Advanced Placement World History
Syllabus 2012-2013
Course Description: This course offers balanced global coverage, with Africa, the
Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Oceania all represented. The purpose of this AP World
History course is to develop a greater understanding of the evolution of global processes
and contacts on different types of human societies. The AP World History course
highlights the nature of changes in global frameworks and their causes and consequences,
as well as comparisons among major societies. Emphasis should be on relevant factual
knowledge, leading interpretive issues, and skills in analyzing types of historical
evidence. Periodization explicitly discussed forms and organizing principle to address
change and continuity throughout the course. Specific themes provide further
organization to the course, along with consistent attention to contacts. Students will be
expected to read outside of class and will be given homework assignments on a regular
basis. Special emphasis will be placed on preparation skills for the AP Exam; thus,
students will be expected to participate in enrichment opportunities that may occur on the
weekends or during intersession. Receipt of college credit is contingent upon their score
on the AP Exam, which all students are expected to take at the end of the Spring
Semester.
Course Resources:
Primary Textbook:
- Bentley, Jerry H. & Herbert F. Ziegler Traditions & Encounters (2nd Edition) McGraw
Hill, New York, 2003
Supplementary Textbooks:
-
Stearns, Peter N. et al. World Civilizations: The Global Experience (4th Edition)
Pearson Longman, New York, 2005
Strayer, Robert. Ways of the World, with Resources, Bedford/St. Martins, New
York, 2011
Bulliet, Richard W., et al. The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History - AP
Edition (3rd Edition) Houghton Mifflin, New York, 2001
Primary Sources:
- Source: Ralph T. Griffith, trans. The Hymns of the Rigveda, 4 vols., 2nd ed.
Benares: E. J. Lazarus, 1889–92, 4:289–93. (Translation slightly modified.)
-
.Four Historical Thinking Skills of AP World History:
1. Craft historical arguments from historical evidence including but not limited to:
primary and secondary source documents, maps, images, artwork and quantitative
data.
2. Chronological Reasoning using Historical Causation (identify, analyze and
evaluate the relationships between multiple historical causes and effects), Patterns
of Continuity and Change Over Time (recognize, analyze and evaluate major
historical continuity and change over periods of time and how these patterns relate
to larger historical processes and themes) and Periodization (describe, analyze and
construct models of historical periodization that historians use to categorize
events into discrete blocks and to identify turning points).
3. Comparison and Contextualization this includes being able to compare,
describe and evaluate multiple historical developments within one or multiple
societies, or one or more multiple developments and in various chronological and
geographical context. In addition, being able to connect these developments to
specific time and place or into a broader regional, national or global process.
4. Historical Interpretation and Synthesis this involves the ability to be able to
interpret, analyze and evaluate the past through the use of primary and secondary
historical sources. This should be done through multiple methods including: the
analysis of evidence, reasoning, context, points of view, and frames of reference.
Moreover, the ability to arrive at meaningful and persuasive understandings of the
past by applying all of the other historical thinking skills must be present.
Course Themes:
The AP World History course consists of 5 themes. These themes present a broad level of
main ideas that the student will see throughout the span of the course. These themes
should be able to present cross period connections and help to recognize broad trends and
processes that have developed over centuries in various regions of the world.
Theme 1: Interaction Between Humans and the Environment
-Demography and Disease
-Migration
-Patterns of Settlement
-Technology
Theme 2: Development and Interaction of Cultures
-Religions
-Belief Systems, philosophies, and ideologies
-Science and technology
-The arts and architecture
Theme 3: State-Building, Expansion, and Conflict
-Political structures and forms of governance
-Empires
-Nations and nationalism
-Revolts and Revolutions
-Regional, trans regional, and global structures and organizations
Theme 4: Creation, Expansion, and Interaction of Economic Systems
-Agricultural and Pastoral Production
-Trade and Commerce
-Labor Systems
-Industrialization
-Capitalism and Socialism
Theme 5: Development and Transformation of Social Structures
-Gender roles and relations
-Family and Kinship
-Racial and Ethnic Constructions
-Social and Economic Classes
Period 1: Technological and Environmental Transformations to 600
BCE
Key Concept 1.1: Big Geography and the Peopling of the Earth
Key Concept 1.2: The Neolithic Revolution and the Early Agricultural Societies
Key Concept 1.3: The Development and Interactions of Early Agriculture, Pastoral and
Urban Societies
Topics for Overview
-Hunting and foraging bands and early migration
-Adaptation of technology and cultures to new regions
-Neolithic revolution
-Development of complex economic and social systems
-Agriculture and Pastoralism and the transformation of human societies
-Foundational Civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Mohenjo-Daro, Shang, Olmec’s, and
Chavine
-Foundational Culture: law, language, literature, religion, myths and monumental art..
