ThemeDescriptions

Theme Descriptions AP World History

Theme 1: Interaction between humans and the environment • Demography and Disease: Were their any major outbreaks of disease that had an impact on the population? How densely populated were the specific empires/regions? Why? • Migration: What were the major migrations of groups during this time period. Detail where the group(s) originated and what may have caused them to move to new locations. (i.e.: Bantu, Indo-European, Mesoamerican and South Pacific migrations) • Patterns of Settlement: Where were the early civilizations located? Why were the lands suitable for perminant settlement? What resources did they have available at these locations? • Technology: What technologies were available to these early civiliations? How did this technology impact the civilization’s development? (i.e.: iron/bronze tools, navigational/astronomical knowledge, etc.)

Theme 2: Development and interaction of cultures • Religions: What were the major religions developed during this time period? What were the major teachings/guidelines of these religions? Where/when were these faiths founded? • Belief systems, philosophies, and ideologies: (see questions for religions) • Science and Technology: What were the major scientific and techonologial achievments of these early civilizations? How did these achievments affect the civilization itself as well as its interaction with other civilizations? • Arts and Architecture: What were the major artistic or literary works of early socieities? Describe their unique architectural styles or engineering accomplishments

Theme 3: State-building, expansion, and conflict • Political Structures and forms of government: What type of government did these early socieites use? (i.e.: monarchy, oligarchy, democratic, centralized vs. decentralized) • Empires: Describe some of the early empires? What areas were until their influence or control? Describe any major wars that led to the expansion or collapse of early empires. • Revolts and Revolutions: Describe any major uprisings or rebellions in these early civilzations. What were the cause and outcomes of these rebellions? • Regional and transregional organizations: Where their any major political or economic agreements between or among early civilations?

Theme 4: Creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems • Agricultural and pastoral production: What were the staple crops of early socieites? What methods of agriculture were used? • Trade and commerce: What were the major products early societies were known for? What items were traded between or among societies? • Labor systems: How was labor divided among early societies? Was there any specific labor system involved? (i.e.: slavery, feudalism, caste system)

Theme 5: Development and transformation of social structures • Gender roles and relations: Were the socieites patriarchal, matriarchal, or neither? What roles were men and women expected to take? • Family and kinship: What were family structures like? Did these have an impact on political and/or social institutuions? • Racial and ethnic constructions: Where early socieites divided up or categorized according to race? Did race have any impact on political, religious, or social structures • Social and Economic classes: How were people ranked socially in early societies?