Homework Syllabus for the 2014-2015 School Year
WHAP Ms. Napp
The World History AP curriculum is a cross-cultural, chronological, and historicalexamination of the connections and encounters between the world’s diverse peoples and the development of individual cultures within diverse regions. Students of World History AP are encouraged to interact with information on many levels. From the gathering of facts concerning when and how events happened to the greater complexities of how circumstances impacted different groups within societies and between societies, students examine world history from a multiplicity of perspectives.
Of course, a history of the world is a daunting undertaking and to ensure that information is understood and remembered, the homework syllabus is designed to provide students opportunities to analyze and synthesize information, to practice concepts and skills, and to reinforce critical information. Therefore, the completion of a weekly homework assignment is a required component of the course.
In this packet, students will find the assignments for the entire year. Before theassignments are presented, students will find a supply list as well as sample responses to the various types of homework questions asked. After the assignments, students will find additional facts about the Advanced Placement Examination in World History and general academic information to ensure a positive transition to the Advanced Placement Level.
Ultimately, all students can achieve academic success in the Advanced PlacementWorld History classroom. The homework syllabus is designed to help students achieve academic mastery.
Required Materials for the Completion of the Homework Syllabus:
1-The Textbook (All students will be issued a copy of Robert W. Strayer’s Ways of the World: A Global History)
Note: The Textbook Companion Website is available at the following link:
2-Cracking The AP World History Exam, 2014 Edition by The Princeton Review
Note: All students are required to purchase the review book in September. The book will be used throughout the yearand will be a valuable study guide for the Advanced Placement examination in May.
3-Ms. Napp’s Social Studies Webpage
(In particular, the World History AP page, the Variations page and Concerto Page)
Note: Ms. Napp’s Social Studies Webpage is available at the following link:
Optional Materials but Highly Recommended:
1-A Box Set of World History AP Flashcards
Note: Many publishers such as Barron’s, Kaplan’s, and 5 Steps to a 5 offer World History AP Flashcards
2-5 Steps to a 5 500 AP World History Questions to Know by Test Day
Note: The 500 questions can be purchased in book form or as an app
Important Reminder: At the end of the listed assignments, there are critical facts to know about the Advanced Placement World History examination. Please familiarize yourself with these facts.
A Word about the Assignments:
- In general, each week an average of twenty pages is assigned from the Strayer textbook.
- In general, for each weekly reading, there are ten questions to be answered.
- However, on occasion, students will complete an essay or templates created for the Princeton Review as alternative weekly assignments.
- Students must always rewrite the question or provide an adequate title before answering questions.
- Weekly assignments are usually collected on Thursday and a full letter grade will be subtracted for every late day.
- Finally, the Princeton Review World History Advanced Placement book must be purchased to complete a number of assignments in the homework syllabus and to prepare for the AP World History examination.
A Note about Ms. Napp’s Homework Philosophy:
- Homework is an opportunity for reflection and analysis of the key concepts, events, and themes of world history. Homework is an opportunity to practice essential skills such as analytical reading and writing. Homework is also a vehicle to practice and mastery of facts. Finally, the completion of homework will lead to the creation of a superb review document for the Advanced Placement World History examination. As such, all students are encouraged to maintain neat and accurate homework assignments and to preserve assignments in preparation for the examination.
“The flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.”
~ Chinese Proverb
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
~ Aristotle
An Example of Note-Taking for an Actual Question in the Syllabus:
The Question: Discuss significant beliefs of Daoism (pp. 131 – 133)
Students must either rewrite the question or provide an adequate title before answering.
