AP* World History Study Guide and Graphic Organizers Unit 1: Foundations, ~8000 BCE 600 CE

1. Themes in AP* World History

Cultural and intellectual
developments

Gender and social structures

Encounters and interactions

between societies

Overarching Themes in AP* World History

Political organization

Changes and continuities

across time periods

Population shifts

Changes in the environment

Technological developments

Why you should know this: Knowledge of these themes assists you especially when developing a thesis for an essay.
Moreover, because these themes are overarching, they will most likely be the basis of the essay questions. You should always
keep these themes in mind when analyzing civilizations and societies, both when you are comparing two different societies and
when you are tracing change over time within a society or region. Note the interaction/relationship between many themes.
Example:

Analyze the impact of the Enlightenment

The Enlightenment is an example of a intellectual development that contributed to interactions

between societies (as philosophes contacted each other across countries and continents) and had a profound impact
on gender and social structures as well as political organization.

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*AP is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this site.