2015 Summer Assignment
AP World History
Mr. Gompper
Welcome everyone! I hope that you are as excited for the upcoming year as we are. I look forward
to a challenging and hopefully rewarding year.
Over the summer you will be asked to read the book, A History of the World in Six Glasses, written
by Tom Standage. If you wish to purchase the book yourself the cheapest place to find it is Amazon.com
(http://www.amazon.com/History-World-6Glasses/dp/0802715524/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1302699988&sr=1-1) or you may borrow a
book from me through the front office over the summer. Just make sure to sign it out so that we can track
their location. These books are on a first come first serve basis and once they are gone they are gone.
Your assignment will be to answer ONE question about each topic and then write a generic summary and
reflection. The purpose of this paper is to gauge your grasp of writing and organization using historical
information. This will provide us with knowledge of what you know and what we need to work on.
We would like your paper to be typed, double spaced, size 12 Times New Roman font, and with 1
inch margins all the way around the edges.
Your paper will be due the SECOND DAY OF CLASS just in case you were to forget to bring it over
summer. If you finish your paper early please feel free to email it to us at
joshua.gompper@polk-fl.net
I look forward to meeting all of you in the fall!
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A History of the World in Six Glasses – Tom Standage
Beer in Mesopotamia and Egypt
o Describe the creation process of the world’s first beer.
o Explain the roles beer played in social gatherings. Do any traditions survive today?
o Compare and contrast the use of and value of beer in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Wine in Greece and Rome
o How did wine become popular within the Middle East, the home of beer?
o How did wine help Greece and later Rome dominate world trade?
o Explain wine’s importance to Greek society, especially their symposiums.
o Highlight the reasons for drinking wine between Christians and Muslims.
Continued on Next Page….
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Spirits in the Colonial Period
o How did rum play a role in the Atlantic Slave Trade?
o What role did whiskey play in America’s westward expansion?
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Coffee in the Age of Reason
o Compare and contrast coffee to pre-established beverages like wine and beer and
their acceptance within society.
o Discuss and provide both sides of the Islamic argument for coffee. Which side do you
support?
o As coffee’s popularity grew, did everyone in Europe embrace it? If not, provide who
they were and their reasons.
o Compare and contrast a coffeehouse in England and France.
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Tea and the British Empire
o Explain the significance of tea in Chinese and Japanese societies.
o What role did tea play during the English Industrial Revolution?
o How did tea influence the actions of the British East India Company specifically their
military campaigns?
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Coca-Cola and the Rise of America
o What process did Coca-Cola use to market to children? Why did they have to resort
to this as opposed to outright marketing?
o How did Coca-Cola help the American war effort during the Second World War?
o What problems were faced by Coca-Cola in their efforts to globally expand following
the Second World War? How were they solved?
o How does the rise of Coca-Cola mirror the rise of American power and influence
internationally?
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Epilogue
o After reading the epilogue and book, what are your personal thoughts on the power
and importance of water?
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Summary
o Write a general reflection of this book. Were there items that sparked your interest?
Anything that was unclear or difficult to grasp. Your summary should not be any
longer than 1 double spaced typed page.