Europe and South Asia
CHANGE AND CONTINUITY OVER TIME ESSAY TOPICS
Students should organize these essays with three chronological paragraphs. Each essay will traditionally cover only one historical period but each period has numerous sub-periods. The periods in AP World History include:
I. Broad Historical Periods and Sub-Periods
A. Foundations Period
1. Prehistory: 1,000,000 BCE to 5000 BCE
2. River Valley Civilizations: 5000 BCE to 1200 BCE
3. Classical Civilizations: 1200 BCE to 600 CE
B. Post-Classical Period
1. Early Post-Classical: 600 to 1000 CE Muslims to Crusades
2. High Post-Classical Period: 1000 to 1250 CE Crusades to Mongols
3. Late Post-Classical Period: 1250 to 1450 CE Mongols to Collapse
C. Early Modern Period
1. 1450 to 1600 CE: Spain, Portugal, Asian Gunpowder Empires
2. 1600 to 1750 CE: English, Dutch, French, and Russians Ascendant
D. Modern Period
1. 1750 – 1800 CE: The Enlightenment and 1st Industrial Revolution
2. 1800 – 1850 CE: Early Political Revolutions
2. 1850 – 1914 CE: 2nd Industrial Revolution, New Actors & Imperialism
E. Contemporary Period
1. 1914 – 1945 CE: The Long World War
2. 1945 – 1990 CE: The Cold War, Decolonization
3. 1990 CE to Present: Globalization and Responses
II. Chronologies with Civilizations
All civilizations have sub-periods within their own histories. For instance, Roman Civilization begins with an Etruscan kingdom from 753 to 509 BCE, the Roman Republic from 509 to 27 BCE, and the Roman Empire from 27 BCE to 476 CE. The Han Dynasty has Early Han, the Wang Mang Interlude, and the Late Han. If you the student can break down periods in this manner, it is always a superior demonstration of knowledge.
However, some students have trouble organizing these essays. While you should know the beginning and end of the above periods, you can always split a period into three groups by taking the first date of the period, the ending date, and a middle date.
Students should organize these essays with three chronological paragraphs. Each essay will traditionally cover only one historical period but each period has numerous sub-periods. The periods in AP World History include:
I. Broad Historical Periods and Sub-Periods
A. Foundations Period
1. Prehistory: 1,000,000 BCE to 5000 BCE
2. River Valley Civilizations: 5000 BCE to 1200 BCE
3. Classical Civilizations: 1200 BCE to 600 CE
B. Post-Classical Period
1. Early Post-Classical: 600 to 1000 CE Muslims to Crusades
2. High Post-Classical Period: 1000 to 1250 CE Crusades to Mongols
3. Late Post-Classical Period: 1250 to 1450 CE Mongols to Collapse
C. Early Modern Period
1. 1450 to 1600 CE: Spain, Portugal, Asian Gunpowder Empires
2. 1600 to 1750 CE: English, Dutch, French, and Russians Ascendant
D. Modern Period
1. 1750 – 1800 CE: The Enlightenment and 1st Industrial Revolution
2. 1800 – 1850 CE: Early Political Revolutions
2. 1850 – 1914 CE: 2nd Industrial Revolution, New Actors & Imperialism
E. Contemporary Period
1. 1914 – 1945 CE: The Long World War
2. 1945 – 1990 CE: The Cold War, Decolonization
3. 1990 CE to Present: Globalization and Responses
II. Chronologies with Civilizations
All civilizations have sub-periods within their own histories. For instance, Roman Civilization begins with an Etruscan kingdom from 753 to 509 BCE, the Roman Republic from 509 to 27 BCE, and the Roman Empire from 27 BCE to 476 CE. The Han Dynasty has Early Han, the Wang Mang Interlude, and the Late Han. If you the student can break down periods in this manner, it is always a superior demonstration of knowledge.
However, some students have trouble organizing these essays. While you should know the beginning and end of the above periods, you can always split a period into three groups by taking the first date of the period, the ending date, and a middle date.