AP World History

Understanding the AP World History Themes

Why ThemesThemes?

• Big world—lots of history

How to make sense of it?

• “Themes”—big ideas-helps organize knowledge

-helps to see continuity/change

-helps to compare & contrast

AP THEMES: S.P.I.C.E.

AP Themes: S.P.I.C.E.Acronym:

Social

Political

Interaction

Culture

Economics

Do Now!For each S.P.I.C.E.

1)Title Slide—BIG IDEA! (left side)

2)Next—Outline (right side)

?s historians ask/examples

On your own practice: Remember to try to summarize in your own words.

Social—Development & Transformation

of Social Structures

SOCIALNotes: How are people GROUPED socially, &

how do these groups relate to each other?

Example: Gender— Roles & relationships

Etruscan (Italy)- 600 BCE Roman (Italy)- 60 CE

CompareSimilar?Different?

SOCIAL

*Example: Family—#, roles, relationships.

Chinese family--1930Chinese family--2011

Continuity/ChangeWhat’s continued?What’s changed?

SOCIAL*Example-Race/Ethnicity

?

What questions might a

Historian ask?

Mexican family-1763Spanish husband

Native American wife

Notes Summary:

Social—in your own words.

Political—

State Building, expansion, & conflicts

POLITICALNotes: How are people GROUPED politically, &

What unites & divides people?

Example: Political structure—who has power?

CompareSimilar?Different?

Egyptian King American president

Political*Example: Empires

The Mongol Empire Over Time

Continuity/ChangeWhat’s continued?What’s changed?

Why?

POLITICAL*Revolt & Revolution—

?

What questions might a

Historian ask?

Liberty Leading the PeopleEugene Delacroix, 1830

Notes Summary: POLITICAL—in your own words.

Interactions—

How People & the Environment Relate

INTERACTIONSNotes: How did environments shape people, &

how do people shape their environments?

Example: Patterns of settlement

CompareSimilar?Different?

Inuit (Canadian) home Bedouin (Arabia) home

Interactions*Example: Technology

Mongolian home-yurt1950s

Continuity/ChangeWhat’s continued?What’s changed?

Mongolian home-yurtToday

Interactions*Demography (study of populations)

?

What questions

might a

Historian ask?

Notes Summary:

Interactions—in your own words.

Cultural—Development & interaction

of cultures

CULTURALNotes: What are the unique & similar beliefs, ideas,

& ways of living between peoples?

Example: Religion

Greek gods & goddesses

Christianity

CompareSimilar?Different?

CULTURAL*Example: Beliefs (about the solar system)

Ptolemy model—160 C.E.

Continuity/ChangeWhat’s continued?What’s changed?

Copernicus model—1543 C.E.

Cultural*Architecture

?

What questions

might a

Historian ask?

Hagia Sophia (Church of Holy Wisdom)

Built by Byzantine (Christian) empire: 537 C.E.

Conquered by Ottoman (Islamic) empire: 1453 C.E.

Notes Summary:

Cultural—in your own words.

Economics-Creation, expansion, &

interactions of economic systems

EconomicsNotes: How do people produce “wealth”, work, & trade

with each other?

Example: Labor systems

CompareSimilar?Different?

Nigerian woman,Cacao (chocolate) harvest

Kenyan woman,Clothing factory

Economics*Example: Agricultural production

Sugar harvest, 1800s

Continuity/ChangeWhat’s continued?What’s changed?

Sugar harvest, today

EconomicsExample: Trade

The “Silk Road”

What questions might a historian ask?

Notes Summary: Economics—in your own words.

Do Now!1st—Write down the S.P.I.C.E. of YOU!

Example: Social

Family of…

Race is…

My social class is…

2nd—Pair & Share!

Write down another’s S.P.I.C.E.

3rd—Compare!

What’s similar/different about the S.P.I.C.E.s