Summer 2014 Assignment

Overview: AP World History (APWH) is based on a multi-perspective global approach; students should have considerable analytical, research, and self-disciplinary skills. Students will be reading, discussing, and analyzing secondary and primary sources, as well as literary sources from the various cultures and time periods explored. The course is designed to encourage self-direction and self-discipline among the students. Socratic discussion, position papers, lectures, and student-led presentations will enhance the goals of the course to provide a rigorous and challenging curriculum. Course evaluations will consist of presentations, analytical essays, document-based questions (DBQs), position papers, and various historiographic assessments. By focusing on a student centered learning environment with independent ideas, constant writing and analytical exercises, students will refine their skills in preparation for the Advanced Placement World History Exam.

Assignments: The expectations for APWH assignments may be much greater than you will have experienced in your previous class. Your answers to all assignments should be more analytical than descriptive, and should never be copied directly from the book!

All major assignments for APWH must be typed, Times New Roman font, 12 point, 1 inch margins, and double spaced. Your answers should tie in not only specific ideas but also the larger picture. Remember, in AP World History we are looking for themes and generalities, so your answers should reflect this type of thinking. These assignments are due the first day of class. Late assignments will not be accepted unless medically excused. If you have any questions or are unsure as to whether or not you are on the right track, e-mail me at . I will be unavailable for most of the month of August, so please begin these assignments early so that I can answer your questions throughout July. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE END OF AUGUST TO BEGIN. You should be completing this throughout the summer.

Part I: Read the introduction and first five chapters of The Human Web: A Bird’s Eye View of World History by J. R. McNeill and William H. McNeill and complete the following questions[1]. Keep the following in mind:

1.  Answers must be substantive (other than vocabulary questions). This means they must display careful thought and decent length. A minimum of 5-7 substantial sentences per answer will be our standard. Students are welcome to write longer responses, but should not feel the need to write essays for every question.

2.  ANSWERS MUST BE IN THE YOUR OWN WORDS. PLAGIARISM WILL RESULT IN A FAILING GRADE, A CONFERENCE WITH YOUR PARENTS AND A RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU BE REMOVED FROM THE COURSE.

3.  The assignment will be a mix of comprehension questions for which you will find the answers in the text, and opinion/evaluation questions for which you are responsible for devising well-considered answers. No form of: “I have no opinion;” “I really don’t know;” or “I guess;” will be accepted.

4.  Responses must be carefully edited for grammar and spelling. I am particularly unforgiving of spelling errors in the world of Microsoft. Formatting must be neat and professional.

5.  All responses must be in formal English—no Internet slang (btw), casual abbreviations (w/o) or contractions (don’t). None of these are allowed in academic writing.

The Human Web—Questions for the Introduction (3-8)

1.  Who are the authors? What are their names? Jobs? Where do they work? What is their relationship?

2.  What, according to the authors, is a web?

3.  How does the quote on the top of page 3 help explain what a web is?

4.  Describe the Human Web from 6000 BCE to the present day. Use the three major stages described by the McNeills in your answer.

5.  Summarize the four final points (p. 5-8) the authors make about webs. What are webs like? How do they change over time? How do they stay the same? What major dates are important for understanding this process?

6.  The McNeills say we are now in the “Anthropocene” era of history. Read pages 7 and 8 carefully—what does this word mean? Why do they name the current era this? How can this help us, as the McNeills suggest, “shed a ray of light on the dilemmas of the present—and the future”?

The Human Web—Questions for Chapter 1

1.  What do you know about early human history (4,000,000BCE-10,000BCE)? What do you want to know? Fill out the “K” and “W” columns of following chart (called a KWL chart) with the answers to these two questions: You should complete these charts for each chapter to track your knowledge.

K
(What I Know) / W
(What I Want To Know) / L
(What I Have Learned)
·  Ex. I know about Lucy in Eastern Africa / ·  Do humans all come from Africa or many different places? / · 

When you have finished the chapter reading and these tasks, fill out the “L” column also.