Selected Activities and Assignments include but are not limited to:
Key Concept 1.1: Big Geography and the Peopling of the Earth
- Students will complete any textbook reading assignments and quizzes.
- Students will create maps of the global pattern migrations of the early peoples.
- Students will analyze reasons as to why early people migrated in to particular
regions of the world.
Key Concept 1.2: The Neolithic Revolution and the Early Agricultural Societies
- Students will complete any textbook reading assignments and quizzes.
- Students will create charts using S.C.R.I.P.T.E.D. or P.E.R.S.I.A.N methods for
specific civilizations and present to the class.
- Students will create charts of differences/similarities within the given
civilizations.
Key Concept 1.3: The Development and Interactions of Early Agriculture, Pastoral and
Urban Societies
-
Students will complete any textbook reading assignments and quizzes.
Students will be introduced to primary source analysis (SOAPPS-Tone)
Students will analyze primary source documents of Early River Valley
Civilizations
Students will perform cause and effect exercises for the Neolithic Revolution.
Period 2 Organization and Reorganization of Human Societies, c. 600
BCE to 600 CE
Key Concept 2.1: The Development and Codification of Religious and Cultural
Traditions.
Key Concept 2.2: The Development of States and Empires
Key Concept 2.3: Emergence of Trans regional Networks of Communication and
Exchange
Topics for Overview
- Codification and development of existing religions and its connection to ethical codes to
live by. Special Focus on Judaism and Hinduism.
- New Belief Systems and traditions asserted universal truths. Special Focus on
Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Christianity.
-The effect of belief systems on gender roles. Special Focus on Buddhism, Christianity
and Confucianism.
-Other religious culture traditions that parallel to the codified written belief systems of
core civilizations. Special Focus on shamanism and animism.
-Political unity of key states and empires (ex. Administrative institutions). Special Focus
on Persian Empires, Qin, Han, Maurya, Gupta, Greek and Roman Empires, Mayas,
Moche.
- Socio-Economic developments of Afro-Eurasia societies and the Americas.
-Collapse, decline, or transformation of empires through political, cultural or
administrative difficulties. Special Focus on Roman, Han, Persian, Mauryan and
Gupta empires.
- Land and water routes for trans regional trade, communication and exchange in the
Easter Hemisphere. Special Focus on Eurasian Silk Roads, Trans-Saharan caravan
routes, Indian Ocean sea-lanes, Mediterranean Sea lanes.
-Development of the following amongst large networks of communication and exchange:
trade in goods, exchange of people, technology, religion, culture, agriculture,
domestication and disease.
Selected Activities and Assignments include but are not limited to:
Key Concept 2.1: The Development and Codification of Religious and Cultural
Traditions.
- Students will complete any textbook reading assignments and quizzes.
-
Students will analyze the tenets of Judaism through the use of the Torah and
discuss how these tenets influence and create an ethical code to live by for people.
- Students will analyze the tenets of Hinduism by reviewing the caste system and
how this structure has led to a secularization of this system in a social, political
and economic sense.
- Students will read a section of the Rig Veda and discuss how this creation story
compares to other religious creation stories.
- Students will also perform Illustrative Analysis on images of the major belief
systems.
- Students will create and present a chart comparing and contrasting the major
tenets or Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism and Christianity. They will also
explain how these belief systems were paralleled in other religious cultural
traditions.
- Students will write an essay discussing the impact of the above belief systems and
their effect on gender roles and political systems of then and now.
Key Concept 2.2: The Development of States and Empires
- Students will complete any textbook reading assignments and quizzes.
- Students will identify the rise of major classical empires
- Students will identify the causes and consequences of the decline of major
classical empires of the Mediterranean, Meso-America, South Asia and East Asia.
- Students will write an essay that will evaluate the similarities and differences of
the causes and consequences of the decline of major classical empires of the
Mediterranean, Meso-America, South Asia and East Asia.
Key Concept 2.3: Emergence of Trans regional Networks of Communication and
Exchange
- Students will complete any textbook reading assignments and quizzes.
- Students will be able to identify and map out various trade routes of the Eurasian
Silk Roads, Trans-Saharan routes, Indian Ocean routes and Mediterranean routes.
- Students will be able to identify the major goods of each trade route and the
diffusion of religion, culture and disease along the various trade routes.
