Over 70 million people died during World War II. This video explores the meaning behind the numbers, to reveal the staggering toll of this global conflict. Millions of soldiers were slaughtered in the war, but civilians were targeted and killed in equal number. While the Soviet Union and China suffered astonishing numbers of casualties, millions of civilians were murdered in the Holocaust and Japanese war atrocities. In terms of total number of deaths, the Second World War is the deadliest in history. Since 1945, wars have become less deadly and less common, resulting in what some call the “Long Peace.”

This video explores the statistics of World War II casualties. It will help you to grasp the scale of the conflict, and the importance of determining its causes. It will also help you contextualize World War II in the broader arc of world history to understand how it relates to past conflicts, and also, what it might tell us about the future.

Think about the following question as you watch the video: To what extent does this video explain the causes and consequences of World War II? You will be asked to respond to this question again at the end of the video.

Preview—Skimming for Gist

As a reminder, open and read the questions before you watch the video.

Key Ideas—Understanding Content

Think about the following questions as you watch this video:

1. What was the general profile up people who make up military deaths as opposed to civilian deaths?
2. Where did the most Nazis die?
3. What country lost the most casualties as a percentage of its population?
4. Who lost the most soldiers and civilians in the war and why?
5. Which side purposely targeted civilians during World War II? Give some examples?
6. Was World War II the deadliest war in history?
7. What does this video mean by “The Long Peace”?

Evaluating and Corroborating

1. To what extent does this video explain the causes and consequences of World War II?
2. The video concludes that, since World War II, large conflicts have been less common and less deadly. How do you explain this trend?
3. Do you think World War II was the most devastating event in world history? Why or why not?

During the Second World War, the Nazis and their collaborators murdered tens of million people. Their victims included Jews, Roma, prisoners of war, and other groups. Many, especially the Nazi’s Jewish victims, died in concentration camps. The Nazi’s slaughter was carried out on an industrial scale made possible by modern science and technology. Today, these atrocities are collectively called “the Holocaust”. This article addresses the difficult, but necessary, task of discussing this horrific event.

The Unit Problem asks you to consider the causes of global conflict from c. 1900 to the present. These conflicts had a very real human cost, and this article helps to describe one the greatest atrocities of this era, the Holocaust. It should help you respond to the Unit Problem by addressing how this atrocity was possible, who carried it out, and who was affected. It will also prepare you for other articles you might read in the course, which deal with global reactions to the horrors of the Second World War.

Think about the following question as you read the article: To what extent does this article explain the various causes and consequences of mass atrocities in the period from 1900 to the present? Write this question at the top of the Three Close Reads worksheet. You will be asked to respond to this question again after the third read in the Evaluating and Corroborating section of the worksheet.

Read 1—Skimming for Gist

Fill out the Skimming for Gist section of the Three Close Reads worksheet as you complete your first close read. As a reminder, this should be a quick process!

Read 2—Understanding Content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. What policies made persecutions of Jewish German citizens official?
2. What was Kristallnacht?
3. What was the T4 program?
4. Who committed the atrocities of the Holocaust?
5. How does the author explain the willing participation of women in fascist regimes, even those regimes limited their public and private freedoms?

Read 3—Evaluating and Corroborating

At the end of the third close read, respond to the following questions:

1. To what extent does this article explain the various causes and consequences of mass atrocities in the period from 1900 to the present?
2. The author argues that “We need to be on the lookout for when we, too, become ‘used to’ the casual oppression of others, when our everyday compassion for people different from us disappears.” Can you think of examples from your own life or from your society of people getting “used to” bad treatment of others? Are there ways in which we can act to avoid repeating this kind of atrocity?

It’s often hard to grasp how the horrors of the Holocaust could have happened, and also hard to decide who was responsible for those atrocities. This activity is meant to help you think about where responsibilities lies when these types of events occur. While it’s shocking to think that this type of behavior would ever be repeated, there are still atrocities being committed in the world today. As thoughtful citizens of the world, you might one day have to decide who should be held responsible for acts or events such as these. This activity is meant to help you think through how responsibility should be assigned.

