Advanced Placement World History
Instructor:
Email:
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Course Overview
This full-year course explores the expansive history of the human world. You will learn
many facts, but also the critical thinking skills necessary to analyze historical evidence.
Five themes will be used as a frame of reference in the chronological study of our world’s
history; these themes are: Interaction between humans and the environment; development
and interaction of cultures; state-building, expansion and conflict; creation, expansion, and
interaction of economic systems; and development and transformation of social structures.
Course Text:
Spodek, Howard. World's History. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 3rd Edition
Supplies and Materials:
1. Spiral Notebook (additional notebooks will be required if initial ((and subsequent) )
notebooks are filled).
2. 3 – Ring Binder.
3. Loose-leaf, 3-hole-punched, lined paper (college ruled preferably).
4. Pen/Pencil.
Expectations:
1. You must READ to survive.
2. You must WRITE to survive.
3. All written work must be legible to be graded.
4. All problems must be brought to Mr. Helseth’s attention as soon as possible.
Rules/Class Procedures:
“Heads up, raised hands, respect shown!”
A. Entrance
a. Students will wait for students from previous hour to exit the classroom (if applicable).
b. Students will enter the classroom quietly and proceed to the back of the classroom.
c. Students will take out their history notebook along with a pen or pencil.
d. Students will silence/turn of cell phones and place them in their backpacks.
e. Students will place their backpacks against the back wall (west wall) of the classroom.
f. Students will proceed to their desks, be seated and begin daily warm up.
B. Exit
a. Students will stand when dismissed by the teacher (not the bell).
b. Students will collect bags in an orderly manner and exit the classroom.
C. Restroom
a. Student will check to see if restroom pass is available (located on the end of the
whiteboard tray nearest to the door).
b. If pass is available, students will silently collect the pass and exit the classroom.
c. If the pass is not available, students will wait until it has been returned and follow then
follow previous step.
d. Students will endeavor to return to class as soon as possible.
D. Nurse
a. Students will raise their hand and wait to be called on.
b. Students will wait for the teacher to call on them and dismiss them.
c. Students will take the nurse pass from the whiteboard tray (nearest the door) and
proceed to the nurse.
d. Students will return directly to class after seeing the nurse, unless determined otherwise
by the nurse.
E. Quizzes, Tests, Essays
a. Students will place their notes books under their seats, leaving only a pen or pencil on
their desks. *Students will need four sheets of paper additionally for all in-class essays.
b. Students will remain silent for the duration of the quiz or test, keeping their eyes on
their own work at all times.
c. Students may raise their hand to ask questions, but must wait quietly for the teacher to
call on them.
d. Violation of this procedure may result in a “zero” for the assessment.
Grading Policy:
25%
25%
20%
20%
10%
Tests
Essays
Daily Work/Group Project/Participation
Notebook
Quizzes
Absence Policy:
Any student who accrues ten or more absences in any class may see an "INC" as their grade at marking
periods until work is made up. Additionally, any student who accrues ten or more absences any in any
class will be placed on academic probation with the possibility of losing credit for that class.
So you missed class?
1. If had an excused absence, consult Mr. Helseth for any work you may have missed. ASAP
2. If you had an excused absence, turn in any late work. IMMEDIATELY
3. For any LARGE assignment it must be turned in the day it is due. (Even if the absence is excused
have it dropped off or emailed if possible.)
4. If you had an excused absence on the day of a test, quiz or essay, they have that many days to
make up the test unless the student consults Mr. Helseth. In other words, if a student missed
two days of class and they are excused, the student has two days to make up the test unless
they make arrangements with Mr. Helseth. After two days expire, the student will receive a zero
on the test, quiz or essay.
Late Work Policy:
Late work is only accepted for an excused absence and must be turned in immediately.
Scope:
The course is taught over four nine-week grading periods on a 55 minute daily class schedule. The units
of study for the AP World course, as per the College Board curriculum, are:
1. Technological and Environmental Transformations
Pre-History to c. 600 B.C.E.
2. Organization and Reorganization of Human Societies
c. 600 B.C.E. to c. 600 C.E.
