AP European History Course Audit

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AP European History Syllabus

Course Overview
AP European History is a demanding college-level course that centers around five themes and 19
key concepts from 1450 to the present. It tests the boundaries and conditions of European society
through innovative lesson plans and interactive lectures. AP Euro will cover political, economic,
religious, social, intellectual, and artistic trends within nine historical thinking skills. The course
will help improve the ability to analyze historical documents and express historical
understanding in writing and presentation. The course will fully prepare students to take part in
the re-designed AP European Exam this May. The new AP exam format will include multiple
choice questions, short answers, a Document-Based Question, and a Long Essay.

Readings and Sources

Textbook(s):
Kagan, Ozment, and Turner. The Western Heritage, since 1300 AP Edition. 10th ed. Upper
Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education/Prentice Hall, 2011.
-I will also be using segments of Kagan, Ozment, and Turner The Western Heritage since 1300
AP Edition. 11th ed., 2014 for primary and secondary source use.
Primary & Secondary Source Readings:
Internet History Sourcebook: http://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/index.asp.
Sherman, Dennis, ed. Western Civilization: Sources, Images, and Interpretations Volume
I: To 1700.8th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
Sherman, Dennis, ed. Western Civilization: Sources, Images, and Interpretations, from
the Renaissance to the Present. 8th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
Merriman, John. A History of Modern Europe: From the Renaissance to the Present. 3rd
ed. New York: W. W. Norton, 2010.
Hammond World Atlas Corporation. Hammond Historical World Atlas. 5th ed. New
York: Hammond World Atlas Corporation, 2007.

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Themes Addressed in AP European History

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Interaction of Europe and the World (INT)

Poverty and Prosperity (PP)
Objective Knowledge and Subjective Visions (OS)
States and other Institutions of Power (SP)
Individual and Society (IS)

Historical Thinking Skills in AP European History

I.

Chronological Reasoning
1. Historical Causation
2. Patterns of Continuity and Change over Time
3. Periodization

II. Comparison and Contextualization

4. Comparison
5. Contextualization
III. Crafting Historical Arguments from Historical Evidence
6. Historical Arguments
7. Appropriate Use of Relevant Historical Evidence
IV. Historical Interpretation and Synthesis
8. Interpretation
9. Synthesis

Four Chronological Periods

Period I: c. 1450-1648
Period II: c. 1648-1815
Period III: c. 1815-1914
Period IV: c. 1914-Present

Types of Assessments Used

1. Free-Response Questions (FRQ), Document-Based Questions (DBQ), Long Essays, and Short Answers
will be assigned frequently throughout the year. Through repetition, students will become familiar with
the new re-design for AP Euro.
2. Dissecting numerous primary and secondary documents/sources alongside appropriate time periods.
3. Twice a month students will follow the present-day news of a European country and analyze how the
event(s) at hand compares/contrasts with the past. This will be for a quiz/project grade.

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4. Quizzes centered on maps/political cartoons/art and its influence across the globe at various points in
European history.
5. Projects based upon European events/individuals/theories will be completed at the end of each unit.
6. At the conclusion of each unit of study, students will take in-class written/multiple choice exams.
7. Other types of assessments will be mentioned throughout the unit overview.

Unit Outline
Unit I: Introduction to Medieval Society
Period 1 (1450-1648)
Unit II: Late Medieval Society & the Renaissance
Unit III: Exploration & Conquest
Unit IV: The Reformation & the Wars of Religion
Period 2 (1648-1815)
Unit V: Absolutism & Changes in European Economy, Society, & Culture (17th-18th Centuries)
Unit VI: The Scientific Revolution
Unit VII: The Age of Enlightenment
Unit VIII: Age of Revolutions
Unit IX: Napoleonic Europe and Romanticism
Period 3 (1815-1914)
Unit X: Age of Industry & Reform to 1848
Unit XI: Nationalism & Change in Society
Unit XII: The Age of Imperialism & Trade Politics
Period 4 (1914-Present)
Unit XIII: The Great War & Post-war Alliances
Unit XIV: The Rise of Dictators & Totalitarianism
Unit XV: World War II
Unit XVI: The Cold War Era: Communism, Decolonization, & the Fall of the USSR
Unit XVII:The Emergence of the EU & New Transformations in the Present Age

Semester One (August-December)

