A Must or Bust: AP World History
June 21, 2023
For most students, sophomore year is the first year they can begin taking AP classes with many deciding to take AP World History. The current teacher is Mr. Morgan who also teaches World History for sophomores.
The class begins with a reasonable summer assignment and then jumps feet first into the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras. Mr. Morgan teaches each unit similar to what will appear on the AP test in May preparing his students for that challenge.
The homework load is considered to be on the heavier side with weekly textbook chapter assignments. Although these are time-consuming Mr. Morgan has a one-week grace period for all work that almost all students utilize.
“It’s a super fun class I really liked doing well on the tests, but I would always do the homework every Saturday or Sunday,” current student Jack Swafford said.
While preparing students for the AP test Mr. Morgan gives lessons on writing a DBQ—document-based question—a lesson that helps his students become better writers overall.
“Learning how to write a DBQ has helped me with my writing a lot in general and I felt better prepared for state testing,” Swafford said.
Overall, even with a large homework load AP World sets students up for the next year’s history class, AP US History, very well, and prepares underclassmen for the workload that comes with taking advanced classes.
“It’s a lot of work, but you’ll benefit and have an easier time after if you do the work,” former student Erika Meadows said.
In this class, the grind before the AP test seems to never stop, but afterward the class is much more relaxed watching movies and working on simpler projects. This AP class, while having more work than others, is still a great idea for students who plan on attending more competitive colleges, and especially for students who are considering English or History degrees.