June 3, 2013
To all 9th grade students and their parents:
Next year in 10th grade you will all be enrolled in a class called “AP World History.” This is a change from the previous practice of asking 9th grade students to request AP World History while the rest of the class is placed in “regular” world history. LACES has made this change for several reasons:
- AP World History is truly global in nature with extensive coverage of China, India, Africa, and the Americas. The “regular” world history text and curriculum was much more Eurocentric and gave minimal coverage to the rest of the world. Colleges and universities are increasingly offering “World History” as their basic survey class instead of the more traditional “Western Civilization” which is Eurocentric. LACES believes that in our modern global society students should learn about the whole world.
- AP World History is analytical and intellectual. Both the curriculum and the AP exam demand many forms of comparison and analysis between cultures and historical time periods. Rather than just learning a lot of facts, the APWH class leads students to greater understanding of history and of how the world developed. This approach to history is consistent with the teaching in college.
- At LACES we believe that all students should be offered the most challenging and intellectually advanced classes. To accomplish this all students will experience the AP World History curriculum. This will include an emphasis on writing since the AP exam includes three essay questions. This is another important element of preparing for college where students will be expected to do more writing.
Of course the AP World History class is connected to the AP World History exam given in May. The tradition of Advanced Placement courses and exams is strong at LACES, and AP World History is the first AP class for most 10th grade students. The AP exam itself is an important goal for students to prepare for, and we believe that all students can benefit from having that goal and motivation.
The actual score on the AP exam may be significant later in college, but the benefits of a challenging and engaging class are permanent and immediate. The process of preparing for high-level multiple choice questions and analytical essay questions will prepare all students for the rest of high school and college.
We know that the reality of AP World History (“10 thousand years of history in 10 months”) may be daunting for some students. Because the course emphasizes understanding and analyzing history rather than just memorizing, it will be accessible to all students. The course will include extensive use of individual and group learning projects utilizing both textual and internet resources.
As always, teachers and counselors at LACES are ready to provide more information about all of these issues. We hope that you—students and parents—are excited about this challenge.
There will not be no summer assignment for AP World History.
Sincerely,
Harold Boger