Period 3: Regional and Trans regional Interactions, c. 600 CE to c. 1450
CE
Key Concept 3.1: Expansion and Intensification of Communication and Exchange
Networks
Key Concept 3.2: Continuity and Innovation of State Forms and their Interactions
Key Concept 3.3: Increased Economic Productive Capacity and Its Consequences
Topics for Overview
-Expansion of existing and newly developed trade routes and networks through improved
transportation technologies and commercial practices. Special focus on Silk Roads,
Mediterranean Sea, Trans-Saharan, Indian Ocean Basin, MesoAmerica and Andes.
-Expansion of the following empires through Trans-Eurasian trade: China, Byzantine,
Islamic, Mongolian.
-Linguistic and environmental of effects of long distance trade. Special Focus on Bantu
and Polynesian migrations.
- Cross-cultural exchanges between existing or new networks of trade and
communication. Special focus on the Islamic World.
-Contacts and conflicts between empires that encouraged technological and cultural
transfers. Special focus on Tang and Abbasid, across Mongol empires, and Crusades.
- Agricultural and Industrial stimulation through innovation
-Decline and Revival of Urbanization through the aid of productivity and expanding trade
networks.
- Changes in labor management and the effect of religious conversion on gender relations
and family life. Special focus on Middle Ages: Crusades, Schism, and Feudalism.
Selected Activities and Assignments include but are not limited to:
Key Concept 3.1: Expansion and Intensification of Communication and Exchange
Networks
- Students will complete any textbook reading assignments and quizzes.
- Students will write a comparative essay on the migrations of the Bantus, Vikings
and Polynesians and how each migration contributed to environmental, linguistic,
cultural and religious diffusion..
- Students will perform an Illustrative Analysis based on diffusion of cross-cultural
exchanges.
- Students will get in groups and discuss the importance of cross-cultural trade
based on trade migrations and present the importance of each migration to the
class.
Key Concept 3.2: Continuity and Innovation of State Forms and their Interaction
Students will complete any textbook reading assignments and quizzes.
- Students will be introduced to the DBQ and application of the PERSIAN or
SCRIPTED method with the use of the DBQ.
- Students will compare and contrast the reconstitution of the Byzantine Empire and
Chinese dynasties.
- Students will complete a cause and effect exercise on the emergence of Islamic states,
Mongols, city-states, and Feudalistic ideas of Europe and Japan.
-Students will discuss the importance of synthesis amongst local and borrowed traditions.
-Students will create a chart showing technological and cultural transfers of interregional
contacts and conflicts.
Key Concept 3.3: Increased Economic Productive Capacity and its Consequences
- Students will complete any textbook reading assignments and quizzes.
- Students will create a cause and effect chart on productivity base on trade
networks.
- Students will be introduced to the Continuity and Change over time essay.
- Students will write a Continuity and Change overtime essay based on labor
management, religious conversion and its effects on gender roles.
-
Students will perform a cause and effect chart on coerced labor within European,
Japanese and Mesoamerican Empires.
Period 4: Global Interactions, c. 1450 to c. 1750
Key Concept 4.1: Globalizing networks of Communication Networks of Communication
and Exchange
Key Concept 4.2: New forms of Social Organization and Modes of Production
Key Concept 4.3: State Consolidation and Imperial Expansion
Topics for Overview
- Revolutions in Sailing
- European exploration and interactions with American and Asian markets. Special focus
on Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, French, and British.
- Colombian Exchange
- Interactions between hemispheres spread and reformed existing religions creating
syncretic belief systems and practices
- Slavery and Plantation systems
- Development of new social, political elites and restructuring of new ethnic, racial and
gender hierarchies.
- Legitimacy and Centralized powers, imperial expansion through armory and the trade of
armory. Special focus on Manchus, Mughals, Ottomans, Russia.
Selected Activities and Assignments include but are not limited to:
Key Concept 4.1: Globalizing Networks of Communication and Exchange
- Students will complete any textbook reading assignments and quizzes.
- Students will create a chart demonstrating the maritime consequences of
European countries on Africa, Americas and Asia.
- Students will develop an essay arguing which maritime exploration created the
most global change.
- Students will discuss the impact of the Colombian Exchange on Europe,
Americas, Asia, and Africa
Key Concept 4.2: New forms of Social Organization and Modes of Production
- Students will create a chart showing the development of new social hierarchies
within the impact of Colombian Exchange
- Students will examine the effects of a world trading system that was established
through agriculture.
- Students will write a comparative essay on African slavery vs. Spanish
Encomiendas
- Students will also examine why the slave trade rose and slowly declined within
different parts of the world (ex. Americas, Africa, Southwest Asia)
Key Concept 4.3: State Consolidation and Imperial Expansion
- Students will complete any textbook reading assignments and quizzes.
