History Notes for AP World History

Developments in East Asia from c. 1200 to c. 1450

Required Course Content

THEMATIC FOCUS: Governance
  • A variety of internal and external factors contribute to state formation, expansion, and decline.
  • Governments maintain order through various administrative institutions, policies, and procedures, obtaining, retaining, and exercising power in different ways and for varied purposes.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Unit 1: Learning Objective A
  • Explain the systems of government employed by Chinese dynasties and how they developed over time.
  • KC-3.2.I: Empires and states in Afro-Eurasia and the Americas demonstrated continuity, innovation, and diversity in the 13th century.
      - Included the Song Dynasty of China which utilized traditional methods of Confucianism and an imperial bureaucracy to maintain and justify its rule.
SUGGESTED SKILL: Contextualization
  • 4.A: Identify and describe a historical context for a specific historical development or process.

Thematic Focus: Cultural Developments and Interactions (CDI)

  • The development of ideas, beliefs, and religions illustrates how groups view themselves, and the interactions of societies and their beliefs often have political, social, and cultural implications.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Unit 1: Learning Objective B
  • Explain the effects of Chinese cultural traditions on East Asia over time.
  • KC-3.1.III.D.i: Chinese cultural traditions continued, influencing neighboring regions.
  • KC-3.1.III.D.ii: Buddhism and its core beliefs continued to shape societies in Asia, incorporating various branches, schools, and practices.

Thematic Focus: Economic Systems (ECN)

  • As societies develop, they affect and are affected by their ways of producing, exchanging, and consuming goods and services.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Unit 1: Learning Objective C
  • Explain the effects of innovation on the Chinese economy over time.
  • KC-3.3.III.A.i: The economy of Song China became increasingly commercialized while relying on free peasant and artisanal labor.
  • KC-3.1.I.D: The Song economy flourished due to increased productive capacity, expanding trade networks, and innovations in agriculture and manufacturing.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES
Cultural Traditions:
  • Filial piety in East Asia
  • Influence of Neo-Confucianism and Buddhism in East Asia
  • Confucian traditions emphasize respect for and expected deference from women.
  • Chinese literary and scholarly traditions and their spread to Heian Japan and Korea.
Branches of Buddhism:
  • Theravada
  • Mahayana
  • Tibetan
Technological Innovations:
  • Champa rice
  • Transportation innovations, e.g. Grand Canal expansion
  • Production methods for steel and iron
  • Textiles and porcelains for export.

Developments in Dar al-Islam from c. 1200 to c. 1450

Required Course Content

THEMATIC FOCUS: Cultural Developments and Interactions (CDI)
  • The development of ideas, beliefs, and religions illustrates how societal groups view themselves; interactions have political, social, and cultural implications.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Unit 1: Learning Objective D
  • Explain how systems of belief and their practices affected society from c. 1200 to c. 1450.
  • KC-3.1.III.D.iii: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, along with their core beliefs and practices, shaped societies in Africa and Asia.
THEMATIC FOCUS: Governance (GOV)
  • A variety of internal and external factors contribute to state formation, expansion, and decline.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Unit 1: Learning Objective E
  • Explain the causes and effects of the rise of Islamic states over time.
  • KC-3.2.I: As the Abbasid Caliphate fragmented, new Islamic political entities emerged, predominantly led by Turkic peoples, exhibiting continuity, innovation, and diversity.
SUGGESTED SKILL: Developments and Processes
  • 1.A: Identify and describe a historical concept, development, or process.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES
New Islamic Political Entities:
  • Seljuk Empire
  • Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt
  • Delhi Sultanates
Innovations:
  • KC-3.1.III.A: Military expansion led to the growth of Islam across Afro-Eurasia through merchants, missionaries, and Sufis.
THEMATIC FOCUS: Technology and Innovation (TEC)
  • Human adaptation and innovation increase efficiency, comfort, and security; these advances shape human development and interactions.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Unit 1: Learning Objective F
  • Explain the effects of intellectual innovation in Dar al-Islam.
  • KC-3.2.II.A.i: Muslim states and empires encouraged significant intellectual innovations and transfers.
      - Advances in mathematics (e.g. Nasir al-Din al-Tusi)
      - Advances in literature (e.g. 'A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah)
      - Advances in medicine.
Transfers:
  • Preservation and commentaries on Greek moral and natural philosophy through the House of Wisdom in Abbasid Baghdad.
  • Scholarly and cultural exchanges between Muslim and Christian Spain.

