AP World History  

2024-2025 Syllabus     

Mr. Billy Jones, Teacher

wjones@stillwaterschools.com

This syllabus is a living document. Methods are subject to change at any time and for any reason. 

Course Description 

 Advanced Placement World History is a full year course condensed into one semester that explores the expansive history of the human world. Students will learn information but also the critical thinking and problem solving skills necessary to analyze historical evidence. Five themes will be used as a frame of reference in a chronological study of World History (SEE LIST BELOW). 

This course will be both rigorous and rewarding. Emphasis will be placed on preparing students for the AP World History Exam, which will be administered in May. An extensive selection of in-depth readings – including the textbook – and the writing of different types of essays will be stressed in this course. The ultimate benefits of this class will be an informed view of how the world has developed up to the start of the third millennium CE, the stimulation of intellectual growth, and the acquisition of important historical critical thinking skills. 

All students in this course will be encouraged to take the AP Exam so that they may receive college credit for their efforts. The AP World History Test will be taken in May. Our class will, of course, continue after this test with the study of current events and student projects and presentations. 

HISTORICAL THINKING SKILLS 

AP Historical Thinking Skills

·     Skill 1: Developments and Processes – Identify and explain historical developments and processes.

§ 1.A: Identify a historical concept, development, or process.

§ 1.B: Explain a historical concept, development, or process.

·     Skill 2: Sourcing and Situation – Analyze sourcing and situation of primary and secondary sources.

§ 2.A: Identify a source’s point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience.

§ 2.B: Explain the point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience or source.

§ 2.C: Explain the significance of a source’s point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience, including how these might limit the use(s) of a source.

·     Skill 3: Claims and Evidence in Sources – Analyze arguments in primary and secondary sources.

§ 3.A: Identify and describe a claim and/or argument in a text-based or non-text-based source.

§ 3.B: Identify the evidence used in a source to support an argument.

§ 3.C: Compare the arguments or main ideas of two sources.

§ 3.D: Explain how claims or evidence support, modify, or refite a source’s argument.

·     Skill 4: Contextualization – Analyze the context of historical events, developments, or processes.

§ 4.A: Identify and describe a historical context for a specific historical development or process.

§ 4.B: Explain how a specific historical development or process is situated within a broader historical contest.

·     Skill 5: Making Connections – Using historical reasoning processes (comparison, causation, continuity and change), analyze patterns and connections between and among historical developments and processes. 

§ 5.A: Identify patterns among or connections between historical developments and processes.

§ 5.B: Explain how a historical development or process relates to another historical development or process.

·     Skill 6: Argumentation – Develop an argument.

§ 6.A: Make a historically defensible claim.

§ 6.B: Support an argument using specific and relevant evidence.

·     Describe specific examples of historically relevant evidence.

·     Explain how specific examples of historically relevant evidence support an argument.

§ 6.C: Use historical reasoning to explain relationships among pieces of historical evidence.

§ 6.D: Corroborate, qualify, or modify an argument using diverse and alternative evidence in order to develop a complex argument. This argument might:

·     Explain nuance of an issue by analyzing multiple variables.

·     Explain relevant and insightful connections within and across periods.

·     Explain the relative historical significance of a source’s credibility and limitations.

·     Explain how or why a historical claim or argument is or is not effective.

 Materials 

·         Three Ring Binder (1-2”+) 

·         Writing utensils (Black/Blue Pen, Red Pen & Pencil) 

·         Unit Dividers 

 Classroom Expectations 

My goal is to make the classroom a safe and comfortable environment that is conducive to learning at all times. To achieve this goal, I believe the following steps are necessary: 

 1. Respect yourself and others 

2. Respect the space around you. Please pick up all trash around your workspace and put everything back where you found it. Classroom materials should be returned in the condition they were found. 

3. Always be punctual: You must be inside the classroom when the bell rings. If you should happen to be tardy, sign in at the main office and bring an admittance slip. When the bell rings and the door is closed you will NOT be admitted without an admit slip from the office. No exceptions. If another teacher has kept you after class and gives you an excuse note, take it to the office and they will mark your tardy as "excused".

4. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to obtain your work. Assignments in most cases will be posted on our CANVAS page, and/or my website. You may email assignments to wjones@stillwaterschools.com 

5. If you are absent the day prior to a previously announced test, quiz, paper, or project you will be expected to take that test upon your return unless otherwise discussed by the teacher. 

6. You are expected to turn all assignments (classwork, homework, papers, and projects) in on time. Late assignments will only receive partial credit (50%). Anything submitted after the chapter/unit testing will not be given credit. Exceptions will be made in extenuating circumstances. 

7. HALL PASSES: We will be using the eHallpass system beginning this school year. Incentives for avoiding hall pass usage will be shared in class.

 Assessments 

This course will include a variety of assessments to include tests, quizzes, projects, and papers. Grading will be done on a total points scale, with chapter/unit exams, projects, and essays considered major assignments, therefore worth more points than minor assignments (daily). All assignments are “opportunities” to show what you have learned. No one assignment will be worth more than 15% of your quarterly grade. 

 Plagiarism 

A student displaying integrity understands that plagiarism includes the copying of the language, structure, programming, ideas, and/or thoughts of another and passing off the same as your own original work. Such acts include, but are not limited to… 

· Having a parent or another person write an assignment (including the purchase    of works on-line) or do a project which is then submitted as one’s own work, 

· Internet cut-and-paste, 

· Summarizing, paraphrasing, or quoting without proper documentation 

 CANVAS 

We will be using CANVAS as a communication and engagement platform. Students will understand that CANVAS is considered an extension of the classroom space. 

COLLEGE BOARD AP CLASSROOM

We will also be using College Board's AP Classroom website a tool for assessing and monitoring the student's progress throughout the semester in terms of development towards achievement on the AP exam in May.

 Assistance 

I am available before school and at lunch for extra help by request/appointment. Please advocate for yourself when you need assistance. It is my goal for every student to be successful in this course. 

 Website 

My class website should be useful for viewing the plan for the upcoming week. I update the website every weekend. The URL is https://sites.google.com/stillwaterschools.com/wjones. 

THEMES OF AP WORLD HISTORY

 ·         THEME 1: HUMANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT (ENV)

The environment shapes human societies, and as populations grow and change, these populations in turn shape their environments.

 ·         THEME 2: CULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS AND INTERACTIONS (CDI)

The development of ideas, beliefs, and religions illustrates how groups in society view themselves, and the interactions of societies and their beliefs often have political, social, and cultural implications.

·         THEME 3: GOVERNANCE (GOV)

A variety of internal and external factors contribute to formation, expansion, and decline. Governments maintain order through a variety of administrative institutions, policies, and procedures, and governments obtain, retain, and exercise power in different ways and for different purposes.

·         THEME 4: ECONOMIC SYSTEMS (ECN)

As societies develop, they affect and are affected by the ways that they produce, exchange, and consume goods and services.

·         THEME 5: SOCIAL INTERACTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS (SIO)

The process by which societies group their members and the norms that govern the interactions between these groups and between individuals influence political, economic, and cultural institutions and organization.

·         THEME 6: TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION (TEC)

Human adaptation and innovation have resulted in increased efficiency, comfort, and security, and technological advances have shaped human development and interactions with both intended and unintended consequences.

About the Units

The course content outlined below is organized into units of study that provide the sequence for the course. 

Course Content

Unit 1: The Global Tapestry 1200-1450  

(7-9 Blocks)

You'll explore how states formed, expanded, and declined in areas of the world during the period c. 1200–c. 1450 and the related political, social, and cultural developments of that time.

