This page focuses on the requirements developed by the College Board for the fifth unit of AP Modern World History. Below you will find each of the following:
- The Enlightenment
- Focus on the philosophical underpinnings and social activities of the era, especially those ideas that led to revolutions and social movements
- Focus on the philosophical underpinnings and social activities of the era, especially those ideas that led to revolutions and social movements
- Nationalism and Revolutions in the Period 1750 - 1900
- Focus on the perception of ethnicity as a driving force behind nationhood, as well as social movements focusing on minority groups inside larger states
- Focus on the perception of ethnicity as a driving force behind nationhood, as well as social movements focusing on minority groups inside larger states
- Industrial Revolution Begins
- Focus on the factors that led to Britain industrializing first, as well as the early development of the factory system
- Focus on the factors that led to Britain industrializing first, as well as the early development of the factory system
- Industrialization Spreads in the Period from 1750 - 1900
- Focus on the expansion of industrialization into various regions, focusing specifically on Russia, the United States, and Japan
- Focus on the expansion of industrialization into various regions, focusing specifically on Russia, the United States, and Japan
- Technology of the Industrial Age
- Focus on technological developments and energy sources for both the first and second industrial revolutions
- Focus on technological developments and energy sources for both the first and second industrial revolutions
- Industrialization: Government's Role from 1750 - 1900
- Focus on individual government's political policies that led to increased industrialization with a special focus on Meiji Japan
- Economic Developments and Innovations of the Industrial Age
- Focus on the development of free market capitalist ideology, the growth of transnational businesses, and its impact on the standard of living for some in the industrialized world
- Focus on the development of free market capitalist ideology, the growth of transnational businesses, and its impact on the standard of living for some in the industrialized world
- Reactions to the Industrial Economy
- Focus on labor & educational reform movements, the development of labor unions, the growth of socialism & communism, and China & Ottoman attempts to industrialize
- Focus on labor & educational reform movements, the development of labor unions, the growth of socialism & communism, and China & Ottoman attempts to industrialize
- Society and the Industrial Age
- Focus on rapid urbanization, new social classes, and changes to gender roles across Europe
- Focus on rapid urbanization, new social classes, and changes to gender roles across Europe
The Enlightenment
Theme: Cultural Developments and Interactions
Learning Objective
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Must Know Concepts
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Explain the intellectual and ideological context in which revolutions swept the Atlantic world from 1750 - 1900.
This unit is pretty heavy on philosophy and the history of science. You should pick a few specific examples students can use in order to demonstrate key concepts. Using primary sources for this unit is incredibly beneficial for students. |
Enlightenment philosophies led to:
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- History.com: The Enlightenment, Thinkers & Ideas
- Basic background on Enlightenment ideas
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: The Enlightenment
- Highly in depth discussion of the Enlightenment, including scientific thought, political thought, and aestheticism
- Lumen Boundless World History: The Enlightenment
- In depth secondary source on the Enlightenment; less intensive than Stanford, but more specific than History.com or Khan Academy
- Khan Academy: The Enlightenment
- High school level discussion on the Enlightenment, specifically from a Colonial American perspective
- Khan Academy: Origins and Impacts of Nationalism
- High school level discussion on Nationalism as a political and social movement across the globe in the 18th & 18th centuries
Theme: Social Interactions and Organization
Learning Objective
Explain how the Enlightenment affected societies over time.
The four specific concepts here are easy enough to teach, but make sure you make connections between these ideas and the enlightenment ideals that lead to them. |
Must Know Concepts
Enlightenment philosophies led to social movements that advocated for:
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Nationalism and Revolutions
Theme: Governance
Learning Objective
Explain the causes and effects of the various revolutions in the period 1750 - 1900.
The Revolutions are the most important concept within this set of standards; having students research a specific revolution and then pair up to share information is an effective way to teach each of these; it may also be a good idea to have students create arguments comparing and contrasting them to solidify their knowledge of each. |
Must Know Concepts
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- NSCC Online Textbook: Western Civilization, Political Ideologies & Movements
- Scroll about halfway down the webpage to find content on 19th century Liberalism, Nationalism, and the like
- National Park Service: Timeline of the American Revolution
- Decent source that allows students to dig into ideas regarding cause and effect
- Lumen Learning: Boundless World History, The South American Revolutions
- Highly detailed source that gives extensive explanations on the origins and impacts of nationalist revolutions across South America with a brief discussion on Haiti
- ThoughtCo: Causes of the Latin American Revolution
- Concise explanation that details causes and effects of these rebellions
- Blackpast: Haitian Revolution, 1791 - 1804
- Concise discussion that details the Haitian Revolution and its impacts
- Slavery and Remembrance: Haitian Revolution
- Another brief source detailing the importance of the Haitian Revolution as a historical development
- Lumen: German Unification
- In depth discussion of the German Confederation leading to the German state and the rise of German nationalism
The Industrial Revolution Begins
Theme: Humans and the Environment
Learning Objective
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Must Know Concepts
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Explain how environmental factors contributed to industrialization from 1750 - 1900.
