This page focuses on the requirements developed by the College Board for the sixth unit of AP Modern World History. Below you will find each of the following:
- Shifting Power After 1900
- Focus on the continued decline of the traditional powers and the continued rise of new industrial powers
- Focus on the continued decline of the traditional powers and the continued rise of new industrial powers
- Causes of World War I
- Focus heavily on imperialism, nationalism, and that jacked up alliance system
- Focus heavily on imperialism, nationalism, and that jacked up alliance system
- Conducting World War I
- Focus on how the war was fought, not specific battles, although you can use them to illustrate tactics and technology
- Be sure to also focus on the home front for a few countries
- Focus on how the war was fought, not specific battles, although you can use them to illustrate tactics and technology
- Economy in the Interwar Period
- Focus on the Great Depression and how various countries dealt with it
- Focus on the Great Depression and how various countries dealt with it
- Unresolved Tensions After World War I
- Focus on the relationships of colonized peoples toward their colonizers
- Focus on the relationships of colonized peoples toward their colonizers
- Causes of World War II
- Focus on the Interwar Period, the Great Depression, the Rise of the -isms, and the Treaty of Versailles
- Focus on the Interwar Period, the Great Depression, the Rise of the -isms, and the Treaty of Versailles
- Conducting World War II
- Focus on similarities and differences between World War I and World War II; also focus heavily on technological advancements and ideological concepts for winning the war
- Use examples of battles to demonstrate technological developments
- Focus on similarities and differences between World War I and World War II; also focus heavily on technological advancements and ideological concepts for winning the war
- Mass Atrocities
- Focus on the Holocaust specifically, but also provide other examples across Asia and Africa
- Focus on the Holocaust specifically, but also provide other examples across Asia and Africa
Shifting Power After 1900
Theme: Governance
Learning Objectives
Explain how internal and external factors contributed to change in various states after 1900.
This standard will focus on the entirety of the 20th century, not just the world at the beginning. This should be a simple introduction to global geopolitical power struggles at the beginning of the century and what the world will more or less look like by the end. |
Must Know Content
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Causes of World War I
Theme: Governance
Learning Objective
Explain the causes and consequences of World War I.
This one is pretty much what this LO says; make sure students recognize what led to WWI and what the ultimate consequences were. |
Must Know Content
The causes of World War I included:
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Conducting World War I
Theme: Technology & Innovation
Learning Objective
Explain how governments used a variety of methods to conduct war.
I know that a lot of history teachers just love talking about battles, but this is really not the best place to do it. If you want to discuss battles, use them to explain specific technological innovations that fit within the must know content. For this concept, it is also very important to make sure students recognize that technology changed, but tactics changed very little up to this point. Home Front Propaganda will also be a very big deal for this standard. |
Must Know Content
World War I saw multiple innovations including:
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Economy of the Interwar Period
Theme: Economic Systems
Learning Objective
Explain how different governments responded to economic crisis after 1900.
The big focus here will be on Stalin's Five - Year Plans and their disastrous consequences, but you should also provide a few examples from other regions, as well. On prior AP Tests, the College Board has asked students to discuss how one or more countries (aside from the United States) dealt with the Great Depression, so be sure to give other specific examples. |
Must Know Content
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Unresolved Tensions After World War I
Theme: Governance
Learning Objectives
Explain the continuities and changes in territorial holdings from 1900 to the present.
This unit is less about the causes leading up to World War II and more a focus on how the imperialism question still must be answered. |
Must Know Content
The Interwar Period saw increased global tension in the form of:
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Causes of World War II
Theme: Governance
Learning Objective
Explain the causes and consequences of World War II.
This is the point where you bring up all of the unresolved issues that led to World War II. I know, I know - there is much more totalitarianism across Europe than simply Hitler in Germany, but Germany is the only state specifically mentioned in the standards. |
Must Know Content
The key causes of World War I included:
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Conducting World War II
Theme: Governance
Learning Objective
Explain similarities and differences in how governments used a variety of methods to conduct war.
Unlike World War I, you can afford to spend a little bit more time focusing on battles here, but it must also focus specifically on how various technological innovations were used within that specific context. Leadership is also a crucial concept here; no specific names are mentioned in the standards, so be sure to give several examples |
Must Know Content
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Mass Atrocities After 1900
Theme: Social Interactions & Organizations
Learning Objective
Explain the various causes and consequences of mass atrocities in the period from 1900 to the present.
While the bulk of this unit focuses on the 20th century up to 1945, and the focus here is obviously the Holocaust, you will also need to provide other examples that occurred prior to and after World War II. |
Must Know Content
Extremist groups gaining power led to violence, including:
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