District 11 Educational Support Services
Social Studies


World History 1 AP: Course Overview
Course Number: SS.WLDH1AP

 
Overview
The AP World History course offers motivated students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the process that, over time, have resulted in the knitting of the world into an integrated whole. The purpose of the AP World History program is to develop greater understanding of global processes and contacts in interaction with different types of human societies. An emphasis will be placed on high levels of analysis, writing, and historic inquiry.

Prerequisite:  Completion of required social studies courses and/or teacher recommendation.
Course Length: 2   Period Length: 1   Grade Level:  11-12  Credit per Semester: 1
Additional Credit Information: Credit Per Semester: 1.0 (Social Studies, Humanities or Elective)     

For Teachers
Quarter 1  2
Quarter 3  4
Prerequisite
Next Course

District 11 Diamond Units/Lessons Overview - includes information about the purpose, goals and structure of these sample instructional units:
 

Semester 1
Quarter 1 Unit 1: 8000 BCE to 600 CE - River Valley Civilizations, Classical Civilizations: Roman, Han, and Gupta Empires
Quarter 2 Unit 2: 600 CE to 1450 CE - Rise and Spread of Islam, Christianity, Nomadic Kingdoms, Indian and Chinese Diplomacy
Semester 2
Quarter 3 Unit 3: 1450 CE to 1750 CE Columbian and Hemispheric Exchange, Gunpowder Empires
Quarter 4 Unit 4: 1750 CE to 1914 CE - Imperialism and Colonialism  Quarter 4 Unit 5: 1914 CE to present - World War I, World War II and Globalization

Enduring Understandings - important ideas that students should carry with them years beyond the instruction received this year.

  • The dynamics of change and continuity across the world history periods covered in this course, and the causes and processes involved in major changes of these dynamics.

  • Patterns and effects of interaction among societies and regions can bee seen in trade, war, diplomacy,
    and international organizations.

  • Technology, economics, and demography affect people and the environment (population growth
    and decline, disease, labor systems, manufacturing, migrations, agriculture, weaponry).

  • Systems of social structure and gender structure vary across societies and impact how they change and maintain continuity. 

  • Cultural, intellectual, and religious developments, vary among and within societies.

  • Attitudes toward states, political culture, functions/structures of states including the emergence of the nation-state (types of political organization) change over time.

Essential Questions - most important “big picture” questions students should be able to answer after completing learning activities.

  • What were the major causes and effects of the Renaissance in Europe?
  • How does the environment shape human society?
  • How did societal structure during the Renaissance compare to that of today?
  • How did scientific and technological developments impact society during the Reformation?
  • How did religious and philosophical ideas impact Renaissance society?
  • What are the major events of the Reformation and how can they be organized chronologically? What cause/effect relationships exist among these events?
  • How were the cultural achievements of the Europeans during the Renaissance comparable to those of the Ottomans and Mughals/Moguls at the same time?
  • How do maps increase understanding of the Ottomans and Safavids? How are cultural regions defined over time?
  • What economic, social and religious factors motivated Discovery, Exploration and Colonization?
  • How do maps and charts increase understanding of Exploration and Colonization?
  • What human and physical systems interacted during the Age of discovery, exploration and colonization
  • How were Africans, American Indians, Asians, and Europeans impacted by contacts/ migration during the era of exploration and colonization?
  • How did Asian ideas impact European trade?
  • How were societies affected by philosophical ideas of the Enlightenment?

  • How did the English Civil War and Glorious Revolution influence ideas of the Enlightenment?

  • How did scientific and technological developments impact society?

  • How did revolutions change the boundaries of nations and their forms of government?

  • What were the causes and effects of European and Latin American revolutions?

  • Where did the Industrial Revolution begin?  Why there?  What were its regional and worldwide effects?

  • What were the social and economic effects of the Industrial Revolution?

  • How did economic philosophies develop and impact the Industrial Revolution? How did philosophical perspectives differ?

