Welcome to AP World History. This Advanced Placement course covers global history from approximately 1200 CE to the present day. The course is divided into four main periods and examines interactions between different civilizations across time. Students develop historical thinking skills while analyzing major events like the Mongol Empire, Age of Exploration, Industrial Revolution, World Wars, and modern Globalization. Successful completion can earn college credit through the AP exam.
AP World History emphasizes the development of five essential historical thinking skills. First, students learn to analyze primary and secondary sources, evaluating their reliability and perspective. Second, they make connections between different historical developments across time and space. Third, chronological reasoning helps students understand cause and effect relationships. Fourth, students create historical arguments using evidence to support their claims. Finally, they develop skills in historical interpretation, considering multiple perspectives on past events. These interconnected skills prepare students for college-level historical analysis.
AP World History is organized around five major themes that help students make connections across different time periods and regions. The first theme, Humans and the Environment, examines how people have interacted with and modified their natural surroundings. Cultural Developments and Interactions explores the growth and spread of ideas, religions, and technologies. Governance focuses on state-building, expansion, and conflict. Economic Systems examines trade, commerce, and labor systems. Finally, Social Interactions and Organization looks at gender roles, family structures, racial constructions, and social hierarchies. These themes are applied across different regions including the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, allowing students to make meaningful comparisons across time and space.
The AP World History exam is a comprehensive assessment lasting 3 hours and 15 minutes. It's divided into two main sections. Section I consists of 55 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 55 minutes, followed by 3 short-answer questions with a 40-minute time limit. After a brief break, students tackle Section II, which includes a document-based question requiring analysis of historical documents in 60 minutes, and a long essay question to be completed in 40 minutes. The exam tests both content knowledge and historical thinking skills. Scores range from 1 to 5, with most colleges offering credit for scores of 3 or higher. Effective preparation includes regular practice with primary source analysis, timed writing, and comprehensive review of key developments across all time periods.
To summarize what we've learned about AP World History: This college-level course covers global history from 1200 CE to the present, divided into four chronological periods. Students develop five essential historical thinking skills including analyzing sources, making connections, chronological reasoning, creating arguments, and historical interpretation. The content is organized around five major themes: humans and the environment, cultural developments, governance, economic systems, and social interactions. These themes are applied across different regions to help students make meaningful comparisons. The AP exam tests both content knowledge and historical skills through multiple-choice questions, short answers, document analysis, and essay writing. Success in the course requires regular practice with primary source analysis, historical writing, and comprehensive review of developments across all time periods.