AP World History 2012 2013 Periods: 3 (3A) and 4 (4A) Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions 3100 Shenandoah Houston, Texas 77021 (713) 741-2410 Instructor: Raul J. Saldivar E-mail: rsaldiv1@houstonisd.org Department: Social Studies Room: 321 Course Description: The purpose of the AP World history course is to develop greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts in different types of human societies. This understanding is advanced through a combination of selective factual knowledge and appropriate analytical skills. The course highlights the nature of changes in global frameworks and their causes and consequences, as well as comparisons among major societies. It emphasizes relevant factual knowledge, leading interpretive issues, and skills in analyzing types of historical evidence. Periodization, explicitly discussed, forms an organizing principle to address change and continuity throughout the course. Specific themes provide further organization to the course, along with consistent attention to contacts among societies that form the core of world history as a field of study. The Six AP World History Themes: 1. The relationship of change and continuity from 8,000 BCE to the present. 2. Impact of interaction among and within major societies. 3. Impact of technology, economics, and demography on people and the environment. 4. Systems of social structure and gender structure. 5. Cultural, religious, and intellectual developments. 6. Changes in functions and structures of states and in attitudes toward states and political identities, including the emergence of the nation-state. What is History? One view of the purpose of history is as follows: The ideal goal of History would be that of reconstructing, through the series of time, the integral life of humanity. This reconstruction will always be partial and imperfect, because with respect to the ancient period, a great deal of historical facts have disappeared without leaving any trace, and in modern times the number of existing documents is so great that it is impossible to know and utilize all of them. And (sic) even if it were possible to know them all their value and the relative worth of the facts to which they refer would have to be determined and it is impossible to proceed to determining them with absolute certainty of accuracy. 1 1 This excerpt was noted from the Encyclopedia of the Phillipines, Vol. XV (History), Editor, Zoilo M Galang (1957).
Throughout the semester we will be discussing and studying different topics, themes and sources of the past. At the conclusion of every lesson, we will conduct our own interpretation (analysis) of historical events. In simpler terms, think of History as stories told from the past. Is there a good reason why there are many Hollywood movies being produced regarding historical themes? Of course there is! People will always enjoy something that is captivating, interesting and entertaining. If you must break the law, do it to seize power; in all other cases observe it. Julius Caesar All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them. Galileo Galilei Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then without hesitation, that He exists. Blaise Pascal History is a set of lies agreed upon. A revolution is an idea which has found its bayonets. Napoleon Bonaparte War is the continuation of politics by other means. (War is an extension of politics.) Clausewitz Main Textbook: Bulliet, Richard W., Crossley, Pamela K., Headrick, Daniel R., Hirsch, Steven W., Johnson, Lyman L., and Northrup, David. The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History. 3 rd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2005. Document Reader: Reilly, Kevin. Worlds of History: A Comparative Reader. Vols. 1 & 2. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2004. Outside Readings: Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. New York: Norton, 1999. Friedman, Thomas L. The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21 st Century. New York: Farrar, Strauss, & Giroux, 2007. Keay, John. The Spice Route, A History. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006. King, Ross. Brunelleschi s Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture. New York: Penguin Group, 2000. Pomeranz, Kenneth and Steven Topik. The World that Trade Created: Society, Culture and the World Economy. London: M.E. Sharpe, Inc., 2006.
Resources Used in the Course: Cracking the AP World History Exam, 2008 Edition. New York: The Princeton Review, Inc., 2008. Five Steps to a Five, AP World History 2008-2009. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Mitchell, Joseph R. Annual Editions, World History. Vols. 1 & 2. Dubuque, IA: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Noonan, Theresa. Document-Based Assessment Activities for Global History Classes. Portland, ME: Walch Publishing, 2007. Activities: Houston ISD policies in respect to grading, make-up work, attendance and progress reports. This information can be found in your student handbook. One or two major exams will be given every six weeks. The exams will be a combination of multiple choice, short answer and essay questions. The make-up exams will not necessarily be the same format as the regular scheduled exams, make-ups may be all essay. Students who are absent should schedule make-up exams with the instructor. Daily Activities and essays are designed to provide students with practice in analyzing and interpreting primary sources and other information relevant to AP World History. Works of art, literature, philosophical writings and other primary and secondary sources will be used to enhance the skills of historical scholarship and will be included in bi-monthly tests and weekly activities. In regards to our essay writing, we will incorporate timed-writing exercise for each of the units. DBQ questions will be included in the weekly activities in preparation for AP free-response questions and to foster historical scholarship. Published AP free-response questions will be used to prepare for the AP examination and provide high quality material designed to enhance the students analytical skills. Every test will include a number of published multiple choice and free-response AP questions. AP free-response questions will be practiced in class and student performance will analyzed using examples of responses from students who received 4 or 5 on their AP examinations. Critical thinking material for the purpose of analysis of sources and concepts will be used on a daily basis and will provide the basis for discussion in Socratic Seminars and for the answering of timed free response questions. Reading Analysis: Each student must keep up with the outside readings assignments. The student will be evaluated in a number of ways to ensure that they are keeping up with the text and supplemental reader assignments. The student will have quizzes, essays, AP free-response questions, presentations and critical analysis activities on assigned readings. Students will be expected to discuss and analyze the assigned reading materials.