3. Regional and Transregional Interactions
c. 600 C.E. to c. 1450
4. Global Interactions
c. 1450 to c. 1750
5. Industrialization and Global Integration
c. 1750 to c. 1900
6. Accelerating Global Change and Realignments
c. 1900 to the Present
Sequence (subject to change as necessary):
Week 1
Week 2-3
Introduction
Unit 1
Key Concepts:
• Big Geography and the
Peopling of the Earth
• Neolithic Revolution and Early
Agricultural Societies
• Development and Interactions
of Early Agricultural, Pastoral,
and Urban Societies
Topics for Overview include:
• Prehistoric Societies
• From Foraging to Agricultural
and Pastoral Societies
• Early Civilizations: Middle East,
South Asia, East Asia, the
Americas, Africa, and Oceania
Week 4-6
Unit 2
Key Concepts:
• Development and Codification
of Religious and Cultural
Traditions
• Development of States and
Empires
• Emergence of Trans-regional
Networks of Communication and
Exchange
Topics for Overview include:
• Classical Civilizations
• Major Belief Systems: Religion
and Philosophy
• Early Trading Networks
Week 7-14
Unit 3
Key Concepts:
• Expansion and Intensification
of Communication and Exchange
Networks
• Continuity and Innovation of
State Forms and Their
Interactions
• Increased Economic Productive
Capacity and Its Consequences
Topics for Overview include:
• Byzantine Empire, Dar-al Islam,
& Germanic Europe
• Crusades
• Sui, Tang, Song, and Ming
empires
• Delhi Sultanate
• The Americas
• The Turkish Empires
• Italian city-states
• Kingdoms & Empires in Africa
• The Mongol Khanates
• Trading Networks in the PostClassical World
Key Concepts:
• Globalizing Networks of
Communication and Exchange
• New Forms of Social
Organization and Modes of
Production
• State Consolidation and
Imperial Expansion
Week 15-22
Week 23-29
Unit 4
Unit 5
Topics for Overview include:
Bringing the Eastern and
Western Hemispheres Together
into One Web
• Ming and Qing Rule in China
• Japanese Shogunates
• The Trading Networks of the
Indian Ocean
• Effects of the Continued
Spread of Belief Systems
Key Concepts:
• Industrialization and Global
Capitalism
• Imperialism and Nation-State
Formation
• Nationalism, Revolution and
Reform
• Global Migration
Topics for Overview include:
• The Age of Revolutions:
» English Revolutions, Scientific
Revolution & Enlightenment,
» American Revolution, French
Revolution and its fallout in
Europe, Haitian &
» Latin American Revolutions
• Global Transformations:
» Demographic Changes, the End
of the Atlantic Slave Trade,
Industrial Revolution
and Its Impact, Rise of
Nationalism, Imperialism and its
Impact on the World
Key Concepts:
• Science and the Environment
• Global Conflicts and Their
Consequences
• New Conceptualizations of
Global Economy and Culture
Week 30-33
Unit 6
Topics for Overview include:
• Crisis and Conflict in the Early
20th Century:
» Anti-Imperial Movements,
World War I, Russian, Chinese
and Mexican Revolutions,
Depression, Rise of Militaristic
and Fascist Societies, World War
II
• Internationalization:
» Decolonization, the Cold War
World, International
Organizations, the Post-Cold War
World, Globalization
Bi-Weekly Schedule (subject to adjustment due to holidays and school functions):
Week A:
Mon.
Lecture/Activity
Tues.
Group Project (starting with Unit 2)
Wed.
Quiz/Primary Source Activity
Thur.
Lecture/Activity
Fri.
Essay (DBQ or FRQ)
Week B:
Mon.
Essay Discussion/Activity
Tues.
Lecture/Activity
Wed.
Quiz/Activity
Thur.
Lecture/Activity
Fri.
Test
Reading Schedule:
*Additional readings will be assigned in class, prior to the start of the respective week.
