Historical Periodization SEMESTER ONE
The AP World History course content is structured around the investigation of course
themes and key concepts in six chronological periods. The six historical periods, from
approximately 8000 B.C.E. to the present, provide a temporal framework for the course.
The instructional importance and assessment weighting for each period varies.
UNIT TOPICS, LENGTH OF TEACHING, AND WEIGHT ON AP EXAM
1. Technological and Environmental Transformations to c. 600 B.C.E. 5%
2. Organization and Reorganization of Human Societies c. 600 B.C.E. to c. 600C.E. 15%
INTRO TO WORLD HISTORY & FOUNDATIONS (8000 BCE – 600 AD)
7.5 weeks
 Understanding world history, civilization, and culture
 Causes of the shift from the Paleolithic Age to the Neolithic Age
 Birth and characteristics of ancient and classical civilizations (e.g. Mesopotamia,
Phoenicia, Israel, Egypt, Assyria, Persia, Greece, Rome)
 Tenets of major belief systems (e.g. Polytheism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism,
Confucianism, Daoism, Christianity)
 Development of trade and effect on cultural diffusion throughout the ancient and
classical world
 Collapse of ancient and classical empires
3. Regional and Trans-regional Interactions c. 600 C.E. to c. 1450 20%
POST-CLASSICAL WORLD (600-1450 CE)
7 weeks
 Emergence of new empires (e.g. Byzantium, Russia, China, Mongol, Turkish, Inca)
 Rise of Islam and its effect on contemporary societies
 Growth of interregional trade and its effect on different civilizations and cultures
 Political and economic developments in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas
 Demographic and environmental changes caused by human exploration, travel, and trade
 Growth of cities as religious and cultural centers
4. Global Interactions c. 1450 to c. 1750 20%
AGE OF EXPLORATION (1450-1750 CE)
6 weeks
 Changes in trade, technology, and global interaction (e.g. impact of guns and navigational
devices on societies)
 Characteristics of major empires, political systems, and cultural systems (e.g. Turks,
British, French, Aztecs)
 Slavery and the slave trade as a worldwide phenomenon
 Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, and Enlightenment
 New religions (e.g. Sikhism, Protestantism)
Historical Periodization SEMESTER TWO
The AP World History course content is structured around the investigation of course
themes and key concepts in six chronological periods. The six historical periods, from
approximately 8000 B.C.E. to the present, provide a temporal framework for the course.
The instructional importance and assessment weighting for each period varies.
UNIT TOPICS, LENGTH OF TEACHING, AND WEIGHT ON AP EXAM
5. Industrialization and Global Integration c. 1750 to c. 1900 20%
AGE OF REVOLUTIONS (1750-1914)





6 weeks
Changes in global commerce, communications, and technology
Industrial Revolution
Political revolutions and independence movements (e.g. U.S., Latin America, France,
Russia, China)
Rise of nationalism and nation-states
Rise of Western dominance and reactions to this shift
6. Accelerating Global Change and Realignments c. 1900 to the Present 20%
THE MODERN WORLD (1914 – Present Day)






6 weeks
War and peace in a global context
New patterns of nationalism (e.g. fascism, decolonization, racism, genocide)
Effects of major global economic developments (e.g. The Great Depression,
multinationalism)
Social reform and revolution
Socialism and communism as economic and political systems
Rise of totalitarian dictatorships