Unit I: Introduction to Medieval Society
Duration: 1 1/2 Weeks (Kagan: pp. 257-282; Merriman: Ch. 1)
Major Historical Topics: Decline of the Roman Empire, Rise of the Barbarians, The
Hundred Years War, The Black Death, The Great Schism
Agenda/Assessments:
1. Review of the Summer Paper Assignment-The Decline of the Roman Empire and the
Rise of the Barbarians. We will go over aspects of Medieval Society as the papers are presented
to the class. The students were to use Peter S. Wells Barbarians to Angels: The Dark Ages

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Reconsidered (2009) or Chris Wickhams The Inheritance of Rome: Illuminating the Dark Ages
400-1000 (2010) as the core base of their research. Additional academic sources are encouraged.
This assessment is designed for the students to answer the question whether barbarian hordes
need to be more recognized/glorified for their part in shaping European history. Having this base
knowledge will help address key changes to come from 1300-1450.
2. Video Segments from the History Channel Presentation of The Plague, and the
History Channel series Barbarians or The Dark Ages will be used. Crash Course #224: the
Vikings!
3. Primary Documents from Boccaccios Decameron and John Aberths The Black Death:
The Great Mortality of 1348-1350: A Brief History with Documents (2005).
4. Art: Pieter Bruegel the Elder-The Triumph of Death
5. DBQ: 1995 DBQ Plague Documents-will be used for an exam assessment

Period 1: (1450-1648)
Key Concepts:
1.1: The worldview of European intellectuals shifted from one based on ecclesiastical and
classical authority to one based primarily on inquiry and observation of the natural world.
1.2: The struggle for sovereignty within and among states resulted in varying degrees of political
centralization.
1.3: Religious pluralism challenged the concept of a unified Europe.
1.4: Europeans explored and settled overseas territories, encountering and interacting with
indigenous populations.
1.5: European society and the experiences of everyday life were increasingly shaped by
commercial and agricultural capitalism, notwithstanding the persistence of medieval social and
economic structures.
Unit II: Late Medieval Society & the Renaissance
Duration: 2 Weeks (Kagan: pp. 283-305; Merriman: Ch. 2)
Major Hist. Topics: Humanism, Petrarch, Machiavelli, Italian and Northern Renaissance
Art & Politics, Print Culture
Agendas/Assessments:
1. Map: Illustrate Dantes version of Inferno and explain how each of the nine circles
correlates to Late Medieval society.
2. Character play out from The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.
3. Writing: Contrast the secondary arguments made in Jacob Burckhardts The
Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy with those made in Peter Burkes The Myth of the
Renaissance.
4. Primary Documents: Analysis of Machiavelli and Castiglione: finding connection
between renaissance and modern-day culture/politics. Works include: The Prince (1513), The Art
of War (1520) & The Book of Courtier (1528). [CR6-Appropriate Use of Historical Evidence].
5. Art: Tour of works by Michelangelo, Albrecht Drer, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael,
Botticelli, Bernini, etc

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6. Socratic Seminar: Was the Renaissance a rebirth of classical works/culture or just

hype? Use primary and secondary works in debate, profiling key issues. Theme: Objective
Knowledge and Subjective Visions (OS), OS-1, OS-5, IS-1.
7. Video: The Renaissance: Was it a Thing? Crash Course World History #22
8. Unit 2 Exam: Multiple Choice and Short Answer
Unit III: Exploration & Conquest
Duration: 1 Week (Kagan: pp. 305-316; Merriman: Ch. 1, 5)
Major Hist. Topics: Age of Exploration, Portuguese and Spanish Conquest, Columbus,
Vasco da Gama, Magellan, Cortez, Columbian Exchange, Triangle Trade, Columbian Exchange.
Agendas/Assessments:
1. Before Columbus Chart: Students will use their textbooks to make a chart that
includes the following information: Who was involved in trade, and what roles did each country,
state, or empire involved play in trade at that time?
2. Spanish, Portuguese, French, and English Map: Students will examine a map showing
the areas explored and countries involved. In small groups, they will give explanations for who
went where and the impact that these journeys had on the establishment of trade and colonies.
They will then generate a timeline showing major explorers and the countries.
3. Primary Documents: The class will analyze the written letters of European explorers
and compare whether they were accurate to their true (known) agendas.
4. Socratic Seminar: Is Christopher Columbus a hero or a villain? Before discussion,
students will read the history of Christopher Columbus voyages and Howard Zinns 1980 classic
The Peoples History of the United States, Ch. 1: Columbus, the Indians, and Human
Progress. [CR13-Synthesis]
5. Columbian Exchange: Students independently research (and cite) various primary
sources and create a graphic organizer that examines the effects of the European Age of
Exploration on the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Students then participate in a classroom
discussion about the impact of the Colombian Exchange, utilizing information from their graphic
organizers. They will create a graphic organizer showing what resources were transferred and
where it was relocated. Theme: Interaction of Europe and the World (INT), INT-5, INT-6,
INT-7, INT-8.
6. Video: Crash Course #23-The Columbian Exchange.
7. Art: Eugne Delacroix-The return of Christopher Columbus; his audience before King
Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, John Vanderlyn- Landing of Columbus, & Johannes KeplerRudolphine Tables.
8. Exam: Multiple Choice and Short Answer
Unit IV: The Reformation & the Wars of Religion:
Duration: 3 Weeks (Kagan: pp. 317-378; Merriman: Ch. 3-4)
Major Hist. Topics: Luther, Indulgences, Peasants Revolt, Zwingli, Calvin, Events at
Augsburg, English Reformation, Counter-Reformation, Jesuits, Council of Trent, French Wars of
Religion, Edict of Nantes, England vs. Spain, The Thirty Years War, Peace of Westphalia
Agendas/Assessments:

