Advanced Placement World History Course Syllabus 2014-2015

Advanced Placement World History is an academically rigorous college level course offered to exceptional students who are motivated to seek college credit in high school. Our study of World History will take an unbiased, periodization approach to examine world history from numerous viewpoints and perspectives (political, social, economic, etc). The course will be designed around the thematic content, chronological boundaries and habits of mind outlined by the College Board detailed below. A main goal of the course is to create students who think critically. These students will evaluate, analyze, and interpret material based on their own learning in the student-centered classroom, while preparing to excel on the Advanced Placement Exam and bolster skills necessary for college. By completing this course, students will be able to use their knowledge of World History in the context of understanding the increasingly complex global society we live in today.

The class will meet every day in 50 minute class sessions. The course will span one year of study where students will be prepared to take the AP examination for college credit at the end of the year. It is understood that students will receive one year’s worth of Advanced Placement credit upon passing the terminal exam.

1. 
   Technological and Environmental Transformations: to c. 600 B.C.E. 5%
   
2. 
   Organization and Reorganization of Human Societies: c. 600 B.C.E. to c. 600 C.E.15%
   
3. 
   Regional and Trans-regional Interactions: c. 600 C.E. to c. 1450 20%
   
4. 
   Global Interactions: c. 1450 to c. 1750 20%
   
5. 
   Industrialization and Global Integration: c. 1750 to c. 1900 20%
   
6. 
   Accelerating Global Change and Realignments: c. 1900 to the Present 20%
   

The AP World History course requires students to engage with the dynamics of continuity and change across the historical periods that are included in the course. Students should be taught to analyze the processes and causes involved in these continuities and changes. In order to do so, students and teachers should focus on FIVE overarching themes which serve throughout the course as unifying threads, helping students to put what is particular about each period or society into a larger framework. The themes also provide ways to make comparisons over time and facilitate cross-period questions. Each theme should receive approximately equal attention over the course of the year.

• 
  Demography and disease
  
• 
  Migration
  
• 
  Patterns of settlement
  
• 
  Technology
  

• 
  Religions
  
• 
  Belief systems, philosophies, and ideologies
  
• 
  Science and technology
  
• 
  The arts and architecture
  
1. 
   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
     

3. 
   THEME # 4: Creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems
   
   • 
     Agricultural and pastoral production
     
   • 
     Trade and commerce
     
   • 
     Labor systems
     
   • 
     Industrialization
     
   • 
     Capitalism and socialism
     
4. 
   THEME # 5: Development and transformation of social structures
   
   • 
     Gender roles and relations
     
   • 
     Family and kinship
     
   • 
     Racial and ethnic constructions
     
   • 
     Social and economic classes
     

Our course of study will now revolve around the newly developed historical thinking skills. Students will develop and the instructor will specifically focus on these skills throughout the learning and teaching of the AP World content and curriculum. The redefined historical thinking skills and their components provide an essential framework for developing historical habits of mind. These skills apply equally to all fields of history. By developing these historical thinking skills, students will be better prepared to succeed and excel in their studies of history in college and beyond (Source: College Board).

Historical thinking involves the ability to define and frame a question about the past and to address that question by constructing an argument. A plausible and persuasive argument requires a clear, comprehensive and analytical thesis, supported by relevant historical evidence—not simply evidence that supports a preferred or preconceived position. Additionally, argumentation involves the capacity to describe, analyze and evaluate the arguments of others in light of available evidence.

Historical thinking involves the ability to identify, describe and evaluate evidence about the past from diverse sources (including written documents, works of art, archaeological artifacts, oral traditions and other primary sources), with respect to content, authorship, purpose, format and audience. It involves the capacity to extract useful information, make supportable inferences and draw appropriate conclusions from historical evidence while also understanding such evidence in its context, recognizing its limitations and assessing the points of view that it reflects.

Historical thinking involves the ability to identify, analyze and evaluate multiple cause-and-effect relationships in a historical context, distinguishing between the long-term and proximate. Patterns of continuity and change over time. Historical thinking involves the ability to recognize, analyze and evaluate the dynamics of historical continuity and change over periods of time of varying lengths, as well as relating these patterns to larger historical processes or themes.

Historical thinking involves the ability to describe, analyze, evaluate and construct models of historical periodization that historians use to categorize events into discrete blocks and to identify turning points, recognizing that the choice of specific dates favors one narrative, region or group over another narrative, region or group; therefore, changing the periodization can change a historical narrative. Moreover, the particular circumstances and contexts in which individual historians work and write shape their interpretations and modeling of past events.