Topics may include:

• 1.1 Developments in East Asia from c. 1200 to c. 1450

• 1.2 Developments in Dar al-Islam from c. 1200- c. 1450

• 1.3 Developments in South and Southeast Asia from c. 120 to c. 1450

• 1.4 State Building in the Americas

• 1.5 State Building in Africa

• 1.6 Developments in Europe from c. 1200 to c. 1450

• 1.7 Comparison in the Period from c. 1200 to c. 1450

On The Exam

8%–10% of exam score

Unit 2: Networks of Exchange  1200-1450

(7-9 Blocks)

As you continue your study of the period c. 1200–c. 1450, you’ll learn how areas of the world were linked through trade and how these connections affected people, cultures, and environments.

Topics may include:

• 2.1 The Silk Roads

• 2.2 The Mongol Empire and the Making of the Modern World

• 2.3 Exchange in the Indian Ocean

• 2.4 The Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

• 2.5 Cultural Consequences of Connectivity

On The Exam

8%–10% of exam score

Unit 3: Land-Based Empires 1450-1750

(5-7 Blocks)

You'll begin your study of the period c. 1450–c. 1750 with an exploration of the empires that held power over large contiguous areas of land.

Topics may include:

• 3.1 Empires Expand

• 3.2 Empires: Administration

• 3.3 Empires: Belief System

• 3.4 Comparison in Land-Based Empires

  • • The development of the Manchu, Mughal, Ottoman, and Safavid empires

    • How rulers of empires maintained their power

    • Religious developments in empires

On The Exam

12%–15% of exam score

Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections 1450-1750

(14-16 Blocks)

Continuing your study of the period c. 1450–c. 1750, you’ll learn about advances in ocean exploration, the development of new maritime empires, and the effects of new cross-cultural encounters.

Topics may include:

• 4.1 Technological Innovations from 1450 to 1750

• 4.2 Exploration: Causes and Events from 1450 to 1750

• 4.3 Colombian Exchange

• 4.4 Maritime Empires Established

• 4.5 Maritime Empires Maintained and Developed

• 4.6 Internal and External Challenges to State Power from 1450 to 1750

• 4.7 Changing Social Hierarchies from 1450 to 1750

• 4.8 Continuity and Change from 1450 to 1750

  • • The influence of scientific learning and technological innovation

On The Exam

12%–15% of exam score

Unit 5: Revolutions 1750-1900

(13-15 Blocks)

You’ll start your study of the period c. 1750–c. 1900 by exploring the new political ideas and developments in technology that led to large-scale changes in governments, society, and economies.

Topics may include:

• 5.1 The Enlightenment

• 5.2 Nationalism and Revolutions in the Period from 1750 to 1900

• 5.3 Industrial Revolution Begins

• 5.4 Industrialization Spreads in the Period from 1750 to 1900

• 5.5 Technology of the Industrial Age

• 5.6 Industrialization: Government's Role from 1750 to 1900

• 5.7 Economic Developments and Innovations in the Industrial Age

• 5.8 Reactions to the Industrial Economy from 1750 to 1900

• 5.9 Society and the Industrial Age

• 5.10 Continuity and Change in the Industrial Age

On The Exam

12%–15% of Score

Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization 1850-1900

(7-9 Blocks)

You'll continue to investigate the period c. 1750–c. 1900 and learn how the different states acquired and expanded control over colonies and territories.

Topics may include:

• 6.1 Rationales for Imperialism from 1750 to 1900

• 6.2 State Expansion from 1750 to 1900

• 6.3 Indigenous Responses to State Expansion from 1750 to 1900

• 6.4 Global Economic Development from 1750 to 1900

• 6.5 Economic Imperialism from 1750 to 1900

• 6.6 Causes of Migration in the Interconnected World

• 6.7 Effects of Migration

• 6.8 Causation in the Imperial Age

On The Exam

12%–15% of exam score

Unit 7: Global Conflict 1900-Present

(5-7 Blocks)

You'll begin your study of the period c. 1900–present by learning about the global conflicts that dominated this era.