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1. Socratic Seminar: The Theological and Political Ideas of Martin Luther & John Calvin
and its relevance to present-day religion. [CR13-Synthesis] OS-1,OS-2,OS-3,OS-4.
2. Primary Documents: Excerpts from Erasmus In Praise of Folly; Luthers 95 Theses;
Luthers Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation; John Calvins Ecclesiastical
Ordinances.
3. FRQ Writing Assignment: Why did the Reformation begin in Germany? Why not
with Spain, France, and/or Italy?
4. Henry VIII: Character Profile-Having an Heir Problem? Excerpts from Christopher
Haighs English Reformations: Religion, Politics, and Society under the Tudors (1993).
5. Art: Tour of Baroque Art vs the Dutch Masters (Rembrandt, Van Eyck, Velazquez, etc.)
6. Film: Luther (2003). Crash Course #218: Luther and the Protestant Reformation.
7. Case Study: Menocchio (16th century miller) in The Cheese and the Worms by Carlo
Ginzburg (1976).
8. Long Essay Question: The Thirty Years War: Religious Progress or Meaningless
Conflict? Historical Argumentation and Appropriate Use of Historical Evidence.
9. Timeline-Main Events of the French Wars of Religion and the Tudor Dynasty/Spanish
Armada.
10. Unit 3 & 4 Exam: Multiple Choice and Short Answer

Period 2: (1648-1815)
Key Concepts:
2.1: Different models of political sovereignty affected the relationship among states and between
states and individuals.
2.2: The expansion of European commerce accelerated the growth of a worldwide economic
network.
2.3: The popularization and dissemination of the Scientific Revolution and the application of its
methods to political, social, and ethical issues led to an increased, although not unchallenged,
emphasis on reason in European culture.
2.4: The experiences of everyday life were shaped by demographic, environmental, medical, and
technological changes.
Unit V: Absolutism & Changes in European Economy, Society, & Culture (17th-18th
Centuries)
Duration: 2 Weeks (Kagan: pp. 379-417; Merriman: Ch. 5-7)
Major Hist. Topics: Dutch Golden Age, Louis XIV, Absolutism, Peter the Great,
James I, Glorious Revolution, The Habsburg, Ottoman Influence on Europe, Political
Philosophers
Agendas/Assessments:
1. Primary Documents: John Lockes Two Treatises on Government, Thomas Hobbes
Leviathan, Rene Descartes Discourse on the Method, James Is On the Trew Law of Free
Monarchies, English Bill of Rights
2. Socratic Seminar/Debate-Is the King above the Law: The class will conduct a mock
trial on the theory of Absolutism and will have Louis XIV, Peter the Great, and James I put on

