The Netherlands in the seventeenth century was the center of a series of economic and social transformations that would redefine the way Europeans viewed the world around. This first age of truly global commerce saw the exchange of objects of commerce, objects of beauty, and objects of science. This moment cannot be understood without considering Dutch historical trends alongside the simultaneous power of the Scientific Revolution, the rise of the Atlantic World, and the nature of global exchange. Through the exploration of changing material culture in this moment, students can be exposed to deeper historical analysis and higher order thinking.
AP World History
Standards-Based Grading in AP World History
Standards-based grading and assessment can work in an AP class. It requires a shift in mindset about the role of skill and content as well as clear systems to protect the integrity of each. I favor simplicity to prevent the danger of over-engineering the grading infrastructure.
Analytical Threads in AP World: Ibn Khaldun’s Social Solidarity
Khaldun's theory around social solidarity is, at once, accessible and illustrative of complex historical thinking. It provides students with an example of the "big picture" that the AP World History course is designed to teach, it encourages thinking in historical comparison, causation, and continuity and change over time, and it is relevant to content from nearly every unit.
Historical Thinking Skills Classroom Posters
Every few years I do a new iteration of my classroom posters for AP World. This year, I focused my new posters around the major historical thinking skills. These were inspired by the skill-based guideposts in Peter Seixas' book The Big Six.
Analytical Threads in AP World: Military Force vs. Cultural Power
The interplay between military force and cultural power is one of the threads that runs through the entire AP World curriculum. Picking out these threads (or Key Concepts) and making them visible is one of the values teachers can add to the curriculum so that it does not become a death march through content. This takes a bit of planning, but pays tremendous dividends.
Experiencing the Silk Road in Dunhuang
At the end of September I traveled to Dunhuang, in western China, with a group of high school students. There were some great experiential connections to the AP World curriculum. History is more than just a skill or content from a book. History can be experienced; There is value in looking for connection to the past in order to understand the human experience. Trips like this can plant seeds for future historical interest and inquiry in ways that my classroom cannot.
Earning Complexity in AP World: The Power of However
Although the complexity point is difficult for students to earn, it is possible. Depending on the historical thinking skill or topic being written about, there are some easy frameworks students can use in their arguments to make writing with complexity a habit.
Approaching AP World History
When I started teaching AP World in 2016 I relied heavily on tips and advice from my APSI as well as resources from other teachers kind enough to share them. I also borrowed a few structures that I had been successful with when teaching AP Econ. Over the years my approach has developed into several … Continue reading Approaching AP World History
AP World Released DBQs & LEQs by Topic & Year
Quick Reference charts for the AP World DBQ and LEQ released topics from past exams. Includes links to the College Board PDFs.
AP World: Teaching Imperialism in Unit 6
Unit 6 is one of my favorite units to teach in AP World, and is arguably one of the most important for understanding contemporary global issues. The unit's content demands thinking about how we teach imperialism as much as what we are teaching. Student engagement is important, but also building historical empathy and training students to think critically about sensitive issues.