This page now features the important information and resources you need to implement the revised AP World History course, which goes into effect in fall 2011. AP history course revisions promote the historical thinking skills and key concepts most valued by colleges and universities. Teaching and learning through key concepts enables students not only to master facts but also to create meaning and make connections across historical contexts.
Essential Course Resources
Review key assets to understand and prepare to teach the revised course.
- AP World History Course and Exam Description, Effective Fall 2011, which contains the curriculum framework and sample exam questions (.pdf/2.8MB)
- Historical Thinking Skills (.pdf/113KB)
- AP World History Teacher's Guide (.pdf/1.7MB)
- AP World History Development Committee
- AP World History Frequently Asked Questions
Written by AP teachers, these versatile guides demonstrate a variety of ways to plan and pace the AP World History curriculum across one academic year. Each guide contains a host of ideas for teaching the course—and includes activities, resources, and assessments.
AP Course Audit Information
Teachers of AP World History must submit a syllabus for authorization during the 2011-12 academic year. For step-by-step instructions on how to complete the authorization process, visit AP Course Audit.
Course Audit Timeline
- June 1, 2011—Preferred date for submitting a syllabus and course audit form for AP World History. This was not a deadline.
- January 31, 2012—Deadline for submitting updated curricular materials for AP World History.
AP Exam Information and Resources
Beginning in May 2012, the revised AP World History Exam will assess the key historical concepts, themes and skills of the course and will continue to feature multiple-choice and free-response questions, as described in the AP World History Course and Exam Description, Effective Fall 2011.- About the AP World History Exam
- Free AP World History Practice Exam, Effective Fall 2011 (.pdf/2MB)
- The Continuity and Change-Over-Time Question: Teaching Techniques
- Strategies for the Change-Over-Time Question
- Seeking AP Readers
- AP World History Exam Tips
Classroom Resources
Offering a diverse collection of materials to assist teachers in implementing AP World History in the classroom.Materials from the College Board
- Special Focus: Migration (.pdf/1.7MB) - Sept. 2011
- Special Focus: Teaching About Twentieth Century Latin America & Africa in World History (.pdf/2.5MB)
- Special Focus: Teaching About the Indian Ocean World (.pdf/2.0MB)
Lesson Plans and Teaching Strategies from your AP Colleagues
- Lesson Plan: AP World History News Research Project
- Teaching Tips
- AP World History Teaching Units
- The Spanish Flu And Its Legacy (.pdf/5.7MB)
- Social History and World History: Toward Greater Interaction
- "What's the Use of Big History?"
- Structuring the World History Survey: A First Timer Confesses
- Teaching Consumerism in World History
- The Role of the Individual in World History
- World History: Curriculum and Controversy
- Matching Textbook Ancillary Resources to Teaching and Learning Styles in the AP Classroom
- An Emerging Consensus About World History?
- The Voyages of Christine Columbus
- Review Essay: Teaching the Great Divergence
- Why the West?
- Gender in the World History Course
- East Africa, the Western Indian Ocean Basin, and the World Economy, 1760 to 1880
Web Resources
Reviews of Teaching Resources
There are currently more than 250 reviews of World History resources, including textbooks, Web sites, software, and more, in the Teachers' Resources area. Each review describes the resource and suggests ways it might be used in the classroom.
Professional Development
- June-August 2011—AP Summer Institutes are offered for AP World History. These workshops, which occur at different sites from June through August, will provide an in-depth look at the revised courses and exams.
- September-December 2011—One-day Professional Development Workshops are offered for AP World History.
Electronic Discussion Groups
Share ideas and practices via email with other members of your AP community by joining the electronic discussion group (EDG) for the course(s) you teach.
College Board Store
Background on Course and Exam Revisions
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