Topics may include:

• 7.1 Shifting Power After 1900

• 7.2 Causes of World War I

• 7.3 Conducting World War I

• 7.4 Economy in the Interwar Period

• 7.5 Unresolved Tensions After World War I

• 7.6 Causes of World War II

• 7.7 Conducting World War II

• 7.8 Mass Atrocities After 1900

• 7.9 Causation in Global Conflict

On The Exam

8%–10% of exam score

Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization 1900-Present

(9-11 Blocks)

As you continue exploring the period c. 1900–present, you’ll learn about colonies’ pursuits of independence and the global power struggle between capitalism and communism.

Topics may include:

• 8.1 Setting the Stage for the Cold War and Decolonization

• 8.2 The Cold War

• 8.3 Effects of the Cold War

• 8.4 Spread of Communism After 1900

• 8.5 Decolonization After 1900

• 8.6 Newly Independent States

• 8.7 Global Resistance to Established Power Structures After 1900

• 8.8 End of the Cold War

• 8.9 Causation in the Age of the Cold War and Decolonization

On The Exam

8%–10% of exam score

Unit 9: Globalization 1900-Present

(5-7 Blocks)

You'll continue your study of the period c. 1900–present by investigating the causes and effects of the unprecedented connectivity of the modern world.

Topics may include:

• 9.1 Advances in Technology and Exchange After 1900

• 9.2 Technological Advances and Limitations After 1900: Disease

• 9.3 Technological Advances: Debates About the Environment After 1900

• 9.4 Economics in the Global Age

• 9.5 Calls for Reform and Responses After 1900

• 9.6 Globalized Culture After 1900

• 9.7 Resistance to Globalization After 1900

• 9.8 Institutions Developing in a Globalized World

• 9.9 Continuity and Change in a Globalized World

On The Exam

8%–10% of exam score

textbook

The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History (AP Edition) Seventh Edition by Bulliet, Hirsch, Johnson, Crossley, Headrick, Northrup. Published by CENGAGE.

We will begin with a Unit 0 covering the Middle Ages before beginning on the course curriculum which begins with Chapter 13 (Pg. 318)

• • • • • • Ch. 13: Mongol Eurasia and Its Aftermath, 1200-1500 (p.318-343)

          • Ch. 14: Latin Europe, 1200-1500 (p.344-365)

          • Ch. 15: Southern Empires, Southern Seas, 1200-1500 (p.366-391)

          • Ch. 16: The Maritime Revolution, to 1550 (p.392-417)

          • Ch. 17: Transformations in Europe, 1500-1750 (p.424-451)

          • Ch. 18: The Diversity of American Colonial Societies, 1530-1770 (p.452-477)

          • Ch. 19: The Atlantic System and Africa, 1550-1800 (p.478-505)

          • Ch. 20: Between Europe and China, 1500-1750 (p.506-531)

          • Ch. 21: East Asia in Global Perspective (p.532-553)

          • Ch. 22: The Early Industrial Revolution, 1760-1851 (p.556-583)

          • Ch. 23: Revolutionary Changes in the Atlantic World, 1750-1850 (p.584-609)

          • Ch. 24: Land Empires in the Age of Imperialism, 1800-1870 (p.610-623)

          • Ch. 25: Nation Building and Economic Transformation in the Americas, 1800-1890 (p.634-665)

          • Ch. 26: Varieties of Imperialism in Africa, India, SE Asia, and Latin America, 1750-1914 (p.668-695)

          • Ch. 27: The New Power Balance, 1850-1900 (p.696-725)

          • Ch. 28: The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929 (p.726-749)

          • Ch. 29: The Collapse of the Old Order, 1929-1949 (p.750-775)

          • Ch. 30: Revolutions in Living, 1900-1950 (p.776-805)

          • Ch. 31: The Cold War and Decolonization, 1945-1975 (p.808-832)

          • Ch. 32: The End of the Cold War and the Challenge of Economic Development and Immigration, 1975-2000 (p.834-863)

          • Ch. 33: Leaving the Twentieth Century (p.864-893)

UNIT 8 "Cold War and Decolonization"

 REVIEW VIDEOS: