Non-Western Belief Systems!

This weekend, you should work to finish the mini-project we began on Thursday on non-Western belief systems.  You should already have a copy of the instructions for the project, but if you have misplaced it, you can download a second copy here: Non-Western Belief Systems Project Instructions.

Remember, you need to complete both the Comparative Non-Western Belief Systems Chart and the completed Bloom ball as described in the project instructions.  In order to put your Bloom ball together, follow the instructions shown below:

If you need additional Bloom ball sheets, you can download extra copies here: Bloom Ball Template.

If you’ve been struggling to find reliable information to help you with your project, the BBC’s Religion Page may help.  This page is no longer being updated, but it has TONS of material on a large number of global faiths, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, and Daoism (Taoism).

Final Review Project: Curating the Museum of AP World History

Nope, we’re not done yet, guys!  Remember, you’ve got some big stuff coming up this week:

• Bonus Film Review (Monday, May 16th)
• Final Exam (Tuesday, May 17th)
• Final Narrative Paper (Wednesday, May 18th)

… so hopefully you’re using your time wisely this weekend.  Additionally, we’ll be working in class every day next week (except Tuesday when we take our final) so that you can have time to create your museum exhibits.  If you were absent, please download the instructions below and read over the PowerPoint– your groups are included in the PPT.

• Final Exam Review Project  (Instructions)
• Final Exam Review Project_Rubrics
• Final Review Project (PPT– groups and examples included)

Remember to bring in materials to work with, if you think you’ll need art supplies!  You’re welcome to store things in my room while we work.

Bonus Assignment: Film Reviews!

Are your essay grades less than desirable?  Do you need to do some grade repair?

Then you need to complete the Real to Reel: AP World History on Film assignment by Friday, March 4th!

As we discussed in class, remember that this assignment is NOT a simple bonus assignment– your work needs to be thoughtful, reasoned, and polished, and address all of the requirements described in the assignment sheet above.  Poor quality work will be graded as such.  This is, however, an optional assignment– you are not required to complete this review, and if you choose not to submit one, you will simply be given an exemption.

In order to help you make your selections for this assignment, I humbly present the original trailers to all most of the films listed (The Lion in Winter‘s trailer is super weird and not all that helpful):

Throne of Blood, dir. Akira Kurosawa (1957)

Spartacus, dir. Stanley Kubric (1960)

Hero, dir. Yimou Zhang (2002)

Henry V, dir. Kenneth Branagh (1989)

The Lion in Winter, dir. Anthony Harvey (1968)— remember, this one is rated PG, but the content is definitely edgy.  Best to clear this one with your parents first.

Some of these you may be able to find online or through instant streaming services, and some you may not.  You may even find it useful to check at your local community library for a few of these– they’re well-regarded films, many of which have won Oscars, so it’s not unlikely that you’d be able to check a DVD out from a library if you can’t find the movie streaming on Netflix.

Happy viewing!

Unit Two Test Tomorrow!

First things first: there is a county-wide AP World History twitter chat scheduled for tonight starting at 8:00 PM; if you have questions about studying for the AP exam, content relating to this (or any other) unit, the essays, or anything else AP World History-related, please feel free to check out the hashtag #APWORLDCobb starting tonight at 8:00 PM EST.  The primary account is @CobbAPWorldHistory, if you would like to ask a direct question.  I’ll be there along with a number of other AP World teachers from the county to answer any questions you have– you’ll see me on the chat as @GallowayAPWorld.

(A note regarding my social media policy: I do not follow students currently enrolled in high school on any platform.  The above twitter account is for the purpose of these academic chats only, and I will not be using it for anything outside of those concerns.  You’re free to follow that account, but I will not follow you back.  Turn eighteen, graduate, and then we can revisit the issue.)

As to your preparation for tomorrow’s test– remember that cramming does more harm than good, and make sure to go to bed at a decent hour.  If you couldn’t make the study session today after school, remember to check out the Unit Two resources page for the review podcast.  You’ll also find the relevant Crash Course videos and some primary source documents that you might possible see on the test.  We’ll be doing some clean up of Mesoamerica on Monday, so you can expect the test to go easy on the Americas this time around, although I will likely have a question or two in there just to make sure you did the reading.

See you tomorrow!

