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AP World History Summer Assignment 2015-2016
Welcome to AP World History! You have chosen to take a college-level course that covers everything from prehistory to
present day all across the globe. This course will be rigorous, but highly rewarding if you put in the appropriate amount
of work. Over the summer, you will be completing assignments that will make it possible for us to cover all of our
material prior to the AP exam in May so it is very important that you complete these tasks. Summer assignments (Parts
1-3) will be due on the first day of class in August and be taken for a grade. If you have any questions over the
summer, please email me at [email protected].
Part 1: Geography
Geography is essential to the understanding of World History so you should be familiar with it. You will submit a copy of
the map attached with the following countries, regions, and bodies of water labled. A geography quiz over this
information will take place the first week of school.
-All 7 continents
-Pacific Ocean
-Atlantic Ocean
-Indian Ocean
-Mediterranean Sea
-Red Sea
-Arabian Sea
-United States
-Canada
-Mexico
-Panama
-Haiti
-Cuba
-El Salvador
-Colombia
-Venezuela
-Honduras
-Guatemala
-Bolivia
-Argentina
-Chile
-Brazil
-Costa Rica
-Guam
-Norway
-Sweden
-Germany
-Switzerland
-Austria
-Italy
-Turkey
-Greece
-Poland
-Russia
-Saudi Arabia
-Hungary
-Iraq
-Iran
-Israel
-Jordan
-Kuwait
-Portugal
-France
-United Kingdom
-Denmark
-Spain
-India
-Pakistan
-Afghanistan
-Thailand
-Nepal
-China
-Korea
-Japan
-Indonesia
-Philippines
-New Zealand
-Vietnam
-Morocco
-Uganda
-Zimbabwe
-Algeria
-Nigeria
-Chad
-Liberia
-Egypt
-Tanzania
-Somalia
-Kenya
-Mali
-Senegal
-Libya
-Congo
-Ethiopia
-Madagascar
-Rwanda
-Mauritania
-Palestine
-Australia
-Sudan
AP World History Map Quiz
Part 2: Unit 1 Crash Courses
Crash Course World History is a Youtube series hosted by John Green which will play a major role in this course. You
should watch the first four videos of the series (Agricultural Revolution, The Indus Valley Civilization, Ancient
Mesopotamia, and Ancient Egypt) and answer the questions below for each of them. Answers must be handwritten.
Hint: You may find it helpful to turn the captions on, he tends to talk fast.
Crash Course World History 1: Agricultural Revolution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yocja_N5s1I&list=PLBDA2E52FB1EF80C9&index=1
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How do we have evidence of hunter-gatherers and their lives?
What do most early civilizations have in common?
What advantages did hunter-gatherers have over early agriculturalists?
Where did agriculture emerge? Which food crops are associated with which areas? (Africa, China, Americas)
What are the advantages of agriculture?
What are the disadvantages of agriculture?
What impact does agriculture have on the environment?
What other lifestyles emerged besides being a hunter-gatherer or farmer (agriculturalist)?
What were the advantages and disadvantages to pastoralism (being a herder)?
What advantages do you think that Eurasia had with its zoological set of animals compared to the Americas?
Evaluate John Green’s thesis that “the greatest evolutionary advantage an animal species can have is being
useful to humans.” Agree/disagree, why?
If hunter-gatherers had a “better and healthier” lifeway, why did people become agriculturalists?
What point do you think John Green is making about the use of the word “savage”? How might this also apply to
concepts of being “civilized” or “uncivilized”?
What do historians say are the drawbacks to complex civilizations and agriculture?
What other impacts do complex civilizations have on the environment?
Crash Course World History 2: The Indus Valley Civilization
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7ndRwqJYDM&list=PLBDA2E52FB1EF80C9&index=2
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How is the concept of “civilization” a useful construct? When is it not a useful construct?
How does John Green define what constitutes a civilization?
What are some examples of early civilizations?
How does John Green’s definition of civilization compare to other definitions of civilization you have learned?
Where did the earliest civilizations emerge? Why there?
Why was the Indus Valley a prime location? How did the environment impact the people who lived there?
How do we know, what we know, about the IVC?
How did they use technology to interact with the environment to improve their quality of life?
What evidence exists of long-distance trade and with whom?
What appears to be unique about the IVC, based on your knowledge of other civilizations?
