AP World History Reading Guide- Wise 2011
40 Chapters in 30 weeks
This is a tentative schedule of all reading assignments and is subject to change. Use this guide as you read the
text book in order to prepare for lectures, class discussions, and tests and chapter quizzes.
*READING the text is THE MOST IMPORTANT factor for doing well in AP World History. Pay attention to
daily assignments for when the exact days for reading need to be done, but know that during the week specified
you will be responsible for the information in those chapters for lecture, class discussion, presentations and
quizzes.
Reading Guide grading guidelines: Reading guides will be graded weekly and will be a large part of each terms
grades. Reading guide point values will vary depending on the number of HTCTK and focus questions.
HTCTK’s will be worth a 1 point and focus question 5 points each. (example: Chapter 2 Reading
Guide will be worth 15 points)
Week 1 (Date: August 23-26)
Chapter 1 “Before History” Read pages 2-3, 12-26 in Bentley and Ziegler
Historical Terms and Concepts to know:
Paleolithic
What does the term mean?
Describe the PERSIA of this type of society.
Neolithic
What does this term mean?
Describe the PERSIA of this type of society.
Venus figurines
What are they?
Who made them?
What was their purpose?
agricultural revolution vs. agricultural transition
What was the difference in these terms?
metallurgy
What is the definition?
What purpose did it have on early human civilization?
Chapter 1 Focus Questions
*For each question please write at least 5-7 sentences. Your response to each question must include 3-4
specific examples from the reading.
Give at least 3 examples of the human response to climate and geography
What were the causes and effects of the development of permanent settlements’?
Week 2 (Date: August 29 – Sept 2)
Chapter 2 “Early societies in SW Asia and North Africa”
Historical Terms and Concepts to know:
Epic of Gilgamesh
What was it?
How did it reflect the political and social aspects of Mesopotamia?
Sargon of Akkad
Who was he?
What was political significance?
Hammurabi’s Laws
What was the purpose of them?
What was Lex Talionis?
Judaism
What are characteristics of this religion?
Indo-European migrations
Who were Indo-Europeans?
Where did they migrate to?
What impact did their migrations have upon new technological innovations?
Chapter 2 Focus Questions
*For each question please write at least 5-7 sentences. Your response to each question must include 3-4
specific examples from the reading.
Explain the effect of the Tigris and Euphrates geography on Mesopotamian culture
Describe the political and class structure of Mesopotamia
Week 3(Date: Sept. 6-9) *You will read only one of the assigned reading as determined in class.
Chapter 3 “Early African Societies and the Bantu Migrations”
Historical Terms and Concepts to know:
Nubia
Menes
Where was Nubia? What did it become?
How did the Nubian people use the Nile to their benefit?
What impact did Menes have on Egyptian history?
How did he and his successors rule Egypt?
Pharaohs
What role did a pharaoh play in Egyptian culture?
How was the pharaohs viewed by people? WHY?
Hieroglyphs
What were hieroglyphics?
What role did hieroglyphics play in society?
Bantu
Who were the Bantus?
Where is their hearth and where did they spread?
How and why did the migrate?
Chapter 3 Focus Questions
*For each question please write at least 5-7 sentences. Your response to each question must include 3-4
specific examples from the reading.
Explain the effect of the Nile on Egyptian culture
Explain the origins of the Bantu language and its pattern of expansion
Chapter 4 “Early Societies in South Asia”
Historical Terms and Concepts to know:
Harappans
Who were these people?
Where did they live?
Describe the political, economic, and cultural characteristics of the Harappans.
Why do scholars not know much about these people?
Indus River
What impact did this river have upon agriculture in India?
Aryans
Who were they?
Describe the PERSIA of the Aryans
Vedas
What were the Vedas?
Chapter 4 Focus Questions:
*For each question please write at least 5-7 sentences. Your response to each question must include 3-4
specific examples from the reading.
Describe the basic features of early Harappan civilization including geography, culture, social structure, states and
political identity
Describe the nature of patriarchy in Harappan and Aryan traditions
Chapter 5 Early Societies in East Asia
Historical Terms and Concepts to know:
Yellow River
What has been the importance of the Yellow River in terms of agriculture for the Chinese?
Xia dynasty:
Who and where were the Xia?
What impact did they have on Chinese history?
Shang dynasty:
Who were the Shang?
What impact did they have on Chinese history?
Zhou dynasty:
Who were the Zhou:
What impact did they have on Chinese history?
Mandate of Heaven:
What is the Mandate of Heaven?
What role did this idea have on Chinese political and social life?
Chapter 5 Focus Questions:
*For each question please write at least 5-7 sentences. Your response to each question must include 3-4
specific examples from the reading.
