AP World Big Picture Review

Review Session #1 Overview

Big Picture Preparations

  • Preparation Instructions:
    • Before attending the first review session, allocate 30-45 minutes to complete the following tasks based on the historical themes and regions studied.
    • Effort is encouraged in identifying examples, even if incomplete.

Part 1: Big Picture Regions

  • Task: Spend 10 minutes identifying civilizations for each listed region across units studied.
  • Objective: This activity is meant to help recall essential information for the AP exam.

Part 2: Big Picture Themes

  • Task: Spend 15 minutes listing evidence/examples for sub-themes within thematic charts, noting corresponding unit numbers (#1-#4).
  • Discussion Point: Share identified examples with your group during the session and update charts with insights from peers.

Part 3: Big Picture Time Periods

  • Task: Identify 5 major events/concepts per time period studied, spending 10 minutes on this task.
  • Review: Compare your identified events/concepts during the session with provided keys for accuracy.

Part 4: Sequencing/Major Historical Dates

  • Activity: Match historical events to the correct year or century during the review session.

AP Regional Review: Influential Societies Throughout History

  • Unit Framework:
    • Unit 1: 600-1450
    • Unit 2: 1450-1750
    • Unit 3: 1750-1900
    • Unit 4: 1900-Present

Regional Breakdown of Significant Societies

  • EAST ASIA

    • Unit 1: People’s Republic of China
    • Unit 2: North/South Korea, Japan

  • MIDDLE EAST

    • Unit 1: Middle Eastern Nations (Iran, Syria, Egypt, Turkey, Israel)

  • SOUTH ASIA

    • Unit 2: Independent India and Pakistan

  • SOUTHEAST ASIA

    • Unit 2: U.S., Philippines, Vietnam

  • AFRICA

    • Unit 1: South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt

  • EUROPE

    • Western: France, Germany, United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, Italy
    • Eastern: Turkey, Greece, Serbia, U.S.S.R.

  • LATIN AMERICA

    • Unit 2: Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia

  • CARIBBEAN

    • N/A: Dominated by Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba

  • NORTH AMERICA

    • N/A: United States, Canada

AP Thematic Review: Essentials Throughout History

Statebuilding Overview

  • Definition of Statebuilding: Centralized states that often consist of monarchies, dynasties, and empires characterized by governance under a central authority.
  • Examples:
    • Unit 1: Islamic Empire (Abbasid Caliphate), Empire of Mali, Aztec Empire, Incan Empire, Mongol Empire, Song Dynasty
    • Unit 2: Absolute Monarchies in Europe (France, Russia), Ming Dynasty, Tokugawa Shogunate, Ottoman Empire, Mughal Empire, Safavid Empire
    • Unit 3: Qing Dynasty, Ottoman Empire
    • Theocratic Governments: Governed by religion — ex: Islamic Empire (Abbasid Caliphate, Holy Roman Empire)

Nationalism

  • Definition: A movement emphasizing the interests and culture of a particular nation.
  • Examples: Various nationalist movements that have taken place within states across units.

Imperialism/Colonialism

  • Definition: The policy or practice of a power in extending its dominion over other nations or territories.
  • Notable Governments: Totalitarian regimes as per Unit 4:
    • Stalin in Russia
    • Hitler in Germany
    • Mussolini in Italy
    • Mao Zedong in China

Economic Systems Overview

  • Systems:

    • Coerced Labor: Involves labor that is obtained through force or under duress, often seen in historical contexts.
    • Pastoralism: Societies relying on domesticated livestock.
    • Agriculture: The practice of farming.
    • Manorialism: An economic system associated with feudalism.

  • Notable Economic Concepts:

    • Mercantilism: Economic theory linking trade, colonies, and wealth generation.
    • Industrialism/Captialism: Economic movements shaping modern economies and labor systems.
    • Communism: Political and economic ideology advocating for a classless society.

Social Structures and Interaction

  • Social Dynamics:
    • Establishment of social hierarchies based on class, ethnicity, or race.
    • Presence of middle class and patriarchal systems through various units.

Cultural Reach of Major Belief Systems

  • Traditional Beliefs:
    • Polytheism (Hinduism, Judaism)
    • Movement of major religions:
    • Buddhism and its spread across regions
    • Christianity and its global proliferation
    • Islam and its establishment as a major faith system
    • Emerging syncretic belief systems melding various traditions.

Philosophical Traditions, Environmental Factors, and Technological Advances

  • Philosophical and Religious Impacts: How these traditions have influenced societal norms and governance.
  • Environmental Interaction: Understanding human impacts on the environment including epidemic/pandemic diseases, migration patterns, and resulting changes in populations.
  • Technological Exchanges: The transference of goods and crops between civilizations across regions adapting to cultural and environmental contexts.

Major Historical Events and Dates

  • Unit 1: 600-1450: Key events defining this period (events noted for the AP exam preparation).
  • Unit 2: 1450-1750: Evolution throughout the time frame.
  • Unit 3: 1750-1900 and its milestones.
  • Unit 4: 1900-Present: Significant conflicts and movements shaping the modern world:
    • Global Conflicts: WWI, WWII, Genocide.
    • Rise of Communism in various nations (Russia, China).
    • Cold War dynamics and decolonization movements in Africa and Asia.
    • Globalization and its multifaceted impacts.
Important Historical Dates
  • Abbasid Dynasty Collapse: 1258 C.E.
  • Byzantine Empire Falls: 1453
  • Crusades: 11th-13th Centuries
  • Zheng He's Voyages: 1420s
  • Industrial Revolution Begins: 1750
  • WWI Begins: 1914
  • French Revolution: 1789
  • Berlin Conference: 1884
  • Meiji Restoration: 1868
  • Chinese Communist Revolution: 1949
  • Great Depression: 1929
  • Creation of Israel: 1948
  • Decolonization Movements: 1960s