 

Additional Resources: Roman Republic

Sorry to be publishing this so late in the day, guys– I went to sleep as soon as I got home after leaving school today and only just woke up.  Hopefully the extra sleep will have me feeling more on top of my game tomorrow than I was today.

At any rate, if you were absent today, we watched the following documentary:

and then responded to the following discussion questions:

• The video quotes Napoleon as saying that “the story of Rome is the story of the world.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? Consider the other civilizations we have studied this unit; do you feel that Napoleon’s statement could be equally applied to the Persian, Indian, and Chinese empires? Why or why not?

• As a historian living during the Roman empire interested in studying the foundation of Rome, Livi expresses a common idea– that the past was a simpler, more virtuous time which was materially different from the present. In studying the early mythology of early Rome, Livi learns this is DEFINITELY not true. Why do you think people romanticize the past in this way? What purpose does this romanticism serve?

You should also review the following PowerPoint for further information on the subject: Roman Republic

Homework: Zaption and Classical Greece Mindmap

First things first:

Are you registered to take your AP exams for this year?  If you’re not, you’re running out of time to sign up– regular registration will close on January 28th, and then you will have to pay a fifteen dollar late fee to register.  Don’t get hit with a late fee on top of the price of the regular exams– they aren’t cheap, and you should try to get the best deal you can.  ALL registration will close on February 4th, as the school has to send in its order for exams that week.

You can register for ALL of your AP exams by going to the North Cobb High School TotalRegistration portal.  Remember, we don’t take any money for exams at school– all of your payments must be handled through TotalRegistration.

And remember: If you are eligible for federal free or reduced lunch status, PLEASE make sure you pick up the AP exam waiver form from me in class or go to Admin 1 and request one– the waiver can mean that you only have to pay $15 for your exams, instead of the $104 they can cost with the processing fee, so please, please, please take advantage of the resources if they apply to you.  That’s what they’re around for!

As to tonight’s homework:

Hopefully you completed most of your Mindmap of Ancient Greece today in class, but if you didn’t, please make sure you have it completed before the start of class tomorrow.  Remember that your mindmap SHOULD involve color, illustration, or creative organization of some kind.  The more you work with and manipulate the information we address in this course, the more likely you are to be able to successfully recall the material in the future.

(Ask Ms. Shelnutt or Mr. Hargis and your friends in AP Psych if you don’t believe me!)

Your primary homework tonight is to complete the Zaption video on Alexander the Great (?) and Hellenism.  You’ll find the video linked below– I can’t embed Zaptions without a heck of a lot of tedious coding– but if you can’t use the video for some reason, please download the transcript of the video and associated question and complete the assignment on paper: Alexander, Legacies, and Greatness Zaption.

Zaption Video: Alexander, Legacies, and Greatness

Homework: Comparative Essay Prep

I hope you all have a relaxing, slightly extended weekend!  Please make sure to be careful if you’re out traveling about on Saturday; while I sincerely doubt we’ll be snowed in, there’s enough water on the roads to make life exciting (in a bad way) overnight.  So– be careful out there, okay?

Now.  Over the weekend, you will need to do some work to prepare for your first in-class comparative essay.  You’ll need this: Imperial Collapse Comparative Prompt

You may ONLY use the space below the line to write your outline, which you may use to help you write your essay on Monday.  You MUST hand-write your outline– no typing allowed, and you may not use the back of the paper.

Use your notes, use your reading on the collapse of empires, and use your textbooks.  I would STRONGLY SUGGEST that you stay away from using Internet sources unless you are absolutely confident in their accuracy.

Also: a number of you were absent today.  Please remember that unless your absence is excused, you are not eligible to make up the reading quiz you missed today.

Remember: Unit Two Reading Quiz Tomorrow!

No official homework tonight, guys!  (College tour crew: I decided to cut back on the reading from the Vedas, so feel free to skip that.)  Instead, tonight you should review for your reading quiz and make sure you’ve finished your Unit Two vocabulary assignment.  We’ll be taking our reading quiz during the first thirty minutes of class tomorrow– it will be comprised of thirty multiple choice questions (no short answer).

