TC Williams AP World History
Summer Assignment 2015
Welcome to Advanced Placement World History. This summer assignment is designed to “jump start” the course and
allow for a more reasonable pace during the school year. The purpose of this assignment is to allow you to enter the
course with some prior knowledge, and at the same time, give you an idea of what the class workload will be like over the
course of the year. The more thought and effort that you apply to this assignment, the better prepared you will be for this
course and, ultimately, for the AP exam in May. There will be questions on the AP Exam in May based on some of the
material from this summer assignment. This assignment will be due on the second day of class.
Textbooks will not be handed out for this assignment. Instead, students will be asked to use an electronic version of the
textbook, located on the ACPS website:
http://www.acps.k12.va.us/tcw/assignments.php
Students with no internet or computer access MUST obtain a textbook from Mr. Madigan before summer vacation. (King
Street, Room A108).
It is YOUR responsibility to obtain a textbook if you will not be able to access the online version!
This assignment has five parts:
1. Vocabulary and Key Terms
You will be expected to know these terms at the start of the year. You will receive a vocabulary quiz during the first week
of school. While you will not be allowed to use any study materials during the quiz, we suggest you create an aid to help
you learn these terms (flashcards, charts, definition lists, etc.). The quiz may include matching, multiple choice, fill-in-theblank, or short answer questions. Additionally, you may be required to locate any geographical terms, cartographic terms,
or places on a map.
2. Guided Reading Assignments
This section includes study questions for the first six chapters of our class textbook- Traditions and Encounters by Jerry
Bentley. For each chapter question students must provide a detailed and thoughtful written response using complete
sentences and, when appropriate, paragraphs. These responses should not be copied from the text, nor can they be
completely answered in one sentence.
3. Primary Source Analysis
In this section students will analyze two different primary sources and respond to a series of questions about each source.
4. Essay Practice
You will have to write an essay as part of the unit one exam. Five possible prompts are listed in part four. You should be
able to answer all of them after you have completed parts one and two. You are not required to write a full essay at this
time, but you ARE required to write a complete thesis statement and create an outline of at least five bullet points for each
of these prompts. The bullet points should correspond to the topic sentences you might include in the body paragraphs of
a complete essay. You will see three of these five prompts on the first exam of the year.
5. Optional Book Review
You will have the opportunity to read a book relevant to the course and write a review. Detailed instructions are included
in this section of the packet. The review will be worth up to 10% extra credit on your unit one exam and must be
submitted by the original due date.
Assignment Procedure
● Do not answer any questions directly on this packet. Students that turn in a packet with answers written in will receive
a 15 point deduction.
● Your assignment may be written neatly or typed.
● Staple your assignment pages together. No binders will be accepted.
●
●
This is an individual assignment that is to be completed entirely on your own. Any assignments that are found to be
copied from another student will NOT be accepted and will receive a grade of “0”.
Each AP student is required to sign the attached honor code and turn it in with your full assignment on the day that it
is due.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
You will not be allowed to use any study aids during the week one key terms quiz. However, you will be allowed
to use parts one through four during the unit one exam. On the other hand, if you do not have this assignment
completed by the day of the first exam, you will receive a grade of “NHI” for this assignment (a benchmark
project, which is heavily weighted), as that is the final deadline. Furthermore, a parent conference will be
scheduled to determine if you should continue in the AP World History class or be moved to an Honors or gradelevel section.
Enjoy the readings and, again, welcome to AP World History. Your sophomore year will be challenging, but we hope it will
also be beneficial as you begin to prepare for college—and maybe even a little fun! If you run into any problems while
completing your summer assignment, or any questions arise, please contact one or all of the AP instructors listed below:
Ms. Molly Freitag
molly.freitag@acps.k12.va.us
Mr. Richard Madigan
richard.madigan@acps.k12.va.us
Ms. Susan Pence
susan.pence@acps.k12.va.us
AP World History Summer Assignment, Part 1: Vocabulary
Vocabulary: You will be expected to know these terms at the start of the year. You will receive a vocabulary quiz
during the first week of school. While you will not be allowed to use any study materials during the quiz, we
suggest you create an aid to help you learn these terms (flashcards, charts, definition lists, etc.). The quiz may
include matching, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, or short answer questions.
