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Course Overview:

AP World History is a challenging two semester course that is structured around the investigation of selected themes woven into key concepts covering distinct chronological periods. AP World History is equivalent to an introductory college survey course. The course has a three-fold purpose. First, it is designed to prepare students for successful placement into higher-level college and university history courses. Second, it is designed to develop skills of analysis and thinking in order to prepare students for success in the twenty-first century. Finally, it is the intent of this class to make the learning of world history an enjoyable experience. Students will be able to show their mastery of the course goals by taking part in the College Board AP World History Exam in May.

 
Five Course Themes:

The thematic learning objectives describe, at a high level, the knowledge colleges expect students to develop in the AP World History course in order to be qualified for credit and placement. These themes focus on major historical issues and developments, helping students connect the historical content they study to broad trends and processes that have emerged over centuries. In class, we recognized these as the "SPICE" characteristics (social, political, interactions, cultural, economic).

 SOCIAL: Development and Transformation of Social Structures (SOC) 
  • Gender roles and relations
  • Family and kinship
  • Racial and ethnic constructions
  • Social and economic classes
 
POLITICAL: State-building, expansion, and Conflict (SB)
  • Political structures and forms of governance
  • Empires
  • Nations and nationalism
  • Revolts and revolutions
  • Regional, trans-regional, and global structures and organizations
 
INTERACTIONS: Humans and the Environment (ENV)
  • Demography and disease
  • Migration
  • Patterns of settlement
  • Technology

CULTURAL: Development and Interaction Cultures (CUL)
  • Religions
  • Belief systems, philosophies, and ideologies
  • Science and technology
  • The arts and architecture
 
ECONOMICS: Creation, Expansion, and Interaction of Economic Systems (ECON)
  • Agricultural and pastoral production
  • Trade and commerce
  • Labor systems
  • Industrialization
  • Capitalism and socialism
Course Schedule:  

Fall Semester (August – December)
  • Period 1: Paleolithic, Neolithic, First Civilization c. 8000 B.C.E. – c. 600 B.C.E. – 2 weeks
  • Period 2: Classical Era 500 B.C.E. – 500 C.E. – 3 weeks
  • Period 3: Post Classical Era 500 C.E. – 1450 C.E. – 6 weeks
  • Period 4: Pre-Modern Era 1450 C.E. -1750 C.E. – 6 weeks
  • Midterm
 
Spring Semester (January – May)
  • Period 5: Modern Era 1750 C.E. – 1900 C.E. – 6 weeks
  • Period 6: Post-Modern / Contemporary Era 1900 C.E. – 6 weeks
  • Review, Study, Practice Exam
  • Final Exam
  • AP World History Exam (May 17, 2018) 
Unit Breakdown: 

  • Period 1: Technological & Environmental Transformation (to 600 BCE) – 5%
  • Period 2: Organization and Reorganization of Human Societies (c. 600 BCE to c. 600 CE) – 15%
  • Period 3: Regional and Transregional Interactions (c. 600 CE to c. 1450) – 20%
  • Period 4: Global Interactions (c. 1450 to c. 1750) – 20%
  • Period 5: Industrialization and Global Integration (c.1750 to c. 1900) – 20%
  • Period 6: Accelerating Global Change and Realignments (c. 1900 - present) - 20%
Prepare for the Exam:

The multiple choice and free-response formats of the AP World History exam have changed for the 2016-2017. The 2017 administration will be the first version of this new exam. This means that any study books that you purchase for your student should be the latest editions for 2017. 
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The AP World History exam for the 2016-2017 school year will be held Thursday, May 11th at 8:00 am. It will be administered in the health classrooms of the Cedar Shoals High School gymnasium. Students must register in order to take this exam. Registration usually takes place in March. If your student has not filled out the necessary paperwork, he/she will not be able to take the AP exam! ​​
How Do AP World History Scores Compare?