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trial. Knowledge of their rule and policies will be studied beforehand. Theme: Individual and
Society (IS), OS-9, SP-2, SP-3, IS-7.
3. Graphic Organizer: Mercantilism and its advantages/disadvantages for an European
economy. Mercantilism will be compared alongside venture capitalism later in the week.
4. Coat of Arms Project: Students will personally investigate their family coat of arms
and draw it on a project board. They will need to find out what their symbols/animals mean and
their colors/designs.
5. Art: Portraits of King Louis XIV, James I, and other elites in society will be compared
alongside paintings of peasants countrysides and societal life.
6. Film/Timeline: The English Civil War-Timeline will be used while watching the film
Cromwell (1970) or To Kill a King (2003).
7. Secondary Source Assignment: Compare/Contrast arguments made in Christopher
Hills The World Turned Upside Down: Radical Ideas During the English Revolution (1972) with
David Cressys England on Edge: Crisis and Revolution, 1640-1642 (2006). [CR12-Synthesis]
8. Unit 5 Exam: Multiple Choice and Short Answer
Unit VI: The Scientific Revolution
Duration: 1 Week (Kagan: pp. 417-422, 429-444; Merriman: Ch. 8)
Major Hist. Topics: Nicholas Copernicus, Galileo, Galilei, Isaac Newton, Johannes
Kepler, Francis Bacon, Blaise Pascal, Margaret Cavendish
Agendas/Assessments:
1. Overview of the Scientific Revolution with case studies on particular discoveries.
2. DBQ Exercise: 1997 DBQ: Women in Science.
3. Art: Numerous pieces of art will be shown, like that of Copernicus Revolutions of the
Heavenly Spheres, and title pages from scientific treatises (Francis Bacons Novum Organum.)
4. Debate: Was Galileos trial necessary? The Church vs. Science IS-6, IS-7, IS-8.
5. Primary Documents: Copernicus De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium, Galileos
Dialogue Concerning the Two Principal Systems of the World and Sidereus Nuncius, Isaac
Newtons Principia, Francis Bacons Novum Organum.
6. Was There Really a Scientific Revolution? Compare the arguments made in Stephen
Shapins The Scientific Revolution (1996) with Thomas Kuhns The Structure of Scientific
Revolutions (1962). [CR11-Contextualization]
7. Exam: Multiple Choice and Short Answer
Unit VII: The Age of Enlightenment
Duration: 3 Weeks (Kagan: pp. 422-429, 445-492, 508-546; Merriman: Ch. 9-10)
Major Hist. Topics: John Locke, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Kant, Wollstonecraft,
Diderot, Adam Smith, Enlightened Absolute Rulers, Frederick the Great, Joseph II, Catherine the
Great
Agendas/Assessments:
1. Long Essay: Explain the movements of change that occurred from the Scientific
Revolution to the Age of Enlightenment. [CR8-Patterns of Continuity and Change over
Time].

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2. Primary Documents: Rousseaus The Social Contract, Montesquieus Spirit of Laws,

Voltaires Candide, Beccarias On Crimes and Punishments, Wollstonecrafts A Vindication of
the Rights of Women, Smiths, The Wealth of Nations
3. The Salon Project: New Ideas, Baroque to Rococo, Scientific Thinking, and
Enlightenment- Students will be assigned a philosopher to research and understand. They will be
given categories of information to research and discover their assigned philosophers ideas
regarding each topic. They will be asked to use their primary source readers, case study book,
and outside research to find information. This information will then be used to hold a salon in
which students will act as their assigned philosopher in a group discussion with other figures
from the Age of Enlightenment. OS-4, OS-5, OS-7, OS-8, OS-9, OS-10; SP-1, SP-4, SP-7,
SP-11; IS-6, IS-9.
4. Enlightened Absolutism: Prussia, Austria, and Russia-Students will examine three
rulers who attempted to be Enlightened Absolutists, and the actions they took. They will then
rank them from most enlightened to least. They must offer reasons and evidence for their
rankings. SP-3, SP-4.
5.Art:Baroque Art Including Gian Lorenzo Berninis Work in St. Peters Basilica; Scenes
from the Palace at Versailles; Selected Works by Michelangelo Caravaggio, and Peter Paul
Rubens.
6. Agricultural Revolution: Causes and Impact Students will create a timeline and a cause
and effect chart connecting the major developments within the Agricultural Revolution. They
will then be asked to discuss how these events connect with events from previous units. [CR7Historical Causation].
7. Video: Crash Course #26: The Seven Years War
8. Changing Society Assignment: Students will be assigned a topic to research and
present that includes the following information: Changes that took place between 1500-1800 in
their given category and major events related to those changes, paying particular attention to the
agricultural revolution, the Enlightenment, wars, and changing patterns in populations. The
topics they will be assigned are as follows:
Changing views toward children
Changing family life/roles of women
Changing economy; moving to a consumer society
Changes in art and literature
Changes in overall quality of living
Changing view of religion and religious institutions
[CR8-Patterns of Continuity and Change over Time], Theme: Poverty and Prosperity
(PP), PP-1, PP-2, PP-6, PP-7, PP-8, PP-9, PP-10, PP-11, PP-12, IS-2, IS-4, IS-9.
9. Unit 6 & 7 Exam: Multiple Choice and Short Answer.
Unit VIII: The Age of Revolutions
Duration: 2 Weeks (Kagan: pp. 492-507, 547-580; Merriman: Ch. 11-12)
Major Hist. Topics: Crisis of French Monarchy, Louis XVI, The Estates-General,
Revolution of 1789, The Reign of Terror, British Downfall in the American Revolution.

