AP® World History: Modern

Basic & On Demand

Enrollment for Basic and On Demand courses is open on a rolling basis.

Plus

Teachers can use the complete Plus course curriculum for flexible instruction.

Course Summary

Study the various social, religious, political, and economic systems that emerged from the thirteenth century to the present. Students make connections across historical developments in different times and places by exploring six themes woven throughout the course: (1) humans and the environment; (2) cultural developments and interactions; (3) governance; (4) economic systems; (5) social interactions and organization; and (6) technology and innovation. Students develop and use skills and practices including analyzing primary and secondary sources; developing historical arguments; and utilizing reasoning about comparison, causation, continuity, and change over time.

This course prepares students for the AP® World History: Modern exam.

Course Prerequisite(s): There are no prerequisites for this course. Students should be able to read a college-level textbook and write grammatically correct sentences. In addition, students should be able to analyze images, think critically and write essays using evidence.

Curriculum

This is a 2-semester course. We do not recommend taking both semesters simultaneously.

Semester 1

Unit 1: Global Tapestry c.1200 - c.1450

Developments in East Asia
The Rise of Islam
Developments in South and Southeast Asia
State Building in the Americas
Post-classical East, Southeast Asia, and Africa
Developments in Europe

Unit 2: Networks of Exchange c. 1200 - c. 1450

Technology, Trade & Communication
Cultural Transfer through Empire Building and Trade
Networks of Exchange in Africa-Eurasia

Unit 3: Land-Based Empires c. 1450 - c. 1750

Empire Expansion in Asia and the Middle East
Europe 1450-1750

Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections c. 1450 - c. 1750

Innovations and Exchange
Maritime Empires
Colonial Settlements

Semester 2

Unit 5: Revolutions c. 1750 to c. 1900

Enlightenment and Political Revolutions
Industrialization and Nation Building
An Interconnected World Market
Changing Political Landscapes

Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization c. 1750 to c. 1900

Ideological Imperialism
Economic Imperialism

Unit 7: Global Conflict c. 1900 to the present

Origins of the First World War
The Course of World War I
A Post-War World
Between Wars
The Course of World War II

Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization c. 1900 to the present

Cold War Origins
Decolonization and Independence Movements
Communism Collapse & End of the Cold War

Unit 9: Globalization c. 1900 to the present

Modern Advances in Technology
Modern Trade and Terrorism
Globalized Culture
Institutions in a Developing World