Historical thinking involves the ability to describe, compare and evaluate multiple historical developments within one society, one or more developments across or between different societies, and in various chronological and geographical contexts. It also involves the ability to identify, compare and evaluate multiple perspectives on a given historical experience.

Historical thinking involves the ability to connect historical developments to specific circumstances in time and place, and to broader regional, national or global processes.

Historical thinking involves the ability to describe, analyze, evaluate and create diverse interpretations of the past — as revealed through primary and secondary historical sources — through analysis of evidence, reasoning, contexts, points of view and frames of reference.

Historical thinking involves the ability to arrive at meaningful and persuasive understandings of the past by applying all the other historical thinking skills, by drawing appropriately on ideas from different fields of inquiry or disciplines, and by creatively fusing disparate, relevant (and perhaps contradictory) evidence from primary sources and secondary works. Additionally, synthesis may involve applying insights about the past to other historical contexts or circumstances, including the present.

Bentley and Zeigler, Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past, Fourth Edition,

2008, McGraw-Hill.
Supplemental Reading Material * (CR1b: The course includes diverse primary sources and secondary sources, including written documents, maps, images, quantitative data , works of art, and other types of sources CR1c: The course includes sources by historians or scholars interpreting)

Including, but not limited to:

Diamond, J., Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, 1999, W.W. Norton & Company.

Kant, Political Writings, 1970, Cambridge University Press.

Spielvogel and National Geographic, Glencoe World History, 2008, McGraw-Hill.

Tetreault, Gods, Guns & Globalization: Religious Radicalism & International Political Economy, 2004, Lynne Rienner Publishers.
*Students will have constant access to standard reference works including encyclopedias, atlases, historical documents, and compendiums through school and local libraries, as well as in class computers with internet access.
Resources

This course will use a variety of teaching strategies and a rich array of resources to examine World History. Some of these include, but are not limited to, Power Point Presentations, Computers and Internet (Classrooms contain several computers), Projects, A 10 Page Thesis Driven Research Paper, Guest Speakers, Supplemental Text Reading, Field Trips, Primary and Secondary Source readings and documents, Statistics, Graphs, Film and Documentaries.

1. Environment

a. Interaction of geography and climate with the development of human society 19, 24, 60-62,110

b. The environment as a historical actor 13, 20-21, 60-62, 93, 110

c. Demography: major population changes resulting from human environmental factors 22, 63, 52-56, 80-82, 93, 32-33

2. Time

b. Nature and causes of changes associated with time span 1718, 156-157

c. Continuities and breaks within the time span 23, 32, 156-157, beginning and end of each chapter (chapters 1-12)

B. Developing agriculture and technology chapter 1, 62

1. Agricultural, pastoral, and foraging societies and their demographic characteristics12-15 bkg., 18, 82, 127-128

2. Emergence of agriculture & technological change 1825, 61-62, 82

3. Nature of village settlements 2226, chapters 2, 3, and 4

4. Impact of agriculture on environment 21

5. Introduction of key stages of metal use 23, 39-41, 54, 72-73, 112-115, 92-93, 261

C. Basic features of early civilizations in different environments

1. Mesopotamia Chapter 2, pp. 31-52

2. Egypt Chapter 3, pp. 59-80

3. Indus Valley or Harrapan civilization Chapter 4, 87-104

4. Shang or Huang He (Yellow River) valley

Civilization Chapter 5, 109-130

5. Mesoamerica and Andean South America Chapter 6, 133-149

D. Classical civilizations

1. Major political developments in China, India, the Mediterranean, and Mesoamerica. Chapters 8, 9, 10, 11

2. Social and gender structures 181-188,197-201;207, 215-217, 234-237,248,271-276

3. Major trading patterns within and among Classical civilizations 171-172,214, 238-239,246, 271-273, ch. 12 (287-294),

4. Arts, sciences, and technology most illustrations are evidence of the arts and technology 244,247, 249-253,192,198, 241, 212, 268

E. Major belief systems

1. Basic features and location of major world belief Map 12.2 (p.297) there is no introductory discussion of religion as a whole topic systems prior to 600 C.E. 173-175

2. Polytheism 140, 217, 277

3. Hinduism 101-104,225-228,294-298

4. Judaism 46-48,176

5. Confucianism 182-186

6. Daoism 186-189

7. Buddhism 217-224,226-227,294-298

8. Christianity 279-282,296,308-310

F. Late classical period (200 C.E.-600 C.E.)

1. Collapse of empires (Han, Roman, Gupta) 301-310, 213

2. Movements of peoples (Bantu, Huns, Germans, Polynesians) 80-83,149-154,306,149-153

3. Interregional networks by 600 C.E. Chapter 12

A. Questions of periodization. The Beginnings and ends of each chapter carry this topic: chapters 13-22.

1. Nature and causes of changes leading up to 600 C.E. -1450 as a period. Beginning of parts 1 and III; 299, 300-311,318-319,