Developments in South and Southeast Asia from c. 1200 to c. 1450

Required Course Content

THEMATIC FOCUS: Cultural Developments and Interactions (CDI)
  • The development of ideas, beliefs, and religions illustrates how societal groups view themselves; interactions have political, social, and cultural implications.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Unit 1: Learning Objective G
  • Explain how the various belief systems and practices of South and Southeast Asia affected society over time.
  • KC-3.1.III.D.iv: Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism, alongside their core beliefs and practices, continued to shape societies in South and Southeast Asia.
THEMATIC FOCUS: Governance (GOV)
  • A variety of internal and external factors contribute to state formation, expansion, and decline.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Unit 1: Learning Objective H
  • Explain how and why various states in South and Southeast Asia developed and maintained power over time.
  • KC-3.2.I.B.i: State formation and development demonstrated continuity, innovation, and diversity; this included new Hindu and Buddhist states that emerged in South and Southeast Asia.
SUGGESTED SKILL: Claims and Evidence in Sources
  • 3.A: Identify and describe a claim and/or argument in a text-based or non-text-based source.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES
Beliefs and Practices:
  • Bhakti Movement
  • Sufism
  • Buddhist Monasticism
Hindu/Buddhist States:
  • Vijayanagara Empire
  • Srivijaya Empire
  • Rajput Kingdoms
  • Khmer Empire
  • Majapahit
  • Sukhothai Kingdom
  • Sinhala Dynasties

State Building in the Americas

Required Course Content

THEMATIC FOCUS: Governance (GOV)
  • A variety of internal and external factors contribute to state formation, expansion, and decline.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Unit 1: Learning Objective I
  • Explain how and why states in the Americas developed and changed over time.
  • KC-3.2.I.D.i: In the Americas, state systems demonstrated continuity, innovation, and diversity, expanding in scope and reach.
SUGGESTED SKILL: Claims and Evidence in Sources
  • 3.B: Identify the evidence used in a source to support an argument.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES
State Systems in the Americas:
  • Maya City-States
  • Mexica
  • Inca
  • Chaco
  • Mesa Verde
  • Cahokia

State Building in Africa

Required Course Content

THEMATIC FOCUS: Governance (GOV)
  • A variety of internal and external factors contribute to state formation, expansion, and decline.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Unit 1: Learning Objective J
  • Explain how and why states in Africa developed and changed over time.
  • KC-3.2.I.D.ii: In Africa, as in Eurasia and the Americas, state systems demonstrated continuity, innovation, and diversity and expanded their scope and reach.
SUGGESTED SKILL: Developments and Processes
  • 1.B: Explain a historical concept, development, or process.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES
State Systems in Africa:
  • Great Zimbabwe
  • Ethiopia
  • Hausa Kingdoms

Developments in Europe from c. 1200 to c. 1450

Required Course Content

THEMATIC FOCUS: Cultural Developments and Interactions (CDI)
  • The development of ideas, beliefs, and religions illustrates how groups in society view themselves; interactions have political, social, and cultural implications.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Unit 1: Learning Objective K
  • Explain how the beliefs and practices of the predominant religions in Europe affected European society.
  • KC-3.1.III.D.v: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and the core beliefs and practices of these religions continued to shape societies in Europe.
THEMATIC FOCUS: Governance (GOV)
  • A variety of internal and external factors contribute to state formation, expansion, and decline.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Unit 1: Learning Objective L
  • Explain the causes and consequences of political decentralization in Europe from c. 1200 to c. 1450.
  • KC-3.2.I.B.ii: Europe was politically fragmented and characterized by decentralized monarchies, feudalism, and the manorial system.
SUGGESTED SKILL: Developments and Processes
  • 1.A: Identify a historical concept, development, or process.
THEME FOCUS: Social Interactions and Organization (SIO)
  • The process by which societies group their members and the norms that govern the interactions influence political, economic, and cultural institutions and organizations.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Unit 1: Learning Objective M
  • Explain the effects of agriculture on social organization in Europe from c. 1200 to c. 1450.
  • KC-3.3.III.C: Europe was largely an agricultural society dependent on free and coerced labor, including serfdom.