Sample Response:
Daoism
- Chinese philosophy
- Associated with Laozi, sixth-century B.C.E. archivist
- Credited with writing the Daodejing (The Way and Its Power)
- Differed from Confucianism
- Urged withdrawal into the world of nature
- Encouraged behavior that was spontaneous, individualistic, and natural
- Central concept is the Dao
- Dao refers to the way of nature
- Invited people to withdraw from the world of political and social activism
- Simplicity in living, small self-sufficient communities, limited government, and the abandonment of education and active efforts at self-improvement
- Though different from Confucianism, Daoism was viewed as complementing Confucianism in China
- Shaped culture of ordinary people: magic, fortune-telling, and the search for immortality
- Provided an ideology for peasant uprisings, such as the Yellow Turban Rebellion, which imagined a utopian society without the oppression of governments and landlords
- Inspired Chinese landscape paintings – search for harmony with nature
Writing Advice:
When writing a paragraph or a series of paragraphs in an essay, it is critical to avoid plagiarizing from the textbook. To plagiarize is to write another person’s words as your own words. To avoid plagiarism, it is critical to read carefully and to understand information fully before writing. It is therefore useful to take notes while reading instead of copying full sentences from the textbook. Before writing, read your notes carefully and then write your paragraph or essay. Understanding information fully before writing reduces the likelihood of plagiarism. So, take the time to read and understand. Writing is not a race; it is a process leading to greater understanding.
The Assignments:
Strayer Textbook: / Questions: / Due Date:Read pp. 3 - 20 / The Questions:
1-Notes:The evolutionary line of descent leading to Homo Sapiens – be sure to include hominids, Homo Habilis, Homo Erectus, and Homo Sapiens (p. 3)
2-Notes: Describe the Paleolithic era (p. 4)
3-Notes: How did food production create enduring divisions within the larger human community? (pp. 5 – 6)
4-Notes: Describe the significant characteristics of civilization(p.6)
5-Notes: Describe the first 150,000 years of the human experience(pp. 12 – 13)
6-Notes: Describe the cultural changes that occurred as humans migrated out of Africa and into the Eurasia (pp. 16- 17)
7-Notes: Describe the cultural changes that occurred as humans migrated out of Africa and into Australia (pp. 17- 18)
8-Notes: Describe the cultural changes that occurred as humans migrated out of Africa and to the Americas (p. 18)
9-Notes: Describe the cultural changes as humans migrated out of Africa and into the Pacific (pp. 19 – 20)
10-Creative Writing:
You in the Paleolithic Era: Write a fictitious account of a day in the life of YOU in the Paleolithic Age – use your notes for specific detail! / Thursday,
September 11, 2014
Read pp. 25 – 48 / The Questions:
1-Notes: What was the most revolutionary aspect of the age of agriculture? (pp. 36 – 37)
2-Notes: Describe the Agricultural Revolution in the Fertile Crescent (pp. 39 – 41)
3-Notes: Describe the process of domestication in the African continent (p. 41)
4-Notes: Describe the process of farming in Africa (p. 41)
5-Notes: Describe the pattern of agricultural development in the Americas (pp. 41 – 42)
6-Notes: Describe the two ways in which agriculture spread (p. 42)
7-Notes: What are the Indo-European languages? (p. 43)
8-Notes: Who were the Bantu? (p. 46)
9-Notes: Describe the culture of agriculture (pp. 47 – 48)
10-Create a Comic Strip:
The Agricultural Revolution marked a decisive turning point in human history. Create a comic strip with examples from this week’s reading to support this thesis. / Thursday, September 18, 2014
Read pp. 49 – 68 / The Questions:
1-Notes: Describe significant characteristics of pastoral societies (p. 49)
