WHAP

Course Description

The World History AP course goes tremendously further than traditional history courses in requiring students to interpret primary sources, draw inferences based on larger repetitive themes and, in a very real way, become historians. While this course offers an opportunity to learn how to think critically and interact with the world on new levels, it would be untrue to proclaim the course does not have series of idiosyncrasies that make it a more challenging course…like teaching 10,000 years of history, test-taking and essay-writing skills. I believe, however, that with organization and preparation, with academic transparency and a commitment to joining this truly learning community, the select few who have chosen to embark down this path this year will be forever changed by the experience.

Sherer History Blog

World History AP

Unit 2

1st Wave and 2nd Wave "Classical Civilizations
- Continuities and Changes, Making Connections
- Historical Thinking Skills
- Cultural Hearths / Axial Age and Wisdom Traditions...setting the FOUNDATIONS of future civs

Unit 1

The Beginnings:
- BIG HISTORY: Evolution, Human Diaspora, Paleolithic lifestyles [SPICE-T]
- Neolithic Revolution: agriculture, domestication and the Rise of the State
- Early Human Civilizations: 1st Wave

Pre-Chapter 1 "Stuff"

Professionals of the Social Sciences
Why Study History - Steven Kreis
Chief Seattle - How Can You Buy or Sell the Earth
Ishmael by Daniel Quinn Assignment

"There's no success like failure, and failure's no success at all" - Bob Dylan

Pay no attention to the mess below!

Ist Wave Civilizations

Over the next few weeks, we are going to learn TONS about the following groups of people:

Persians
Greeks
Romans
Indians (Mayuran and Gupta Dynasties)
Chinese (Qin and Han)

We need to have a pretty good idea (and evidence!) about all SPICE themes. This section of the course takes a week or so to get going because we get the necessary information over three successive chapters. Chapter 3 gives us the information about the governments and political systems, Chapter 4 their belief systems, philosophies and religious traditions and Chapter 5 diving into their social structures and hierarchies. If you have some extra time today/tomorrow, watch a the relevant CrashCourse videos, check out FREEMANPEDIA.com and Khan Academy goodies...all Sherer-approved AP sources for information! The video below is about the origin and Big Picture of the Classical Persian Empire.