He Said: AP World is a Must
Let’s make ourselves global citizens
By Skylar Lindsay
Published May 15, 2009
A few Tuesdays ago my AP Euro class flipped out, and for once it was not in reaction to another gratuitous 80-question test. When Mr. Berkenwald’s second period caught wind that Garfield will be offering AP World instead of AP Euro next year that wind carried the scent of an automatic negative reaction. The response of dissatisfaction with the Seattle Schools’ decision was overwhelming.
Many are now mourning the loss of the memorable first AP class of high school, but I welcome the idea of an in-depth history of the whole world. For us to gain an understanding of the world’s current problems we need to understand the events that have shaped them.
Let’s be clear though; I carry no beef with the history of Europe. Some argue that AP Euro is too Euro-centric, and of course it is — that’s its area of focus. Yet it seems weird that while we have AP Euro we’re not offered an AP Asian, African or South American history class. If we get the budget we should by all means offer continent specific AP history classes, but until then we should focus on the entire world.
Europe deserves attention and, according to the College Board website, 30% of AP World’s content should be about Europe. That’s about 11 weeks. If all seven continents were covered evenly each would be given a little bit over five weeks. Through an AP World lens Europe gets its part, but students also get a view of cultures and societies everywhere.
At Garfield, 59% of our student body didn’t descend from Europe. The areas where many students have their roots are only talked about in AP Euro with regard to how they were conquered. Even if you’re from Europe yourself, the guy next to you might not be and there’s no reason he should have to learn solely about Europe. Via an AP World History course, chances are the class will get around to wherever your ancestors are from.
AP U.S. History makes sense seeing as, just FYI, we live in the U.S. Many juniors have based their dissatisfaction with AP World on how well AP Euro prepares you for U.S. History. They cite a good background on such little-known events as “World War II.” Luckily for them, the College Board’s description of AP World says, “Coverage of the United States is included in relation to its interaction with other societies.” My knowledge of U.S. history is limited, but after a quick Wikipedia investigation, I’ve thankfully learned that World War II affected the whole world, thus explaining its inclusion in AP World. And the benefits of World History go on, as it prepares you for more than just AP U.S.
Those who enroll in AP courses undoubtedly do so to prepare for the big finish to your education: college. Colleges are looking for “world citizens,” so your hotness level in the eyes of the “Mr. Right” of colleges is like that of a 4.0, violin-playing pole vaulter if you’ve taken AP World, according to UW research scientist Cathy Beyer.
“There’s a global direction that many institutions are going in, and to know something about world history is considered better preparation for college,” says Beyer, who specializes in the assessment of student learning. And Washington colleges are on the bandwagon, as University of Washington, Washington State University, Seattle Pacific University, and both Central and Western Washington Universities all feature the words global and understanding in their mission statements. An AP World course on your transcript would fit right in.
Simony and lassez-faire are great words and all, but so are ‘chocolate’, ‘cake’ and ‘donk.’ The fact is, these last three words have more to do with many Garfield students’ lives than an AP Euro class does. Students should have a chance to gain an understanding about the background of today’s problems on every continent. AP World History seems to me a necessary course to be offered at Garfield.
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You lose some credibility when you suggest that AP World would cover 5 weeks of Antarctican History
“If all seven continents were covered evenly each would be given a little bit over five weeks.”
I don’t know if anyone will read my reply, but I hope someone, the author of the article, a parent, or a student, will.
I lament the loss of the AP European History course at Garfield. I took it several years ago (I graduated last year, so I took it three years ago.) under Mr. Mandelman in first semester and Mr. Cerquitella in second semester. It was one of my favorite courses and it was probably the one where I learned the most.
The study of world history, as you say, is indeed important. We hear in the news all the time about the Middle East, the growing prominence of China’s economy, and the wars in Africa. Surely an understanding of the history of the world will help us react to these events with reasoning.
But you assume that you will acquire this knowledge from the course in AP World History. You assume that the course will provide, as you say, “an in-depth history of the whole world.” That, unfortunately, cannot be obtained in one year. It takes a school year to survey the history of the West from 1500 to the present. With that said, it is clear that no matter how studious and industrious the students who take AP World History may be, they will fail to understand the broad themes of world history, let alone an in-depth knowledge.
That is what AP World History is supposed to do. It is supposed to give the students an idea of the major problems and difficulties and achievements of world societies. For example, the impact of nationalism in China and Bolivia, or the development of religions in Mexico and Egypt. But nationalism really originated in Europe, and nationalism in China and in Bolivia arose as a reaction to Western imperialism. This means that there is no understanding nationalism in world societies without reading about the reasons for imperialism in the West. As for religion, I admit that Mayan religion developed separately from Christianity. Nevertheless, what is important about learning about religion, in the context of high school learning? The answer is: Because religion is, more often than you think, a force that shapes the ideas and ideals of men. That can be seen by looking at the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation did not arise just because Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses on a church in Wittenburg. Many people thought the Church (because there was really only one Church at the time) corrupt and unresponsive to the problems at the time. In fact, the Protestant Reformation was really a revolution, one of the major quakes of Western history, and from that revolution there was later a search for order. The point is, religion as historical force can be seen in the study of European history.
That long paragraph hints at why we aren’t offered AP Asian History (Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean, or the history of the other 49 or so nations?) or AP South American History. First, the study of European history helps us understand the history of other places. I argued that in the last paragraph. Studying Western history is also more relevant to students in the U.S. than, say, studying Australia. As one historian said, “I know that all of us do not stem from the little peninsula of Asia that we call Europe. But the language, the culture, the politics of the society we live in stem from there, so it’s an important journey to take.” As you suggest, Garfield does not have the budget to support a history of each continent, but then you say, with absurdity, “If we get the budget we should by all means offer continent specific AP history classes, but until then we should focus on the entire world.” Is it even possible to “focus on the entire world”? All you can end up in AP World History is a hodgepodge of ideas that aren’t solidly connected. It is more important for us to learn the history of our society (I don’t care if you’re from Vietnam; you live in the West.) before going on to the others. I find it inexcusable that instead of learning about the causes and effects of the Renaissance, people here will learn about the Yuanmingyuan and the Angkor Wat.
You argued the wrong thing in this article. You argued that the study of world history is important. But you should have focused on why you think AP World History should replace AP European History. You assume that a course in AP World History will give people the necessary knowledge of world history; I’m saying that it won’t. Besides, doesn’t Garfield offer World History and World History Honors for freshmen?
A survey of European history is in many ways limited to just Europe. But if you have acquired a general understanding (enough to get a 5 on the exam), you can use your knowledge to understand the history of other societies, which, unless the budget magically increases, you can read about on your own or in college.
“As one historian said, ‘I know that all of us do not stem from the little peninsula of Asia that we call Europe. But the language, the culture, the politics of the society we live in stem from there, so it’s an important journey to take.’”
Dylon has it right. AP Euro is more relevant to American, and GHS, students because the nation we all live in is a European nation. Our government, economy, society, and justice system are all built on European ideals, particularly those of the renaissance and enlightenment. Even if the student sitting next to you is not of European descent, they are living in a nation that is European at its very core. An understanding of African or Asian history, however beneficial, pales in relevancy and usefulness (to an American student) when compared to an understanding of Europe and its ideals. You cannot understand, and then live productively in, America without understanding how the US came to be.
In addition, AP Euro classes are brief overviews of European history (~800 yrs covered in two semesters). How can a student possibly gain even a basic understanding of the history of the world in 3 semesters?
Leave world history for college and educate students to become informed participants in the American Democracy (spawned from the discord of European monarchies)