2-Notes: Describe characteristics of Çatal Hüyük, a very early agricultural village in southern Turkey (p.50)
3-Notes: Discuss the six major locations of the first civilizations after 3500 B.C.E. – include important facts about each (pp.56 – 61)
4-Notes: Discuss the other smaller civilizations that flourished beyond the six First civilizations (p. 61)
5-Notes: Describe the city of Uruk (p.62)
6-Notes: Describe the city of Mohenjo Daro (p.63)
7-Notes: Describe the city of Teotihuacán (p. 63)
8-Notes: Discuss the class hierarchies that developed in the First Civilizations (pp. 64 – 66)
9-Notes: Discuss hierarchies based on gender and the practice of patriarchy in the First Civilizations (pp. 66 – 68)
10-Create a Chart Demonstrating:
What distinguished civilizations from other forms of human community? / Wednesday, September 24, 2014
[Due to holiday]
Read pp. 69 – 84 / The Questions:
1-Notes: How did the formation of states give rise to greater inequalities? (pp. 69 – 70)
2-Notes: Discuss the importance of the “remarkable invention of writing” and compare and contrast several early writing systems (pp. 70 – 72)
3-Notes: Discuss the lavish lifestyle of elites (pp. 72 – 73)
4-Notes: Compare the physical geography of Mesopotamia and Egypt and the effects of geography on the cultures of the regions (pp. 73 – 76)
5-Notes: Compare the political realities of Mesopotamia and Egypt (pp. 77 – 79)
6-Notes: Discuss the significance of the Hebrews in world history (p. 80)
7-Notes: Discuss the significance of the Phoenicians in world history (p. 80)
8-Notes: Compare Mesopotamian and Egyptian interactions with neighboring cultures (also pp. 80 – 81 )
9-Notes: Discuss the significance of the Hittites and Hyksos (p. 81)
10-Create a Cost/Benefit Analysis Chart: Create two columns to answer:
In the development of the First Civilizations, what was gained for humankind, and what was lost? / Thursday, October 2, 2014
Read pp. 87 – 101 / The Questions:
1-Notes: Summarize reasons for the decline of some of the First Civilizations (p. 87)
2-Notes: State specific continuities from the First civilizations to the second and third waves of civilization (pp. 88 – 89)
3-Notes: State specific changes that occurred in the second and third waves of civilization (pp. 89 – 91)
4-Notes: Why do historians refer to the period between 500 B.C.E. and 500 C.E. as the “classical era” (p. 92)
5-Notes: How are the current identities of nations still linked to the classical era? (p. 91)
6-Notes: Summarize significant facts about the location of the Persian Empire (p. 99)
7-Notes: Describe the Persian Empire’s cult of kingship (p. 99)
8-Notes: Discuss the importance of satraps in the Persian Empire (p. 100)
9-Notes: Describe the infrastructure of the Persian empire (p. 101)
10-Create a Comic Strip:
The Persian Empire at a Glance / Thursday, October 9, 2014
Read pp. 101 – 121 / The Questions:
1-Notes: Discuss the impact of geography on the Greek city-states (p. 102)
2-Notes: Describe causes and effects of Greek expansion (p. 103)
3-Notes: Describe Athenian democracy and the role of the “citizen” (pp. 103 - 104)
4-Notes: Discuss the causes and effects of the Greco-Persian Wars (pp. 104 – 105)
5-Notes: Describe the achievements of Alexander the Great as well as his chief significance in world history (pp. 106 – 108)
6-Notes: Describe the Roman Republic and the outcomes of conflict between the patricians and plebeians (p. 109)
7-Notes: Discuss Roman expansion (pp. 109 –111)
8-Notes: Describe the accomplishments of Shihuangdi (pp. 112 – 114)
9-Notes: Compare the Roman and Chinese Empires (pp. 114 – 116)
10-Creative Writing – Time Travel:
Describe your journey to the Indian subcontinent before the Mauryan empire, during the Mauryan empire, after the Mauryan empire, and during the Gupta empire (pp. 119 – 120)
- Be sure to take notes first
- Incorporate facts
Complete the Princeton Review Templates!