2.  How have historians determined that there was widespread migration ca. (circa) 40,000BCE? What evidence have they used? What other social science disciplines were probably helpful in this research? (11)

3.  What was the crucial characteristic that distinguished humans from other forms of life? What do the authors compare humans to? (12)

4.  What was the next stage of this characteristic? How do we still see this development represented among nations at the Olympics? (13)

5.  Describe the environmental impact of human migration on New Zealand and Madagascar. (15)

6.  What is the name of the early agricultural technique described on page 15?

7.  Between pages 16 and 21 find elements/examples from early societies that correspond to the following categories of analysis:

Category / Example
Technology / Ex. Bows and arrows, 30000 to 15000 years ago
Agriculture
Gender
Religion
Society (social)
Disease/Health
Economy (pastoralism)
Environment
Politics

8.  What are the three archetypical early societies described by the McNeill’s on pages 20-23 and how are they similar and different? Use the Venn Diagram to demonstrate.

9.  Which of the societal characteristics that you have read about in this chapter (question 8 can help you here) do you think we will continue to encounter in future chapters? Which are unique to early societies? Explain your answer with supporting details and depth.

The Human Web—Questions for Chapter 2

1.  What two developments clearly had the greatest impact on human history during this time? (24)

2.  How did the development of agriculture impact gender roles? Did the status of women increase or decrease? Was an agricultural lifestyle more or less labor intensive than a hunting and gathering one? (28)

3.  How did Webs affect the development and diffusion of agriculture? In turn, how did agriculture and pastoralism affect the development of webs? (29)

4.  During this era, Eurasia enjoyed a clear developmental advantage over Sub-Saharan Africa, the Americas and Oceania[2]. List at least three reasons, with supporting details, that explain how Eurasia achieved this “leg-up” over the other regions of the Earth. (30-36**)

5.  What were three (or more) dangers that faced early agricultural societies? (38)

6.  In this chapter, what elements/examples of social/historical analysis from early societies did you see continue on into this next stage of human development? Which were not mentioned? Were there any new elements that are important to take note of? Adjust the chat below to fit your observations. (Feel free to cut and paste your old answers—don’t re-type everything.) As you complete this task, remember to focus on what remains CONTINUOUS and what CHANGES.

Category / Examples, Chapter I / Examples, Chapter II
Technology
Agriculture
Gender
Religion
Society (social)
Disease/Health
Economy (pastoralism)
Environment
Politics
?
?
?
?

7.  Jared Diamond eventually concluded that more than any other factor, geography explained why for so many years white Europeans had been able to maintain a dominant position in the world. He also suggested that the roots of this dominance went back 13,000 years—a dating which should seem relevant to you based on the starting point of this chapter. Based on your reading of the chapter—not simply on your moral or ethical position—do you agree or disagree with Diamond? Use evidence from the chapter to support your position.

The Human Web—Questions for Chapter 3

1.  After their discussion of the early bureaucratic empires and their characteristics, the McNeills examine the three major early civilizations: Indian, Chinese and Greco-Roman, or Mediterranean. In the Unites States, we are accustomed to studying Greek and Roman civilization as distinct and separate. Does it make more sense to analyze them as one? Why might American educational philosophy and standards emphasize the role of the Greeks and Romans? Is it better to separate them or merge them? Why? Use evidence from the chapter in your response, but use outside evidence as well. I encourage you to mentally explore the geography of Eurasia when formulating your answer.

2.  List what you believe are the three most important/relevant characteristics of the three major early civilizations in the chart below:

Indian / Chinese / Mediterranean
· 
· 
·  / · 
· 
·  / · 
· 
· 

3.  In this chapter, what elements/examples of social/historical analysis from early societies did you see continue on into this next stage of human development? Which were not mentioned? Were there any new elements that are important to take note of? Adjust the chart below to fit your observations. (Feel free to cut and paste your old answers—don’t re-type everything.) As you complete this task, remember to focus on what remains CONTINUOUS and what CHANGES.

