Which textbook to get?
Many teachers have one textbook that they use for themselves and another for their students to read on their own. Teachers are encouraged to ask publishers for an examination copy and make the decision for themselves and their students. Each textbook has its own strengths and weaknesses. There are various things to consider before choosing a book, including:
- binding - ask for high school vs. college
- school calendar - how many chapters you wish to assign a week? Is the course is a two-year or one-year course, as many of the textbooks are available in volumes
- students reading ability -generally Bulliet and Strayer are considered easier for English Language Learners and Stearns is harder with a higher reading level
- age of students - Tignor, Fernandez-Armesto's and Spodek's organizational style is harder for some to follow, but it is helpful as it is thematic, Strayer appeals to many given its relative brevity
- your own subject knowledge area - if you are not well-versed in a topic that the authors specialize in that would be a book to choose, as you can supplement other materials,
- ancillary materials provided, included an on-line center for students and a test bank for teachers, some didn't have 5-choice multiple choice questions, but soon that will no longer be an issue and the ones that do have the 5-choice will need to be edited!.
The top five so to speak are (in alphabetical order):
Some more recent books are:
Other books, but not textbooks and not accepted as such by the College Board are:
- Ethel Wood's AP World HIstory: An Essential Coursebook - a briefer presentation of history that appeals to some students. 22 chapters with a practice exam and unit questions. A teacher's manual can also be purchased.
- Center for Learning Books Not really a textbook but a series of workbooks with skill-based activities that include primary and secondary sources as well as graphs, maps and visual. Aimed at regular world history, but parts can definitely be adapted for AP World History (and they will be coming out with an AP edition soon).
There are various reviews available on the textbooks:
http://worldhistoryconnected.press.uiuc.edu/
Just search the site for textbook review.
Which source book to get?
Again, this varies by how you plan to use it, so again consider if you are getting this to give each student their own to use independently, if you want to use them to just teach how to analyze historical documents or to use the documents to answer a question. Also, consider if one comes with your textbook and you are looking instead for a classroom set. Ask the publishers for an examination copy.
The top ones are:
- Andrea, Alfred J., and James H. Overfield. The Human Record: Sources of Global History.
- Vols. 1 & 2. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. All editions published from 1998 to the present.
- Kishlansky, Mark, and Susan Lindsey Lively. Sources of World History: Readings for World
- Civilization. Vols. 1 & 2. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. All editions published from 1998
- to the present.
- Reilly, Kevin. Worlds of History: A Comparative Reader. Vols. 1 & 2. New York:
- Bedford/St. Martin's. All editions published from 1999 to the present - included in Ways of World now.
- Sherman, Dennis, David Rosner, A. Tom Grunfield, Gerald Markowitz, and Linda Heywood.
- World Civilizations: Sources, Images and Interpretations. Vols. 1 & 2. New York: McGraw-
- Hill. All editions published from 1997 to the present.
- Stearns, Peter, Stephen S. Gosch, and Erwin P. Grieshaber. Documents in World History.
- Vols. 1 & 2. New York: Longman. All editions published from 1998 to the present.
- Wiesner, Merry E., William Bruce Wheeler, Franklin M. Doeringer, and Melvin E. Page.
- Discovering the Global Past: A Look at the Evidence. Vols. 1 & 2. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
- All editions published from 1997 to the present.
What else to get?
Books - Depending on your weaknesses - listed alphabetically by author.
- Adams, Paul. Experiencing World History
- Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism
- Armstrong, Karen. A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam or The Great Transformation
- Chasteen, John Charles. Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America
- Coe, Michael. Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs
- Crosby, Alfred. The Colombian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492 or Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900. or Throwing Fire
- Davies, Norman. Europe: A History
- Dunn, Ross E. The Adventures of Ibn Battuta: A Muslim Traveler of the 14th Century
- Findley, Carter. Turks
- Friedman, Tom, The World is Flat
- Headrick, Daniel R. The Tools of Empire: Technology & European Imperialism in the 19th Century
- Keay, John. India: A History.
- Mann, Charles. 1491
- McClellan, James and Harold Dorn. Science and Technology in World History
- Marks, Robert. The Origins of the Modern World: A Global and Ecological Narrative
- McNeill, William and McNeill J. R. The Human Web: A Bird’s Eye View of World History
- McNeill, William. Plagues and Peoples
- Pacey, Arnold. Technology in World History
- Pomeranz, Kenneth and Topik, Steven. The World that Trade Created: Society, Culture, and the World Economy
- Reynolds, Jonathan and Gilbert, Erik. Africa in World History
- Stearns, Peter. Cultures in Motion.
- Wright, Donald. The World and a Very Small Place in Africa
Lessons
Movies
Art
- John Onians' Atlas of World History
- Lynn Mackenzie's Non-Western Art: A Brief Guide
- Michael Kampen O'Riley's Art Beyond the West
- The Met's sets on art: Egyptian, Korea, etc. available at: Metropolitan Museum of Art Store
- The Smithsonian's Arts of the Islamic World or Arts of Buddhism, etc. available at: Freer and Sackler Shop
Music
Other Resources