Explain the significance of bronze and then iron technologies in China during the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties
Discuss the major political developments as well as social and gender structure in China (3500-500BCE)
Chapter 6 Early Societies in the Americas and Oceania
Historical Terms and Concepts to know:
bloodletting rituals
What was the purpose of these rituals?
Olmecs
Where did they live?
What characteristics of their culture did they provide to later societies?
Teotihuacan society
What peoples lived in Teoithuacan?
What was the social structure like in this city?
agriculture in the Andes
What was the geography like in this region?
What types of agricultural products did they grow?
Australian aborigines
When did people first come to Australia?
What types of agricultural products did they grow?
Chapter 6 Focus Questions:
*For each question please write at least 5-7 sentences. Your response to each question must include 3-4
specific examples from the reading.
Relate the geography and climate of the Americas and Oceania with the development of human society in each
area
Discuss the major trading patterns within and among peoples of the Americas and Oceania
Week 3 (date Sept. 6-9) Due Friday Sept. 9th
Chapter 7 The Empires of Persia
Historical Terms and Concepts to know:
Achaemenid Empire:
Who were they? Where were they located?
What was the PERSIA of the empire?
Darius:
Who was he related to?
What made him the GREATEST Achaemenid emperor?
Alexander of Macedon:
Where was he from?
What impact did Alexander have on the Achaemenid Empire? What happened to the empire as a result
of him?
Seleucid, Parthian, and Sassanid Empires:
What are some characteristics of each of the empires?
Why were the Arabs able to conquer the area of these empires?
Zoroastrianism:
What are the basic beliefs of Zoroastrianism?
Why did Zoroastrianism emerge where and when it did?
Chapter 7 Focus Questions:
*For each question please write at least 5-7 sentences. Your response to each question must include 3-4
specific examples from the reading.
Based on the PERSIA concepts, why did the Persian Empires rise and fall?
What role does a religion of salvation play in a complex society, specifically in the Persian Empires?
Exam over Chapters 1, 2 and7 on September 13th
Week 4(Date: Sept. 12-16) Due Thursday Sept. 15th
Chapter 8 “The Unification of China” Pages 189-203
Historical Terms and Concepts to know:
Qin Shihuangdi
Who was he?
Describe the PES characteristics of China under Qin Shihuangdi.
Han Wudi
Who was he?
What were the changes he made to Han political centralization?
How did he incorporate Confucian and Legalism into the Han government?
Classic of Filial Piety
What does this term mean?
How does it relate to patriarchy in China?
Yellow Turban Uprising
What caused this event?
What impact did this event have upon China?
Chapter 8 Focus Questions:
Describe Qin unification, accomplishments, and the reasons for its downfall
Identify the new technologies created during the Han dynasty and their impact on Chinese society.
Chapter 9 “State, Society, and the Quest for Salvation in India” Pages 207-217
Historical terms and Concepts to know:
Ashoka
Who was he?
What changes did he make to the political and economic systems in India?
caste system
What does caste mean?
What were the four main castes?
Jati
What were they in Indian society?
How did the jati impact everyday life in India?
Chapter 9 Focus questions:
Compare and contrast the political systems of the Mauryan and Gupta dynasties.
Weeks 5 (Date: Sept.19-23)
Chapters 8 and 9 “Chinese and Indian Philosophy and Religion” Pages 181-189 and 217-228
Historical Terms and Concepts to know:
Confucius (Kong Fuzi,)
Who was he? When did he live?
What are the basic ideas of his philosophy?
Laozi:
Who was he? When did he live?
Legalism
What are the basic ideas of his philosophy?
What are the basic ideas of this philosophy? When was it started?
Why was it more appealing to the Chinese than the other philosophies at this time?
Jainism
When and who started it?
What are the basic ideas of this philosophy?
Siddhartha Gautama
When and where did he live?
How did his life and his experiences form the basis of Buddhism?
Bhagavad Gita
What is it?
How does the Bhagavad Gita reflect the ideas of popular Hinduism?
Chapters 8 and 9 Focus Questions:
Describe the basic tenets of each of the three Chinese philosophies
Compare Hinduism and Buddhism and how they influenced societal norms
Week 6 (Date: Sept. 26- 30)
Chapter 10 Mediterranean Society: The Greek Phase
Historical Terms and Concepts to know:
Minoans
Who established this society?
Where were they located?
Describe the trade network they were involved in.
Pericles
Who was he?
How did he make Athens the most powerful polis?
Peloponnesian Wars
Who fought these wars?
What was the impact of these wars on the Greek polis?
Hellenistic
What does this term mean?
What are characteristics of this time period?
Socrates, Plato, Aristotle
Who were these individuals?
How did these individuals’ ideas impact history?