-
Students will analyze various types or art to discuss legitimacy of power through
this medium.
Students will write a comparative essay on the state treatment of ethnic and
religious groups in the Americas, Africa and Asia.
Students will discuss the different processes between maritime empire building
and land empire building (ex. Ottoman Empire vs. Spanish maritime empire)
Period 5: Industrialization and Global Integration, c. 1750-c. 1900
Key Concept 5.1: Industrialization and Global Capitalism
Key Concept 5.2: Imperialism and Nation-State Formation
Key Concept 5.3: Nationalism, Revolution, and Reform
Key Concept 5.4: Global Migration
Topics for Overview
- Factors leading to Industrial Revolution
- Consequences of the Industrial Revolution. Special focus on transportation,
communication, global economies, and societal development.
-Growth of imperialism and the spread of transoceanic empires. Special focus on British
empire’s imperialism, Scramble for Africa, Latin American imperialism, and Asian
and Pacific imperialism.
- Revolutions and the spread of transnational ideologies and solidarities. Special focus on
American Revolution, French Revolution, Haitian Revolution and Latin American
independence movement.
- Social impact of Revolutions. Special focus on conservatism, liberalism, socialism,
communism, women’s suffrage.
- Migration: consequences and reactions
Selected Activities and Assignments include but are not limited to:
Key Concept 5.1: Industrialization and Global Capitalism
- Students will complete any textbook reading assignments and quizzes.
- Students will create a chart demonstrating the factors leading to industrial
production.
- Students will discuss how the new methods of industrial production spread to
other parts of the world ( United States, Russia, and Japan) and led to global
trading patterns and a global economy. (ex. Raw materials)
- Students will write a comparative essay as to the restrictions some countries
implemented in economic change and maintain pre-industrial forms.
- Students will discuss the social impact of industrialization.
Key Concept 5.2: Imperialism and Nation-State Formation
- Students will discuss how states legitimized and reinforced their control of
existing colonies (ex. British India, Dutch Indonesia)
- Students will write a Change and Continuity over Time Essay on the rise and
decline of European Empires of the 15th,16th 17th century to those of the Asian
Pacific Empires of the Industrial era.
-
Students will discuss whether diplomacy, military, or economic influence was
most effective in establishing empires in Africa and Asia.
Key Concept 5.3: Nationalism, Revolution, and Reform
- Students will complete any textbook reading assignments and quizzes.
- Students will create a chart demonstrating the concepts/ideas of influential
thinkers.
- Students will analyze both arguments of “The French Declaration of the Rights
of Man and Citizen” and Bolivar’s “Jamaica Letter”
- Students will analyze the rebellions through the use of primary source documents.
Key Concept 5.4: Global Migration
- Students will compare the role of Australian policies in displacing Aborigines to
United States policies of displacing Native Americans.
- Students will create a map of coerced and semi coerced labor migrations.
- Students will write a comparative analysis of the migrant ethnic enclaves through
the Chinese Exclusion Acts and the White Australian Policy
Period 6: Accelerating Global Change and Realignments, c. 1900 to the
Present
Key Concept 6.1: Science and the Environment
Key Concept 6.2:Global Conflicts and Their Consequences
Key Concept 6.3: New Conceptualizations of Global Economy, Society, and Culture
Topics for Overview
- Development of new technologies that led to the advancements of science.
- Human – environment relationships
- World War I: Before and After. Special focus on Imperialist expansion s by European
powers, competition for resources, ethnic conflict, great power rivalries, nationalist
ideologies.
- Worldwide Economic Depression Special Focus on closer involvement of
governments in economic roles, communist nation’s economic control (i.e. Soviet
Union and China).
- Dissolution of Empires and restructuring of states. Special focus on national leaders,
regional, religious and ethnic movements, and transnational movements.
- World War II: Before and After.
- Cold War
- Global Organizations and Alliances
- Non-violent methods of change. Special focus on Picasso art, Gandhi, Martin Luther
King.
- The proliferation and intensification of conflicts through military and militarized states
to reach political aims. Special focus on military dictatorship of Chile, Spain and
Uganda, IRA, ETA, Al-Qaeda
- Globalization and the interdependence of states, communities and individuals. Special
focus on economic institutions, humanitarian organizations, regional trade
agreements, multinational corporations, global changes in environmental and
economic consequences.
Selected Activities and Assignments include but are not limited to:
Key Concept 6.1: Science and the Environment
- Students will complete any textbook reading assignments and quizzes.