Unit 1:
Week – August 6th
Week – August 11th
Week – August 18th
Chapter 2: From Village to City State
Chapter 3: River Valley Civilizations
Chapter 4: A Polycentric World
Week – August 25th
Week – September 1st
Week – September 8th
Chapter 5: Dawn of the Empires
Chapter 9: Hinduism and Buddhism
Chapter 10: Judaism and Christianity
Chapter 11: Islam
Week – September 15th
Week – September 22nd
Week – September 29th
Week – October 6th
Week – Octorber 13th
Week – October 20th
Week – October 27th
Chapter 6: Rome and the Barbarians
Chapter 6: Rome and the Barbarians
Chapter 7: China
Chapter 7: China
Chapter 7: China
Chapter 8: Indian Empires
Chapter 12: Establishing World Trade Routes
Unit 2:
Unit 3:
Week – November 3rd
Week – November 10th
Chapter 13: European Visions
Chapter 13: European Visions
Week – November 17th
Week – November 24th
Week – December 1st
Week – December 8th
Week – December 15th
Week – December 22nd
Week –December 29th
Week – January 5th
Week – January 12th
Week – January 19th
Chapter 14: The Unification of World Trade
Assigned Readings
Assigned Readings
Assigned Readings
Chapter 15: Migrations
No Reading Assignments
No Reading Assignments
Assigned Readings
Assigned Readings
Assigned Readings
Week – January 26th
Week – February 2nd
Week – February 9th
Week – February 16th
Week – February 23rd
Week – February 16th
Week – March 2nd
Week – March 9th
Week – March 16th
Chapter 16: Political Revolutions in Europe and the Americas
Assigned Readings
Assigned Readings
Chapter 17: The Industrial Revolution
Assigned Readings
Assigned Readings
Chapter 18: Nationalism, Imperialism and Resistance
Assigned Readings
Assigned Readings
Week – March 23rd
Week – March 30th
Week – April 6th
Week – April 13th
Week – April 20th
Week – April 27th
Chapter: 19: Methods of Mass Production and Destruction
Chapter 20: World War II and the Cold War
Chapter 21: Cold War and New Nations
Chapter 22: China and India
Assigned Readings
Assigned Readings
Unit 4:
Unit 5:
Unit 6:
Additional Readings and Primary Sources
*This is the tentative list and is subject to change (expansion) over the course of the year.
Unit 1
Selection from Marshall Sahlins’ Stone Age Economics
Chart: Indo-European Language Tree
Images: Archeological dig sites in East Africa and skeletal remains of human
ancestors.
Selections from Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel
Unit 2
Selection from Hammurabi’s Code
Image: Archeological dig sites at Ur.
Images: Aerial images of archeological dig sites at Giza and Saqqara
Selection from The Republic
Selection from Confucius’ Analects
Selection from Ashoka’s Rock and Pillar Edicts
Selection from The Art of War
Selections from The Taoist, I Ching
The Ten Commandments
Selection from the Quran
Selection from Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War (Melian Dialogue).
Images: Ruins of Ancient Athens
Images: Archeological dig sites at Pompeii and Herculaneum
Chart: Total GDP of various regions of the Roman Empire c. 1 CE
Selections from Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel
Unit 3
Ordinances of the Merchants
Urban II’s Call for the Crusades
Selection from Bahul ad-Din’s Saladin’s Courage and Steadfastness
Selection from Ibn Battuta’s Travels in Africa
Selection from Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali
Selections from Albert Hourani’s A History of the Arab Peoples
Selection from the Magna Carta
Selection from The Decameron
Graph: Recovery of European population following the plagues of 1347 CE
Images: Engravings of the Black Plagues and Diagram of “Plague Doctor” equipment.
Selection from The Travels of Marco Polo
Images: Map of major trade routes in Eurasia c. 1300
Selections from Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel
Unit 4
Selection from Bernal Diaz’s The True Story of the Conquest of Mexico
(Montezuma’s death)
Selection from Bartoleme de Las Casas’ Brief Account of the Devastation
of the Indies
Selection from Christopher Columbus’s journal—The First Voyage of
Christopher Columbus
Chart: Colombian Exchange
Graphs: Atlantic Slave Trade (by nation, volume and region).
Letters from the King of the Kongo to the King of Portugal
Selection from Tokugawa Iemitsu’s Exclusion of the Portuguese; Closed
Country Edict of 1635
Selection from Yamaga Soko’s The Way of the Samurai
Selection from a Confucian Morality Book—Meritorious Deeds at No Cost
Selection from Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince
Selection from Martin Luther’s 95 Theses
Selection from the English Bill of Rights
Images: Aboriginal peoples of Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Selections from Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel
Selections from Arthur Herman’s To Rule the Waves
Unit 5
Unit 6
The American Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of the Rights of Men and The Declaration of the Rights
of Women
Selection from Wollstonecraft’s Vindications of the Rights of Women
Selection from Edward Jenner’s An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of
the Variole Vaccine
Selection from Lin Zexu’s Letter to Queen Victoria (opium)
Selection from The Treaty of Nanjing
Selection from Mitsui Takafusa’s Some Observations on Merchants
Graph: Industrialization rates of Europe, by nation - 1830-1900
Graph: British opium exports to China – 1729-1832
Images: Various Painting of 1st Opium War.