Prehistory
1. Periodization (BCE & CE vs. BC & AD)
2. Paleolithic
3. Neolithic
4. metallurgy
5. textile
6. Neolithic “revolution”
Ancient Civilizations (River Valley Civilizations) 3500 – 500 B.C.E.
7. The Epic of Gilgamesh
8. irrigation
9. Hammurabi’s Code
10. economic specialization
11. stratified patriarchal society
12. cuneiform
13. Moses
14. polytheism
15. Semitic
16. city-state
17. Indo-Europeans
18. pastoral nomads
19. Hebrews, Jews, Israelites
20. Abraham
21. monotheism
22. Phoenicians
23. savannah
24. pharaoh
25. mercenary
26. scribe
27. hieroglyphics
28. Rosetta Stone
29. Aryans
30. Harappans
31. Vedas (Vedic Age)
32. Upanishads
33. Brahman
34. karma
35. dharma
36. ascetic
37. “China’s sorrow”
38. hereditary state
39. Dynasty (Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han)
40. “mandate of heaven”
41. decentralized administration
42. royal court
43. artisans
44. ancestor veneration
45. oracle bones
46. steppe nomads
47. maize
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
Bering land bridge
terrace farming
Andean highlands
Austronesian peoples
River Valley Civilizations (Be able to locate them and discuss major characteristics)
Geographical & Cartographical Terms
(You may be asked to find these on a map for your first quiz.)
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
Equator
Latitude and Longitude
Continents
Oceans
Major Seas: Caribbean, Mediterranean, Black, South China
Major Rivers: Amazon, Mississippi, Nile, Indus, Ganges, Yangtze, Niger, Zambezi, Tigris, Euphrates, Danube,
Rhine, Yellow, Mekong, Volga, Congo
Subcontinents: India, Anatolia, Mesopotamia
Deserts: Sahara, Gobi, Takla Makan, Arabian, Australian, Kalahari
Mountain Ranges: Himalayas, Hindu Kush, Andes, Pyrenees, Kunlun Shan, Caucasus, Urals
Plateaus: Tibetan, Deccan, Patagonia
Other Important Places: New Guinea, Jerusalem, Babylon, Cairo, Phoenicia
AP World History Summer Assignment, Part 2: Guided Reading
As you read each chapter, answer all questions in complete sentences and/or paragraphs.
Chapter 1 Guided Reading Questions
1. Complete this comparison chart:
Protohumans/Hominids
Early Paleolithic
Humans
Late Paleolithic Humans
Relative Timeline
Where did they
migrate?
How did they get food?
What sort of social
structure? Include
gender roles.
What level of
technology? (Give
examples of what
materials were used for
what tasks.)
2. Based on the data above, what aspects of human life remained the same across all three groups?
3. Based on the data above, explain the key changes that took place across all three groups in the following areas:
A. Migration
B. Technology
C. Society
4. Craft an acceptable thesis statement that addresses both the changes and the continuities across all three groups.
NB: “There were many changes and many similarities” does not count as an acceptable thesis.
5. What is the significance of the cave art? The Venus figurines?
6. How did the gradual transformation from hunting and gathering to agriculture probably occur? How did it spread?
7. What were the most significant positive and negative effects of the agricultural transition on human society?
8. What were the earliest craft industries to emerge and how did they benefit those living in Neolithic villages?
9. How did early cities differ from Neolithic villages and towns?
Chapter 2 Guided Reading Questions
1. What does the Epic of Gilgamesh tell us about the values of early Mesopotamia society?
2. What role did water acquisition and management play in the political development of Mesopotamia?
3. What were the underlying principles of Hammurabi's code of laws and what does the law code tell us about the kind of
society that existed in Mesopotamia at the time?
4. What were the technological innovations of the early Mesopotamians and how did those innovations contribute to the
development of the culture and to its overall economic prosperity?
5. What technological and organizational advantages did the Assyrians have that made them such formidable
conquerors?
6. Explain the difference between the social hierarchy and the patriarchal society of ancient Mesopotamia.
7. What were the political, economic, and social significance of cuneiform writing in Mesopotamia and the surrounding
areas?
8. Compare and contrast the economic history of the Hebrews and the Phoenicians.
9. How was the Hebrew monotheism different than the polytheistic religions in the rest of Mesopotamia? Despite these
differences, what was one way in which they were similar?
