Summer Reading for AP World History

Click this link to see: Six Glasses Information, Reading Check Questions, Notes over the book, and Video Lectures by Mr. Duez over the entire book. 

Welcome to WHAP young Jedi. This is a monumental undertaking that you are about to embark on with, what for many of you is, your first REAL Advanced Placement class. As you have already been forewarned, this is a class that will challenge you to the highest level. Do not let the challenge deter you. You can do it. But it takes hard work.

Believe it or not, that's actually 6 Glasses being read at the beach. I kid you not.

Personally I have just finished the best year of teaching in my career. The students who have blazed a trail before you the previous three years have helped me to create a class where I am certain these things WILL happen:

1. You will learn how to work at a college level.
2. You will write more in this class than any class you have ever had before.
3. You will become skilled in the art and science of analytically thinking through difficult questions and superbly stating your answer when writing a thesis to argue a historical point.
4. You WILL be prepared for the AP World History Test on May 15, 2014. (A mere 341 days, as I write this)
5. You will learn things about the world, history, culture, conflict, and the human condition that you did not know before.
6. You will have fun doing it, but the struggle will not be easy.

The best way to prepare yourself is to get the summer read: "A History of the World in Six Glasses" by Tom Standage and have it read and understood by the first day of school. We will spend the first 10 days discussing the book, learning how Advanced Placement functions, and introducing you to the fast-paced and incredible world of AP World History.

We will have a 6 Glasses quiz on the 1st day of the second week (Mon).
The 6 Glasses test is the first block day (the following Wed/Thu).

These tests and quizzes are not meant to crush you, wean the weak out of this class, or punish those who could not understand the summer reading on their own. The quiz and test are exactly like the ones we will take while studying "The Ways of the World" by Robert W. Strayer during the school year. They are meant to support the outside of class work you will do (and that is a lot!) and prepare you for a very rigorous AP Test in May.

As I mentioned earlier, you will be ready.

The summer reading takes you through the entire course of history that we are preparing to study. It is a wonderful way to prep for the year. Good luck and please feel free to email me if you have any questions: david.duez@gmail.com

Even though it is summer, I don't mind answering emails. I would rather do so now than have confused and intimidated students on the first day of class.
For more information, video discussing the summer reading and introducing you to WHAP.