Various selections from Voltaire, Hugo and Balzac on Paris in the 19th century.
Images: Various depictions of Paris from 1840 to 1927
Selections from Eric Hobsbawn’s trilogy on “The Long 19th Century”.
Selections from Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel
Selections from Arthur Herman’s To Rule the Waves
Selections from Robert Services’s History of Modern Russia
Selections from Tamin Ansary’s An Often Interrupted History of Afghanistan
Selections from William Dalrymple’s Return of the King: The Battle for Afghanistan
1839-1842
Image: WWI and WWII propaganda and recruitment materials.
Selection from Nehru’s On the Colonial Revolution
Selection from Joseph Stalin’s The Results of the First Five-Year Plan
Selection from the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey—The Effects of the
Atomic Bomb
Images: Atomic Bomb aftermath photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Israeli Proclamation of Independence
Selection from Fareed Zakharia’s The Future of Freedom
Selection from Bernard Lewis’ What Went Wrong
Warsaw Pact Charter
NATO Charter
Chart: Growth of Grain and Industrial Output in the USSR – 1933-38
Selection from Czelaw Milosz’s The Captive Mind
Selections from Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel
Selections from Thomas L. Freidman’s From Beirut to Jerusalem
Selections from Misha Glenny’s The Fall of Yugoslavia
Selections from Robert Service’s A History of Modern Russia
Selections from Tamin Ansary’s An Often Interrupted History of Afghanistan
Selection from Steve Coll’s Ghost War
Selections from Farrands, Pettiford, Smith, El-Anis, Tauris’ A New A-Z of International
Relations Theory
Notebook:
Students will take notes on reading and in-class discussions using the “Cornell Notes” format.
Notebooks will be checked on a bi-weekly basis and graded to ensure that students are keeping up with
required reading for this class.
*Example
Essential Question or Title
Narrow Column
Wide Column
Include the learning goals,
big ideas, vocabulary,
outline, cues and
questions.
Include details, illustrations, definitions, notes and
examples.
Summary:
Include only the most important information (can you do this in one sentence?).
Assignments/Activties
Sample Selection
Unit 1 – Technological and Environmental Transformations: Pre-History to c. 600 BCE
1. Reading Analysis – The Original Affluent Society
a. Students will explore the Conditions of Paleolithic daily life.
i. Write their perceptions of daily life for humans prior to the Neolithic
Revolution.
ii. Read and analyze “The Original Affluent Society”, Sahlins
iii. Compare and their pre-conceptions about Paleolithic societies to the new
information and hypothesize on why such pre-conceptions exist in modern
society in small groups.
iv. Write on the prompt, Who benefits from the negative pre-conceptions of
Paleolithic Society and why?
2. Origin of the English Language
a. Students will analyze vocabulary of the English language to determine origin.
i. Students will be provided with a selection of words (correlating to pertinent
historical vocabulary and representing a wide variety of Indo-European and
non-Indo-European words) and investigate the origins of each word.
ii. Students will create a chart grouping the words by origin.
iii. Students will additionally hypothesize why each world was adopted into the
English language vocabulary.
Unit 2 – Organization and Reorganization of Human Societies: c. 600 BCE to c. 600 CE
1. Applying International Relations Theory to World History: The Melian Dialogue
a. Students will use the lens of the IR theory of Realism to analyze the “Melian
Dialogue”, Thucydides.
i. Using the concept of Realism as taught in a previous lesson, students will
critical read the document and provide analysis.
ii. Students will discuss the topic in small groups and then as part of a full class
discussion.
iii. Students will argue the validity of arguments by the representatives of Melos
and Athens from the realism point of view in the form of a persuasive essay.
2. Comparative Analysis of Ancient India and China.
a. Students will explore Ancient India and China through four key characteristics,
political, economic, religious and social conditions, present in each civilization.
i. Students will chart the conditions and changes over time for each of these
four key characteristics and present their findings in the form of a class
presentation.
ii. Students will analyze the similarities and differences of the four key
characteristics in the form of a persuasive essay.