10. What were the origins and early development of the Indo-Europeans? Include in your response a discussion where
and how the Indo-European cultures spread through Eurasia.
Chapter 3 Guided Reading Questions
1. How did Egyptian religious beliefs reflect their society, lifestyle, and geographic location?
2. How did climate change influence the early development of African cultures?
3. How did the role of the pharaoh evolve, and what was the nature of the pharaoh's power through the Old Kingdom
period?
4. How did the invasion of the Hyksos influence the later development of Egypt?
5. What was the relationship between Egypt and Kush/Nubia? What ideas diffused between the cultures?
6. What kind of transportation systems did the Egyptians use, and how did transportation technology influence the
development of their trade networks?
7. How did the Bantu migrations influence the development of the societies of sub-Saharan Africa?
Chapter 4 Guided Reading Questions
1. What role does archaeology play in our knowledge of the decline of Harappan society? Despite the lack of information,
what do we know about their civilization?
2. What were the key differences between Aryan and Harappan societies? How did their cultures blend after the Aryan
incursion into India?
3. Discuss the nature of patriarchy in early Indian societies. What is the Lawbook of Manu and how does it relate to gender
roles?
4. What are the Vedas and the Upanishads? What do they teach us about early Indian societies?
5. Trace the origins of the caste system, making sure to include a discussion of varna and jati. How do early Indian
religious texts seem to promote this system?
Chapter 5 Guided Reading Questions
1. What do the legends of the three sage-kings tell us about what mattered the most to the people of the early East
Asian societies?
2. How did the geographic features of East Asia influence the development of the culture?
3.
Explain the concept of “The Mandate of Heaven”. How was this concept related to the Dynastic Cycle?
4. What were the causes of the decline and eventual fall of the Zhou dynasty?
5. What is the relationship between patriarchy and ancestor worship in early China?
6. Describe the relationship between the Chinese and the steppe nomads. How did these cultures differ? How did they
influence each other?
7. What was the economic relationship between the societies of the Yellow River and the Yangzi Valley?
Chapter 6 Guided Reading Questions
1. How and why did humans migrate to all parts of the Americas and in Oceania?
2. What Olmec traditions were later adopted by other Mesoamerican societies?
3. How did Mayan religion reflect and reinforce their economy and governmental structure?
4. How did South American geography influence the political and economic (including agricultural) development of the
early complex societies there?
5. Compare and contrast the societies that existed under the Chavín cult and the Mochica State.
6. Explain the development of political and economic systems in Oceania. Make reference to the Lapita society.
AP World History Summer Assignment, Part 3: Document Analysis
1) Please read “Laozi on Dao” on the next page as well as the following excerpt from The Analects of Confucius.
Answer the questions following this passage in one paragraph each.
Confucius on Government
The Master said, "He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which
keeps its place, while all the stars turn toward it. . . ."
The Master said, "If the people be led by laws, and uniformity be imposed on them by punishments, they will try to avoid
the punishment, but will have no sense of shame.
"If they be led by virtue, and uniformity be provided for them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of shame,
and moreover will become good. . . ." The duke Ai asked, saying, "What should be done in order to secure the submission
of the people?" Confucius replied, "Advance the upright and set aside the crooked, and then the people will submit.
Advance the crooked and set aside the upright, and then the people will not submit."
Ji Kang asked how to cause the people to reverence their ruler, to be faithful to him, and to go on to seek virtue. The
Master said, "Let him preside over them with gravity; then they will reverence him. Let him be filial and kind to all; then
they will be faithful to him. Let him advance the good and teach the incompetent; then they will eagerly seek to be
virtuous. . . ."
Zigong asked about government. The Master said, "The requisites of government are that there be sufficiency of food,
sufficiency of military equipment, and the confidence of the people in their ruler."
Zigong said, "If it cannot be helped, and one of these must be dispensed with, which of the three should be foregone
first?" "The military equipment," said the Master.
Zigong again asked, "If it cannot be helped, and one of the remaining two must be dispensed with, which of them should
be foregone?" The Master answered, "Part with the food. From olden times, death has been the lot of all men; but if the
people have no faith in their rulers, there is no standing for the state. . . ."
