Transcript How will we learn APWH

How will we study
AP World History?
History is the
lie commonly
agreed upon.
Voltaire
How do we know the “truth”?
History is the study of the human past. Based on
careful analysis of surviving texts (primary and
secondary documents) and artifacts (objects made by
humans), the historian attempts to reconstruct past
events and processes which have created the current
world.
Historiography
It is the principles, theory, and history of historical
writing.
• Historians, through careful analysis, attempt to
reconstruct the past.
• But every historian views the world through a
cultural lens.
The philosopher, Immanuel Kant
(1724-1804), stated that individuals
could never see things objectively
as “things-in-themselves” because
individuals always understood the
world through a culturally formed
point of view.
What is culture and how does it relate to the
study of
AP World History?
Culture ( working definition):
It is a particular society at a particular time
and place AND all the knowledge and values
shared by that society.
• Culture is learned.
• It is the framework through which individuals
view their world.
By studying civilizations and societies,
particularly paying attention to cases where
societies have come into contact with
others, world historians focus on the world
as a whole and how diverse societies fit into
that whole.
World Historians try to move beyond the narrow
confines of one perspective.
Vocabulary Word #1
• OMNISCIENT -Omniscient point of view
means that the story is told from an all-seeing
God-like, omnipotent viewpoint.
E. Napp
Therefore, an element of historical writing
is interpretative.
Questions to consider:
•
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Whose perspective is voiced?
Whose perspective is ignored?
What sources are chosen?
What elements are emphasized
(political, social, economic)?
This brings me to point of view…
Who remembers the
story of the
“Three Little Pigs?”
Well, let’s consider another POV…
...here we
go!
Can the study of World History help individuals
view the world from a less culture-centric point
of view? Perhaps it can!
Let’s consider some current
events…
•INTERNATIONAL
•NATIONAL
•STATE
•LOCAL/COMMUNITY
Even so…
How are we, as a class, going
to approach the daunting
and challenging task of
studying 12,000 years of
human history?
I mean… how does a learner remain calm and
balanced in the midst of so much content?
We can do this!!!
We will divide the history of the
world through a process known as
PERIODIZATION!
What is periodization?
Definition: Periodization
This is a way to subdivide the continuous flow of
world history into categories of time and common
themes.
Periodization allows students of world history to
create a framework for understanding the past as
well as the flow and sequence of events.
AP World History
Overlapping Shifts
Overlapping shifts across societies must occur
for a new period of world history to be
identified
• The world map must change significantly
(Cultural, political, or economic boundaries;
migrations)
• New kinds of contacts must be established
among civilizational areas
(New trade patterns, outreach of religions)
A note about historical dating:
• World historians use BCE and CE as opposed
to BC and AD.
• BC (Before Christ) and AD (anno Domini or
“in the year of the Lord”) are Christian
terms.
• BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common
Era) are terms that remind students of
the global context and many diverse cultures
of the World History curriculum.
Problems can occur…
• All systems of periodization are more or less
arbitrary.
• Labels assigned to time periods are continually
challenged and redefined.
And another thing…
Our study of history is also
divided thematically!
Themes of History
•Politics:
state-building, expansion, and
conflict
• Political structures and forms of
governance
• Empires
• Nations and nationalism
• Revolts and revolutions
• Regional, transregional, and global
structures and organizations
Themes of History
•Interaction between humans and the
environment
• Demography and disease
• Migration
• Patterns of settlement
• Technology
Themes of History
• Development and interaction of
cultures
• Religions
• Belief systems, philosophies, and
ideologies
• Science and technology
• The arts and architecture
Themes of History
• Creation, expansion, and interaction of economic
systems
• Agricultural and pastoral production
• Trade and commerce
• Labor systems
• Industrialization
Themes of History
• Development and transformation of
social structures
• Gender roles and relations
• Family and kinship
• Racial and ethnic constructions
• Social and economic classes
But never forget…
The Underlying Principles of World History
• History is interconnected.
• Current events have historical roots.
• To understand the present, the past MUST
be examined.
Let our journey begin!