Unit 3 – Regional and Transregional Interactions: c. 600 CE to 1450 CE
1. The Middle, Dark, Medieval, Golden Age.
a. Students will explore conditions across Eurasia during the period of time between the
fall of Rome and the start of the European Renaissance commonly described as the
Middle Ages.
i. Students will analyze conditions in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, the
Middle East, Central Asia, Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, China and
Japan.
ii. Students will compare each of the regions and determine the conditions of
civilizations, regions and the world as a whole.
iii. Students will create posters to represent the conditions.
iv. Students will create new terms to describe this periodization in history and
support their opinion in the form of a persuasive essay.
2. The Black Plague
a. Students will, through several activities understand the Black Plague, reasons for its
spread and the impact that it had on Eurasia during the Late Middle Ages.
i. Students will analyze the conditions that led to rapid transmission of the
Black Plague from its likely starting point in India to East Asia, West Asia, the
Middle East and Europe.
ii. Students will compare various sources on the impact of the Black Plague in
different places across Eurasia.
iii. Students will analyze the spread of the Black Plague against commonly used
trade routes such as the Silk Road and ocean shipping routes in Eurasia.
iv. Students will analyze reasons for the limited impact and spread of the Black
Plague in Africa compared to Eurasia.
v. Students will compare the Black Plague to modern epidemics such as
HIV/AIDS, Ebola and Malaria in relation to their impact on societies and
response to these epidemics.
Unit 4 – Global Interactions: c. 1450 to c. 1750 CE
1. Applying International Relations Theory to World History: The Prince
a. Students will use the lens of the IR theory of Realism to analyze the “The Prince”,
Machiavelli.
i. Using the concept of Realism as taught in a previous lesson, students will
critical read the document and provide analysis.
ii. Students will discuss the topic in small groups and then as part of a full class
discussion.
iii. Students will argue the validity of arguments made by Machiavelli from the
realism point of view in the form of a persuasive essay.
iv. Students will compare and contrast the arguments made in “The Prince” and
in a previously analyzed document, “The Melian Dialogue” as part of a class
discussion and short response.
v. Students will argue the validity of arguments by the representatives of Melos
and Athens from the realism point of view in the form of a persuasive essay.
Unit 5 – Industrialization and Global Integration: c. 1750 to c. 1900 CE
1. Colonization of Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand
a. Students will research the process of colonization that took place between
European people and the indigenous peoples of Papua New Guinea, Australia
and New Zealand.
i. Students will work in groups to research each instance of European
colonization.
ii. Students will compare and contrast, in groups, the impact on indigenous
populations in each of the assigned nations.
iii. Students will compare and contrast what they have learned about
colonization in Africa, the North and South America and
Oceana/Australian in the form of a informative essay.
2. Applying International Relations Theory to World History: The Peace of Prague (1866)
a. Students will use the lens of the IR theory of Realism to analyze “realpolitik” and
the actions of Prussia, led by Otto von Bismarck, to understand the role of the
Peace of Prague and they eventual unification of Germany in 1870.
i. Using the concept of Realism as taught in a previous lesson, students
will critical read the documents provided and provide analysis.
ii. Students will discuss the topic in small groups and then as part of a full
class discussion.
iii. Students will argue the validity of The Peace of Prague as either
supporting or refuting the concepts of realpolitik, as presented by
Bismarck.
iv. Students will compare the goals and motivations of realpolitik and
realism, determine their similarities and differences.
v. Students will compare and contrast the arguments made in “The Prince”
and in a previously analyzed document, “The Melian Dialogue” as part of
a class discussion and short response.
vi. Students will present an argument of the relationship between realpolitik
and realism through the terms of the Peace of Prague and eventually
German unification.
3. Periodization – The Long 19th Century
a. Students will analyze selections from “The Age of Revolution: Europe 17891848”, “The Age of Capital: 1848-1875” and “The Age of Empire: 1875-1914”,
Hobsbawn.
i. Students will apply their understanding of the concept of periodization to
Hobsbawn’s analysis of the Long 19th Century.
ii. Students will analyze Hobsbawn’s analysis and determine if they agree
with it or disagree in the form of a persuasive essay.
4. Industrialization Game
a. Students will understand the process of industrialization in Europe by acting as a
city planner during the Industrial Revolution. They will progress through the
period in history as the towns they start with become increasingly complex and
dense cities while new technologies are implemented.
i. Students will create a physical map of their cities to represent the
conditions of their fiction communities.
ii. Students will analyze the conditions of the communities using the
following concepts;
1. Pollution and Health
2. Population density
3. Services
4. Demographics (Rich and Poor)
b. Students will explore the conditions of Paris before and Haussmann’s renovation
of Paris between 1853 and 1870 through excepts taken from the writings of
Voltaire, Balzac, Hugo and Victor Considerant.
i. Students will provide a written report highlighting the difficulties facing
the communities they have designed and suggest solutions for
improvement in the form of new map that takes into account the need for
improvements to living conditions.