Start by getting into groups as assigned by your teacher and taking out the Assessing and Defining Responsibility Statements worksheet. Each statement on the worksheet is hypothetical, but aligns to the experiences of different citizens in Nazi Germany. After reading the statements, your group needs to determine just how responsible each person was for what happened between 1933 and 1945. You may disagree on how much responsibility each person should have, but you have to come to a group consensus on each of the points. Once you’re done, be prepared to share with your class the top three items you disagreed on and why.

One way to think about people who are involved in these types of events is to assess their responsibility by categorizing them in particular ways. One method of doing this is by using the following five categories:

1. Perpetrators
2. Collaborators
3. Bystanders
4. Resisters
5. Rescuers

Discuss each of these terms in small groups, and decide what each one means. Next, read the following paragraph about the Armenian Genocide, which you learned about in an earlier lesson. After you finish reading, identify a person or group that fits with each of the roles listed above for this genocide. Be prepared to discuss your ideas as a class so you can make sure you understand what each one means.

The Ottoman government issued orders to forcibly relocate Armenian communities from border areas and military fronts during World War I. The Armenian soldiers had their weapons taken away and were sent to labor camps. Following orders from government and military officials, Ottoman soldiers took these Armenians to remote locations and shot them. Some Turkish officials in Istanbul attempted to warn their Armenian friends of the danger of remaining in the Ottoman Empire. One official quietly told his friend, “A new storm is about to break upon the Armenians so I hope that you will save yourself.” (Suny, 246) Some fled to Europe and the Americas with the help of friends, who offered safe places to stay and safe passage out of the country. As the violence ramped up, Ottoman soldiers forced whole families to march away from their homes leaving everything behind. Their houses and possessions were later sold to the highest bidder. Many Turks who had lived in the same communities with Armenians for generations were upset with this but were too fearful to do anything about it. Some Armenians rebelled against the slaughtering of their people by taking up arms to fight back. In Europe and America, organizations were formed to provide aid to the Armenians. Some ambassadors in Istanbul tried to convince the Turkish (Ottoman) officials to stop the violence. But nothing seemed to work. The American ambassador to Istanbul, Henry Morgenthau Sr., described the events as “a campaign of race extermination.”

Then, discuss the following questions as a class about each of the categories.

1. How do you think perpetrators were able to rise to such high levels of power during this time period?
2. Most of the guards in concentration camps did not start out as overly aggressive or mean. Why did they help collaborate to commit such atrocities?
3. Why did so many people stand by and allow these atrocities to happen?
4. What are the characteristics of a person who is willing to take a risk and resist?
5. What inspires rescuers to risk their lives and those of their families to help other people?

Once you’ve had a chance to discuss these roles as a class, go back and look at you original answers and see if you would revise any of your assigned responsibility levels based on the additional thought you’ve given. Be sure to share your reasoning with the class if you decided to make any changes.

Manuel Quezon, born in the Spanish colony of the Philippines, had a background that represented the rich heritage of those islands. He was of Spanish, Chinese, and Filipino descent. He fought against Spanish rule, and later American occupation, but later became the President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. Just prior to the Second World War, he decided to accept Jewish refugees fleeing Germany, believing it was the humane decision to make.

In Unit 7, we ask how the horrors of the Second World War were possible. That task includes identifying those who perpetrated the horrors, and those who stood by to let them happen. It also includes understanding the actions of those who acted to help the victims of the Holocaust and other crimes. This biography of Manuel Quezon highlights one person who decided to act and help with a problem taking place thousands of miles away.

Read 1: Observe

As you read this graphic biography for the first time, review the Read 1: Observe section of your Three Close Reads for Graphic Bios Tool. Be sure to record one question in the thought bubble on the top-right. You don’t need to write anything else down. However, if you’d like to record your observations, feel free to do so on scrap paper.

Read 2: Understand

On the tool, summarize the main idea of the comic and provide two pieces of evidence that helped you understand the creator’s main idea. You can do this only in writing or you can get creative with some art. Some of the evidence you find may come in the form of text (words). But other evidence will come in the form of art (images). You should read the text looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the main idea, and key supporting details. You should also spend some time looking at the images and the way in which the page is designed. By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. Where did Manuel Quezon live, and what was his position in 1935?
2. Why, according to the author, did Quezon decide to admit 1300 Jewish refugees in 1935?
3. What evidence does the author provide that it was Quezon’s conscience that led him to accept refugees?
4. The artist says that the cards on the table of the poker game represent “a paper wall” that restricted the ability of Jewish refugees to find a place to live. How does she use the art to signify that Quezon was moving that paper wall to the side?