2. Emergence of new empires and political systems 314-315,322,379,353-358,487, 467,437-441,510-515

3. Continuities and breaks within the period 314-315,579-585

B. Islamic World Chapter 14

1. Dar al-Islam as a unifying cultural and economic force in Eurasia and Africa 428,565-573

2. Islamic political structures (caliphate) 353-358

3. Arts, sciences, technology 365-370,575

C. Interregional networks and contacts Chapter 12

1. Developments and shifts in international trade, technology and cultural exchange 314-315,327,329, 358-362,565, 573-576, ch. 22

a. Trans-Saharan trade 487-492

b. Indian Ocean trade 413-416, 492-496, 586-589

c. Silk routes 290-298,599,200,214,360,

d. Economic innovations 362,384, 388-389,474

2. Missionary outreach of major religions 295-296, 304,421, 331-340,365-368,392-393,570-573

3. Contacts between major religions

a. Christianity and Islam 501-503,529-585

b. Islam and Buddhism 428, 438

4. Impact of Mongol empires Chapter 18, 469-479

D. Political systems and cultural patterns

1. East Asia Chapter 16

a. China’s Expansion 379, 585-586

b. Chinese influence on surrounding areas and its limits (Japan, Vietnam, Korea) 391, 395-401,586

c. Change and continuities in Confucianism 395

2. The Americas, Chapter 21

a. Apex and decline of the Maya 137-144

b. Rise of the Aztec 539-548

c. Rise of the Inca 550-555

3. Restructuring of Europe Chapter 17, chapter 20

a. Decentralization – medieval society 433-447

b. Division of Christianity 331-332,449-454,335-338

c. Revival of cities 516-521,522, 562-583

4. Africa

a. Sudanic empires (Mali, Ghana, Songhay) 487-492,696-699

b. Swahili coast 492-496

5. South Asia and Southeast Asia

a. Delhi Sultanate 404,406-409,465-466

b. Vietnam 379, 383, 396-397,424-426

6. Arts, sciences, and technologies 386-390,411, 516, 523-525

E. Demographic and environmental changes

1. Impact of nomadic migrations on Afro-Eurasia and Americas

a. Aztecs 541

b. Mongols Chapter 18, 467-476

c. Turks 462-466, 478-480

d. Vikings 440-441

e. Arabs 351-361

2. Consequences of plagues and pandemics in the fourteenth century 476, 577-579

3. Role and growth of cities

a. Song China 383-386,390

b. Administrative centers in Africa and the Americas 493-494,541, 552
1450-1750

A. Questions of periodization. The beginnings and ends of each chapter carry this topic. Chapters 22-28

1. Continuities and breaks; Causes of changes. See above, 594-598,e.g 4

B. Changes in trade, technology, and global Chapter 23 passim interactions

1. Columbian Exchange 621-626

2. Impact of guns 609-614, 620,647-648

3. Changes in shipbuilding and navigational devices 600-604

C. Knowledge of major empires and other political units and social systems Chapters 25, 26, 27, 28

1. Aztec 665-671

2. Inca 670-671

3. Ottoman Chapter 28, 753-759,762-775

4. China Chapter 27 passim; 625, 724-738

5. Portugal 609-614,605

6. Spain 605, 615-616, 624, 665-673,678-681,688

7. Russia 609, 617-620,646

8. France 620-621,673-676

9. England 612, 609, 620-621,673-676,687

10. Tokugawa 741-749

11. Mughal 759-775

12. Characteristics of African Kingdoms in general, know one for illustrative purposes: Chapter 26 passim

a. Kongo 699-701

b. Benin 708, 482

c. Oyo 699, 710

d. Dahomey 710-712

e. Ashanti, 710

f. Songhay 696-699

13. Gender and empire 673, 676-678, 711, 769

D. Slave systems and slave trade 653, 681-682, 684, 706-718

E. Demographic and environmental changes 621-626,705

1. Diseases 621-624, 619, 705

2. Animals 619, 625, 683, 705

3. New crops 623, 683, 733, 762-764

4. Comparative population trends 620, 649-650, 653-654, 676-678, 709, 733, 743, 765

F. Cultural and intellectual developments

1. Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment 654-661

2. Comparable global causes and impacts of cultural change (African contributions to cultures the Americas) 685686,703, 715-716, 738-740, 773-774 in

