AP World History Final Project

As students of World History, we have been exploring the emergence of the modern world – how it developed, and why key historical events are relevant to our lives today. The innovations, explorations, ideas, and conflicts discussed created

the opportunities and challenges that confront you as students and citizens. As a final means of assessing the knowledge you have gained from this course, these projects are an opportunity for you to reflect on what you’ve learned, and use it

to create original projects that reflect key ideas and concepts.

Note: these options are based on a series of projects geared toward the World History II curriculum. Therefore, please feel free to adapt the more specific time frames and topics to the broader AP World curriculum.

IMPORTANT: Options 1 & 5 can stand alone, but if you choose options 2-4, you must do TWO.

Option 1: For this assignment, you will create your own historical art museum. For each of the time periods listed below, choose 3 works of art. They can be paintings, statues, architecture, items of material culture, etc. … Anything you might find in a museum! [Here is a good opportunity for you to adapt the time periods to the AP World curriculum if you’re interested in doing earlier artwork, but make sure you do at least 5 time periods, preferably contiguous to give you the opportunity to show change and continuity over time!]. Time Periods: Early Modern World Age of Revolution

Industrialization and Imperialism 20th Century

Contemporary World

For the final product, you can either present actual images of the objects, or images that represent a style or form you are trying to convey, and explain why you would have this in the museum. Your presentation needs to explain why the objects or works of art are important and representative of the period, and why it is important that people today who come to see your museum see this as representative of that period. Also, you should include in your explanation how these art pieces are relevant today, directly or indirectly. Lastly, this is a great opportunity to practice the concept of continuity & change!

An Example:

Explanation: The Coit Tower murals in San Francisco were painted as part of the Works Progress Administration and were extremely controversial at the time. Artists such as Diego Rivera, who oversaw the project, were known communist sympathizers and the tenor of the WPA and the Recovery Act seemed, to some Americans, as a thinly veiled attempt by the Roosevelt administration to forward a socialist agenda for the United States.

In this mural one can see Marx’s Communist Manifesto being removed from the shelves by one of the subjects. There are also works by other Soviet authors, such as Maxim Gorky. The headlines also reflect the events of the time, such as a longshoreman’s strike along the San Francisco docks. This too was controversial as unions were often seen as toeholds for socialist sympathizers. At the time the exhibition opened many of San Francisco’s city fathers felt it was too controversial and wanted it destroyed. This painting helps capture the chaotic feelings of the Great Depression.

This is an important painting to understand in a contemporary light as many comparisons to the current economic climate are being made to the Great Depression of the 1930’s. A further comparison can be made to the controversy the American people are currently facing with President Obama’s attempt to institute a comprehensive health care system which many are accusing the administration of communist sympathies.

Option 2: and Pick an era we studied, and identify a “hero” and a “villain” from that era. Compare and contrast the qualities that make that individual heroic or villainous in the “eyes” of history. Take those qualities and explain how those qualities led that individual to affect the world during his or her lifetime. What was the long term impact of his or her actions on the contemporary world? How has it affected the world today?

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A Study of and In this assignment, you will analyze artistic style(s) and answer some important questions:

How does art - anything from music, to painting, to architecture, to films - reflect the changes and continuities in the

SPEARS categories?

How does analyzing art help you better understand a particular time period, AND how does it help you understand art in

the world today? What larger conclusions can you draw about the world around you?

Directions:

First, pick an art/music style that interests you (may need to research first!).

o Some examples (don’t need to pick from this list):

● Renaissance/Baroque ● Neoclassical ● Rococo ● Cubist

● Romantic ● Realist ● Impressionist/Post-Impressionist

Then, research that type of art and the role it played in society during its time period.

Then, pick at least four specific examples of art from that style/time period.

Then, pick three aspects of SPEARS that you feel can be traced in the art you have chosen.

o Remember, many of these styles evolved over decades. You should address how the style evolved as the history did.

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Pick an event you studied this year, change the outcome of that event, then create a presentation describing a realistic “alternate history”

to show what might have happened as a result of the changed outcome. Your alternate history should go forward at least one hundred years

from the event you changed. If your changed event occurred in the last 100 years, bring your history forward to the present and make

predictions for the future. Use your imagination, but keep your story plausible. Be sure to give background of the ACTUAL event and

evidence as to why the change would have created the alternate history.

Some Ideas: [There are many, many other events you can use. These are only suggestions to get you started!]

In 1532, the Incas decided to get away from the Spanish who have recently arrived in South America, so they sailed east and

discovered Europe.

In 1521, Martin Luther recanted his 95 Theses which he posted in 1517.

Napoleon captured Tsar Alexander in the summer of 1812

In 1453, the Holy Roman Empire came to the aid of the Byzantine Empire and defeated the Ottomans at Constantinople.