And one other thing: here are the terms for the Thesis Statement Bootcamp Donut Challenge.  For the next three weeks, we’ll be doing a Thesis Statement Bootcamp as often as possible.  At the end of the three weeks, I’ll check the score, and the class with the most valid thesis statements at the end of that period will receive donuts.  At present, here are the scores:

• First Period: 0
• Second Period: 1
• Third Period: 0

We’ll be starting with another thesis statement first thing tomorrow, so make sure you bring your A-game.

 

 

Homework: Decline of Empires

Tonight for your homework, you need to carefully read and annotate the article “Decline and Fall of Empires.”  Once you’ve finished reading the article, please respond to the following discussion points:

Of the nine suggested causes of imperial decline, which do you think would have the most immediate consequences?  Which of the nine causes would have more gradual consequences?  Can you provide any historical examples from China– different from those already included in the article– which illustrate these points? 

What do you think of the author’s suggestion that “otherworldly or escapist religions” can be a cause of imperial collapse?  Why might this be?  Do you agree with this assessment?

In order to earn a maximum grade of 95% on this assignment, you may leave ONE thoughtful comment addressing the above points on this post.  In order to earn 100%, you should leave your original comment AND reply to a comment left by a classmate.

If you are experiencing difficulties leaving a comment, please try the following:

1. If you can’t see the “Leave a Comment” option, scroll alllllllllllll the way to the bottom of the page and see if you can see a white box.  Sometimes, if you’ve clicked on the blog post itself, you have to scroll to the end of the page to reply.
2. Use a computer, not your phone.
3. Check your browser!  WordPress works best on Chrome (Mozilla’s okay, too), but Internet Explorer is not a great idea.  Always try to use the most recent version of your browser– this may mean that you need to update your browser.
4. Clear your Internet history and cookies.  Try leaving a comment again once you’ve done this.
5. If you still can’t leave a reply, email your comment to me instead.

And full disclosure, guys– I’m not feeling too well at present, so it may take me a while to authorize your comments tonight.  But I promise I’ll authorize them as soon as I’m able.

Homework: Legalism, Daoism, and Confucianism

For homework tonight, you will need to read two of three Chinese primary sources which you received in class.  You MUST read Legalist Views on Good Government.  You must also read ONE of the following documents: Excerpts from The Analects or Daoism.  There are no questions you need to complete with the documents– we will be using the content from these documents in order to complete an activity tomorrow in class, and you will find it rather difficult to correctly fulfill the requirements without having done the associated reading.  Make sure that you annotate your reading as appropriate and look up terms you don’t understand.

Also, please remember that your Unit Two reading quiz will be on Friday, January 22nd, so you need to be working towards finishing your unit reading as well.  You will have your first in-class comparative essay coming up on Monday, January 25th.

NOTE: If you will be absent over the next several days for the winter College Tour, please make sure that you check your email for the notes you will miss and any instructions on what we’ll be doing during the rest of this week.

Homework: Comparative Essay Grading

Apologies for the late posting on this one, guys.  I wasn’t feeling too well yesterday and today, and only just realized I hadn’t put up instructions for the homework assignment for those of you who were absent.

I know that there were several of you out on Friday– some for the AP Euro trip to the High, and some for other reasons.  You missed a lesson on how to write the Comparative Essay, which is a fairly important topic in this class.  The first thing you’ll need to do is check the drop-down menu at the top of this page labeled “Essay Writing Materials”– go to the Comparative Essay tab, and read over the materials linked on that page.  You’ll also want to watch the two videos on the page to help you better understand the process of writing the essay, and how the rubric for the essay works.

Once you feel like you have a good understanding of what to expect from the essay, you’ll need to download the following:

• 2009 Comparative Essay (This is the essay prompt from the 2009 exam.  Read over it thoroughly.)
• Sample Student Responses and Annotated Rubric (You’ll find that there are three sample essays in this packet.  You’ll only need ONE of the three, plus the annotated rubric.)

Your homework this weekend is to read over the annotated rubric from the 2009 Comparative Essay, and use that as a standard of grading for ONE of the three sample student essays.  On Tuesday we’ll discuss how accurately you graded the essays and address any questions you have regarding AP scoring techniques.

Other than that, your homework is to make a stab at your Unit Two Reading– the reading guide and vocabulary assignment can be found on the Unit Two Resources page.

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Upcoming Due Dates:

• Unit Two Reading Quiz (1/22)
• Unit Two Vocabulary Assignment (1/22)
• In-Class Comparative Essay (1/25)
• Unit Two Test (1/29)

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If you missed the Unit One Test, remember that you must schedule a time to make it up with me as soon as possible, and that you are only eligible to make up missing work if your absence is excused.

I hope you all have a thoughtful and restful Martin Luther King Day, and I’ll see you on Tuesday.

Homework: Final Paper Topic Selection!

As we discussed in class today, we’re going to begin working on a final research project which will require you to do a significant about of work with primary sources in order to get a better feel for the historical position of someone involved in a significant event or moment of human history.  You received the handout describing the process we’ll be going through for the rest of the semester, and you should read it carefully.  If you’ve misplaced yours, you can download a new copy here (Final Research Project: Topics and Instructions).  You can also find a full description of the project on the Talking About History: Final Research Project page on this website.

(In order to get to the Talking About History page, look at the drop-down menu at the top of this page.  Hover over “AP World History WebQuests and Projects” and you’ll see the page and all of it’s related materials at the bottom of the drop-down menu.  It wouldn’t be a bad idea to peruse all of the pages associated with the assignment in order to get a feel for how this project will progress.)

For homework this weekend you will choose topics you would be interested in selecting for your research project.  I suggest you review the available topics on the instruction sheet and do some quick Googling to see what your options and preferences might be.  You will make your selections via a Google form which you can access on the Topic Selection page.

The Topic Selection form will go live at 12:00 PM EST (noon) on Saturday, October 10th.  You MUST have completed your selections by 8:00 AM EST on Monday, October 8th.

Remember, topics will be assigned on a first come, first served basis.  I want you all doing unique projects, so if you really have your heart set on a particular topic, make sure you fill out the form early!  If you fail to complete the form, I will assign you whatever topics are left.

Reminders and Resources for Monday

Sorry for the late posting, guys!  I got distracted during my planning period yesterday and totally blanked on posting for the weekend.  Remember, for the first 45 minutes of class on Monday, we’ll be doing another ChalkTalk (conversation on paper), like we did on the topic of civilizations.  The topic this time will be on religions and belief systems in the Classical Age, so make sure you:

• Finish reading and annotating the three articles on religious diffusion from last week.  You should have one on the Jewish diaspora, one on the spread of Buddhism, and another on the spread of Christianity.  You’ll be able to refer back to the texts during our exercise, so make as many notes as you like.
• Review your textbook readings on Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Legalism.  I’ll be making comparisons to various belief systems in your prompts, so it’s good to be prepared.
• Watch the following Crash Course videos to give you a little extra background on Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Christianity.  I’ll also link to various other primary source readings you might find interesting at the underneath the videos, but please know that you are NOT required to read them.  I’m posting them only because I thought you might find them interesting.

Here are some further readings you might be interested in: Excerpts from The Analects (Confucianism), Daoism (writings of Lao Tzu), Hymns from the Rig Veda (Hinduism), Introduction to Buddhism (Buddhism), Judaism and the Law (Judaism), Sermon on the Mount (Christianity).

Additionally, don’t forget that you have your Unit Two test on Tuesday, so there will be an after school study session on Monday, August 31st from 3:40 to 4:40 PM in room 312.

Happy studying!

In-Class Comparative Essay TOMORROW!

Don’t forget that you need to outline your essay tonight!  We’ll be writing our essay during the first forty minutes of class tomorrow, so make sure to review the instructions on comparative essay writing and the rubric on the Writing Materials tab at the top of the page.

Get some rest, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Classical Greece MindMap and Comparative Essay Practice

Remember, if you didn’t finish your mindmap over Classical Greece today in class, I expect it to be finished this evening for homework.

Additionally, don’t forget to read, annotate, and grade the released student example essay from the 2010 AP World History exam you received in class today.  Pay special attention to the annotated rubric, and try to follow it exactly.  If you’re not sure about the quality of the evidence in the essay, use your textbook to help you fact-check what the student is writing.  Be ready with a grade tomorrow so that we can discuss what earned points and what didn’t– and why.  This will help you immeasurably on your in-class essay on Thursday, so it’s important that you take this assignment seriously.