AP World History Syllabus
Mrs. Echard
Course Overview
Welcome to AP World History! This is a year-long course designed to increase your knowledge of global events, perspectives, and interactions from 8000 B.C.E. to the present. This course is equivalent to a full-year introductory college course. Students will study an engaging and rigorous curriculum that allows them to develop an understanding of selected themes in world history, make comparisons between various human societies, observe and discuss change and continuity of these societies over time, recognize and discuss different historical interpretations, critically analyze historical evidence,and express that understanding and analysis in writing. Students who take AP World History can seek college credit and/or advanced placement from institutions of higher learning.
The course will use the AP World History Themes throughout the year to identify the broad patterns and processes that explain change and continuity over time. All themes receive approximately equal attention throughout the course.
Themes
1. Interaction between humans and the environment
• Demography and disease
• Migration
• Patterns of settlement
• Technology
2. Development and interaction of cultures
• Religions
• Belief systems, philosophies, and ideologies
• Science and technology
• The arts and architecture
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
4. Creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems
• Agricultural and pastoral production
• Trade and commerce
• Labor systems
• Industrialization
• Capitalism and socialism
5. Development and transformation of social structures
• Gender roles and relations
• Family and kinship
• Racial and ethnic constructions
• Social and economic classes
The course will also address certain Disciplinary Practices and Reasoning Skills which provide an essential framework for learning to think historically.
Disciplinary Practices
1. Analyzing Historical Evidence: Primary and Secondary Sources
2. Argument Development
Reasoning Skills
1. Contextualization
2. Comparison
3. Causation
4. Change and Continuity Over Time
Textbook
Strayer, Robert W. Ways of the World: A Global History with Sources for AP. 2nd Ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013
Course Planner
To cover the entire curriculum the course will be broken down into units of study based on time periods guided by our textbook. Students should note that this course curriculum also requires global coverage of all major areas of the world. Approximate equal time will be spent on the study of Africa, the Americas, Asia, Oceania and Australia, and Europe with no more than 20% of the course focused on Europe. For every unit of study students will be asked to examine historical evidence from diverse sources including written documents, maps, images, quantitative data and works of art and analyze primary sources. For every unit of study students will be asked to examine and discuss differing historical interpretations or viewpoints for an event or issue of that time period. Also, students will be introduced to theShort-Answer Questions (SAQ), Long Essay Question (LEQ), and the Document-Based Question (DBQ) utilized by the College Board for World History. Students will practice their writing skills throughout the course until they are proficient in all three styles.
Period One: Technological and Environmental Transformations to 600 B.C.E. (5%)
Textbook Correlation=Chapters 1-2
Key Concept 1.1 Big Geography and the Peopling of the Earth
Key Concept 1.2 The Neolithic Revolution and Early Agricultural Societies
Key Concept 1.3 The Development and Interactions of Early Agricultural, Pastoral and Urban Societies
Period Two: Organization and Reorganization of Human Societies, 600 B.C.E. – 600 C.E. (15%)
Textbook Correlation= Chapters 3-6
Key Concept 2.1 The Development and Codification of Religious and Cultural Traditions
Key Concept 2.2 The Development of States and Empires
Key Concept 2.3 Emergence of Transregional Networks of Communication and Exchange
Period Three: Regional and Transregional Interactions, 600 C.E. to 1450 (20%)
Textbook Correlation: Chapters 7-12
Key Concept 3.1 Expansion and Intensification of Communication and Exchange Networks
Key Concept 3.2 Continuity and Innovation of State Forms and Their Interactions
Key Concept 3.3 Increased Economic Productive Capacity and Its Consequences
Period Four: Global Interactions, 1450-1750 (20%)
Textbook Correlation: Chapters 13-15
Key Concept 4.1 Globalizing Networks of Communication and Exchange
Key Concept 4.2 New Forms of Social Organization and Modes of Production
Key Concept 4.3 State Consolidation and Imperial Expansion
Period Five: Industrialization and Global Integration, 1750-1900 (20%)
Textbook Correlation: Chapters 16-19
Key Concept 5.1 Industrialization and Global Capitalism
Key Concept 5.2 Imperialism and Nation State Formation
Key Concept 5.3 Nationalism, Revolution and Reform
Key Concept 5.4 Global Migration
Period Six: Accelerating Global Change and Realignments, 1900 to Present (20%)
Textbook Correlation: Chapters 20-23
Key Concept 6.1 Science and the Environment
Key Concept 6.2 Global Conflicts and Their Consequence
Key Concept 6.3 New Conceptualizations of Global Economy, Society and Culture
Review for AP World History Exam
AP World History Exam: Thursday, May 16, 2019, 8:00 a.m.
Course Assignments, Activities and Evaluations
Assignments, activities and evaluations used throughout the yearmay include but not be limited to the following:
1. Lecture: I will lecture on specific, detailed content to enhance what you read in the text.
2. Maps: Students will create several historical maps for each unit of study.
3. Timelines: Students will create annotated timelines for each unit of study to track changes over time.
4. Cornell/Two-Column Notes: Students will take Cornell Notes for each assigned reading.
5. Identifications: Students will identify the importance of people, places and events from their reading.
6. Quizzes: Quizzes will be given over the assigned readings from the textbook.
7. Debates and Mock Trials: These activities will help us better understand differing historical interpretations.
8. Class Discussions: Students will be asked to participate in various forms of discussion for different purposes such as retention, clarification and review of information, hearing differing viewpoints and interpretations, and categorizing and comparison. Discussion may take forms such as Socratic Seminar, Fishbowl, Inner-Outer Circle, Roundtable, Jigsaw, etc.