Comparison in the Period from c. 1200 to c. 1450

Required Course Content

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: REVIEW: UNIT 1 KEY CONCEPTS
Unit 1: Learning Objective N
  • Explain the similarities and differences in the processes of state formation from c. 1200 to c. 1450.
  • KC-3.2: State formation and development demonstrated continuity, innovation, and diversity in various regions.
  • KC-3.2.I: As the Abbasid Caliphate fragmented, new Islamic political entities emerged, most of which were dominated by Turkic peoples, demonstrating continuity, innovation, and diversity.
  • KC-3.2.I.A: Empires and states in Afro-Eurasia and the Americas demonstrated continuity, innovation, and diversity in the 13th century, including the Song Dynasty which utilized traditional methods of Confucianism and an imperial bureaucracy to maintain and justify its rule.
  • KC-3.2.I.B.i: State formation and development showed continuity, innovation, and diversity with new Hindu and Buddhist states emerging in South and Southeast Asia.
SUGGESTED SKILL: Argumentation
  • 6.A: Make a historically defensible claim.

Unit 2: Networks of Exchange c. 1200 to c. 1450

AP EXAM WEIGHTING: 8–10%
CLASS PERIODS: ~10–13

UNIT AT A GLANCE

THEMATIC FOCUS: Economic Systems (ECN)
2.1 The Silk Roads
  • Causation
  • 4.A Identify and describe a historical context for a specific historical development or process.
2.2 The Mongol Empire and the Making of the Modern World
  • Continuity and Change
  • 5.A Identify patterns among or connections between historical developments and processes.
2.3 Exchange in the Indian Ocean
  • Causation
  • 5.A Identify patterns among or connections between historical developments and processes.
2.4 Trans-Saharan Trade Routes
  • Causation
  • 1.B Explain a historical concept, development, or process.
2.5 Cultural Consequences of Connectivity
  • Causation
  • 2.A Identify a source’s point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience.
ENV 2.6 Environmental Consequences of Connectivity
  • Causation
  • 5.A Identify patterns among or connections between historical developments and processes.
2.7 Comparison of Economic Exchange
  • Comparison
  • 6.B Support an argument using specific and relevant evidence.

Unit 3: Land-Based Empires c. 1450 to c. 1750

AP EXAM WEIGHTING: 12–15%
CLASS PERIODS: ~8–11

UNIT AT A GLANCE

THEMATIC FOCUS: Governance (GOV)
3.1 Empires Expand
  • Causation
  • 1.B Explain a historical concept, development, or process.
3.2 Empires: Administration
  • Comparison
  • 4.A Identify and describe a historical context for a specific historical development or process.
3.3 Empires: Belief Systems

o Continuity and Change

  • 2.B Explain the point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience of a source.
3.4 Comparison in Land-Based Empires
  • Comparison
  • 6.B Support an argument using specific and relevant evidence.

UNIT 4: Transoceanic Interconnections c. 1450 to c. 1750

AP EXAM WEIGHTING: 12–15%
CLASS PERIODS: ~22–25

UNIT AT A GLANCE

THEMATIC FOCUS: Technology and Innovation
  • Guide Lesson plans for Class Topics per period, including Learning Objective for Teaching under Thematic Focus defined in the Unit. Followed by Illustrated Activities/Examples.

Unit 5: Revolutions c. 1750 to c. 1900

AP EXAM WEIGHTING: 12-15%
CLASS PERIODS: ~20-23