Ji Kang asked Confucius about government, saying, "What do you say to killing the unprincipled for the good of the
principled?" Confucius replied, "Sir, in carrying on your government, why should you use killing at all? Let your evinced
desires be for what is good, and the people will be good. The relation between superiors and inferiors is like that between
the wind and the grass. The grass must bend when the wind blows across it. . . ."
The Master said, "When a prince's personal conduct is correct, his government is effective without the issuing of orders. If
his personal conduct is not correct, he may issue orders, but they will not be followed.”
Questions:
1. What can we learn about Confucianism from this excerpt?
2. What is Confucius's argument for virtue?
3. Compare this excerpt to the excerpt of the Tao Te Ching contained in "Laozi on Living in Harmony with Dao" excerpt
below. These two traditions -- Taoism and Confucianism -- have coexisted in China for thousands of years. Are there
tensions between them? Do they echo each other? Explain.
Laozi on Living in Harmony with Dao
Traditions and Encounters (pg. 188)
Laozi (or Lao Tzu), which means "old man" or "old sage," is said to have been the founder of Daoism. Scholars
argue about whether or not he actually existed, or if he did, whether or not he wrote the Daodejing. He is said
to have lived sometime between 600 and 200 BCE. It is said that when he was traveling westward, he was
stopped at the border by a sentry who beseeched him to write down his wisdom so that it would not disappear
from China. Whatever its source, the Daodejing (pronounced Dow Day Ching) is the most widely read Chinese
text ever written.
The highest goodness is like water, for water is excellent in benefitting all things, and it does not strive. It
occupies the lowest place, which men abhor. And therefore it is near akin to the dao. . . .
In governing men and in serving heaven, there is nothing like moderation. For only by moderation can there
be an early return to the normal state of humankind. This early return is the same as a great storage of virtue.
With a great storage of virtue there is nothing that may not be achieved. If there is nothing that may not be
achieved, then no one will know to what extent this power reaches. And if no one knows to what extent a
man's power reaches, that man is fit to be the ruler of a state. Having the secret of rule, his rule shall endure.
Setting the tap-root deep, and making the spreading roots firm: this is the way to ensure long life to the tree. . .
. Use uprightness in ruling a state; employ indirect methods in waging war; practice non-interference in order
to win the empire. . . .
The greater the number of laws and enactments, the more thieves and robbers there will be. Therefore the Sage
[Laozi] says: "So long as I do nothing, the people will work out their own reformation. So long as I love calm,
the people will right themselves. If only I keep from meddling, the people will grow rich. If only I am free
from desire, the people will come naturally back to simplicity. . . ."
There is nothing in the world more soft and weak than water, yet for attacking things that are hard and strong,
there is nothing that surpasses it, nothing that can take its place.
The soft overcomes the hard; the weak overcomes the strong. There is no one in the world but knows this
truth, and no one who can put it into practice.
CITATION: Giles, Lionel, trans. The Sayings of Lao Tzu. London: John Murray, 1905. pp. 26, 29-30, 41, 50.
DIGITAL ID: 12986
2) Please read the following excerpt on Jainism and answer the questions at the end with one paragraph each.
Along with Buddhism, Jainism is one of the heterodox Indian philosophical systems that arose in the sixth century BCE. It
is heterodox in the sense that it rejects the authority of the Vedas, the foundational texts of Hinduism. At the heart of
Jainism is the concept of ahimsa, that is, non-violence to all beings, which conflicted with the orthodox Vedic tradition of
animal sacrifices. Jainism was established by Vardhamana, a contemporary of the Buddha, who was given the name
Mahavira, or "great hero," as a child, after he saved his friends from a serpent. Mahavira is said to be the last of twentyfour Tirthankaras -- that is, saints (literally "ford makers," creating a way across the stream leading to the escape from
rebirth) -- who are credited with founding Jainism. It may have been Jains who met the Greek philosophers traveling with
Alexander the Great, for the Indian philosophers were called "gymnosophists," meaning "naked wisdom," and nudism is a
Jain practice.
Jain Practices
c. 600 BCE
I 2. For a year and a month he did not leave off his robe. Since that time the Venerable One, giving up his robe, was a
naked, world relinquishing, houseless (sage).