5. Afghanistan: The Great Game Pt. 1
a. Students will analyze the place of Afghanistan in history between 1750 and 1900.
i. Students research the internal structures of society and government in
Afghanistan.
ii. Students will research possible motivations for European colonization of
the region and determine the success or failures of these policies and
actions and the impact on the structures of Afghan society and
government.
iii. Students will predict how these events of this period in history will affect
modern Afghanistan using the basic knowledge they have from recent
events that they have more familiarity with.
Unit 6 – Accelerating Global Change and Realignments
1. The Rwanda Genocide – Pre-European Colonization to Today
a. Students will understand the roots of the Rwandan Genocide starting with social and
government conditions in pre-colonial East Africa, progressing through the height of
European colonization of East Africa and the policies of European governments, the
transition to independent states starting in 1917 and ending in the 1960s, the events
of the Rwandan Genocide, and finally to the ongoing process of reconciliation today.
i. Students will create a detailed timeline highlighting the social and
governmental structures from pre-colonization to the present day.
ii. Students will analyze the impact of European colonialism on African
societies.
iii. Students will determine the pre-existing conditions of East African society,
the influences of colonization, conditions of independence and state of
society and government immediately before the genocide to determine the
cause of the event.
iv. Students will present their analysis in the form of a persuasive essay.
2. Applying International Relations Theory to World History: The Kosovo War
a. Students will use the lens of the IR theory of Realism to analyze the Kosovo War
from the perspective of NATO, the Kosovo Liberation Army, and the Yugoslavia
under Slobodan Milosevic.
i. Using the concept of Realism as taught in a previous lesson, students will
critical read the documents provided and provide analysis on the success or
failure of NATO, KLA and FR Yugoslavia policies and actions during the war
and results as part of the Kumanovo Treaty.
ii. Students will discuss how smaller and weaker nations, despite their lack of
military power may still act as rational actors in a realist analysis of their
behavior.
iii. Students will compare the goals and motivations of FR Yugoslavia and the
island of Melos during the Peloponesian War by creating a Venn diagram.
iv. Students will present an argument for the rational behavior of smaller states
within the concept of realism in the form of a persuasive essay.
3. Afghanistan: The Great Game Pt. 2
a. Students will analyze the place of Afghanistan in history between 1900 and today.
i. Students research the internal structures of society and government in
Afghanistan.
ii. Students will research the relationship between Afghanistan and the rest of
the world, with a focus on motivation for international involvement during the
Cold War Era and the ongoing War on Terrorism to determine the success or
failures of these policies and actions and the impact on the structures of
Afghan society and government.
iii. Students will predict how these events of this period in history will affect
Afghanistan going forward using knowledge gained during the early pt. 1 of
this activity and what has been learned as part of the current activity.
iv. Students will analyze the positive and negative impacts on international
powers in relation to their involvement in Afghanistan in the modern era.
Essay Rubrics:
For ALL essays, a clear, analytical THESIS, which outlines the major points of your essay, in
your introduction is key. A slight clarification of the thesis in the conclusion is also beneficial.
