1. AP W ORLD H ISTORY Course Description Ms.Talso

2. AP W ORLD H ISTORY The AP World History course is designed to prepare students for the AP World History Exam The Exam presumes at least one year of college- level preparation The goal of this course is to develop a greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts in different types of human societies around the world The course will provide a balanced coverage of Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania

3. H OW IS AN AP COURSE DIFFERENT ? This course will require a greater time commitment on both the part of the students and the teacher Students will be reading a larger number of assignments than a non-AP secondary course Students will be completing more writing assignments Students will need to commit to a summer reading assignment Students will also need to commit to keeping up on all reading and homework assignments throughout the 2010-2011 school year

4. S UMMER R EADING A SSIGNMENT Students will need to purchase the book Guns, Germs, and Steel, by Jared Diamond ISBN: 0-393-31755-2 The summer reading assignment is available to be passed out this evening Students can also pick this up from Ms. Talso in Geography class or download it from the website! Students will read the book in its entirety this summer and create an interactive journal as they read In the fall, students will write an essay based on their reading

5. H OW CAN I HELP MY STUDENT STAY UP TO DATE ON THEIR READING / HOMEWORK ? Please check the website at: wscacademy.org From this link, you will need to change terms under classes to “Summer Term” There is only one class listed under “Summer Term” (AP World History) Please add this class! From here you can get up to date information on homework, the summer reading assignments (to help monitor your students progress), and you can download the assignment in case it is misplaced

6. AP W ORLD H ISTORY C ONTENT : C OURSE O VERVIEW 8000 B.C.E.-600 C.E. Focus: major developments in agriculture, social structures, belief systems, and political developments 600 C.E.-1450 C.E. Focus: major developments in the emergence of new empires, interregional trade, technology, and cultural exchanges 1450-1750 Focus: major developments in trade, technology, global interactions, the rise and fall of major empires, and the slave trade

7. AP W ORLD H ISTORY C ONTENT : C OURSE O VERVIEW 1750-1914 Focus: global commerce, communications, and technology with an emphasis on the Industrial Revolution, and the rise of Western Dominance 1914-Present Focus: intense analysis of war and peace in the global context and on demographic and environmental changes