9. Document Analysis: We will be examining various primary sources throughout the course.
10. Graphic Organizers: Students will be asked to make mental maps or organization charts for the information learned in class. Most of these charts will be used to compare societies or show change/continuity over time.
11. Notebooks: Students are asked to keep a binder that contains all assignments and evaluations from the class. Students should use these notebooks to study for exams.
12. Exams: A multiple choice and short answer questionexam will be given for every unit of study.
13. Essays: Students will learn how to successfully write the Document-Based Question and Long Essay Question.
Essays will be graded using the College Board Rubrics for AP World History.
Grading Policy
In accordance with district guidelines concerning grading, the following grading scale will be used:
90-100%=A, 80-89%=B, 70-79%=C, 60-69%=D, 0-59%=F
Student’s percentage grades will be determined by a weighted system as follows:
Daily Assignments = 25%
Reading Quizzes = 15%
Unit Exams =30% (10% each)
Essays = 15% (5% each)
Semester Exam = 15%
Late Work: Assignments turned in one day late will receive only 75% of the earned credit for that assignment. Assignments turned in two or more days late will not be accepted.
Extra Credit: Extra Credit may be earned once for the semester by completing an independent study project or paper. Please see Mrs. Echard personally to discuss ideas for such a project. Extra Credit will be due one week before the end of the semester. Extra Credit shall not exceed 5% of your semester grade.
Class Materials
Students will need to bring the following to class everyday:
1. Pen and/or pencil
2. Textbook with a book cover
3. Notebook (3-ring,1” binder with 8 dividers)
4. Notebook paper
Besides these supplies, I ask that each student bring one box of facial tissue for the classroom and have a minimum of 300 lined, 3x5 index cards.
Classroom Rules
Student Responsibilities
1. Be on time for class.
2. Be prepared and have all materials for class.
3. Respect the rights, property, and person of all your classmates and the teacher.
4. Expect the best!
Student Consequences
1. Verbal warning
2. Student/teacher conference
3. Fifteen minutes of detention and parent contact.
4. Thirty minutes of detention and parent contact.
5. Office referral
Tardiness and Absences
School policy will be followed concerning tardiness and absences. District policy requires a failing grade to be given to any student upon his/her eleventh absence. Two unexempt tardies equals one absence. If a student is five minutes or more tardy to class, the student is counted absent. Also, please remember in the event of an absence it is the student’s responsibility to get any make-up work. You will find make-up assignments written on the agenda on online on the class website.
Classroom Procedures
- Each student must keep a notebook. Your notebook should be organized by historical period of study. In the front of your notebook place this syllabus. Then you need a tab for “Writing”, one tab for each of the 6 Units, and a tab for “Review.”
- Students should put their first and last name, their hour, and the date in the upper right-hand corner of each assignment.
- No hall passes will be given. Don’t even ask.
- There is to be absolutely no talking during announcements.
- Students should always monitor their voice levels and match them to the activity at hand. When I give you a quieting cue or ask you to be quiet, you are to stop talking immediately.
- During group learning activities all desks must be touching.
- All assignments will be written in complete sentences unless other directions are given.
- The teacher, not the bell, dismisses the class. We will not exit the room until all trash has been disposed.
*A special note about plagiarism: Copying someone else’s work and passing it off as one’s own is wrong. It is stealing and is obviously not permitted. Any student caught “cheating” on an assignment, exam, or essay will receive a zero for that assignment. I will be greatly disappointed to witness this in our class. Respect yourself enough not to do it.
If you need to contact me, you can reach me
by phone at Southmoore at 735-4900
by e-mail at
or visit my website through the Southmoore High School homepage.
For more information about the Advanced Placement Program go to
Please keep this course syllabus in your notebook for the entire year along with yourAP Writing Packet.
Dear parent or guardian,
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the 2018-2019school year. I have great expectations for an exciting year. I hope all of my students find this AP World History course to be a wonderful learning experience. Please understand that this is an Advanced Placement course. Your student will have the opportunity at the end of the course to take the national World History AP Exam offered by the College Board in order to receive college credit. It is a very challenging exam, and the course is demanding. Expect your student to have reading, other homework, or projects to complete every night and weekend. I encourage you to browse the Advanced Placement information for World History on the College Board’s website
If you have questions or concerns regarding your child’s academic progress or behavior, please contact me by phone at 735-4900 before or after school orduring my planning period, 8:20 a.m.-9:17 a.m., or e-mail me at . Please also remember that you can check your student’s grade at any time on Parent Portal provided by the school district. Therefore, there is never a time when you are not aware of your student’s grade.Additional information and announcements regarding this class can also be found weekly at my webpage at
Sincerely,
Mrs. Lana Echard
Thank you for taking the time to read this course information. Please return this signature page by Friday, August 24th.
I have read and understand the course information, classroom procedures, and classroom rules for this AP World History class. I also understand the consequences if I choose to disobey the rules.
______
Student signature
I have read and understand the course information, classroom procedures, and classroom rules for this AP World History class. I also understand the consequences my student will face should he/she choose to disobey the rules. I am aware that I can check my student’s grade on Parent Portal provided by the school district at any time throughout the school year.
______
Parent /Guardian signature