepare detailed essay outlines for each—one will be chosen for the unit exam)
(each essay topic matched to corresponding primary AP world history theme)
2) C/C--causes, early phases (diffusion), & results of the Industrial Revolution in W. Europe & Japan. (T-1, 3)
2) C/C—causes, motivations, & forms of western imperialism in Asia, L. America, & Africa. (T-2)
3) C/C—the spread of the Enlightenment & subsequent reaction against imperialism/colonialism in two of the following
areas: the Americas, East Asia, South Asia (T-2)
4) C/C—causes, events, results of social movements in two of the following areas: Europe, Americas, Russia (T-1, 6)
5) C/C—the growth of the WWW w/ demographic, economic, & labor changes (T-1-6)
6) COT for one of the following either pol, soc, or economic: Europe, China, Africa, Latin America (T – 3, 4, 5)
Major activities during Lecture/PowerPoint centered on the Themes & Historical Thinking Skills (HST) of World History:
1) Create a timeline of the major points--include the rise & fall of empires &/or regions during this time period. (HST-2)
2) Analyze documents for POV, audience, groupings, impact of geography, purpose, missing voice, & reliability using one
or
more of the following possibilities: (HST- 1-4)
1) C/C the relationship b/t nationalism & liberalism/conservatism in the 1800s
2) Evaluate the justifications for expanding educational opportunities
3) C/C motives of supporters of independence movements (includes pictures)
4) Analyze the changes/continuities from 1800 - 1945 as nationalism & industrialization swept the world.
(docs. provided from Modern History Source Book)
5) Discuss & contrast pos & neg forces of imperialism
6) Discuss & contrast attitudes toward feminism
7) Discuss & contrast attitudes toward European encroachment
8) C/C the definition & limitations of liberties
9) Analyze African reaction to the European Scramble for Africa (2009 exam)
10) C/C the attitudes toward power & the limitations of power
3) Utilize http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/21f/21f.027/home/index.html (MIT Visualizing Cultures website) to examine &
compare/contrast art (photo/pictures, primary documents, etc…) on East Asia from diverse sources.
4) Map Interpretation & Analysis: Create a map of this time period w/ major places, regions, features—using in-class
atlases & maps in text (HST-4)
o Shade/label: Major European states in the 1800s, major colonial areas in Africa, Ottoman Empire (circa
1900), Meiji Japan, Cuba, Mexico, Panama Canal, Suez Canal, Lawrenceburg, Canada, Australia, Qing
Dynasty, Russia, British India, British Australia, major colonial possessions in Southeast Asia, Washington
DC, New York, Chicago, LA, San Francisco, Mexico City, Havana, Potosi, Lima, Veracruz, the Balkans
--Complete Map Interpretation Sheet: Summarize 1) major events of the time period for the area w/ C/C;
2) WWW connections w/ C/C; & 3) Contextual Analysis of the area in relationship to other regions
Whole Class/Small Group Discussion/Debate Questions: (can also be used as writing prompts)
1) Outline the major points of this unit; include the rise & fall of major empires/regions during this time period. What are some
changes & continuities during this time period? Why is 1914 used to end this unit?
2) How is nationalism, the idea of nation-states, & movements of political reform tied into independence movements?
3) What are the new technologies & how did technology impact people & the environment?
4) What impact & new changes existed in demography & the environment (migrations, end of the Atlantic slave trade, new
birthrate patterns, food supply)?
5) Explain the rise of democracy & its limitations (reform, women, racism).
Supplemental Socratic Discussion Topics:
1) What causes change? Is change from the top (elite) or the bottom (peasant)? Is there a boiling point when
change
becomes inevitable?
2)
What are the debates over the nature of women’s roles in this period; how do these debates apply to
industrialized areas & colonial societies?
Unit Six: 1900 to the Present (6 weeks)
This major focus of this unit is on the ideological conflicts of the 20 th century & the resulting struggles, migrations, &
changes in international politics. Students will be required to read the appropriate chapters from the text, read & analyze
documents related to the time period, & be active participants in on-going classroom discussions. During the unit, I will build a
foundation of knowledge from my lecture & PowerPoint presentations coupled w/ the text & discussion questions.
During the unit students will be developing skills related to analyzing history in the context of the six themes, making
major comparisons for similarities & differences, & continuing to polish their essay writing skills. Students will also be examining
maps for changes & continuities from w/in & to the previous time period & writing essay outlines to answer the major essay
topics for the unit. At the end of the unit students will take a multiple choice exam & an essay exam over one of the major
essay topics.
Each class will start w/ a short five minute writing assignment designed to have students create a thesis & support that
thesis w/ appropriate evidence & analysis. I use this technique in analyzing a short primary document, a photo/picture, to
summarize notes or discussion, responding to one of the six themes of world history, or to write a response to 4-5 key terms
which must be used in their response.
Unit Six Key Concepts:
Lecture/PowerPoint Topics:
6.1 Science & the Environment
6.2 Global Conflicts & their Consequences
6.3 New Conceptualizations of Global Economy, Society, & Culture
1) Unit Overview: the New World Order
2) Hyper-Nationalism, Total War (KC 6.2)
2) Bi-Polar World & the Cold War (KC 6.2-3)
3) Westernization vs. Traditionalism—social, political, & economic changes (KC 6.1-3)
4) Nationalism: Africa, Americas, India, Middle East, Australia/Oceania (KC 6.2-3)
5) WWW: Hyper-growth, environmental issues, & globalization (KC 6.1-3)
Required/Optional Historical Interpretation Readings: (students will read & complete Cornell style notes)
Stearns, Chapters 28 – 36 (required)
Ropp, Ch. 8 Civil Wars, invasion, & the Rise of Communism; Ch. 9 The People’s Republic of China
Ponting, Ch. 12 – 16 (required)
Lockard, Ch. 8 – 11
Berger, Chapters 5 – 8
Bernstein, Ch. 11 – 12
Headrick, Ch. 7 - 8
Philip Oldenburg, India’s Democracy: Illusion or Reality? (http://www.aasianst.org/eaa/Oldenburg-12-3.pdf) (required)
Major Unit Six Essay Topics: (prepare detailed essay outlines for each—one will be chosen for the unit exam)
(each essay topic matched to corresponding primary AP world history theme)
1) C/C the different types of independence struggles, nationalist ideologies, & the patterns & results of decolonization
in
Africa & India. (T-3)
2) CoT how individuals, states, & communities became increasingly interdependent. (T-1, 2)
3) C/C how people challenged the social, religious, & economic status quo & the resultant conflicts in two of the
following
areas: East Asia, South Asia, Middle East, or Africa. (T-2-5)
4) C/C historical examples of sources of global conflict & the responses to them. (T-3)
5) Explain how humans impacted the world on a global scale & the on-going results/conflicts. (T-1)
6) Explain how globalization entered a period of hyper-growth examining the causes & major effects. (T-1-5)
Major activities during Lecture/PowerPoint centered on the Themes & Historical Thinking Skills (HST) of World History:
1) Use the Double-T chart method of gathering information for changes/continuities
2) Practice the art of writing the Document Based Question (DBQ) essay using one or more of the following
possibilities:
--Analyze the attitudes toward family planning
--C/C the Cold War & goals of nationalistic movements
--C/C motives of ethnic outbreaks in the later 20th century
--Analyze issues in nationalism among Muslim leaders (2005 released exam)
--Analyze sim/diff in Japan & India in cotton mechanization
--Analyze causes & results of the Green Revolution (2011 released exam)
--C/C attitudes toward feminism (from MHS)
--Analyze factors that shaped the modern Olympic movement (2008 released exam)
--Analyze main features of global indentured servitude (2003 released exam)
--C/C how democratic govts preserve liberties for their citizens
3) Time permitting, create an “event tree” of a current event tracing the lineage of that event as far back as possible
to
illustrated the connectivity of history.
4) Time permitting, create a virtual museum of art & architecture to illustrate change/continuity.
5) Utilize http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/21f/21f.027/home/index.html (MIT Visualizing Cultures website) to examine &
compare/contrast art (photo/pictures, primary documents, etc…) on East Asia from diverse sources.
6) Map Interpretation & Analysis: Create a map of this time period w/ major places, regions, features—using in-class
atlases & maps in text (HST-4)

Label the following countries: US, Argentina, Russia, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Canada, Australia, the Balkans,
New Zealand, Japan, China, England, France, Italy, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kenya, South Africa, Germany,
Israel, Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, North & South Korea, Cambodia, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Taiwan

Label the following cities: Moscow, Washington DC, New York, Chicago, LA, Havana, Mexico City, Tokyo,
Beijing, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Hanoi, Pyongyang, Seoul, Berlin, Cairo, Jerusalem, Baghdad, Hong Kong,
Veracruz, Berlin
--Complete Map Interpretation Sheet: Summarize 1) major events of the time period for the area w/ C/C;
2) WWW connections w/ C/C; & 3) Contextual Analysis of the area in relationship to other regions
Whole Class/Small Group Discussion/Debate Questions: (can also be used as writing prompts)
1) What are some changes & continuities during this time period? Why is 1900 used to start this unit?
2) Explain instances of genocide in the 20th century w/ causes & effects.
3) What are the new technologies & how did technology impact people & the environment?
4) What impact & new changes exist in demography? (population growth, migration, immigration, urbanization, etc…)
5) What were the characteristics of the major authoritarian regimes?
6) What were the causes of the two world wars? What were the cultural & political transformations resulting from WWI &
World War II?
7) Explain the internationalization of popular culture.
Supplemental Socratic Discussion Topics:
1) Is cultural convergence or diversity the best model for understanding increased cultural contact in the 20 th century?
2) What are the advantages & disadvantages of using units of analysis in the 20 th century, such as the nation, the world,
the West, & the developing world? What do historians say?
End of the Year!
Students will have several opportunities to take complete mock exams based on released AP exams.
Semester/Final Exam will be two part w/ the first being multiple choice & the second one of the three types of essays
you will see on the AP exam.