Grading (six week cycle): Class Assignments (Homework, Participation, & Reading) 20% Essay-Writing Assignment (Comparative, CCOT, & DBQ) 20% Tests (including common assessments) 60% 100% NOTE: Make-up AND re-take assignments are scheduled every Monday, after school, in my room Room 321. The student is responsible in making any necessary prior arrangements. Course Standards & Expectations: The course is the equivalent of a college course taught by a college professor. College-level textbooks and readings are essential; a textbook is not enough. For students to do well on the AP national exam, students must be prepared to use historical examples and applications that may not be in the textbook. This requires that students read additional historical literature. Students will be held accountable for understanding current national political issues and should allocate time every week to read and study current political news stories in their relation to history. Classroom Rules & Responsibilities (4): Be PUNCTUAL. Do not be tardy to class; you will have NO warning and sent immediately to the office. Be PREPARED. Bring your textbook and your class materials (pen, paper, and binder) EVERY class period. Be POLITE during (and outside) the classroom. Respect others in the same manner you wish others to respect you. All cell phones, blackberries, MP3 players, smart phones, etc. should be OFF during class time. Always remain seated in your assigned desk / seat. Always remain SILENT during school announcements. NO food, drinks, or chewing gum during class time. Be PRODUCTIVE. Ask relevant questions. PARTICIPATE in class discussions and during group activities. READ! NOTES: 1. ALL school rules are enforced in my classroom. 2. Classroom procedures will be discussed in the classroom on the first day of school. 3. Community Service Points (a/k/a Schrute Bucks) students will have the opportunity to earn bonus points for their major assignments throughout the school year. The latter does not apply to the final exams. This is a university level class. If you are unable to behave and commit to the guidelines, rules and responsibilities YOU ARE IN THE WRONG CLASS!
Course Outline: Unit I: Foundations, c. 8,000 BCE to 600 CE Focus Questions: What is civilization? Who is civilized? Does change occur by diffusion or independent invention? What was the effect of the Neolithic Revolution on gender relations? 1. World History in Place and Time Interaction of geography and climate with the development of human society Major population changes resulting from human and environmental factors Nature and causes of changes Continuities and breaks within the course what works and doesn t? 2. Developing Agriculture and Technology Agricultural, pastoral, and foraging societies and their demographic characteristics Emergence of agriculture and other technological change Nature of village settlements Effects of agriculture on the environment and peoples 3. Basic Features of Early Civilizations in Different Environments Political and social structure of: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus, Huang He, Mesoamerican and Andean South America 4. Classical Civilizations Major political developments in China, India, the Mediterranean, and Mesoamerica Social and gender structures Major trading patterns within and among Classical civilizations Arts, sciences, and technology 5. Major Belief Systems Basic features of major world belief systems prior to 600 CE Physical place of each belief system by 600 CE: Polytheism, Hinduism, Judaism, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and Christianity 6. Late Classical Period (200 CE to 600 CE) Collapse of empires (Han, Western Roman Empire, Gupta) Movements of peoples (Huns and Germans) Interregional networks by 600 CE: trade and religious diffusion Unit I Essays: Write Comparative essay on Early Belief Systems (Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Christianity). Write Document-Based Question (DBQ) essay on Classical Empires (Rome, Han China, or Gupta India). Unit II: 600 1450 Focus Questions: Should we study cultural areas or states? Did changes in this period occur from the effects of nomadic migrations or urban growth? Was there a world economic network during this period? 1. The Islamic Period The rise and role of Dar al-islam in Eurasia and Africa Islamic political structures Arts, sciences, and technologies
