Two Veterans on APWH

Episode #12 - Tony interviews Andy about collaboration & their first year teaching APWH together. Both have previous experience teaching APWH at different schools, hence take a peek behind the curtain and listen to the approaches discussed. Topics of discussion include: expectations of a new school, AP Comparative Government, the uniqueness of 1200-1450 & building reading stamina in the beginning of the year, "setting the stage" in regards to working together via our personalities & establishing a trusting relationship via "the middle path," creating a mock trial on the ottoman empire, the fall off in HW in the Spring, all APWH units & timeframes, & reviewing for the APWH Exam.  

Episode #11 The SAQ -Tony interviews Justin about teaching APWH to Freshmen at a rural school in the south, his experiences as an "army brat,"  becoming a teacher, serving as an exam reader/grader, & the SAQ.  Topics of discussion include: Establishing expectations with Freshmen, Grading DBQs, LEQs, & SAQs, to write the SAQ by hand or by computer, using the ACE and TEA acronyms, structuring responses, "No Fluff Zone," Task Verbs, Spiral the APWH Themes, the SAQ matrix, applying a grading scale to the SAQ, visuals and color on the exam, & the importance of travel in APWH.  Additionally there is a Patreon version of this episode available with exclusive content.  

Episode #10 - Tony interviews Latin American History Professor Seth Meisel (recently retired from Northwestern University) about 1200-1450 CE and 1450-1750 CE, and putting Latin American History into APWH context.  Topics of discussion include: Seth's journey into Latin American History, iconography of Maya and Aztecs, pre conquest Maya via Gods &  archeology, Inca civilizations via vertical archipelago, agriculture, and Incan Socialism, the columbian exchange, the Aztec Empire, expansion, flower wars, and human sacrifice, whether or not the Aztecs viewed the conquistadores as Gods, La Malinche, conquest of the Inca, the encomienda system, Roman Catholic Missionaries, Silver mining, slavery, sugar cane plantations, and the casta system.  Additionally there is a Patreon version of this episode available with exclusive content.

Tony interviews a longtime Social Studies teacher (his Father) and his quest to take a family of five to live in Florence, Italy in 1986.  Topics include:  Being neighbors in Florence, Italy, overdosing on art and museums. being a parent and sending Tony to a local school, downshifting in life, readjusting to the USA, reflections on the trip, advice for others that are interested in taking their families on a sabbatical for a year, and the idea of a "mini sabbatical."   If you really like the episode, you might want to check out the patreon version, which gives you both episodes #8-9 combined together in a less edited episode and available a few weeks before the public release.

Tony interviews a longtime Social Studies teacher (his Father) and his quest to take a family of five across 15 countries in Cold War Europe via a sabbatical in a Volkswagen Vanagon in 1986.  Topics include:  The Soviet Union, the charm of his daughters, Russian guards and teenage guides, censorship and realities of communism, European campgrounds, the uniqueness and opportunity of the High School he worked at, motivation/influences of the sabbatical, exploring as tourists, castles, WWII, Auschwitz, financing, and more.  If you really like the episode, you might want to check out the patreon version, which gives you episode #9 before the public release (in about one month) and is less edited.  

Episode #7 - Adam and Tony explore the easiest and hardest historical topics to grasp for 1750-1900.  They explore Crane Brinton's anatomy of a revolution, details of the Haitian Revolution and Voodoo, the Urban Game, The Scramble for Africa game,  and the Tanzimat vs. Meiji Reforms via a debate analyzing changes in the Ottoman and Japanese Empires.  Other points of discussion also include: All Star DBQs, SAQs, LEQs that "punch above their weight" for the timeframe, Freshmen class activities, favorite historical trips for the timeframe, teacher tips, and recommended resources.

Episode #6 1900 to present is discussed by AP Summer Institute leader and AP exam reader Jonathan and Tony  in regards to their approaches with these units.  Topics of discussion include: the easiest and hardest content/topics, essay framing, all star activities, Jomo Kenyatta, Free Trade, the Green Revolution, DBQs, SAQs, the developing world, the Vietnam War, Freshmen World History connections, movies afternoon, review sessions, and more.  Additionally there is a Patreon version of this episode available with exclusive content.

AP Summer Institute leader and AP exam reader Jonathan is interviewed by Tony and reflects on his approaches to teaching AP World History, teaching to varying proficiency levels (10% vs. 85%), reading strategies for lower skilled students, reading the textbook, outlining/cornell notes, analyzing visual sources for Multiple Choice Questions, Tips for a younger version of himself, and  tips for someone that is new to teaching APWH.

Adam and Tony explore the easiest and hardest historical topics to grasp for 1450-1750.  They break down how the historical speed dating and choice board activities work in their classrooms.  They analyze All Star DBQs, SAQs, LEQs that "punch above their weight" for the timeframe.  Points of discussion also include how they would approach APWH if they taught it at different types of schools, pre-2017 LEQs (and how they can be used to build students' confidence), Freshmen and APEH/USH class activities, favorite historical trips/vacations, 1st year teacher tips, and recommended resources.  

Former APWH student Jonathan is interviewed about how APWH helped contribute to him getting his PHD in anthropology, and his path to get there.  Points of discussion include Document Based Questions (DBQ), primary source analysis, pedagogy, traveling/backpacking, youth hostels, research of pyramids and codexes of Meso-America, Iconography, Hernan Cortes, and Museums.

Adam and Tony explore the uniqueness of Unit Zero, and how each school starts their APWH journey in a different place based upon students previous historical knowledge and skills.  Next, they enter 1200-1450, and discuss the following topics:  "low hanging fruit of the Mongol Empire," textbooks, first year teacher tips, summer homework, essay writing tips, teaching 75 or more students, All Star activities, DBQs/LEQs/ SAQs, incorporating Freshmen classes, pedagogy, student buy in, and recommended resources.

Meet Tony and Adam as they introduce their teaching philosophies and discuss how they would approach APWH if they taught it at different types of schools.  Points of discussion include work - life balance, assigning chapter readings, number of DBQs/ SAQs/LEQs to assign throughout the year, struggling urban schools vs. high performing schools, incorporating Freshmen classes and the Social Studies Department, student "buy in," the evolution of APWH since 2009, and recommended resources.