? / ? / ? / Politics / Environment / Economy / Disease/Health / Society / Religion / Gender / Agriculture / Technology / Category
Examples, Chapter I
Examples, Chapter II
Examples, Chapter III

The Human Web—Questions for Chapter 4

1.  Continuing our discussion of the difference in development of the Americas and the Old World Web (Afro-Eurasia), explain, using at least 4 concrete details, how these two regions differed in their development. For example, one of your details could involve trade/travel or agricultural practices. However, I would like more than a list—have a clear topic sentence to your paragraph. (Answer a question like: What made them most different? How did these differences affect development in the long run? Etc.)

2.  Religions begin to play an important and wide-ranging role in the transmission of culture and the stabilizing of societies in this period. List what you believe to be the three most important/relevant characteristics to spreading culture and/or stabilizing society of the four major religions in this period in the chart below. Then make a list of at least 3 commonalities shared by all of these religions. (This should be easy: the McNeills do it for you…)

Note: This is the period of history where Islam becomes by far the most dynamic religious influence on the world for at least 1200 years, and some would say up to the present day. Start to become very familiar with the history and practices of Islam.

Islam / Buddhism / Christianity / Hinduism
· 
· 
·  / · 
· 
·  / · 
· 
·  / · 
· 
· 
Commonalities:

3.  In this chapter, what elements/examples of social/historical analysis from early societies did you see continue on into this next stage of human development? Which were not mentioned? Were there any new elements that are important to take note of? Adjust the chart on the attached page to fit your observations. (Feel free to cut and paste your old answers—don’t re-type everything.) As you complete this task, remember to focus on what remains CONTINUOUS and what CHANGES.

The Human Web—Chapter 5 Questions

10.  This chapter explains how, during this period, China became the world’s first market economy, and then retreated from extensive world contact. List three factors that led to China’s rise to market monster (pages 122-3) and then explain how and why the Ming Dynasty made the conscious decision to back away from the Old World Web (125-7).

11.  The McNeills explain that the principal political and cultural phenomenon in the Islamic world during this period was a blending of nomadic and urban cultures. Which three primary cultures blended? Where did this mixing of cultures find success (list at least 3 areas/empires)? Where did it fail to take root (list at least two regions)? [130-136] What were the relative strengths, and the most important weakness (esp. in comparison to Western Europe and China) of this transformed Islamic culture? [136-7]

12.  During this period, Western Europe grew more and more commercial—the period is sometimes referred to as the Commercial Revolution. Although traditional histories often focus on chivalry, feudalism and manorialism, they fail to make a concrete jump to the next crucial phase between the knights, Crusades and the Pope to the explorers, the Age of Exploration and Christopher Columbus. Take the time now to make sure you see the connections by listing at least 3 reasons why Western European governments were inextricably tied to commercialism. [140-144]

13.  Below, detail the relationships of Annam (Vietnam), Korea and Japan with China. How were they similar? How were they different? Who was influenced the most? The least? How? Why?

Annam / Korea / Japan
·  / ·  / · 

14.  In this chapter, what elements/examples of social/historical analysis from early societies did you see continue on into this next stage of human development? Which were not mentioned? Were there any new elements that are important to take note of? Adjust the chart on the attached page to fit your observations. (Feel free to cut and paste your old answers—don’t re-type everything.) As you complete this task, remember to focus on what remains CONTINUOUS and what CHANGES.

Part II: Map Assignment

Use the attached map to identify the following locations/features. Feel free to use a larger map, or more than one map. However, please do not make your map larger than legal paper size. You will have a quiz over this map during the first week of school, at which time you must turn in this map. For your convenience, I have listed the features beginning with the Americas on the left (west) and continuing toward the right (east).

CONTINENTS: In red, label the following continents and subcontinents: