This course offers a comprehensive look at the world today focusing on significant events in the news. We will examine current events on an international, national, and local level. The intent of the course is to provide you with the basic background and foundational information to help you understand the world that we live in today. It will examine various social, political, economic, religious, and cultural events in different countries and regions in order to better comprehend multiple perspectives on the world today.

World History is the study of human cultures throughout the world developing from the first civilizations to the modern age. The story of how humankind organizes culturally and establishes political, economic, and social institutions is the central part of this course. Students will develop and use the skills of reading, writing, critical thinking, and collaboration. World History should give the students an appreciation of the accomplishments of other people and cultures, as well as a better understanding of their own culture. This year we will focus on the following topics: Four River Valley Civilizations, Classical Mediterranean Civilizations, Classical China, Classical India, American Origins (Maya, Aztec, Incan), Ancient Sub Saharan Africa, Medieval Europe, Intermediate Asia, The European and Chinese Renaissance, Exploration and Enlightenment, Industrialization and Globalization, Major World Conflicts, the Modern Era.

Have time to befriend a new student at Whitewater, volunteer for community service? Do you want to represent Whitewater High School in a positive way?

Then maybe you should consider becoming a Whitewater High School Ambassador. This program was founded to welcome new students into our school and promote goodwill within our building and community. Ambassadors are a dedicated group of students who work monthly on community service projects both within our school and out in the community.

All students who are seniors or juniors this year are eligible to attend the Close Up program. This is a week long experience in Washington, D.C. which provides students with the opportunity to better understand their responsibilities as a citizen to participate in our democratic process. Close Up is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that has been helping our nation’s young adults realize the importance of being actively involved in local, state, national and international issues.

“The purpose of the AP World History course is to develop greater understanding of the evolution of
global processes and contacts in different types of human societies. This understanding is advanced through a
combination of selective factual knowledge and appropriate analytical skills. The course highlights the nature of
changes in global frameworks and their causes and consequences, as well as comparisons among major societies.
It emphasizes relevant factual knowledge, leading interpretive issues, and skills in analyzing types of historical
evidence. Periodization, explicitly discussed, forms an organizing principle to address change and continuity
throughout the course. Specific themes provide further organization to the course, along with consistent
attention to contacts among societies that form the core of world history as a field of study.”
-College Board AP World History Course Description

Whitewater High School
Jennifer Grossbohlin