What theories do historians have about the fate of the IVC? As historians, what evidence might one look for to
support or disprove these three theories?
Crash Course World History 3: Ancient Mesopotamia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sohXPx_XZ6Y&list=PLBDA2E52FB1EF80C9
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John Green begins by discussing one of the most obvious consequences of agriculture…what is it and what are
the most immediate consequences for those societies?
Historically speaking, why do you think cities tend to win? But did cities always win? Explain.
Why do you think early cities devoted resources to building monumental architecture, like ziggurats?
How does Mesopotamia compare with the Indus River Valley (IRV)? Identify both similarities and differences.
Think of why a specific similarity and a specific difference might exist. (This is analysis; one of the more
challenging skills you will need to develop).
How might the environment of Mesopotamia influence or shape people’s perceptions of their gods?
What is the significance of the emergence of palaces? How did kings gain power over priests? How did they keep
it?
CUNIEFORM: What three points does John Green make about the advent of writing?
How did the environment of Mesopotamia shape the economy of the society?
What factors led to the downfall of the Mesopotamian city-states and to what effect? (A cause and effect
question)
MONGOLS! The Mongols are the exception to what general rule?
What was Hammurabi’s most significant contribution?
Compare new city-states with the old city-states of Mesopotamia. Identify 3 specific similarities and 3 specific
differences. State a reason for at least one similarity and one difference.
Who provided the basis for the development of territorial kingdoms? How? Why does this “base” prove to be
unsteady?
What legacy did the Assyrians leave?
What are the challenges of empire what is the usual result?
How did Assyrian kings attempt to legitimize their rule?
Crash Course World History 4: Ancient Egypt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3Wvw6BivVI
1. What point is John Green making about the different “lenses” we use when we study history?
2. How did the Nile River shape the worldview of the Egyptians? How did this compare to the Mesopotamian
worldview?
3. How was Egyptian Civilization different from most other River Valley Civilizations? Why do you think this was?
4. What does the construction of the pyramids represent? (not “what was the purpose of the pyramids?”)
5. What was the motivation for building the pyramids? (not “what was the purpose of the pyramids?”)
6. What changes took place in the transition from the Old Kingdom to the Middle Kingdom?
7. What protected Egypt from outside peoples? How were the Egyptians eventually conquered by Semitic peoples
of the Middle East?
8. What changes took place in the transition from the Middle Kingdom to the New Kingdom?
Part 3: Identifications
You will need to complete identifications for the terms listed below. An identification is essentially a definition taken to
the next level. All identifications should include what/who the term is, the time period in which it occurred (a century is
fine), where it occurred, and why it is significant. Each identification should be AT LEAST 3 sentences in length and
MUST be handwritten; typed identifications will not be accepted. I have written a sample to give you some guidance.
Example: The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was the name given to the building that housed the world’s first International World’s Fair in the
summer of 1851. The design of the Crystal Palace was developed by Paxton, the estate manager of the Duke of
Devonshire, who was on a committee to design the structure for the fair. Paxton’s design looked similar to a
greenhouse, with a steel support structure and glass panels making up the entire building, hence the name the Crystal
Palace. The building covered 19,000 acres and housed around 15,000 exhibits during the fair from every country in
Europe, except Russia, as well as the United States and others. The Crystal Palace was the ultimate example of Britain’s
industrial and creative mind being displayed at the World’s Fair. Britain had managed to think of, and construct, a
building which was unique, movable, and unlike anything any other country would have the capability or mind to make.
Unit 1 Identification terms:
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Prehistory
Civilization
Hunter-Gatherers
Pastoralism
Cultural Diffusion
Domestication of Animals
Specialization of Labor
Metallurgy
Fertile Crescent
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Mesopotamia
Assyrians
Ziggurat
Gilgamesh
Hammurabi’s Code
Egypt’s Book of the Dead
Pyramids
Indus Valley Civilizations
Nile River
Egyptian Pharaohs
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Old Kingdom (Ancient Egypt)
Middle Kingdom (Ancient Egypt)
New Kingdom (Ancient Egypt)
Hatshepsut
Polytheistic
Monotheistic
Cuneiform
Hyksos
Indian Caste System
Khufu
Akhenaten
Lex Talionis
Hittites
Paleolithic
Neolithic
Foraging
Hieroglyphics
Hebrews
Judaism
Torah