4. Then he meditated (walking) with his eye fixed on a square space before him of the length of a man. Many people
assembled, shocked at the sight; they struck him and cried.
5. Knowing (and renouncing) the female sex in mixed gathering places, he meditated, finding his way himself: I do not
lead a worldly life.
6. Giving up the company of all householders whomsoever, he meditated. Asked, he gave no answer; he went and did
not transgress the right path.
7. For some it is not easy (to do what he did), not to answer those who salute; he was beaten with sticks, and struck by
sinful people. . . .
10. For more than a couple of years he led a religious life without using cold water; he realized singleness, guarded his
body, had got intuition, and was calm.
11. Thoroughly knowing the earth-bodies and water-bodies and firebodies and wind-bodies, the lichens, seeds, and
sprouts,
12. He comprehended that they are, if narrowly inspected, imbued with life, and avoided to injure them; he, the Great
Hero.
13. The immovable (beings) are changed to movable ones, and the movable beings to immovable ones; beings which are
born in all states become individually sinners by their actions.
14. The Venerable One understands thus: he who is under the conditions (of existence), that fool suffers pain.
Thoroughly knowing (karman), the Venerable One avoids sin.
15. The sage, perceiving the double (karman), proclaims the incomparable activity, he, knowing one; knowing the current
of worldliness, the current of sinfulness, and the impulse.
16. Practicing the sinless abstinence from killing, he did no acts, neither himself nor with the assistance of others; he to
whom women were known as the causes of all sinful acts, he saw (the true state of the world). . . .
III. 7. Ceasing to use the stick (i.e. cruelty) against living beings, abandoning the care of the body, the houseless
(Mahavira), the Venerable One, endures the thorns of the villages (i.e. the abusive language of the peasants), (being)
perfectly enlightened.
8. As an elephant at the head of the battle, so was Mahavira there victorious. Sometimes he did not reach a village there
in Ladha.
9. When he who is free from desires approached the village, the inhabitants met him on the outside, and attacked him,
saying, 'Get away from here.'
10. He was struck with a stick, the fist, a lance, hit with a fruit, a clod, a potsherd. Beating him again and again, many
cried.
11. When he once (sat) without moving his body, they cut his flesh, tore his hair under pains, or covered him with dust.
12. Throwing him up, they let him fall, or disturbed him in his religious postures; abandoning the care of his body, the
Venerable One humbled himself and bore pain, free from desire.
13. As a hero at the head of the battle is surrounded on all sides, so was there Mahavira. Bearing all hardships, the
Venerable One, undisturbed, proceeded (on the road to Nirvana). . . .
VI 1. The Venerable One was able to abstain from indulgence of the flesh, though never attacked by diseases. Whether
wounded or not wounded, he desired not medical treatment.
2. Purgatives and emetics, anointing of the body and bathing, shampooing and cleaning of the teeth do not behoove him,
after he learned (that the body is something unclean).
3. Being averse from the impressions of the senses, the Brahmana wandered about, speaking but little. Sometimes in the
cold season the Venerable One was meditating in the shade.
4. In summer he exposes himself to the heat, he sits squatting in the sun; he lives on rough (food); rice, pounded jujube,
and beans.
5. Using these three, the Venerable One sustained himself eight months. Sometimes the Venerable One did not drink for
half a month or even for a month.
6. Or he did not drink for more than two months, or even six months, day and night, without desire (for drink). Sometimes
he ate stale food.
7. Sometimes he ate only the sixth meal, or the eighth, the tenth, the twelfth; without desires, persevering in meditation.
8. Having wisdom, Mahavira committed no sin himself, nor did he induce other to do so, nor did he consent to the sins of
others.
Questions:
1. What is the historical significance of this text? What can we learn from it?
2. Is this Jainist text sexist? Why or why not?
3. What is the significance of the similes contained in this text?
4. Put three of these rules into your own words.
AP World History Summer Assignment, Part 4: Essay Practice
Essays: You will have to write an essay as part of the unit one exam. Five possible prompts are listed below. You should
be able to answer all of them after you have completed Parts 1 and 2. You are not required to write a full essay at this
time, but you ARE required to write a complete thesis statement and create an outline of at least five bullet points for each
of these prompts. You are not outlining the essay or writing paragraph, just providing 5 pieces of evidence that would
support your essay. The bullet points should correspond to the topic sentences you might include in the body paragraphs
of a complete essay. You will see three of these five questions on the first exam of the year.