Using England as an example for this standard is probably your best option for teaching the concepts. As students develop their knowledge, have them consider how each of the concepts applies to other countries. |
Multiple factors led to industrialization in Europe, including:
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- Foundations of Western Culture: The Beginning of Industrialization in Britain
- Concise but thorough explanation of the factors that led to British Industrialization
Industrialization Spreads
Theme: Technology & Innovation
Learning Objective
Explain how different modes and locations of production have developed and changed over time.
Providing examples for students outside of those examples is helpful, but the US, Russia, and Japan are the specific must know examples of diffusion. India, the Ottoman Empire, and China are your best bets for declining power because you'll find the most primary and secondary sources for these specifically. |
Must Know Concepts
The first industrial revolution led to:
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- Nippon.com: Japanese Industrialization
- In depth explanation of Japanese industrialization as a result of the Meiji Restoration
- ERIH: On the Industrial History of Russia
- Concise discussion on the slow expansion of industry across Russia
- Economic History: The Roots of American Industrialization, 1790 - 1860
- Dry but informative explanation of the expansion of industry in the United States
Technology of the Industrial Age
Theme: Technology & Innovation
Learning Objective
Explain how technology shaped economic production over time.
The big concepts here are obviously the innovations highlighted in Must Know Concepts, but providing specific examples of expansion of energy development & usage, steel production, and chemical usage are also very important. |
Must Know Concepts
The Fossil Fuel revolution led to:
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- Thoughtco: The History of Railroad Technology
- This is a good source to detail the continuities and changes to railroad technology over time
- History.com: Morse Code & the Telegraph
- This is a pretty good source for background info on the history of communication up to this era
Industrialization: Government's Role
Theme: Governance
Learning Objective
Explain the causes and effects of economic strategies of different states and empires.
The key focus here is the Meiji Restoration; the most important aspects to focus on are the unification, industrialization, and government reforms leading to a more open Japan in the mid 1800s. |
Must Know Concepts
The Industrial Revolution and growing influence of Europe & the US across the world led to:
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- Asia for Educators: The Meiji Restoration and Modernization
- This is a very good source that details the background of, the details of, and the impact of the Meiji Restoration in Japan
- Country Studies: Muhammad Ali, 1805 - 1848
- Source from a text on Egypt focusing on Muhammad Ali's leadership in developing the modern Egyptian economy - good source outside of Japan
Economic Developments and Innovations of the Industrial Age
Theme: Economic Systems
Learning Objective
Explain the development of economic systems, ideologies, and institutions and how they contributed to change in the period from 1750 to 1900.
Focusing on laissez - faire capitalism is the best option for students here, especially providing some primary source examples. This should lead directly into specific examples that detail the growth of European economic power across the globe. |
Must Know Concepts
Several economic developments dominated this time period, including:
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- The Economic Historian: The Limited Corporation, A History of Global Capitalism
- This source fits well in this unit, but it may be a bit tough for some high school students. Good for teacher knowledge development
- Investopedia: Who Was Adam Smith?
- Well organized discussion on Adam Smith's life and economic philosophy
- Investopedia: The Birth of Stock Exchanges
- Another decent piece from Investopedia on the history of stock exchanges
- Funding Universe: HSBC Holdings PLC History
- A decent breakdown of HSBC's origins and history
Reactions to the Industrial Economy
Theme: Social Interactions & Organization
Learning Objective
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Must Know Concepts
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Explain the causes and effects of calls for changes in industrial societies from 1750 to 1900.
The obvious concept to understand her is the development of Marxism, but other concepts are also crucial, including labor unions and reforms brought about by legislative actions. |
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- Khan Academy: Responses to Industrialization
- Good secondary reading on reforms and reform movements in response to industrialization
- History Crunch: Labor Movement in the Industrial Revolution
- Brief piece of the development of labor unions during the modern era
- AlphaHistory: The Self - Strengthening Movement
- Encyclopedic piece on the Qing attempt to advance Chinese society and industry in the midst of European imperialism
- DailyHistory.org: What was the impact of the Tanzimat Reforms on the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century?
- Good secondary source with context, explanations, and ultimate outcomes of the Tanzimat Reforms
- The Victorian Web: Chronology of Social Change and Social Reform in Great Britain in the 19th and Early 20th Centuries
- A decent timeline with specific factual information regarding social reforms; decent amount of explanation and context
Society and the Industrial Age
Theme: Societal Interactions and Organizations
Learning Objective
Explain how industrialization caused change in existing social hierarchies and standards of living.
Students need to draw connections between the role of women in society as a result of industrialization, the emergence of a new middle class, and the development of unique social problems related to rapid urbanization. |
Must Know Concepts
New social classes emerged, including:
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- Econlib: The Industrial Revolution and Standards of Living
- In depth piece on the impact of the industrial revolution on standards of living with discussion on historical debates regarding when standard of living truly improved
- Foundations of Western Culture: The Transformation of Cities and the Urban Experience
- Brief explanation of the impact of industrialization on pollution, health, and poverty
- Khan Academy: Class Structure
- Another good Khan Academy source; this one focuses heavily on class consciousness developing in the 19th century as a result of capitalism spreading across Europe
- Tsongas Industrial History Center: The Role of Women in the Industrial Revolution
- Very good secondary piece on the role of women during the industrial revolution, focusing specifically on the US