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Agendas/Assessments:
1. Video: History Channel Presents: The French Revolution (2005); Crash Course #29: The
French Revolution.
2. Art: The French and American Revolutions explained through Art/Flags/Maps
3. Video: America: The Story of Us-Episode 2, Revolution
4. Primary Documents: Edmund Burkes Reflections of the French Revolution, Declaration
of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, Declaration of Independence, The Constitution of the
United States, The Cahiers: Discontents of the Third Estate
5. Socratic Seminar: To what extent did the French Revolution amount to a Revolution in
economic terms for each of the following groups: nobility, middle class, average person, and
women? Theme: States and Other Institutions of Power (SP), INT-7, INT-10, INT-11, PP-10,
OS-3, OS-9, SP-1, SP-3, SP-4, SP-5, SP-7, SP-9, SP-11, SP-13, SP-15, SP-16, SP-17, IS-6,
IS-7, IS-9, IS-10.
6. Timeline: Make a timeline of the American/French Revolution, making note of events,
ideological shifts, and changes to government/society.
7. The Reign of Terror: Discuss secondary arguments of The Revolution of the Notables,
by Donald Sutherland and The Coming of the French Revolution, by Georges Lefebvre.
Unit IX: Napoleonic Europe and Romanticism
Duration: 1 Week (Kagan: pp. 581-614; Merriman: Ch. 13)
Major Hist. Topics: Napoleon Bonaparte, Napoleonic Code, Continental System,
Nationalism, Congress of Vienna, Reason, Romanic Art/Literature
Agendas/Assessments:
1. Video: Empires-Napoleon (PBS, 2000).
2. Secondary Source: Read Napoleon as Preserver of the Revolution, by George Rude
and discuss alternate roles that historians try to view Napoleon Bonaparte as. The discussion will
center around:Was Napoleon a preserver or a destroyer of the ideal of the French
Revolution? [CR12,13-Interpretation, Synthesis]
3. Map: Napoleons Conquest from 1798-1815
4. Socratic Seminar: Napoleons Conquest of Russia-Should it had Failed? Multiple
primary and secondary sources/art will be analyzed before debate. Theme: Individual and
Society (IS), PP-10, SP-3, SP-13, SP-16, SP-17, IS-7, IS-9, IS-10.
5. Romanticism-Literature, Art, and Music: In class, we will discuss the characteristics of
Romanticism, and look at examples in art, literature, and music. Students will then be asked to
compare Romantic ideas to Enlightenment ideas. Finally, they will be asked to align themselves
on a spectrum of Enlightenment or Romanticism based on their own beliefs. Students will then
have to explain why they have placed themselves accordingly.
6. Unit 8 & 9 Exam: Multiple Choice and Short Answer

Semester Two (January-May)

Period 3: (1815-1914)
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Key Concepts:
3.1: The Industrial Revolution spread from Great Britain to the continent, where the state played
a greater role in promoting industry.
3.2: The experiences of everyday life were shaped by industrialization, depending on the level of
industrial development in a particular location.
3.3: The problems of industrialization provoked a range of ideological, governmental, and
collective responses.
3.4: European states struggled to maintain international stability in an age of nationalism and
revolutions.
3.5: A variety of motives and methods led to the intensification of European global control and
increased tensions among the Great Powers.
3.6: European ideas and culture expressed a tension between objectivity and scientific realism on
one hand, and subjectivity and individual expression on the other.
Unit X: Age of Industry & Reform to 1848
Duration: 2 Weeks (Kagan: pp. 615-686; Merriman: Ch. 14-16)
Major Hist. Topics: The Industrial Revolution, Reform Bills, Labor Force-Working
Class, Early Socialism, Anarchism, Marxism, Political Liberalism, Latin American Revolutions,
Conservative Governments, 1848 Revolutions
Agendas/Assessments:
1. Simulation: Congress of Vienna-Students will be assigned broken countries/minorities
present at the Congress of Vienna and will diplomatically urge for the creation of their country as
it should be. (Conservatism vs. Liberalism). They will further see how their formation could
cause potential revolutionary problems up to 1848. Document: Hajo Holborn, The Congress of
Vienna.
2. Socratic Seminar: Why England? The Steps Toward Industrialization. Primary and
Secondary sources will be accessed before debate takes place. [CR9-Periodization], PP-1,
PP-3, SP-5, IS-3.
3. Graphic Organizer: Inventor/Invention Chart to follow the progress of the Industrial
Revolution.
4. Venn Diagram-Liberalism, Nationalism, Socialism/Marxism
5. Video Crash Course #32: Coal, Steam, and the Industrial Revolution.
6. Primary Documents: Engels & Marxs Communist Manifesto, Karl Marxs Das
Kapital, Louis Blancs The Organization of Labour, John Stuart Mills On Liberty, Thomas
Robert Malthus Essay on the Principle of Population, David Ricardos The Principles of
Political Economy and Taxation, Jonathan Swifts A Modest Proposal, Simon Bolivars Address
to Second National Congress.
7. FRQ Essay: How was the Romantic Movement a Reaction against the Age of
Reason? [CR7-Historical Causation].
Unit XI: Nationalism & Change in Society
Duration: 1 Week (Kagan: pp. 687-715; Merriman: Ch. 17-18)

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Major Hist. Topics: The Effects of 1848, The Crimean War, Italian Unification, German
Unification, The Third Republic, Habsburg Empire, Alexander II
Agendas/Assessments:
1. Art/Propaganda Presentation: The Crimean War, Art: Realism/Impressionism/PostImpressionism: Monet, Manet, Rodin, Renoir, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Matisse, Gauguin, Degas,
etc.
2. Secondary Source: John Weiss, The Revolutions of 1848.
3. DBQ Essay: DBQ 13: New Forms of Nationalism 1848-1914. [CR10-Comparison].
4. Map: The Unification of Prussia.
5. Video: Bismarck: Germany from Blood and Iron (2008).
6. Timeline-New Nations: Italy and Germany Students will create timelines for:
Changes in the French Government
Italian Unification
German Unification
Modernization of the Ottoman Empire PP-3, PP-10, OS-12, SP-4, SP-7, SP-14,
SP-17, SP-18.
7. Unit 10 & 11 Exam: Multiple Choice and Short Answer.
Unit XII: The Age of Imperialism & Trade Politics
Duration: 3 weeks (Kagan Ch. 716-829; Merriman: Ch. 19-21)
Major Hist. Topics: Second Industrial Revolution, Victorian Society, Woman RightsFeminism, Labor/Socialist Unions, Charles Darwin, Philosophical Advancements, New
Imperialism, British Empire, Scramble for Africa, Western Influence in Asia/India,
Agendas/Assessments:
1. Graph/Chart: How the 2nd Industrial Revolution changed the balance of power in
Europe from 1850-1914. [CR7-Historical Causation]
2.Victorian Newspaper Project: The students will examine original copies of the
Illustrated London News, Police News, and the Daily Telegraph to provide their group with a
decade of articles summing up an era of Victorian society. European culture and livelihood will
be at the forefront of this project.
3. Primary Documents: Sir Arthur Conan Doyles The Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes-The Scandal in Bohemia, Rudyard Kiplings The White Mans Burden, Edward D.
Morels The Black Mans Burden, J. A Hobsons Imperialism, A Study, Charles Darwins On the
Origin of Species
4. Socratic Seminar: Imperialism Role Play-Several groups will profile and study a
European country that used imperialist motives in Africa/Asia/Americas. (For example, Britain
in China/India, Belgium in Congo, France in Indonesia) The groups will try to protect their
interests and justify the reasons why they colonized there. INT-1, INT-2, INT-6, INT-7, INT-10,
INT-11, SP-17, SP-18, IS-10.
5. Graphic Organizer: Philosophers/Scientists/Authors like Wallace, Darwin, Nietzsche,
Freud, Comte, Woolf, Verne will be studied.

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6. FRQ: Compare and contrast Unit IIIs Era of Exploration and Discovery with Unit
XIIs New Imperialism. or DBQ 2009.[CR10, Comparison].
7. Secondary Source: Eric Hobsbawm, The Age of Empire.
8. Video: Crash Course #35: Imperialism.