Chapter 10 Focus Questions:
Explain how the geography and climate of Greece affected the development of Greek society
Explain what happened to Alexander’s empire following his death. Be sure to include the location of the new
empires.
Week 7 (Oct. 3– 7)
Chapter 11 Mediterranean Society: The Roman Phase
Historical Terms and Concepts to know:
Etruscans
Who were they? Where and when did they live?
How did the Etruscans influence the formation of early Rome?
Punic Wars
Where and when did it take place?
Why was it fought?
What was the outcome of the Punic Wars?
Augustus Caesar
Who was he?
How did he align with and dealing with Julius Caesar?
Pax Romana
What does it mean?
Why was this period called Pax Romana?
pater familias
What does it mean?
What impact did pater familias have on Roman society?
Chapter 11 Focus Questions:
Describe the analyze the major political developments in Rome from its founding through the end of the western
empire
Analyze the significance of trade within Rome and throughout its empire
Explain how Christianity emerged as a dynamic and influential faith in the Mediterranean basin
Exam over Chapters 8-11 on October 11th
Week 8(Oct. 10-14) Due Thursday Oct. 13th
Chapter 12 “Cross-Cultural Exchange on the Silk Roads”
Historical Terms and Concepts:
Monsoons
What were they?
How did they impact trade in the region?
Period of Warring States
When did this take place? (page 118)
What were political characteristics of this time period? (page 303)
Germanic peoples
Who were these people?
Who were the Huns?
How did they cause a decline in the Western Roman Empire?
Constantine
Who was he?
How did he impact the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire?
emergence of papal authority
What does the term mean?
Describe their power over the Christian church.
Chapter 12 Focus Questions:
Analyze the impact of the silk road trade networks on the Hellenistic and Asian worlds
Analyze the impact of religious and biological changes occurring as a result of Silk Road contacts
Week 9 (Date: Oct. 17-21)
Chapter 13 “The Commonwealth of Byzantium”
Historical Terms and Concepts to know:
Caesaropapism
What does it mean?
Why is this an important concept to know?
Justinian and Theodora
Who were they? Where were they from? When did they live?
How did their partnership lead to the rise of the Byzantine Empire?
Justinian Code
What was it?
What were the significant contributions to law in this document?
Hagia Sophia
What is it?
What role has it played in religions over time?
iconoclastic movement
What does it mean?
What is its significance in religion? Politics?
Chapter 13 Focus Questions:
Explain the emergence and reasons for longevity of the Byzantine empire
Discuss developments and shifts in trade, technology, and cultural exchange during the years of Byzantine
empires
Week 10(Date: Oct. 24-28)
Chapter 14 “The Expansive Realm of Islam”
Historical Terms and Concepts to know:
Quran
What is this?
What are the hadith?
Hijra
What does this refer to?
Five Pillars of Islam
What is the purpose of the Five Pillars?
What are they?
Caliphs
Who are these people?
Shia and Sunni
What are the main differences between these groups of Muslims?
Chapter 14 Focus Questions:
Describe how Islam contributed to the economic and cultural bonds of the Islamic world
Describe the origin and spread of Islamic science, and technology
Describe and analyze the evolution of women’s roles in Islamic society
Week 11 (Date Oct 31-4)
Chapter 15 The Resurgence of Empire in East Asia
Historical Terms and Concepts to know:
Sui
Tang
Song
When and where was it?
What were their accomplishments? The most important one? Why?
When and where was it?
What were their accomplishments?
Why did they decline?
When and where was it?
Why were they not as successful as previous dynasties?
Chan Buddhism
What was it?
Why did it appeal to people?
neo-Confucianism
What was it?
Why was it an important cultural development?
vassal state
What is the definition?
Why is Korea a good example?
Chapter 15 Focus Questions:
Analyze the Sui, Tang, and Song political and economic revolutions
Analyze the Chinese influence in Korea, Vietnam, and Japan
Week 12 (Date Nov. 7- 11)
Chapter 16 “ India and the India Ocean Basin”
Historical Terms and Concepts to know:
Mahmud of Ghazni
Who was he?
What impact did his conquests have?
Delhi
What was Delhi?
Describe how Islam and Hinduism impacted the ruling of the sultans.
Vishnu and Shiva
Who were these Hindu gods?
Why did people embrace these cults?
Bhakti movement
What was this movement?
What impact did they have?
Angkor
Where was the kingdom located?
What influences were present in Angkor monuments?
Chapter 16 Focus Questions:
Differentiate between the development of northern and southern India
Identify Indian Ocean trade routes and the main participants
Analyze India’s political and religious effects on Southeast Asia
Exam on Chapters 12-16 on Nov 14th
AP WORLD HISOTRY FINAL NOV 17TH OR 18TH