AP World History
Summer Reading Assignment Part I
Focus Questions – Unit 1
Due on the 1st day of school!
You need to check out your AP World History textbook from the library (starting mid-June)over the
summer and read Chapters 1-3. Complete the Focus questions and flashcards.
Answer each question with complete sentences. Longer answers are not necessarily better.
Provide the most complete answer necessary and be sure to include specific information and
vocabulary. These answers must be handwritten. No typed answers will be accepted.
1. What is the evidence that explains the earliest history of humans and the planet?
2. What are the theories that interpret this evidence?
3. Where did humans first appear on Earth, and what were their society, technology, and
culture?
4. Describe earliest humans’ technology & tools.
5. What were the earliest humans’ religious beliefs and practices?
6. How did the earliest humans’ society help them procure enough supplies to survive?
7. What were the long-term demographic, social, political, and economic effects of the Neolithic
Revolution?
8. How did pastoral societies resemble or differ from early agricultural societies?
9. Where did pastoralism persist even after the Neolithic Revolution?
10. How did the Neolithic Revolution affect human societies economically & socially?
11. Why did the Neolithic Revolution start (at all)?
12. Where did the Neolithic Revolution first transform human populations? (Plural answer)
13. Where did pastoralism persist even after the Neolithic Revolution?
14. What various crops & animals were developed or domesticated during the Neolithic
Revolution?
15. What labor adjustments did humans make in order to facilitate the Neolithic Revolution?
16. What were the environmental effects of the Neolithic Revolution?
17. What effects did pastoralism & agriculture have on the food supply?
18. What were the social effects of the increased food supply caused by increase of agriculture?
19. What technological innovations are associated with the growth of agriculture?
20. What is a ‘civilization,’ and what are the defining characteristics of a civilization?
21. How did civilizations develop and grow more complex before 600 BCE?
22. What were the effects of this increasing complexity?
23. Where did the earliest civilizations develop, and why did they develop in those locations?
24. What is a “state?” Who ruled the early states, and which segments of society usually
supported the ruler?
25. Why were some early states able to expand and conquering neighboring states?
26. Give four examples of early empires in the Nile & Tigris/Euphrates River Valleys.
27. What role did pastoral civilizations play vis a vis empires?
28. What methods did rulers use to unify their populations?
29. What architectural forms did early civilizations produce?
30. Which social strata encouraged the development of art in ancient civilizations?
31. What forms of writing developed in ancient civilizations?
32. What was the relationship between literature and culture?
33. What pre-600 BCE religions strongly influenced later eras?
34. How “big” were the pre-600 BCE trading regions?
35. How did social and gender identities develop pre-600 BCE?
AP World History 2013-14
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Due on the 1st day of school!
Summer Reading Assignment Part II
AP World History – Unit 1 Key Terms
Complete a flashcard for each of the following terms (See Flashcard Assignment attached). Be sure to follow the
instructions carefully. Cards have to be done by hand. No typing or digital note-cards.
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Myths of origin
Big History
Comparative History
Cosmic calendar
Three “C”s of World History
prehistory vs. history
features of civilization
stages of hominid development
“Out of Africa” thesis vs. multiregional thesis
Paleolithic Era
Neolithic Era
Neolithic Revolution
family units, clans, tribes
foraging societies
nomadic hunters/gatherers
Ice Age
civilization
Domestication of plants and animals
nomadic pastoralism
migratory farmers
Austronesian migrations
patrilineal
irrigation systems
metalworking
ethnocentrism
sedentary agriculture
shifting cultivation
slash-and-burn agriculture
matrilineal
cultural diffusion
independent invention
specialization of labor
gender division of labor
metallurgy and metalworking
The San
The Chumash
Fertile Crescent
Epic of Gilgamesh
Hammurabi’s Law Code
Egypt
Egyptian Book of the Dead
pyramids
hieroglyphics
Nubia
Hyksos
Indus valley civilization
Rig Veda
Mohenjo Daro/Harappa
early China
Hittites
AP World History 2013-14
51.
