AP World History Summer Reading: Due Friday, August 22

This Fleeting World by David Christian

Option 1: Buy the book: This Fleeting World by David Christian (available at amazon.com and barnesandnobles.com – Used paperback copy is fine!) OR

Option 2: Download book at http://worldtracker.org/media/library/World%20History/American%20Topics/This%20Fleeting%20World.pdf

Assignment #1: Please read This Fleeting World pp. 1 – 52 and answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper (written or typed):

1.)  Explain the lifestyle (eating, communicating, grouping themselves) of the first modern humans (Homo sapiens)? (P. 1)

2.)  Explain the “out of Africa” hypothesis. (Pp. 5 – 6)

3.)  Humans began to migrate out of Africa around 100,000 years ago. What facilitated this migration? (Pp. 17 – 22)

4.)  Explain the origins of agriculture. (P. 24 – 25)

5.)  Where did the earliest evidence of agriculture arise? (Pp. 25 – 27)

6.)  What major effects did agriculture produce? (Pp. 29 – 31)

7.)  List the 6 general characteristics agricultural communities share, and write one sentence explaining each one. (Pp. 32 – 37)

8.)  Explain how hierarchies of power emerged in the agrarian era. (Pp. 36 – 41)

9.)  What 2 agricultural innovations allowed for increase in population in agrarian communities (pp. 37 – 38)?

10.) Explain the concept of “glass ceiling” (pp. 38, 40).

11.) Explain the difference between cities, villages, and states. (Pp. 41 – 42)

12.) What specific societal traditions began to emerge as agrarian societies became civilizations? (Pp. 41 – 47)

13.) As empires emerge, what new issues began entering into society? (Pp. 47 – 52)

14.) How do hierarchies in early agrarian societies compare to the stratification that exists in our society today?

15.) Is it possible to have a completely egalitarian society? Why or why not?

Day of Empire by Amy Chua

Buy or download the book: Day of Empire by Amy Chua (available at amazon.com and barnesandnobles.com – Used paperback copy is fine!)

Assignment #2: Read introduction

E-mail me at if you have questions or concerns!!!