In 1643, the King Charles I and the Cavaliers succeeded in suppressing the rebellion of Oliver Cromwell and the Roundheads.

Cromwell was captured and executed.

The French defeated the British in North America during the Seven Years’ War.

In June, 1789, King Louis XVI accepted the reforms demanded by the National Assembly.

Russia defeated Japan in 1905 during the Russo-Japanese War.

Option 5: MOMENTS OF CHANGE & TIPPING POINTS

All year, we have been exploring the emergence of the modern world: how it has developed and why key historical events are relevant

to our lives today. You have been exposed to men and women who have acted heroically in times of crisis, those who have broken down long-held prejudices at great personal cost, as well as others who have gained power only to use it ruthlessly to promote their

own selfish ambitions. You have also learned about important moments that altered the course of world events. This two-part

assignment provides you an opportunity to pull together the themes and issues of the year to reflect on some fundamental questions:

What were the great “tipping point moments” in history?

Why were these points so important?

And, how can we apply the lessons of AP World to predict the future?

Part One: Looking Back

Students will examine a list of turning points in history (or the student may create their own list), and evaluate five based on the following questions:

Why are the events critical turning points?

What were the circumstances that led to the turning points?

What issue or issues were resolved?

What were the effects of the turning point?

A Basic List of Turning Points [may use your own]:

- Agricultural revolution - Origin of civilizations - Classical period - Development of complex societies in the Americas - Middle Ages

- Renaissance - Protestant Reformation - Scientific revolution - Age of exploration and colonization - Industrial Revolution

- Age of democratic revolution - The era of world wars - The Cold War

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A More Detailed List of Turning Points [may use your own]:

- Harnessing fire - Origins of language - Agricultural Revolution - The first civilizations - Invention of writing & the wheel - Hammurabi’s Code - The beginning of the Iron Age - Siddhartha Gautama founded Buddhism - Democratic traditions start in Athens - Beginning of Bantu Migrations - Christianity made legal in the Roman Empire - Fall of the Roman Empire - Tang Dynasty becomes the cultural and

economic hub of East Asia

- Islam began - Development of gunpowder - Mongols conquer China - The plague, Black Death - Ottoman Turks took Constantinople - Columbus landed in Hispaniola, the “New

World”/Columbian Exchange - Martin Luther protested against the Catholic Church,

sparked the Protestant Reformation - Establishment of Spanish Empire in Americas - Jamestown established as the first permanent English

settlement in North America - Scientific Revolution - Industrial Revolution

- American Revolution - French Revolution - Mexican Independence - The End of the last Chinese Dynasty - World War I - Birth of the Soviet Union - Atomic Bomb - Indian Independence - MTV - Fall of the Berlin Wall - Sept. 11, 2001

Part Two: Looking Forward – Predictions Students must choose a modern country of interest and make predictions regarding how that country will likely

develop based on tipping points that students studied this year (they don’t necessarily have to be the same ones used in

part 1). Students must analyze five of the following factors as part of their analysis:

● Government ● Commercial Development ● Technology ● Women’s Rights

● Development of a Middle Class ● Religion ● Military ● Ethnic Conflict ● Population Growth or the Scarcity of Natural Resources

If you get... …that means your information is...

50 points factual and supported with ample evidence, interesting, demonstrated critical-thinking/analysis related to

the information, and made important connections.

40 points factual and supported with some evidence, just the “basic” info, few connections, and only a little critical-

thinking; just slightly more than required

35 points mostly factual with little evidence, only very basic info, and no connections or analysis; almost or just meets

requirements

30 points minimal with many errors and no evidence or analysis; does not cover all requirements

0 points nonexistent. I’m sorry, a project? IT’S THE END OF THE YEAR! You’re awful, Ms. Negron. I refuse.

If you get... ...then you...

20 points gave thorough background info/historical context on the topic, time period, etc. AND made

analytical and thorough connections to today in a variety of places and ways

17 points gave some background info/historical context on the topic, time period, etc. AND made thorough

connections to today in a variety of places and ways

12 points gave a little bit of background info/historical context on the topic, time period, etc. AND made a

few connections to today in a variety of places and ways

0 points nothing. History isn’t about context or background info. Duh. Plus, what does the modern world

have to do with HISTORY??! Ms. Negron… come on. Also, this project is stupid.

&

If you get... …that means your effort is...

20 points obvious! Clear effort and thought went into the project, both in information and final product.

17 points somewhat evident; some effort and thought present; fulfilled just the basic requirements

12 points well… at least you did something related to your topic

0 points Effort, shmeffort. This is an outrage!

&

If you get... ...then you...

10 points followed ALL directions and made a clear effort during class; List of sources included.

8 points Followed most directions; No list of sources

5 points Followed a direction or two; No list of sources

0 points I believe we’re entitled to just sit and relax after our exams. So that’s what I did.