Summer Reading assignment, 2012-13

AP World History Summer Reading 2011-2012 Welcome to AP World History. Over the summer you are to do the following:

1) Read the first six chapters in the textbook. That's chapters 1-6 of Bentley and Ziegler's Traditions and Encounters Third Edition published by McGraw Hill Higher Education. I strongly encourage you to take written notes as you read, but I will not be checking those notes, nor will you be graded on them. These chapters will cover the Foundational period of time, and establish the origins of the major civilizations we will explore this year. There will be a 70 question multiple choice test on these chapters on the second day of class. There will also be a Compare and Contrast essay on these chapters on the third day of class. The scoring guide for the essay is linked to a Google Document HERE

2) Read the Prologue and Parts One, Two and Three (chapters 1-14) of Guns, Germs and Steel, by Jared Diamond. You can find the book at the local library and on-line through numerous booksellers and through iBooks. There is an audio book that is fine to use, but be aware that the film version of the book differs significantly from the text and will not be acceptable to use for this assignment. You can use it to supplement your understanding, but not for the project. (I have seen it, and I do know what is used in the film that isn't in the book--some pretty easy give-aways...) I encourage you to own your own copy if the book, so you can mark it up. You have a choice of what you do next:

 OPTION A) Join Edmodo.com. Enter the code lb40pi, and you will be made a member of the Guns, Germs and Steel group I have created. There are prompts for each of the chapters you will read. Your task is to respond to the prompt I posted, and then to at least one other posting made by classmates for each of the prompts. (So you are posting at least twice for each chapter.) These will each count as a homework assignment, and must be completed by August 26th at midnight in order to count.

OPTION B) Compose summaries (typed and double spaced) for each chapter you read. The summaries may be no longer than 250 words each, and they must be done in a Google Document that you share with me. Each summary will count as a homework assignment, and they must be completed and shared with me by August 26th at midnight. To share a Google Document with me, please use the following email: whitten@bpsk12.org . You can also use that email to communicate with me during the summer, but be aware that I go for long stretches of time without checking email while on vacation. So if you do email me, be patient, and I'll respond eventually.

During the year, over each vacation you will be required to complete a book report. If you want to get a jump on that, the list of books from which to choose is linked up HERE as a Google Document. Note that you will be required to read both fiction and non-fiction, so don't read only one type of book!

Enjoy your summer and rest up for the fall! We will hit the ground running in September.