Summer Reading Assignment
A.P. World History / 2007 -2008
A.P. World History uses what is known as the “global approach” to history. It stresses the way people and regions have evolved both independently and through their connections with each other. The course examines the major social, economic, political, and environmental developments that have occurred throughout world history. Recognizing these themes and being able to understand their inter-relationships is a key element to success in A.P. World History.
Another skill you’ll be honing in the course is the analysis and interpretation of primary sources. For example, you’ll learn to recognize the motivations of a poet or author, the bias of a person writing in a journal, the hidden agenda behind a speech, etc. The summer reading will help you to practice these skills.
The summer reading is:
The Good Earth
Pearl S. Buck
ISBN: 1416500189
$7.oo + tax
Assignment:
1. Take notes over the book. Divide your notes into the following four categories:
1. Social (This deals with how people live and inter-relate.)
2. Economic (farming, pulling a rickshaw, etc.)
3. Political (That includes things such as government and military
topics as well as riots and political unrest.)
4. Environmental (This refers to the roles of nature and the physical
world around us.)
TIPS ON ORGANIZATION:
As you take notes, get in the habit of including the page number where you found the information. This is a valuable research tool.
You may also want to use dividers in your notebook to separate your notes on the 4 themes, but this is not required.
2. Identify the points of view or bias in the author. This will require you to learn something about Pearl Buck in order to address possible limitations in her interpretation of Chinese life. What historical events shaped her world?
EVALUATION: This assignment is due on the first day of school!!
Please be prepared to not only discuss the assignment but also take a test over the major points of the material.