For example:

Sample prompt: Compare and contrast factors that explain success of the migrations of two of the
following groups and their impact on their respective regions.

Sample thesis statement: The Bantu and Indo-European migrations both spread language and iron
metallurgy to new areas of the world. However, while the Indo-Europeans mainly traveled by land, the
Bantus followed the river system.
Sample bulleted information:
*Bantus began in the Niger River Valley, but eventually spread as far south as the Orange River
*Indo-Europeans used horses to travel out of Central Asia as far as India and Iran
*
*
*
A. Compare and contrast the development of social and political hierarchies in two of the following regions.
Egypt
India
Mesopotamia
China
B. Compare and contrast the relationship between politics and religion in state formation in two of the following early
civilizations.
Egypt
Mesopotamia
Mesoamerica
C. Compare and contrast the impact of iron metallurgy on two of the following societies.
Bantus
Mesopotamia
China
India
D. Compare and contrast the effects of nomadic peoples and their incursions in two of the following regions.
Egypt
China
India
E. Compare and contrast factors that explain the success of the migrations of two of the following groups and their impact
on their respective regions.
Bantus
Austronesians
Indo-Europeans
AP World History Summer Assignment, Part 5: Optional Book Review
This assignment will be worth up to 10% of extra credit added to your first unit exam if submitted by the original due date
(NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS CAN EARN EXTRA CREDIT).
Choose a book from the list at the end of this handout. Once you have read the book, you will write a book review as if
you were reviewing the book for an audience. THIS IS NOT A BOOK REPORT. In a book report, you retell the story of
the book. You aren’t doing that here. The purpose of a book review is to give the reader an idea of the main ideas and
whether you thought it was a good book or not. If you give away what happens in the book, why would the person who
read your review need to read the book? Here is how you write it. (You can also look at Sunday editions of major US
newspapers for examples.)
Part A: Book Review (1.5-2.5 pages: Times New Roman 12 point font)
The header of the review should be in the following format.
1. Title
2. Author/s, editor/s
3. City, State: Publisher, date of publication (from title page)
4. Number of pages (last printed number page)
FIRST PARAGRAPH: Give an overall summary of the book (without giving away key story lines or plot twists). Your
summary shouldn’t be TOO detailed because you don’t want to give away everything in the book…remember, your review
will be used by people to base their decision on whether or not to read the book. When movie reviewers review movies,
do they tell you everything that happens? No, they give a general idea of what happens.
BODY PARAGRAPHS: You will pick 2-3 main ideas or themes of the book. For each one, you will explain how the book
handles that theme or idea. Again, remember to not tell me everything that happened because this is not a book report.
Each main idea or theme should be its own paragraph, so this section should take up 2-3 paragraphs.
CONCLUSION: Did you like the book? This is where you give your opinion. If you liked it, TELL US WHY YOU LIKED
IT. Tell me about the writing style, the major theme, the purpose, but DON’T GIVE EVERYTHING AWAY!!! If you didn’t
like something, EXPLAIN WHAT IT WAS AND WHY YOU DIDN’T LIKE IT. This can be (and really should be) more than
one paragraph long. A good deal of this grade is based upon your opinion so have one and explain it well. If you hate it
and don’t think people should read it, convince them with your writing. If you think it is a tremendous book that everyone
should read, convince them with your writing. BUT DON’T GIVE THE PLOT/MAJOR THEME AWAY…
Writing a Book Review
Purpose
The purpose of a book review is to help other people decide whether or not they want to read a book. You do this by
summarizing the book and by evaluating how well the writer wrote the book. The book review can explain the positive
aspects of the book, the negative aspects of the book, or both.
Length
Book reviews can be any length. Some book reviews are only one or two paragraphs. Others are several pages. The
length of the review will depend on who your audience is. If the audience is your teacher, ask her/him about the length.
Style and Content
The style and content of your book review can also vary depending on your audience (who you are writing for). For
example, if your book was a factual book about how deafness affects children's learning styles, you would write differently
for different audiences. If you are writing for new parents of deaf children, you might provide a very detailed explanation
of the subject matter; if you were writing for teachers of deaf children, you could provide less detail because you would
assume that they already have a good understanding of the topic.