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Sumeria
Mesopotamia
the Assyrians and cavalry warfare
Shi Huangdi
cultural diffusion versus independent innovation
nomadic hunters/gatherers
climate changes
Ice Age
civilization
Neolithic Revolution
Agricultural Revolution
pottery
plows
woven textiles
wheels/wheeled vehicles
compound bows
iron weapons
chariots
horseback riding
tomol
shamans
ziggurats
pyramids
temples
defensive walls
development of streets and roads
sewage and water systems
sculpture
painting
wall decorations
elaborate weaving
Cuneiform
Hieroglyphs
Pictographs
Alphabets
Quipu
Eurasia
Venus figurines
Jomon figurines
Dreamtime
Clovis culture
Megafaunal extinction
Catalhuyuk
Bantu migration
Stateless societies
Olmec civilization
Teosinte
Secondary products revolution
Banpo
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AP WORLD HISTORY FLASHCARDS
Extra credit, in the form of a square root curve, will be rewarded for cumulative multiple choice
tests. In order to receive extra credit you must follow the directions exactly as written. You will
receive terms and names for the chapters we are studying. You MUST complete 60 CARDS
OR THE NUMBER THAT IS ASSIGNED TO YOU exactly as directed in order to receive the
extra credit. All cards must be turned in at the beginning of class on the exam date. The cards
must follow the directions EXACTLY.
Term
a. Definition of the term - on the other side. Should be more than four words and reflect a
historical meaning from the time period we are studying if the word has more than one
meaning.
b. Significance/importance of the term
c. Two association words - words that are linked to, or used with, your term or name of
your person. The association words will help you to understand connections and will
help you in class and on your AP test.
d. AP World History Era of the term
e. AP World History Theme with which the word can be associated – This may sometimes
be more than just one theme. Be able to justify your choice(s).
a. Spanish explorer credited for discovering the
New World while searching for a westward
route to the Orient
Christopher Columbus
b. Columbus’ discovery gave Spain claim to much
of the land in the Americas with the economic,
political and social expansion that would follow
(Front Side)
c. Columbian Exchange/Arawaks
d. Early Modern Period (1450-1750)
1
e. Creation, Expansion & Interaction of Economic
Systems,
(Back Side)
All of the above information must be:
Handwritten, legibly on 3x5 cards
In blue/black pen
Numbered
Turned in with a rubber band around them
Front card must have your name, the chapters and your class period
Turned in at the beginning of class – this means all cards completed with the front name
card and rubber banded before the exams are handed out
The following WILL NOT be accepted:
Plagiarized cards
Late cards
Partially finished cards
AP World History 2013-14
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Overview of AP World History Course
What exactly is World History? (APWH) Let’s start with how the course is created.
Like all AP courses, APWH is created by the College Board, a non-profit organization that also creates the
SAT and ACT. Each AP course is designed by a Development Committee of about 8 high school teachers
and college professors who have years of experience teaching this course. This Development Committee
also designs the National Exam given each May across the United States and other countries around the
world.
Philosophy of AP World History
If you were going to design a world history course, how would you decide what is important enough to
include in the course? Would you pick a set of important factual knowledge, or concentrate more on
trends that affect the greatest number of people? As the Development Committee says,
“The purpose of the AP World History course is to develop greater understanding of the evolution
of global processes and contacts, in interaction with different types of human societies. This
understanding is achieved through a combination of selective factual knowledge and appropriate
analytical skills.”1
Note that the APWH stresses both “selective factual knowledge” and “appropriate analytical skills”. Why
not just one or the other? Factual knowledge alone would create a course that is little more than rote
memorization of facts, without necessarily any real understanding of interpretation of those facts. Given
that an AP course should be the same difficulty as a college-level course, AP students are required to
demonstrate college-level thinking skills, which is how the “appropriate analytical skills” fits in. Only
when you combine the “selective factual knowledge” and the “appropriate analytical skills” do you have
the necessary ingredients for an AP course. So, history is part fact and part interpretation. Memorizing
facts is relatively easy. Learning to interpret facts is much more difficult. The Development Committee
calls these thinking skills “Historical Thinking Skills”.
Historical Thinking Skills, or “Why should I study world history?”
What skills should a student gain from AP World History? The answer is the “Historical Thinking Skills”.
