Summer Assignment – Pre-IB and Pre-AP 9th Graders – AP World History – Mrs. Hawk
First and foremost, welcome to Fairhope High School and welcome to AP World History! As this course is aimed at
preparing you for success in the IB Program and on the AP Exam in May 2014, your preparation for the first day of
school is encompassed within this summer assignment. Since this course covers roughly 10,000 years of World
History, this summer assignment allows you a jump-start on the basic skills and vocabulary of AP World History.
General Directions for the Summer Assignment:
1. Your work should be hand-written. Your handwriting should be legible. You should only write on the front of a
sheet of notebook paper (preferably college-ruled notebook paper).
2. Your responses to each assignment and/or question should be original (your own words). Copying from any
source will result in an automatic zero.
3. This packet (and all sheets of notebook paper you completed the assignments on) is due on the first day of
school, August 19. It will be graded. A rubric is included below the description of each assignment.
4. You will have a quiz the first week of school that covers the information in this Summer Assignment.
Assignment One: B.C.E and C.E. – 10 possible points
Define each of the terms B.C.E. and C.E and provide an example of a world event that occurred in each time
period, B.C.E. and C.E. After your definition, provide the source you used for the definition and the source you
used for the world event – see the chart below. You may write directly in the chart below if you choose.
Term
Definition
B.C.E.
C.E.
Rubric
Terms
Definitions
Source – Definition
World Event
Source – World Event
_____/2
_____/2
_____/2
_____/2
_____/2
Source –
Definition
World Event
World Event Source
Assignment Two: 40 General AP World History Vocabulary Terms – 120 points
Below you will find a list of vocabulary words that will be repeated over and over during the course. These words
will apply to many different cultures throughout history. You should define the terms in the format that is below.
Your definition should be complete sentences and, as always in this course, the definition should be explained in
your own words. You should cite the source you used for each term’s definition in the last column. You should
create and complete this chart on a sheet of notebook paper.
Term
Definition
Source
agriculture
Continue the format above for the following vocabulary terms – bias, bureaucracy, chronology, city-state,
civilization, culture, democracy, demography, dynasty, economic, era, evolution, empire, epidemic,
globalization, industrialization, interregional, matrilineal, migration, monotheism, nation, nationalism, nobility,
pandemic, pastoral, patriarchal, periodization, political, polytheism, primary source, revolution, religion, rural,
secondary source, society, trans-regional and urban.
**Mrs. Hawk’s Example**
Term
prehistoric
Rubric
Terms
Definitions
Source – Definition
Definition
The term prehistoric refers to the
time period of history that occurred
before written history records existed.
_____/40
_____/40
_____/40
Source
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Assignment Three: AP World History Readings – 15 points
Attached to this assignment sheet you will find five AP World History essays covering a myriad of topics that we
will study this year. After reading each essay, complete the assignment for the reading that is explained below.
Each of the readings are excerpted from The National Geographic Almanac of World History by Patricia S. Daniels
and Stephen G. Hyslop. Your answers to these questions should be handwritten on a sheet of notebook paper,
answered in your own words and, as always, in complete sentences.
Essay 1 – “The Rise of Agriculture and Complex Societies”
1. Define the term ‘nomadic’.
o Answer: The term nomadic means…
2. Explain how agriculture transformed human existence.
o Answer: Agriculture transformed human existence by…
3. Explain the connection between the rise of civilizations and water sources.
o Answer: The connection between the rise of civilizations and water sources is…
Essay 2 – “The Evolution of Writing”
1. Define the term ‘illiterate’.
2. Explain how the shift from pictographs to phonetic alphabets changed the learning process.
3. Respond to the quote, “Writing for him who knows it is better than all other professions. It pleases more than
bread and beer, more than clothing and ointment. It is worth more than an inheritance in Egypt, more than a
tomb in the west.”
