College Board-Aligned
AP World History: Modern
This page follows the current official College Board course outline. Each unit/topic links to original local notes built for studying, practice, and review.
Course Snapshot
9
official units
46
linked topics/skills
Alignment Sources
Units & Topics
Unit 1: The Global Tapestry
On the AP exam: 8%-10% of exam score.
- Unit 1 Topic 1: States in: Africa Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 2: Afro-Eurasia Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 3: East Asia Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 4: Europe Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 5: South and Southeast Asia Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 6: The Americas Original Notes
Unit 2: Networks of Exchange
On the AP exam: 8%-10% of exam score.
- Unit 2 Topic 1: The Silk Roads Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 2: The Mongol Empire Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 3: The Indian Ocean trading network Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 4: The trans-Saharan trade routes Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 5: The effects of cross-cultural interactions Original Notes
Unit 3: Land-Based Empires
On the AP exam: 12%-15% of exam score.
Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections
On the AP exam: 12%-15% of exam score.
- Unit 4 Topic 1: The influence of scientific learning and technological innovation Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 2: The Columbian Exchange Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 3: Development and expansion of maritime empires Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 4: Internal and external challenges to state power Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 5: Changes to social hierarchies linked to the spread of empires Original Notes
Unit 5: Revolutions
On the AP exam: 12%-15% of Score.
- Unit 5 Topic 1: The Enlightenment Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 2: Revolutions against existing governments and the birth of new nation-states Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 3: The Industrial Revolution Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 4: Trade policies Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 5: The development of industrial economies Original Notes
Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization
On the AP exam: 12%-15% of exam score.
- Unit 6 Topic 1: State expansion in the 18th and 19th centuries Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 2: Resistance to imperialism Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 3: The growth of the global economy Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 4: Economic imperialism Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 5: Causes and effects of new migration patterns Original Notes
Unit 7: Global Conflict
On the AP exam: 8%-10% of exam score.
- Unit 7 Topic 1: Changes in the global political order after 1900 Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 2: World War I: its causes and how it was fought Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 3: The interwar period Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 4: World War II: its causes and how it was fought Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 5: Mass atrocities after 1900 Original Notes
Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization
On the AP exam: 8%-10% of exam score.
- Unit 8 Topic 1: The causes and effects of the Cold War Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 2: The spread of communism Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 3: How colonies in Asia and Africa achieved independence Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 4: The creation of new states after decolonization Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 5: The end of the Cold War Original Notes
Unit 9: Globalization
On the AP exam: 8%-10% of exam score.
- Unit 9 Topic 1: Advances in technology and their effects Original Notes
- Unit 9 Topic 2: Disease Original Notes
- Unit 9 Topic 3: Environment Original Notes
- Unit 9 Topic 4: Economic change Original Notes
- Unit 9 Topic 5: Movements for reform Original Notes
- Unit 9 Topic 6: How globalization changed culture Original Notes
- Unit 9 Topic 7: New international institutions Original Notes
Notes
Original EduCompanion Notes
These local notes follow the current College Board AP World History: Modern unit/topic list.
Unit 1: The Global Tapestry
Unit 1 Topic 1: States in: Africa
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 2: Afro-Eurasia
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 3: East Asia
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 4: Europe
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 5: South and Southeast Asia
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 6: The Americas
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2: Networks of Exchange
Unit 2 Topic 1: The Silk Roads
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 2: The Mongol Empire
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 3: The Indian Ocean trading network
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 4: The trans-Saharan trade routes
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 5: The effects of cross-cultural interactions
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3: Land-Based Empires
Unit 3 Topic 1: The development of the Manchu, Mughal, Ottoman, and Safavid empires
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3 Topic 2: How rulers of empires maintained their power
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3 Topic 3: Religious developments in empires
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections
Unit 4 Topic 1: The influence of scientific learning and technological innovation
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 2: The Columbian Exchange
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 3: Development and expansion of maritime empires
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 4: Internal and external challenges to state power
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 5: Changes to social hierarchies linked to the spread of empires
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5: Revolutions
Unit 5 Topic 1: The Enlightenment
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 2: Revolutions against existing governments and the birth of new nation-states
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 3: The Industrial Revolution
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 4: Trade policies
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 5: The development of industrial economies
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization
Unit 6 Topic 1: State expansion in the 18th and 19th centuries
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 2: Resistance to imperialism
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 3: The growth of the global economy
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 4: Economic imperialism
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 5: Causes and effects of new migration patterns
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7: Global Conflict
Unit 7 Topic 1: Changes in the global political order after 1900
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 2: World War I: its causes and how it was fought
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 3: The interwar period
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 4: World War II: its causes and how it was fought
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 5: Mass atrocities after 1900
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization
Unit 8 Topic 1: The causes and effects of the Cold War
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 2: The spread of communism
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 3: How colonies in Asia and Africa achieved independence
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 4: The creation of new states after decolonization
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 5: The end of the Cold War
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 9: Globalization
Unit 9 Topic 1: Advances in technology and their effects
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 9 Topic 2: Disease
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 9 Topic 3: Environment
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 9 Topic 4: Economic change
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 9 Topic 5: Movements for reform
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 9 Topic 6: How globalization changed culture
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 9 Topic 7: New international institutions
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Shared Google Drive Notes
No shared Google Drive notes are currently mapped for this course. Local original notes are still available above.
Practice Questions
Each note page includes a quick practice prompt. Use these unit practice cards to review the same way AP questions ask you to apply ideas, evidence, and reasoning.
Unit 1 Practice
Use the linked notes for The Global Tapestry to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Unit 2 Practice
Use the linked notes for Networks of Exchange to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Unit 3 Practice
Use the linked notes for Land-Based Empires to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Unit 4 Practice
Use the linked notes for Transoceanic Interconnections to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Study Guides
Use this as a unit review index. Open each unit, work through the topic notes, then return here to move to the next unit.
Unit 1: The Global Tapestry
6 topics to review, 8%-10% of exam score
Unit 2: Networks of Exchange
5 topics to review, 8%-10% of exam score
Unit 3: Land-Based Empires
3 topics to review, 12%-15% of exam score
Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections
5 topics to review, 12%-15% of exam score
Unit 5: Revolutions
5 topics to review, 12%-15% of Score
Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization
5 topics to review, 12%-15% of exam score
Unit 7: Global Conflict
5 topics to review, 8%-10% of exam score
Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization
5 topics to review, 8%-10% of exam score
Unit 9: Globalization
7 topics to review, 8%-10% of exam score