UNDERSTANDING AP® THEMES IN PART TWO
103-a
Organization and Reorganization of Human Societies
Corresponding to Period 2 of the AP® course outline, Part Two of this text constitutes 15 percent of the exam. In this part, we examine the millennium of second-wave civilizations that occurred roughly between 600 B.C.E. and 600 C.E. We will explore first the major civilizations of Eurasia and North Africa (Chinese, Indian, Persian, and Mediterranean) using a thematic approach. For example, we will consider the following:
The construction of imperial states in Chapter 3
Prominent religious and cultural traditions in Chapter 4
Patterns of social organization in Chapter 5
And finally, in Chapter 6 we examine the second-wave era in sub-Saharan Africa, the Americas, and Pacific Oceania, with special emphasis on social and political alternatives to city- and state-based civilizations. Throughout Part Two, you will see repeated references to the reciprocal influence of the natural order and human activity as well as the economic structures of particular civilizations and the networks of linkage among them.
As in Part One, the chart on the opposite page provides an overview of the AP® World History themes you will encounter in this part. As you read the following chapters, continue to pay close attention to these five themes. Also watch for AP® Exam Tips throughout the text to assist in your coursework and exam preparation.
103-b