2. Interregional networks and contacts Development and shifts in interregional trade, technology, and cultural exchange: Trans-Sahara trade, Indian Ocean trade, Silk routes Missionary outreach of major religions Contacts between major religions, e.g., Islam and Buddhism, Christianity and Islam Impact of the Mongol empires 3. China s Expansion The Tang and Song economic revolutions and the early Ming dynasty Chinese influence on surrounding areas and its limits: Japan, Vietnam, and Korea 4. Developments in Europe Restructuring of European economic, social, and political institutions: decentralization of medieval society The division of Christendom into eastern and western cultures Revival of cities 5. Social, Cultural, Economic, and Political Patterns in the Amerindian World Apex and decline of the Maya; rise of the Aztec and Inca 6. Demographic and Environmental Changes Impact of migrations on Afro-Eurasia: Mongols, Turks, Vikings, and Arabs Bantu and Polynesian migrations Consequences of plague in the fourteenth century Growth and role of cities Unit II Essays: Write Document-Based Question (DBQ) essay on Silk Road Trade Networks Unit III: 1450 1750 Focus Question: To what extent did Europe become predominant in the world economy during this period? 1. Changes in Trade, Technology, and Global Interactions Columbian Exchange, impact of guns, changes in shipbuilding, and navigational devices 2. Knowledge of Major Empires and Other Political Units and Social Systems Ottoman, Mughal, China, and Tokugawa Portugal, Spain, Russia, France, and England African empires: Kongo, Benin, Ashanti, Songhay Gender and empire 3. Slave Systems and Slave Trade 4. Demographic and Environmental Changes Diseases, animals, new crops, and comparative population trends 5. Cultural and Intellectual Developments Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment Comparative global causes and effects of cultural change Creation of new religions: Zen, Sikhism, and Protestantism Major developments and exchanges in the arts
Unit III Essays: Write Change and Continuity over Time (CCOT) essay on World Trade up to 1750. Write Change and Continuity over Time (CCOT) essay regarding the Atlantic World. Unit IV: 1750 1914 Focus questions: Through what processes did the influence of industrialization spread throughout the world? How did the rights of individuals and groups change in this period? To what degree did new types of social conflict emerge during the nineteenth century? How and with whom did the idea of The West as a coherent and leading force in history gain currency? 1. Changes in Global Commerce, Communications, and Technology Changes in patterns of world trade Causes and effects of the Industrial Revolution: political, economic, social, and environmental 2. Demographic and Environmental Changes Migrations, end of the Atlantic slave trade, new birthrate patterns; food supply 3. Changes in Social and Gender Structure, especially as related to the Industrial Revolution Commercial and demographic developments, emancipation of serfs/slaves, tension between work patterns; new forms of labor systems 4. Political Revolutions and Independence Movements and New Political Ideas Revolutions in the United States, France, Haiti, Mexico, China, and Latin America Rise of nationalism, nation-states, and movements of political reform Rise of democracy and its limitations 5. Rise of Western Dominance Imperialism Cultural and political reactions: resistance, rebellion and racism Unit IV Essays: Write Comparative essay regarding Political Revolutions (American, French, Haiti, and Spanish Latin America). Unit V: 1914 Present Focus Questions: How do ideological struggles provide an explanation for many of the conflicts of the 20 th century? To what extent have the rights of the individual and the state replaced the rights of the community? How have conflict and change influenced migration patterns internally and internationally? How have international organizations influenced change? 1. Wars and Diplomacy The World Wars, Holocaust, Cold War, and international organizations Globalization of diplomacy and conflict Reduction of European influence League of Nations, United Nations, European Union, and non-aligned nations 2. Patterns of Nationalism Decolonization: its political, economic, and social causes and effects Genocide Rise and fall of the USSR
3. Effects of Major Global Economic Developments The Great Depression: political, social and economic causes and effects Development of the Pacific Rim and multinational corporations 4. Social Reforms and Social Revolutions Changing gender roles; family structures; rise of feminism; peasant protest, religious fundamentalism; and Marxism in its various forms 5. Globalization of Science, Technology and Culture Developments in global cultures and regional reactions Interactions between elite and popular culture and art Patterns of resistance against technology including religious responses 6. Demographic and Environmental Changes Migrations; explosive population growth; new forms of urbanization; deforestation and environmental movements Unit V Essays: Write Document-Based Questions (DBQ) essay regarding Cold War &/or Decolonization in the 20 th century. Write Change and Continuity over Time (CCOT) essay on Technology.