AP World History Mr. Miller Blog - Due to time limits I will not be able to discuss your individual student tonight. If you do wish a private conference please me at the above address. Thank You

Grading 35% - Tests/essays 15% - Peer evaluations 10% - portfolio 15% - projects 10% - SLO (standardized test) 15% - Final Exam

Units Up to 600 BCE - 5% 600 BCE to 600 CE – 15% 600 to 1450 – 20% 1450 to 1750 – 20% 1750 to 1900 – 20% 1900 to Present – 20%

What is different about this class I will spend very little time in class lecturing content. I expect the students to acquire this info through assignments completed at home Law of diminishing return We will spend class time concentrating on the themes and skills needed to pass the test.

This exam has the highest national failure rate of all AP exams 49% of students that take this exam fail it Why?

5 Themes Interaction between humans and the environment Development and interaction of Cultures State building, Politics, Expansion and Conflicts Creation, Expansion and Interaction of Economic Systems Development and Transformations of Society

1 st Skill - Making or creating historical arguments using evidence Analyze historical arguments and explain how an argument has been constructed from evidence Construct convincing interpretations of historical evidence Evaluate conflicting evidence to construct arguments

2 nd Skill Chronological reasoning Cause and Effect Continuity and Change (very tough skill) Understanding large scale patterns over time Connecting these patterns to historical processes, themes or major events Periodization How one defines historical periods Its about understanding turning points

3 rd Skill - Comparison and Context Comparison Comparing different societies Comparing the possible perspective of different people on a given event (being in their shoes) Context What else would be going on at this time in other parts of the world? How would these multiple events connect?

4 th Skill – Interpretation and Synthesis Interpretation Why are there different interpretations? Take your own values out of the equation What would Spok do? Synthesis Putting all this together and forming something new

Suggested reading Diamond, Jared. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. Viking Penguin Harman, Chris. A People’s History of the World. Verso, Robinson, Tony. The Worst Jobs in History: Two Thousand Years of Miserable Employment. Pan Books.2005 Standage, Tom. A History of the World in 6 Glasses. Walker & Company, Mark Kurlansky. Salt: A World History