  • What human characteristics led to the rise of nationalism and unification?

  • How is political power used to advance the interest of specific nations?

  • What was the reaction of native populations to imperialism?

  • How did the countries involved view events that sparked the war?  What do primary and secondary sources reveal about the causes of WWI?

  • How do maps increase understanding of the events of WWI? What was the impact of technology on the war?

  • What were the major results of the war? How was political power used and lost as a result of WWI? Why did the Russian revolution occur?

  • How did the economic developments of the 1920's impact world societies?

  • What were the political, economic, military causes of WW II? How do maps increase understanding of the events of WWII?
  • How can major events of WWII be organized chronologically?
  • How has power been acquired, maintained, used and or lost since World War II?
  • How have religious and philosophical ideas impacted societies since WWII?

Standards and Benchmarks

History 1: Students understand the chronological organization of history and know how to organize events and people into major eras to identify and explain historical relationships.    
Benchmark B: Students use chronology to organize historical events and people.
History
  2: Students know how to use the processes and resources of historical inquiry.
Benchmark 2ormation (e.g., letters, diaries, literature, text, newspaper, art, music, technology, oral history, interviews).

History 3
: Students understand that societies are diverse and change over time.
Benchmark  B: Students understand the history of social organization in various societies.
History 4
: Students understand how science, technology, and economic activity have developed, changed, and affected societies throughout history.
Benchmark  A: Students understand the impact of scientific and technological developments on individuals and societies.
History
 5: Students understand political institutions and theories that developed and changed over time.
Benchmark C: Students know how political power has been acquired, maintained, used and/or lost throughout history.
History
6: Students know that religious and philosophical ideas have been powerful forces throughout history.
Benchmark  C: Students know how various forms of expression reflect religious beliefs and philosophical ideas.
Geography
1: Students know how to use and construct maps, globes, and other geographic tools to locate and derive information about people, places, and environments.
Benchmark  A: Students know how to use maps, globes, and other geographic tools to acquire, process and report information from a spatial perspective.

Geography
 2:  Students know the physical and human characteristics of places, and used knowledge to
Benchmark B:  Students know how and why people define regions
.
Geography
 4:  Students understand how economic, political cultural, and social processes interact to shape patterns of human populations, interdependence, cooperation and conflict.
Benchmark E: Students know how cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of the earth's surface.

Geography
5: Students understand the effects of interactions between human and physical systems and changes in meaning, use, distribution, and importance of resources.
Benchmark  B: Students know how physical systems affect human systems.

D-11 Social Studies Indicators 

History

  1. Chronology/Cause & Effect: Determine cause and effect relationships based on organizing major historical and/or current events chronologically.
  1. Historical Inquiry: Utilizing multiple perspectives, analyze and question historical data from primary and secondary sources during major historical eras.
  1. Diverse and Changing Societies: Evaluate the impact of interactions and contributions of diverse peoples and cultures on past and current societies.
  1. Science, Technology, and Economic Activity:  Evaluate the impact of economic, scientific and technological developments on human interactions.
  1. Political Institutions and Theories: Analyze how political power has been acquired, maintained, used and/or lost among various cultures throughout history. 
  1. Religious and Philosophical Ideas: Determine how societies have been affected by religious and philosophical ideas.

Geography

  1. Use and Construction of Geographic Tools: Analyze maps, globes, charts, graphs, and databases to acquire, process and report information about people, places and environments. [G1]
  1. Characteristics of Place and Region: Use physical and human characteristics to define regions important in human history.[G2]
  1. Patterns of Human Population and Interaction: Analyze the physical and cultural impact of human migration.[G4]
  1. Human and Physical Systems:  Evaluate how human and physical systems interact and impact one another.[G5]

Sample Units

District 11 Diamond Units/Lessons Overview - includes information about the purpose, goals and structure of these sample instructional units:

Parent Resources

College Board AP -  includes information on College Board Tests, expectations for this course and assistance in planning for college.

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