- Students will analyze the causes and consequences of the Green Revolution.
- Students will discuss how the spread of disease played a role in demographic
shifts.
Key Concept 6.2:Global Conflicts and Their Consequences
- Students will create a chart showing the collapse, negotiations and achievements
of imperialistically controlled colonies (ex. Qing Empire, India from Brits,
Algeria and Vietnam from French Empire)
- Students will discuss the importance of political and religious thinkers on antiimperialism independence in various areas of Asia and Africa and how they
created transnational movements.
- Students will create a chart of sources of Global Conflict.
- Students will discuss the external impact of World War I and World War II.
- Consequences of both World Wars
- Students will present influential individuals or groups that intensified conflict
through various mediums (non-violent, economic, political or social orders,
militaries, violent movements)
- Students will present a conflict that influences pop culture.
Key Concept 6.3: New Conceptualizations of Global Economy, Society, and Culture
- Students will write a Comparative Essay of Communist governments controlling
the economies through the 5-year Plan and the Great Leap Forward.
- Students will create a map chart demonstrating the spread of free market
economic policies.
- Students will present various institutions that were developed to create global
governance. (ex. Int’l organizations, economic institutions, Humanitarian
organizations, Regional trade agreements, Multi-national corporations and
movements)
- Students will discuss the positive and negative changes of society and culture.
Periodization
Period
Title
Date Range
Weight
Technological
1
To c. 600 b.c.e.
5%
2
3
4
5
and
Environmental
Transformations
Organization and
Reorganization of
Human Societies
Regional and
Trans regional
Interactions
Global
Interactions
Industrialization
c. 600 bce to
c.600 c.e.
15%
c. 600 c.e. to
1450 c.e.
20%
c. 1450 to c.
1750
c. 1750 to c.
20%
20%
6
and Global
Integration
Accelerating
Global Change
and Realignments
1900
c. 1900 to the
Present
20%
In -class/Homework:
In order to support the student mastery of content and synthesis of historical patterns over
time students will be expected to complete a number of activities that will help them
prepare for the AP Exam in the spring. These activities include but are not limited to the
following: primary source analysis, illustrative analysis, comparative analysis,
historiographical analysis, graphic organizers, mapping of exploration over time, writing
skills practice, discussions and debates.
Assessments:
Assessments will be given in order to assess content mastery and synthesis of historical
patterns over time. Frequent quizzes over assigned reading material will be given on a
regular basis. Tests will usually be over 2 to 3 chapters, usually every 3 weeks. Quizzes
will be multiple choice whereas tests will be multiple choice in conjunction with one of
the three varieties of AP Style essay exams. Essays may be Data Based, Continuity and
Change over Time (CCOT) or a Comparative Essay. Essays will be timed.
Essays:
Data Based Questions: asks a student to construct historical arguments using primary
documents, group the documents into logical categories, and analyze point of view.
Continuity and Change over Time: asks a student to analyze patterns of human behavior
over periods of history.
Comparative Essay: requires students to analyze similarities and differences in various
civilizations in history.
Class Procedures
1. Attendance is vital in order to have success in this class. Come to class on time.
2. Come prepared.
3. This is a wireless zone. Absolutely NO cell phones or electronic devices. No ear
buds hanging out.
4. READING AND WRITING IS A MUST in this class. Be prepared to do lots of
it.
5. Assignments are due when stated. Just because I don’t tell you to turn in your
work doesn’t mean it’s not due.
6. Please make sure your binder is up to date I will be performing random checks at
anytime.
7. If you are absent it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to come to me for your make up
work.
8. RESPECT each other.
9. RESPECT the Teacher, this includes any substitutes that are here on my behalf.
In-Class Work: In class work is to be completed in the same day in class, unless
otherwise told by the teacher.
Homework: Homework is to be turned in the following day that class meets, unless
otherwise told by the teacher.
Test/Quizzes: Test and quizzes will be given to check for understanding and at
random, with notice. BE PREPARED. STUDY! STUDY! STUDY! (You may NOT use
your notes)
Tests & Quizzes will be multiple choice, short answer & essay.
Grade Breakdown:
15% Nine Weeks Test
45% Daily Work
40% Test/Quizzes
Extra Credit
Ream of Printer paper (1)= 2 100s
Hand Sanitizer (1)= 1 100
Total Extra Credit Points 3 100s
Class Supplies
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
3 inch ring binder
Loose leaf paper
Dividers (10)
Highlighters
Pens
#2 Pencils
*Please no spiral notebooks. You will be receiving several handouts and they will need to
be put in the appropriate place. Organization is a key component to your success.