The content of your book review will vary depending on whether the book is fiction or non-fiction. For example, if you are
writing a book review about a work of fiction, you should probably analyze the book’s characters, plot, setting, and
theme. If you are writing about a non-fiction book, you will need to evaluate how useful, correct, and well-presented the
book's information is.
Format
Book reviews should be formatted like an essay. This means that you need to write an essay with an introduction, body
and conclusion.
The introductory paragraph of a book review usually includes . . .
the main idea for a non-fiction book or the theme for fiction;
identify the author, the title of the book and publisher ( some teachers prefer the book information at the top of the paper
using an APA/MLA citation);
author’s background (this is optional);
your thesis (your opinion why other people should read the book).
The body of your essay must include . . .
your summary of the main points of the book;
your evaluation of the book where you explain to your reader why they should read the book or not.
The conclusion of your essay . . .
should remind your reader of your thesis.
may also review the main points of your essay.
Sample Outline for a Book Review
* follow this guide and you will most certainly receive an A
The header of the review should be in the following format.
1. Title
2. Author/s, editor/s
3. City, State: Publisher, date of publication (from title page)
4. Number of pages (last printed number page)
5. Hardcover or softcover / Cloth or paper, cost.
I.
Introductory Paragraph
A. Identify the title, the author and the publisher of the book. (This information can be placed at the top of the paper
using APA or MLA reference citation instead of in the introductory paragraph.)
B. Summarize the main idea/theme of the book you are reviewing in one or two sentences.
C. Write your thesis (what you think of the book).
1. Example: I loved the book but I had some problems with it.
2. Example: I thought the book has useful information for parents of deaf children.
II. Body Paragraphs
A. Summarize the important points of the book (This can be one or several paragraphs depending on your
audience/teacher’s directions.)
1. Use quotes or paraphrases from the book to prove your points.
B. Evaluate (This can be one or several paragraphs depending on your audience/ teacher’s directions.)
1. Explain the writer’s purpose for writing the book. Give your opinion on whether the writer achieved her/his purpose in
writing the book.
2. Criticize/praise the book
a. Explain to your audience if you thought the book was entertaining or boring, has good characters or unrealistic
characters, has thorough information or inadequate information.
b. Use quotes or paraphrases from the book to prove your points.
III. Conclusion
A. Review the main points of your argument.
B. Would you recommend this book?
B. Remind the reader of your thesis (whether or not you thought the book was good).
BOOK LIST
D. Boorstin: “The Discoverers”
D. Boorstin: “The Creators”
D. Boorstin: “The Seekers”
J. Diamond: “Guns, Germs and Steel”
T. Friedman: “The World is Flat” (other titles are also appropriate)
R. Carson: “Silent Spring”
S.N. Anderini: “Women Building Peace: What They Do, Why It Matters”
T. Standage: “A History of the World in Six Glasses”
M. Kurlansky: “Salt: A World History”
M. Kurlansky: “Cod: A Biography of a Fish that Changed the World”
E. H. Gombrich: “A Little History of the World”
R. Massie: “Peter the Great”
E. Williams: “Capitalism and Slavery”
B. Tuckman: “The Guns of August”
P. Kennedy: “The Rise and Fall of Great Powers”
D. Fromkin: “A Peace to End All Peace”
S. Wineberg: “Historical Thinking”
T. Borstelmann: “The Cold War and The Color Line”
S. Ambrose: “Rise to Globalism”
C. Mann: “1491”
B. Fagan: “The Little Ice Age: How Climate Made History 1300-1850”
J. Parker: “African History: A Very Short Introduction”
N. Mandela: “The Long Walk to Freedom”
If you would like to review a different book, please email us beforehand to get approval.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT WORLD HISTORY
Honor Code Statement for Summer Assignment
Name: _________________________________________ (please print)
I pledge on my honor that:
● I have completed all steps of the attached homework on my own.
● I have not used any unauthorized materials while completing this homework.
● I have not given anyone else access to my homework.
I understand the penalties associated with academic dishonesty. (Please review the
ACPS Honor Code Policy at http://www.acps.k12.va.us/board/manual/jfc-r2.pdf if you
have any questions).
__________________________________________________________
Signature and date