Essay 3 – “The Classical Tradition”
1. Define the term ‘classicism’.
2. Explain why Renaissance artists, thinkers and architects looked to the classical age for inspiration.
3. Identify writers, artists, architects and musicians, as well as their works, of the classical period.
Essay 4 – “The Silk Road and the East-West Connection”
1. Define the term ‘commodity’.
2. Explain the overall impact, including the things that moved along it, of the Silk Road as a trade route.
3. Explain the decline of the Silk Road.
Essay 5 – “Plagues and Peoples”
1. Define the term ‘eradicate’.
2. Explain why Europeans didn’t contract unfamiliar diseases in the New World and carry them back home.
3. Explain the impact of disease on the New World
Rubric
Essay 1, Question 1
Essay 1, Question 2
Essay 1, Question 3
Essay 2, Question 1
Essay 2, Question 2
Essay 2, Question 3
Essay 3, Question 1
Essay 3, Question 2
Essay 3, Question 3
Essay 4, Question 1
Essay 4, Question 2
Essay 4, Question 3
Essay 5, Question 1
Essay 5, Question 2
Essay 5, Question 3
_____/1
_____/1
_____/1
_____/1
_____/1
_____/1
_____/1
_____/1
_____/1
_____/1
_____/1
_____/1
_____/1
_____/1
_____/1
Assignment Four: AP World History Connections – 120 points
Using the work you completed in Assignments One, Two and Three, create a chart like the one you see below and
complete the chart for all 40 of the vocabulary terms that you defined in Assignment Two. All 40 of the vocabulary
words you defined in Assignment Two can be connected to one, or more, of the five essays you read. Based on
your definitions, decide which vocabulary words can be connected to each essay and explain WHY the term can be
connected to the essay. Some of the vocabulary terms can be connected to only one essay and some of the
vocabulary terms can be connected to two, or three, or four, or all five essays. Some of the vocabulary words will
be easier to connect than others. This assignment should take you longer than the other three as it requires the
most thought and analysis. You should create and complete this chart on a sheet of notebook paper. I have
completed the first term for you as an example.
Term
Essay
1
1. agriculture
4
Rubric
Terms
Essay
Essay Connection
_____/40
_____/40
_____/40
What’s The Connection?
1 – Essay 1 explains the impact of agriculture
on the development of civilizations.
Agriculture allowed people to be more
stationary in their lives. Agriculture also
allowed for improvements in diet, which led to
longer life spans.
4–
Assignment Five: AP World History Geography
Familiarize yourself with the two maps below. These two maps will be included on your first quiz during the first
week of school.
Example Timeline
In order to dedicate the time necessary to successfully complete this assignment and to establish a firm
foundation for AP World History, the timeline below is an example of how you could allot your time this summer.
May 27 – May 31 – Take a Break!
June 3 – June 7 – Assignment 1 and Assignment 2 – Complete 20 of the vocabulary terms this week.
June 10 – June 14 – Assignment 2 – Complete the last 20 vocabulary terms this week.
June 17 – June 21 – Assignment 3 – Essay 1/2
June 24 – June 28 – Assignment 3 – Essay 3/4
July 1 – July 5 – Assignment 3 – Essay 5
July 8 – July 12 – Take a Break!
July 15 – July 19 – Assignment 4 – Work through 10 of the vocabulary words this week, making connections back
to the essays you read and completing the chart described in Assignment 4.
July 22 – July 26 – Assignment 4 – Work through 10 of the vocabulary words this week, making connections back
to the essays you read and completing the chart described in Assignment 4.
July 29 – August 2 – Assignment 4 – Work through 10 of the vocabulary words this week, making connections back
to the essays you read and completing the chart described in Assignment 4.
August 5 – August 9 - Assignment 4 – Work through 10 of the vocabulary words this week, making connections
back to the essays you read and completing the chart described in Assignment 4.
August 12 – August 16 – Spend this week reviewing and studying your summer assignment work – all five
assignments. Be sure you have followed all the guidelines, answered every question and completed, fully, each of
the four assignments that required written work. You will take a quiz the first week of school that will cover all five
assignments in this packet.
AP World History Notebook
You should come to class Monday, August 19 with your AP World History notebook set up and ready to be used.
We will hit the ground running on Day 1 – Monday, August 19. Your AP World History notebook should be at least
2” (any color) and should be set up with the following 11 dividers: Maps, Period 1, Period 2, Period 3, Period 4,
Period 5, Period 6, DBQ Essay, CCOT Essay, Comparison Essay, and Miscellaneous. Additionally, you should have
with you on Monday, August 19 (and everyday in class) your AP World History binder, college-ruled notebook
paper, pencils (preferably mechanical), and pens (blue or black ink only).
Summer Contact Information
Should you have any questions over the summer, feel free to email me at hhawk@bcbe.org. I will respond as
quickly as possible.
AP World History Blog
I will post things periodically throughout the summer that will help you prepare for AP World History. As you
begin to work on your AP World History Summer Assignment each week, you should check the blog for any tips,
ideas, and articles that will help you be successful in AP World History.
http://apworldhistoryheatherhawk.edublogs.org