A. Grading Rubric for A.P. World DBQ Essay
9 (100)
8 (95)
7 (90) / 6 (85)
5 (80)
4 (75)
/ 3 (70)
2 (65) / 1 (60)
The 7-9 Essay:
Has a clear, analytical, and comprehensive thesis which addresses all aspects of the question ________
Clearly groups the documents into 3-4 appropriate categories and is well-written __________
Uses all documents persuasively as evidence (clearly identifying the author and title of each document
cited) AND shows careful, insightful analysis of all documents _________
Analyzes point of view or bias in most (or all) documents _________
Supports the thesis with substantial and relevant “outside” historical content ___________
Identifies two or three additional documents (not included) which it would be useful to have
__________
(possibly in the conclusion)
The 4-6 Essay:
Has an acceptable thesis which addresses all aspects of the question ________
Clearly groups the documents into 2 appropriate categories and is mostly well-written _________
Uses all (or all but one) of the documents (clearly identifying the author and title of each document
cited)
to support the thesis but has limited analysis; more descriptive than analytical __________
Analyzes point of view or bias in at least two or three documents _________
Supports the thesis with some relevant “outside” historical content _________
Identifies one additional document (not included) which it would be useful to have __________
The 2-3 Essay:
Has a limited, confusing, and/or poorly developed thesis or a thesis which does not address all aspects
of the question __________
Does not group the documents into appropriate categories or is not well-written _________
Quotes or briefly cites some documents ________
Analyzes point of view or bias in only one (or no) documents _________
Contains little outside information or information that is generally inaccurate or irrelevant ________
Does not identify any additional document(s) which it would be useful to have ________
Contains some errors ________
The 0-1 Essay:
Contains no thesis or a thesis which does not address the question ________
Exhibits inadequate or inaccurate understanding of the question __________
Is so poorly organized or written that it inhibits understanding _________
Contains little or no understanding of documents or ignores them completely _________
Contains inappropriate or no outside information __________
Contains numerous errors ________
B. Grading Rubric for A.P. World Change over Time Essay
(Consideration should be given to the chronology and causation. Be sure to consider:
the beginning, the change(s), and the end/resolution/continuities.)
9 (100)
8 (95) / 7 (90)
6 (85)
5 (80)
4 (75) / 3 (70)
2 (65)
/ 1 (60)
The 8-9 Essay:
Has a clear, analytical, and comprehensive thesis which addresses all aspects of the question ________
FULLY (in-depth analysis) AND EVENLY addresses ALL parts of the question & is well-written _______
Supports the thesis with substantial and relevant historical evidence which considers bothchange and
continuity ________
Relates your comparisons to larger global context and provides links with relevant ideas, events, and
trends in an innovative way _________
The 4-7 Essay:
Has an acceptable thesis which addresses all aspects of the question ________
Does not address one (or more) part(s) of the question fully &/or evenly _________
Supports the thesis with some relevant historical evidence which considers both change & continuity
_____
Relates your comparisons to a larger global context in a limited way ________
The 2-3 Essay:
Has a limited, confusing, and/or poorly developed thesis or a thesis which does not address all aspects
of the question __________
Does not fully or evenly address two or more parts of the question or is not well-written _________
Contains little relevant historical evidence ________
Fails to relate your comparisons to a larger global context ________
Contains some errors ________
The 0-1 Essay:
Contains no thesis or a thesis which does not address the question ________
Exhibits inadequate or inaccurate understanding of the question __________
Contains inappropriate or no historical evidence __________
Is so poorly organized or written that it inhibits understanding _________
Contains numerous errors ______
C. Grading Rubric for A.P. World Comparative Essay
9 (100)
8 (95) / 7 (90)
6 (85)
5 (80)
4 (75) / 3 (70)
2 (65)
/ 1 (60)
The 8-9 Essay:
Has a clear, analytical, and comprehensive thesis which addresses all aspects of the question ________
FULLY (in-depth analysis) addresses ALL parts of the question & is well-written (The essay goes beyond
comparisons to thoroughly analyze by explaining and providing reasons for why…) ____________
Supports the thesis with substantial and relevant historical evidence which considers both similarities
and differences(as appropriate) ____________
Makes several relevant, direct comparisons consistently between or among societies ________
Relates your comparisons to larger global context ________
The 4-7 Essay:
Has an acceptable thesis which addresses all aspects of the question ________
Does not address one (or more) part(s) of the question fully _________
Supports the thesis with some relevant historical evidence which considers both similarities &
differences (or only provides substantial evidence for similarities or differences but not for both)
________
Makes two relevant, direct comparisons between or among societies _________
Relates your comparisons to a larger global context in a limited way ________
The 2-3 Essay:
Has a limited, confusing, and/or poorly developed thesis or a thesis which does not address all aspects
of the question __________
Does not fully address two or more parts of the question or is not well-written _________
Contains little relevant historical evidence ________
Only considers similarities (or only considers differences) ________
Makes only one relevant, direct comparison between or among societies ________
Fails to relate your comparisons to a larger global context ________
Contains some errors ________
The 0-1 Essay:
Contains no thesis or a thesis which does not address the question ________
Exhibits inadequate or inaccurate understanding of the question __________
Is so poorly organized or written that it inhibits understanding _________
Contains inappropriate or no historical evidence __________
Contains numerous errors ________