Every reading, assignment, essay, etc should develop one or more of these skills. Students in any
rigorous history course should be able to:
Name of Skill
(Prerequisite)
Content Knowledge
1
Historical Thinking Skills
Description
Deep knowledge of a great deal of information – names, chronology, facts,
events, people, etc.
Crafting Historical Arguments From Historical Evidence
Historical
Argumentation
Make an argument that is:
o Based on evidence
o Acknowledges both pro- and con- evidence
o Has a clear thesis
Evaluate other peoples’ arguments
Use evidence to support arguments
Understand the context and limitations of evidence
Appropriate Use of
Relevant Historical
Evidence
_________________________________
1
AP World History 2006-2007 Course Description, p. 3.
AP World History 2013-14
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http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/95821apcoursedescworld4332.pdf
Historical Thinking Skills
Description
Name of Skill
2
Chronological Reasoning
Historical Causation
Patterns of
Continuity & Change
Over Time
Periodization
3
Construct models of historical periodization.
Realize that the choice of specific dates is subjective.
Periodization changes a historical narrative.
Historians themselves are subjective and fallible.
Comparison and Contextualization
Comparison
Contextualization
4
Relationship between causes and effects
o Short-term vs. Long-term
Differences among
o Causation vs. Coincidence vs. Correlation
Recognize, analyze, and evaluate patterns of change/continuity.
Relate patterns to larger historical processes/themes.
Compare multiple historical developments
o Within one society
o Between different societies
o In different time periods or places
Compare multiple perspectives on one topic.
Connect developments to specific time and place.
Connect developments to broader processes.
Historical Interpretation and Synthesis
Interpretation
Synthesis
Evaluate others’ interpretations of history.
Consider evidence, reasoning, contexts, points of view, frames of
reference.
Apply all of the Historical Thinking Skills.
Draw on ideas from different fields or disciplines.
Creatively fusing disparate, and perhaps contradictory, evidence.
Apply insights to other historical contexts or circumstances, including
the present.
These Historical Thinking Skills are the real purpose for the APWH course. APWH’s content will
(obviously) be historical examples, but the skills you will learn will be transferrable to a multitude of other
scenarios.
Themes, or “How does AP categorize historical topics?”
The Historical Thinking Skills answer the question of “How should world history be studied?” Another
crucial question is, “How can I possibly remember all the “stuff” I’ll learn?” AP World History categorizes
historical knowledge by Themes. Rather than try to create and memorize a boring list of 1,000 individual
facts, APWH defines Themes that help you see the patterns referred to by the Historical Thinking Skills.
Each of these are equally important, that is, they will be tested equally on the exam.
AP World History 2013-14
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Themes
Official Description
1
2
3
4
5
Interaction between humans and the
environment
Demography and disease
Migration
Patterns of settlement
Technology
Development and interaction of
cultures
Religions
Belief systems, philosophies,
and ideologies
Science and technology
The arts and architecture
State-building, expansion, and
conflict
Political structures and forms
of governance
Empires
Nations and nationalism
Revolts and revolution
Regional, transregional, and
global structures, and
organizations
Creation, expansion, and interaction
of economic systems
Agricultural and pastoral
production
Trade and commerce
Labor systems
Industrialization
Capitalism and socialism
Development and transformation of
social structures
Gender roles and relations
Family and kinship
Racial and ethnic
constructions
Social and economic classes
AP World History 2013-14
Simplified Paraphrase
(and typical questions this theme asks)
Human-Environment Interaction
How do humans deal with disease?
Where do humans live and why do they live there instead of
somewhere else?
How do humans use technology to help them live?
Development of Cultures
How do humans develop religion?
How do different societies use technology in relation to other
societies?
How do humans express themselves artistically?
Politics
How do humans establish order, govern themselves, and create
political “units”?
How do political units expand, and what happens when conflict arises?
What are the different types of political units around the world?
Economic Systems
How do humans create and manage resources to improve their
quality of life?
How do humans organize their work to maximize their efforts?
Social Structures
How do men and women share the work?
How is the family structures, and what role does family play in
everyday life?
How does this society think of race and/or ethnicity?
What are the differences between high- and low-ranking members
of society?