Period 4: (1914-Present)
Key Concepts:
4.1: Total war and political instability in the first half of the 20th century gave way to a polarized
state order during the Cold War, and eventually to efforts at transnational union.
4.2: The stresses of economic collapse and total war engendered internal conflicts within
European states and created conflicting conceptions of the relationship between the individual
and the state, as demonstrated in the ideological battle among liberal democracy, communism,
and fascism.
4.3: During the 20th century, diverse intellectual and cultural movements questioned the
existence of objective knowledge, the ability of reason to arrive at truth, and the role of religion
in determining moral standards.
4.4: Demographic changes, economic growth, total war, disruptions of traditional social patterns,
and competing definitions of freedom and justice altered the experiences of everyday life.

Unit XIII: The Great War & Post-war Alliances

Duration: 2 Weeks (Kagan: pp. 830-866; Merriman: Ch. 22-23)
Major Hist. Topics: The Triple Entente, The Romanov Line, World War I, Russian
Revolution, Paris Peace Conference, Treaty of Versailles (War Guilt Clause), 14 Points, End of
Empires.
Agendas/Assessments:
1. Map: Allied and Central Powers
2. Socratic Seminar: The Great War-What in the World Happened? Students will discuss
how the Great War escalated into a war that lasted from 1914-1918. Origin points will be
debated: Balkan Crisis, Triple Entente, the Alliance System, Nationalism, Military Innovations,
Imperialism. [CR11-Contextualization], INT-8, INT-9, INT-11, SP-6, SP-13, SP-14, SP-17,
SP-18, IS-8.
3. Video: Youtube Channel-The Great War; Crash Course #36: Archdukes, Cynicism,
and World War I.
4. The Russian Revolution: Read V.I. Lenins What is to be Done? Analyze the Russian
Revolution and how Leninism transformed a Romanov-less Russia.
5. Long Essay: Was the Treaty of Versailles a foundation for peace or a recipe for
war? [CR13-Synthesis]
6. Primary Documents: Treaty of Versailles, Wilsons 14 Points
7. Secondary Source Argument: Compare/Contrast John Keegans The First World War
(1998) with Hew Strachans The First World War (2005). [CR12-Interpretation, Synthesis]
8. Unit 12 & 13 Exam: Multiple Choice and Short Answer

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Unit XIV: The Rise of Dictators & Totalitarianism

Duration: 2 Weeks (Kagan: pp. 867-900; Merriman: Ch. Ch. 24-25)
Major Hist. Topics: The Great Depression, Stalinism, 5 Year Plans, Fascism, Mussolini,
German Weimar Republic, Rise with Hitler, Anti-Semitism, Nazi Party, World War II.
Agendas/Assessments:
1. Primary Sources: John Maynard Keynes-Calls For Government Investment to Create
Employment; Mussolini Heaps Contempt on Political Liberalism; Adolf Hitlers The
Obersalzberg Speech; Hitlers Mein Kampf, Joseph Stalins Five Year Plan, Nazi Propaganda
Pamphlet; The German Woman and National Socialism.
2. Video: Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator
3. Between the Wars Project: Groups will choose from:
-Modern Thought: Philosophy, Psychology, Literature, Art, Architecture, and Music
-Mass Culture: Consumer Society, New Technology, and Impact
-Search for Political Stability: New Governments, Treaties and Other Acts of Diplomacy,
and U.S. Involvement
-Economic Depression: Causes, Impact, and Responses
-Rise of Totalitarian Dictators: Fascism v. Communism, Causes, Actions Taken,
Objectives, Stages of Development, and Impact
Students will be divided into groups and be assigned one of the following topics: Modern
Thought, Mass Culture, Attempts at Political Stability, Economic Depression, and Rise of
Totalitarian Dictators. Each group will be required to find primary and secondary sources to
reference and discuss in their research. The final product for each group will be a written
summary of the topic and a presentation that includes primary and secondary sources. They must
also include visuals that help to illustrate their topics. Following the presentations, each group
will create a visual representation of the changes, new ideas, and attitudes that mark this time.
They can use a number of formats: timeline, poster, PowerPoint, Prezi, etc. They will be required
to use references to specific primary sources as their evidence in the discussion. SP-6, SP-8,
SP-13, SP-14, SP-17, IS-7, IS-10.
4. Art: Art and pictures of Surrealism, Dadaism, WWI propaganda posters, Nazi Party
posters, Soviet Realism, Bauhaus.
5. Map Study: Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism, 1919 1937.
6. Chart: Qualitative data of Stalins 5 Year Plans and production.
7. 2010 DBQ: Analyze the factors that contributed to the instability of the Weimar
Republic in the period 1918 1933.
Unit XV: World War II
Duration: 2 Weeks (Kagan: pp. 901-939; Ch. 26)
Major Hist. Topics: The Road to War, Nazi-Soviet Pact, World War II, Japan and the
U.S., Germany attack on USSR, Defeat of Nazi Germany, Holocaust, Potsdam, Yalta, Tehran,
Atlantic Charter
Agendas/Assessments:

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AP European History Course Audit

Syllabus #

1. Video: WWII in HD, Captain America: The First Avenger, Crash Course #38: World
War II.
2. Propaganda Poster Project: Students will conduct a propaganda poster of their own to
illustrate key motives of WWII.
3. Dr. Seuss Political Cartoon Presentation (1939-42)
4. Holocaust Museum Tour-Washington D.C. (online).
5. Long Essay: Considering the period 1933 to 1945, analyze the economic, diplomatic,
and military reasons for Germanys defeat in the Second World War.
6. Timeline/Map: WWII timeline describing key events and alliances on map.
7. Unit 14 & 15 Exam: Multiple Choice and Short Answer.
Unit XVI: The Cold War Era: Communism, Decolonization, & the Fall of the USSR
Duration: 3 Weeks (Kagan: pp. 940-986; Merriman: Ch. 27-29)
Major Hist. Topics: Containment, NATO, Warsaw Pact, Korean War, Marshall Plan,
Khrushchev Era, The Berlin Wall, Cuba, Prague Spring, Afghanistan 1970s-80s, Detente,
Reagan, Decolonization, Vietnam, Collapse of European Communism, Fall of the Soviet Union
Agendas/Assessments:
1. Primary Documents: Winston Churchills Iron Curtain Speech; George C. Marshalls
Marshall Plan; Harry S. Trumans The Truman Doctrine; Gandhi Explains His Doctrine of
Non-Violence; Vladimir Putin Outlines a Vision of the Russian Future.
2. Perspective Editorial: Students write an editorial from the Soviet point of view that
explains why they consider the U.S. to be the most aggressive nation in the years from 1945 to
1970
3. In small groups, students research in detail one of the following former colonies
movements for independence (Decolonization):
-India
-Algeria
-French Indo-China
-Indonesia
-Yugoslavia
We discuss their findings in a whole-class discussion. PP-12, PP-15, SP-5, SP-9, SP-14,
SP-17, SP-19, IS-10.
4. Video: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
& episodes of The Twilight Zone; Crash Course #39: USA vs. USSR Fight! The Cold War.
5. Concept map: Analyze the breakdown of communism within Eastern Europe and
USSR. Look into civil wars, political actions, ethnic issues to determine if these movements
caused the fall of the USSR.
6. Graphic Organizer: Soviet Leaders-Compare/contrast strategies, accomplishments, and
errors starting with Khrushchev and ending with Gorbachev.
7. 2005 DBQ: Analyze various views regarding Western European unity from 1946 to
1989.
Unit XVII:The Emergence of the EU & New Transformations in the Present Age

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AP European History Course Audit

Syllabus #

Duration: 4 Weeks including AP Review (Kagan: pp. 987-1026; Merriman: Ch.30)

Major Hist. Topics: Islamic Movements, Welfare State, Women Rights, Communism,
Terrorism, Consumerism, Computer Technology, Post-Modernism, EU, Financial Crisis,
Agendas/Assessments:
1. Primary Sources: Treaty on European Union; Pope Benedict XVI Calls for the
Recognition of Religious Freedom as a Human Right; Selected Addresses of George W.Bush; A
Constitution for Europe.
2. What events or ideas led to the creation of the European Union (EU)? Video: Crash
Course #40: Decolonization and Nationalism Triumph.
3. Socratic Seminar: What current events within the last ten years are still effecting our
society today in Europe? European Migrations? Immigration? Changing status of women in
society? Religious toleration? Computer integration? The dominance of the EU in its member
selective process? Race in Europe? Terrorism among the masses? These will be discussed in
detail. PP-5, SP-5, SP-17, SP-19.
4. Assignment: Overview of European news over the course of the year and how it
compares/contrasts to the past.
5. Unit 16 & 17 Exam: Multiple Choice and Short Answer
5. AP Review: For the remaining weeks, the class will go over each of the units in detail,
gaining additional practice in short answer, long essay, and DBQ exercises. There will be a final
exam at the end of the course, in addition to the AP exam.

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