AP Worldipedia

Welcome to AP Worldipedia, the free encyclopedia covering the content for Advanced Placement World History. This project is a work in progress, and is being aligned to the curriculum framework for AP World History.

AP Worldipedia began in 2008 as a class project. Using the open source Wikipedia platform, students wrote articles on the Major Comparisons component of the old curriculum framework (the "acorn book"). After each year the database was deleted and the next class began researching and writing the articles again. By 2012 I decided to use my experience as an AP exam grader and question writer to create a more reliable and permanent online source of course content with the Key Concepts of the new curriculum framework serving as an outline. It turned out to be a bigger job than I had anticipated, and is still going on. I continue to write articles here when I can (the birth of my daughter slowed things down a bit) and the end is in sight. I hope students and teachers find this project to be a good supplemental source for the class.

Below are the Key Concepts on which this course is based. Each has been filled out into a narrative text with illustrative media. Although they do not necessarily follow the chronological order in which the content will be taught in class, they should be useful in summarizing the basics of the course. All questions on the AP World History test in May are built on the Key Concepts you see listed on this website. Later on the content will also be arranged by the 5 AP World History Themes and there will be articles and essay rubrics with links to examples. If you have any questions, corrections, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to email me.

Note: the designations "AP" and "Advanced Placement are property of the College Board which does not endorse this website or have any connection to it.

The New Modern AP World History Course

With the change to AP World History Modern,) AP Worldipedia is currently being updated for the new Course and Exam Description.

Topic 3.1 Empires Expand

Topic 3.2 Empires: Administration

Topic 3.3 Empires: Belief Systems

Topic 4.1 Technological Innovations from 1450 to 1750

Topic 4.2 Exploration: Causes and Events from 1450 to 1750

Topic 4.3 The Columbian Exchange

Topic 4.4 Maritime Empires Established

Topic 4.5 Maritime Empires Maintained and Developed

Topic 4.6 Internal and External Challenges to State Power from 1450 to 1750

Topic 4.7 Changing Social Hierarchies 1450 to 1750

The Legacy Course

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

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.