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Periodization, the “When”
Learning and remembering the hundreds of names, places, and events in world history can seem a
daunting task. One way to help make the task easier is to organize all the historical content into different
chronological eras, called “periods”. The process of organizing is thus called “periodization”. AP World
History divides history into six different periods, with each being equally emphasized in the APWH course.
Many students feel that they must memorize the dates of all historical events. While you do NOT have to
memorize the exact date of every event in world history, you should have an approximate idea of most
historical events. The definition of “approximate” varies by era, but you should definitely be able to place
each event into the correct period. For ancient events, aim to place events in the correct century. The
closer one gets to the present, the more precise you should aim to be. For the 20th century, you should
strive to place events in the correct year.
Period 1
8,000 BCE – 600 BCE
Period 2
600 BCE – 600 CE
Period
Period
Period
Period
600 CE – 1450 CE
1450 CE – 1750 CE
1750 CE – 1900 CE
1900 CE - Present
3
4
5
6
AP World History Periodization
Technological and Environmental
Transformations
Organization & Reorganization of Human
Societies
Regional and Transregional Interactions
Global Interactions
Industrialization & Global Integration
Accelerating Global Change & Realignments
5% of content
15% of content
20%
20%
20%
20%
of
of
of
of
content
the content
the content
the content
Geography, the “Where”
Students must know some basic geography in order to answer the APWH questions. Both multiple choice
and free response (essay) questions will require knowledge of geographic continents, concepts and world
regions. There is no such thing as a comprehensive list of every world region, but experience has shown
that too many students misidentify too much of the world. (e.g., they write embarrassing things like, “…
the country of Africa”, or “Mexico, which is part of South America….”) AP World History therefore
identifies the most commonly misidentified regions.
AP World History 2013-14
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Key Concepts, or “What ‘stuff’ (content) do I need to learn?”
Studying history is a perpetually humbling experience. No matter how much you learn, there’s always far
more to learn. Since there’s no way to “learn everything”, AP has chosen 19 important developments
that historians consider to be the “most important” in world history. AP’s name for these developments is
“Key Concepts”. Note that the term is “concept”, not “event”, “date”, or “name”. There are many
examples of each Key Concept in history. AP World History requires students to learn at least one
(sometimes more) example(s) of each Key Concepts, but not every example. (Phew!) You’ll learn the
precise details re: what content the Key Concepts contain, but for now just rest assured that by the time
you’ve finished this course, you will have learned both the “big picture” of world history and many, many
examples of how that “big picture” occurred.
Multiple choice questions require students to recognize patterns in/examples of Key Concepts, but will not
require students to know any/all such patterns/examples. You should be able to use your knowledge of
the characteristics of each Key Concept, along with knowing more detailed knowledge of at least one
example of that Key Concept to answer each multiple choice question.
This may not make much sense until you actually see a multiple choice question and how it requires
knowledge of a Key Concept, regardless of which examples(s) you learned. See the “Multiple Choice
Section” for more on this important aspect of the APWH exam.
The Exam
# of
Questions
70
Time
Allowed
55 Minutes
Suggested
Pace
~ 45 seconds
per question
5 – 10 minute break
The APWH exam is divided into two major sections: the Multiple Choice and the Free Response
Questions (FRQs or Essays).
Section
Multiple
Free Response (Essay) Section
Choice
Weight
50%
50% of the Exam
16.67% of Exam
16.67% of Exam
16.67% of Exam
DBQ
(Document Based
Question)
CCOT
(Continuity &
Change Over Time)
Comparative
(Compare and
Contrast)
10 minute mandatory reading & essay planning period,
Then 120 self-budgeted minutes to write all 3 essays
40 minutes
40 minutes
40 minutes
In the end, the multiple choice and essay section scores are added up to a Final Score of 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1.
5 is the highest score. Some colleges and universities award credit, advanced placement, and/or
preference in admissions for AP scores, although each college/university sets their own policy re: the
specifics.2 In general, each of the numerical Final Scores translate to:
5 = Extremely Well Qualified
4 = Well Qualified
3 = Qualified
2 = Possibly Qualified
1 = No Recommendation
______________________
2
Go to http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/apcreditpolicy/index.jsp to see the AP policy of a particular college or university.
AP World History 2013-14
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