Note: Review Templates can be found on the Variations Page of Ms. Napp’s Social Studies Webpage / Complete Review Templates:
Review Template 1 [45 Questions]
Review Template 2 [56 Questions]
Review Template 3 [55 Questions]
[Each answer is only several words.] / Thursday, October 23, 2014
Read pp. 128 – 148 / The Questions:
1-Notes: Discuss beliefs of Legalism (p. 128)
2-Notes: Discuss significant beliefs of Confucianism (pp. 129 – 131)
3-Notes: Discuss significant beliefs of Daoism (pp. 131 – 133)
4-Notes: Discuss early texts of Hinduism and Hindu concepts of atman, moksha, samsara, and karma (pp. 133 – 134)
5-Notes: Discuss significant beliefs of Buddhism (pp. 135 – 137)
6-Notes: DiscussBhakti (p. 138)
7-Notes: Discuss significant beliefs of Zoroastrianism (pp. 139 – 140)
8-Notes: Discuss significant beliefs of Judaism (pp. 140 – 141)
9-Notes: Discuss the ideas of Socrates, Thales, Democritus, Hippocrates, Plato, and Aristotle (pp. 142 – 144)
10-Create a Chart:
Comparing the lives of Jesus and Buddha (p. 146) / Thursday, October 30, 2014
Read pp. 156 – 176 / The Questions:
1-Notes: Describe the responsibilities and lifestyles of the elite officials or scholar-gentry in classical China (pp. 156 – 157
2-Notes: Compare the status and lifestyles of the landlord class, the peasant class, and the merchant class in classical China (pp. 158 – 160)
3-Notes: Discuss the four varnas of India (pp. 160 – 162)
4-Notes: Discuss the role of jatis in Indian society (pp. 163 – 164 )
5-Notes: Discuss slavery in the Greco-Roman world (pp. 167 – 169)
6-Notes: Discuss the slave rebellion of Spartacus (pp. 169 – 170)
7-Notes: Discuss patriarchy in China (pp. 171 – 173)
8-Notes: Discuss the unusual reign of Empress Wu (p. 173)
9-Notes: Discuss patriarchy in Athens (pp. 173 – 175)
10-Creative Writing:
Create a story of a woman in Sparta utilizing significant facts about patriarchy in Sparta(pp. 175 – 177) / Thursday, November 6, 2014
Read pp. 184 – 203 / The Questions:
1-Notes: Discuss significant facts about Meroë (pp. 184 – 186)
2-Notes: Discuss significant facts about Axum (pp. 186 – 188)
3-Notes: Describe the distinctive features of Jenne-Jeno (pp. 188 – 189)
4-Notes: Describe the Bantu migrations and the impact of these migrations on Sub-Saharan Africa (pp. 190 – 192)
5-Notes: Describe Mesoamerica’s geography and cultures (pp. 193)
6-Notes: Discuss significant facts about the Maya (pp. 194 – 195)
7-Notes: Discuss significant facts about Teotihuacán (pp. 195 – 197)
8-Notes: Discuss significant facts about the Chavín (pp. 198)
9-Notes: Discuss significant facts about the Moche (pp. 198 – 200)
10-Create a Comic Strip:
About the southwestern region of North America, specifically Chaco canyon (pp. 201 – 203) / Thursday, November13, 2014
Read pp. 219 - 239 / The Questions:
1-Notes: Discuss the significance of Silk in the history of the Silk Road (pp. 221 – 222)
2-Notes: Discuss significant facts about cultural diffusion on the Silk Road (pp. 222 – 224)
3-Notes: Discuss significant facts about Indian Ocean trade (pp. 225 – 226)
4-Notes: Discuss significant facts about Srivijaya (pp. 229)
5-Notes: Discuss significant facts about Sailendra and especially, Borobudur (pp. 229 – 230)
6-Notes: Discuss significant facts about Swahili civilization (pp. 230 – 232)
7-Notes: Discuss significant facts about Trans-Saharan trade (pp. 232 – 233)
8-Notes: Discuss significant facts about the West African kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay (pp. 234 – 235)
9-Notes: Discuss trade in the Western Hemisphere, especially geographic obstacles and yet trading successes (pp. 235 – 238) *Only notes this week! / Thursday, November 20, 2014
Read pp. 242 - 263 / The Questions:
1-Notes: Discuss significant facts about China’s golden age (pp. 242 – 246)
2-Notes: Discuss the status of women in the Song Dynasty (pp. 246 – 247)
3-Notes: Discuss the Chinese Tribute System in theory and in practice (pp. 249 – 251)
4-Notes: Discuss Korea’s historical relationship with China (pp. 253 – 254)
5-Notes: Discuss Vietnam’s historical relationship with China (pp. 254 – 256)
6-Notes: Discuss Japan’s historical relationship with China (pp. 256 – 257)
7-Notes: Discuss unique features of Japanese culture and belief such as samurai, Bushido, kami, tanka, The Tale of the Genji, and the status of Japanese women (pp. 257 – 259)
8-Notes: How did China benefit from contact with other cultures? (pp. 260 – 261)
9-Notes: What was the most important gift that China received from India? Why? (p. 261)
10-Create a Comic Strip:
Describe Buddhism’s history in China (pp. 262 – 263) / Wednesday, November 26, 2014
[Due to holiday:
Read only or submit electronically for optional extra credit.]