3. Major developments and exchanges in the arts 744-745, 738-739

4. Creation of new religions

a. Vodun 715

b. Zen 392-393

c. Sikhism 766

d. Protestantism 631-637

A. Questions of periodization

1. Continuities and breaks. The beginnings and ends of each chapter carry this topic: chapters 29-33

B. Changes in global commerce, communication and technology Chapter 30 / 824-825,863

1. Industrial Revolution Chapter 30

2. Changes in patterns of world trade 838-842, 860-867

C. Demographic and environmental changes v. poor on environmental coverage

1. Migrations 829-832,847-848,861-862,867-874,932-934

2. End of Atlantic slave trade 801-802, 710, 716-718

3. New birth patterns 827-828,830

4. Food supply 840

5. Medicine 827

D. Changes in social and gender structure 825-834,867-874

1. Industrial Revolution 815-842, 860-867,889

2. Commercial and demographic developments Chapter 30 / 820-834

3. Emancipation of serfs/slaves 801-802, 710, 888

4. Tensions between work patterns and ideas about Gender 781, 802-805,834-837,815-816, 818-821

5. New forms of labor systems 861-862, passim in chapter 30

E. Political revolutions and independence movements

1. United States and Latin American independence movements 781-786, 796-800

2. Revolutions Chapter 29

a. France 781-782, 787-795

b. Haiti 795-796

c. Mexico 797-798, 857-860

d. China 892-899

3. Rise of nationalism, nation-states, political reform 800-801,804-811, ch.31 (849-860), ch.32

4. Rise of democracy and its limitations (women, racism, reform) 800, 786, 834-837,849, 888-892, Ch. 32 passim, Chapter 33, 936-938

F. Rise of western dominance (economic, military, political, social, cultural and artistic) Ch. 33

1. Patterns of expansion (imperialism, colonialism, neocolonialism) Chapter 33, 892-896,899-904, 909-938

2. Cultural and political reactions (dissent, reform, resistance, rebellion, racism, nationalism, impact of changing European ideology on colonial administrations) Chapter 33 passim, 867-874,934-936,922

G. Patterns of cultural and artistic interactions

1. African and Asian influences on European art 982-983

2. Cultural policies of Meiji Japan Pictures largely by inference, ch32, 899-9046
1914 TO THE PRESENT

A. Questions of periodization

1. Continuities and breaks, causes of change from the previous period The beginnings and ends of each chapter carry this topic. Chapters 34-40

B. War and peace in the global context

1. World Wars Chapters 34 and 37, 1032-1054

2. Colonial soldiers in the first World War 959-962, 951, 1014-1016

3. Holocaust 1050-1053

4. Cold War 1054 through chapter 38

5. Nuclear weaponry 1052, 1066-1067

6. International organizations and their effects on the global framework, 1054

a. Globalization of diplomacy and conflict Chapters 38, 39, 40 passim; 967-972,

b. Global balance of power 972-974, 1055

c. Reduction of European influence 972-974, 979, chapter 36 passim, 1016, 1007, 1133-1139

d. League of Nations 970-972, 1013-1014, 1033, 1036

e. United Nations 1057-1058, 1080, 1055-1056, 1080, 1160, 1067, 1148

f. Non-aligned nations 1095-1096, 1101

C. New patterns of nationalism

1. Fascism 977-978, 994-1001

2. Decolonization Chapter 36 passim, 1005, chapter 39 passim, chapter 38 passim

3. Racism 1000, 1048-1053, 1124-1126

4. Genocide 925, 961-962, 1000

5. Break-up of the Soviet Union 1084-1090

D. Effects of major global economic developments Chapter 35 passim

1. Great Depression in Latin America 986, 1023

2. Technology 1075, tech of war. Chapter 34, 953-955

3. Pacific Rim 1013, 1135-1137

4. Multinational corporations 986987, 1133-1135

E. New forces of revolutions and other sources of political innovations 1084-1090, 1112-1115, 1118-1122

F. Social Reform and social revolution

1. Changing gender roles 956-958, 1053-1054, 1070-1075

2. Family structures 993-994,999-1000

3. Rise of feminism See above and 1070-1075, 1122-1123, 1156-1161

4. Peasant protest 993, 857-860

5. International Marxism 963-964, chapter 38 passim, 1079-1081, 1010-1012

6. Religious fundamentalism 1116-1118, 1122


Activities- each activity will be used in each Unit

(CR6: The course provides opportunities for students to develop coherent written arguments that have a thesis supported by relevant historical evidence. – Historical argumentation)

(CR7: The course provides opportunities for students to identify and evaluate diverse historical interpretations. –Interpretation)