AP Worldipedia

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Welcome to AP Worldipedia, the free encyclopedia for Mr. Henderson's AP World History classes at West Forsyth High School. Below are the Key Concepts on which this course is based. Each has been filled out into a narrative text. Although they do not necessarily follow the chronological sequence that the content will be delivered in class, bait should prove sufficient in covering the basics of the course. Below the Key Concepts are the content articles which are written entirely by students. Our goal is to form an online repository of knowledge to help ourselves and other students with the content in Advanced Placement World History. This site is not connected to or endorsed by the College Board in any way.

About AP World History

According to the College Board APWH Course Description, "The breadth of world history has always posed challenges for AP teachers to create opportunities for deep conceptual understanding for students while addressing a syllabus largely driven by sheer scope. The AP World History course outlined in this course and exam description addresses these challenges by providing a clear framework of six chronological periods viewed through the lens of related key concepts and course themes, accompanied by a set of skills that clearly define what it means to think historically."

"The course’s organization around a limited number of key concepts instead of a perceived list of facts, events, and dates makes teaching each historical period more manageable. The three to four key concepts per period define what is most essential to know about each period based upon the most current historical research in world history. This approach enables students to spend less time on factual recall, more time on learning essential concepts, and helps them develop historical thinking skills necessary to explore the broad trends and global processes involved in their study of AP World History." (This text is from the College Board AP World History Course Description)

Course Themes

The content of this course would be overwhelming were it not organized around major themes and key concepts. As you read and write articles for AP Worldipedia, you should keep them relevant to these themes. The Course Themes are as follows:

1) Interaction between Humans and the Environment -The environment impacts human beings even as human activity impacts the environment. From the earliest discoveries of fire and agriculture, this relationship has been driven by new technologies, migrations of human beings, disease and demographic changes, and patterns of human settlement.

2) Development and Interaction of Cultures -Throughout history, humans have held many belief systems and religions. They have developed philosophies and ideologies, technologies and forms of artistic expression. As societies interact, these aspects of culture adapt, blend or react to one another and often form new and complex mixtures.

3) State-building, Expansion, and Conflict -Humans developed forms of authority, or governance, to bring order and efficiency to their lives. These took the form of tribes or clans based on kinship, empires built by conquest, modern nation-states, and other hierarchical systems. All political systems are formed on the concept of legitimacy and when legitimacy is lost, revolts and revolutions transform the system.

4) Creation, Expansion, and Interaction of Economic Systems -This theme deals with how human beings use their resources and labor to produce and exchange wealth. It includes means of acquiring food, forms of labor, how things are bought, sold, and traded, as well as ideologies about wealth such as capitalism, mercantilism, and socialism.

5) Development and Transformation of Social Structures -All human societies develop assumptions about how human beings are grouped. These are almost always hierarchical, with some classes or castes higher than others. The most basic social structure has always been the family, but kinship, race, ethnicity and economic level are also ways of grouping. Most societies have assumptions about the role of gender also.

Course Content by Key Concept

Period 1 Key Concepts

Key Concept 1.1 Big Geography and the Peopling of the Earth

Key Concept 1.2 The Neolithic Revolution and Early Agricultural Societies

Key Concept 1.3 The Development and Interaction of Early Agricultural, Pastoral and Urban Societies

Period 2 Key Concepts

Key Concept 2.1 The Development and Codification of Religious and Cultural Traditions

Key Concept 2.2 The Development of States and Empires

Key Concept 2.3 Emergence of Transregional Networks of Communication and Exchange

Period 3 Key Concepts

Key Concept 3.1 Expansion and Intensification of Communication and Exchange Networks

Key Concept 3.2 Continuity and Innovation of State Forms and Their Interactions

Key Concept 3.3 Increased Economic Productive Capacity and its Consequences

Period 4 Key Concepts

Key Concept 4.1 Globalizing Networks of Communication and Exchange

Key Concept 4.2 New Forms of Social Organization and Modes of Production

Key Concept 4.3 State Consolidation and Imperial Expansion

Period 5 Key Concepts

Key Concept 5.1 Industrialization and Global Capitalism

Key Concept 5.2 Imperialism and Nation-State Formation

Key Concept 5.3 Nationalism, Revolution, and Reform

Key Concept 5.4 Global Migration

Period 6 Key Concepts

Key Concept 6.1 Science and the Environment

Key Concept 6.2 Global Conflicts and Their Consequences

Key Concept 6.3 New Conceptualizations of Global Economy, Society, and Culture

The Essays

The essays on the AP World History test are graded on a scale from 1 to 9. The rubrics below show how you gain those points. If you get all 7 of the Basic Core points, your essay will be considered for 2 additional,or Expanded Core, points.

Document Based Question

On the DBQ the student performs the task of the historian. The student must read and analyze historical documents and answer a prompt based on them. It is grade according to this rubric:

Basic Core
Acceptable Thesis	1 point
Addresses all of the Documents	1 point
Uses all the Documents as Evidence	1 or 2 points
Groups the Documents	1 point
Analyzes Point of View	1 point
Identifies an Additional Document	1 point

Change and Continuity over Time

Basic Core
Acceptable Thesis	1 point
Addresses all parts of the Question	1 or 2 points
Uses Appropriate Evidence	1 or 2 points
Uses World Historical context	1 point
Analyzes the reason for Change or Continuity	1 point

How to Write Articles

How to Write in WikiText

How to put an Image in your Article

Grading Rubric for Writing Articles

This wiki is currently being revised for the new College Board curriculum framework for AP World History.