Read pp. 271 - 291 / The Questions:
1-Notes: Why did Byzantium have no clear starting point and how was it a continuation of the Roman Empire? (pp. 271 – 272)
2-Notes: Describe significant facts about the Byzantine State (pp. 272 – 273)
3-Notes: What was caesaropapism and how did Orthodox Christianity differ from Latin Christianity or the Roman Catholic Church? (pp. 273 – 275)
4-Notes: How did links to Byzantium transform the new civilization of Kievan Rus? (pp. 277 – 278)
5-Notes: How did geography affect Western Europe? (pp. 278 – 279)
6-Notes: What happened in Western Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire? (pp. 279 – 281)
7-Notes: Discuss significant facts about the role of the Roman Catholic Church in the Medieval period (pp. 281 – 282)
8-Notes: Discuss significant changes that occurred during the High Middle Ages (pp. 282 – 284)
9-Notes: Describe changing roles of women during the High Middle Ages (p. 284)
10-Create a Chart:
Discuss significant facts about the Crusades (pp. 286 – 289) / Thursday, December 4, 2014
Read pp. 302 - 322 / The Questions:
1-Notes: In what ways did the early history of Islam reflect its Arabian origin? (pp. 302 – 303)
2-Notes: Discuss significant facts about Muhammad and the revelations he received (pp. 303 – 306)
3-Notes: Define hijra, umma, and sharia as well as describe facts about the young Islamic community (pp. 306 – 308)
4-Notes: What accounts for the widespread conversion to Islam? (pp. 310 – 311)
5-Notes: What is the difference between Sunni and Shia Islam (pp. 311 – 312)
6-Notes: Discuss significant facts about Sufis (pp. 313 – 314)
7-Notes: How did the rise of Islam change the lives of women? (pp. 314 – 316)
8-Notes: Describe significant facts about Islam in India and Anatolia (pp. 317 – 320)
9-Notes: Describe significant facts about Islam in West Africa (pp. 320 – 321)
10-Creative Writing:
My Life in Islamic Spain – Incorporate significant facts about Islam in Spain (pp. 322 – 323) / Thursday, December 11, 2014
Read pp. 341 - 360 / The Questions:
1-Notes: What impact did the Mongols have on the people they conquered? (pp. 342 – 343)
2-Notes: Who was Temujin, how did he build a powerful empire, and what were the Mongols’ successes and failures? (pp. 344 – 347)
3-Notes: How did Mongol rule change China and how were the Mongols changed by China? (pp. 348 – 350)
4-Notes: How was Mongol rule in Persia different from that in China? (pp. 350 – 351)
5-Notes: How did the Mongols rule Russia and how was Russia changed by Mongol rule? (pp. 351 -353)
6-Notes: In what ways did the Mongol Empire contribute to the globalization of the Eurasian world? (pp. 354)
7-Notes: Why did the Mongols not conquer Europe? (pp. 354 – 355)