Atkins Academic & Technology High School

World History - AP

The study of history is, at its core, the study of the relationships between individuals, societies, and their environments. Historians seek to understand these relationships by viewing them through the lens of a particular mode of thought. Historians know that the study of history is always the study of somebody’s interpretation of historical events and processes. They know that events and processes must be seen in their proper context to be understood. They know that they must be able to defend their ideas and perspectives against criticism in order to be heard.

Advanced Placement (AP) World History is an introduction to this way of “doing” history. In AP World History students will learn not only a narrative of the history of the world—the story—but also the tools and techniques which historians use to understand, interpret, and critique that story. They will also learn how to communicate their thoughts to others as precisely as possible. The goal of the course is to offer them the challenges and opportunities which they would have as students in an overview class in a college history department. To that end, the course will focus on five major themes and four major modes of thought which historians use.