AP WORLD HISTORY
SUMMER ASSIGNMENT
MS. BOIMANN-HENNIES & MR. HARNISH
NAME: ____________________________________
Welcome to AP World History! We are very excited for the upcoming school year! The AP World
History course covers a lot of history (over 10,000 years!) in a relatively short amount of time. As
such, it is important that you get a head start on this content over summer break so that we have
enough time to cover all of the material before the AP Exam in May 2013. Your assignment has
three main purposes:
1. To introduce you to the first unit of content in AP World History, starting at the
Neolithic Revolution, which will help you create a foundation to understand the River
Valley Civilizations, all of which work together to create the foundation of world
history.
2. To introduce you to AP World History style readings through the assigned reading
packet.
3. To introduce you to the main questions of World History and the skills necessary to
properly analyze each topic throughout the course.
All three of these purposes will be referenced throughout the course of the school year, so it is
extremely important that you put time and effort into this assignment and do not wait until the
night before classes start to complete it.
Definition of Plagiarism:
The dictionary defines plagiarism as the “…the use or close imitation of the language and thoughts
of another author/student and the representation of that use as one’s own original work.” In AP
World History, plagiarism includes not only using information from the Internet without properly
citing it in MLA format, but also copying your friends’ homework assignments, even if they agree
to it. Allowing someone to copy your assignment/work is also considered plagiarism, as you are
blatantly violating the policies of the classroom and of the high school. Sharing work is a form of
plagiarism and all people suspected of plagiarism in any form will receive a zero for this
assignment.
Contact Information:
If you have any questions about any part of this assignment, please do not hesitate to contact Ms.
Boimann-Hennies or Mr. Harnish via email. When it doubt, it is always best to email one of the
teachers instead of asking a friend.
Ms. Boimann-Hennies’ Email:
megan.boimann-hennies@fortthomas.kyschools.us OR
meganboiman@gmail.com
Mr. Harnish’s Email:
Jason.harnish@fortthomas.kyschools.us
This assignment is required of all AP World History students, no matter which teacher you
are assigned on your schedule.
Details and Directions:
1. Read the assigned packet, “Act One - Origins of the Human Community: Learning to
Cooperate (From Early Times to 3500 BCE).”* This is your packet; feel free to make notes
in the margins, highlight key terms and ideas, etc.
2. Once you are finished with the reading, answer the attached reading questions in complete
sentences. Your analysis will form the basis of your notes and our classroom discussion
for the first half of the Foundations unit. You will be expected to understand all of the
concepts in this reading and answer all of these questions, along with additional questions,
by the first day of class.
3. This assignment will be taken as a test grade. It will be graded for accuracy and analysis,
not for completion. Failure to submit this assignment on the first day of class will result in
a zero for the assignment.
4. You will have a test over this material by the end of the first week of class.
5. It is your responsibility to ask about any content that is concerning or confusing to you. AP
World History moves very quickly, and as such it is your duty to ask any questions or ask
for clarifications. There should be no skipped questions on your assignment. If you are
confused, email Ms. Boimann-Hennies or Mr. Harnish over the summer.
6. Your assignment may be handwritten or typed. If your handwriting is particularly poor, it
is recommended that you type your responses.
*Johnson, Jean Elliott and Donald James Johnson. The Human Drama – World History: From the
Beginning to 500 CE. Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishers, 2000. 1-30.
Reading Questions
Setting the Stage
1. Do you believe in progress? If so, what do you mean by progress, and what evidence can
you offer to show that it exists?
2. How do you explain the origin of the world and how people came to be? Reference at least
two of the creation stories discussed in the reading for your response.
Gathering and Hunting: Humans Share the Resources
1. What is meant by Prehistory? What other name could you suggest for this period in the
past?
2. Explain the differences between scavenging, gathering, and hunting for food. Why did early
humans change from one way of getting food to another?
3. What are the possible meanings of the cave paintings that early humans made? What do
goddess figurines and drawings suggest about what early humans believed?
Revolutionary Changes Brought By Agriculture
1. What was the Agricultural Revolution? Why is it called a revolution? Do you agree? Why or
why not?
2. Explain the roles of men and women in the early agricultural communities.
3. What kinds of geography would have been good for farming? What aspects of the land and
climate would make farming difficult?
4. What does specialization mean? Why must there be surplus food before there can be
specialization? Why did men have more specialized roles than women had?
5. What does social stratification mean? Who probably had the most prestige in the early
agricultural communities? Who has the most prestige in your community? What groups
have the most prestige in the United States? What groups do you think should have the
most respect? Why?
Pastoralism: An Alternate Lifestyle
1. What is the relationship between geography and the pastoral way of life? How do
pastoralists take advantage of steppe lands? Why don’t pastoralists farm? Why are
pastoralists semi-nomadic?
2. What are the differences between Indo-European and Semitic pastoralists?
Summing Up
1. Make a chart that compares the lifestyle and beliefs of pastoralists and agriculturalists.
Include things such as daily life, jobs, homes, food, who is respected, and beliefs.
2. How did gatherers, farmers, and pastoralists adapt to different geographic environments?
3. Evaluate this statement using at least three examples from this reading: “Early humans
survived because they cooperated.”