Read 3: Connect

In this read, you should use the graphic biography as evidence to support, extend, or challenge claims made in this unit of the course. On the bottom of the tool, record what you learned about this person’s life and how it relates to what you’re learning.

1. To what extent does this article explain the various causes and consequences of mass atrocities in the period from 1900 to the present?
2. How does this biography of Quezon support, extend, or challenge what you have learned about the Holocaust and the atrocities of the Second World War?

To Be Continued…

On the second page of the tool, your teacher might ask you to extend the graphic biography to a second page. This is where you can draw and write what you think might come next. Here, you can become a co-creator of this graphic biography!

In July of 1945, America created the first nuclear fission bomb. In August of the same year, US President Harry Truman gave orders to drop two nuclear weapons on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These bombs killed over 120,000 Japanese citizens instantly and thousands more from radiation poisoning. This article examines the historical debates surrounding Truman’s decision.

By examining the continuing debates surrounding the American decision to drop two nuclear bombs, this article highlights some of the ways in which World War II continues to shape our present, making this history usable in today’s world.

Think about the following prompt as you read the article: Using evidence from this article, explain how this article helps you understand the consequences of World War II. Write this prompt at the top of the Three Close Reads worksheet. You will be asked to respond to this prompt again after the third read in the Evaluating and Corroborating section of the worksheet.

Read 1—Skimming for Gist

Fill out the Skimming for Gist section of the Three Close Reads worksheet as you complete your first close read. As a reminder, this should be a quick process!

Read 2—Understanding Content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. How did the science of nuclear fission come to the United States?
2. What is Dr. Zimmerman’s argument in support of Truman’s decision to drop the bombs?
3. What does Gar Alperovitz claim was the real reason Truman decided to drop the bomb?
4. Why does Tsuyoshi Hasegawa argue that the Japanese surrendered unconditionally?
5. Death and destruction are the most obvious consequences of nuclear weapons. What was another consequence of the discovery of nuclear weapons?

Read 3—Evaluating and Corroborating

At the end of the third close read, respond to the following questions:

1. Using evidence from this article, explain how this article helps you understand the consequences of World War II.
2. Tsuyoshi Hasegawa argues that the Soviet Union played a considerable role in Japan’s surrender, more so than American use of nuclear weapons. Do you find the author’s argument convincing? Why or why not? Use evidence from materials from this unit to support your claim.

3x5 note cards or cut up paper

This sourcing collection, along with the Quick-Sourcing Tool, gives you an opportunity to practice a quicker kind of sourcing than you do in the sourcing practice progression. The tool and the process for using it—specifically designed for unpacking document collections—will help you be successful on both the SAQ and DBQ portions of the AP^® World History: Modern exam.

If you are unfamiliar with the Quick-Sourcing Tool or the process for using it, we recommend reviewing the Quick-Sourcing Introduction activity in Lesson 1.4.

The Quick-Sourcing Tool can be used any time you encounter a set of sources and are trying to respond to a prompt or question, as opposed to the deeper analysis you do when using the HAPPY tool that is part of the sourcing progression.

First, take out or download the sourcing collection and review the guiding question that appears on the first page. Then, take out or download the Quick-Sourcing Tool and review the directions. For Part 1, you’ll write a quick summary of each source in terms of how it relates to the guiding question (we recommend using one note card or scrap of paper for each source).

For Part 2, which uses the first four letters of the acronym from the HAPPY tool, you only have to respond to one of these four questions. This will get you a partial point on the AP^® World History: Modern exam. You should always include the historical significance or “why” (the “Y” in “HAPPY”) for any of the four questions you choose to respond to.

In Part 3, you’ll gather the evidence you found in each document and add it to your note cards so you can include it in a response later. Once each document is analyzed, look at your note cards and try to categorize the cards. There might be a group of documents that support the claim you want to make in your response, and another group that will help you consider counterclaims, for example.

To wrap up, try to respond to the guiding question.

This collection explores the roles of science and technology during the First and Second World Wars. From impenetrable tanks to code-breaking computers, to the deadliest bomb ever used, many of the key players were scientists. These were highly driven experts whose early ambitions likely had little to do with military strategy, but whose skills and knowledge were used to combat their nation’s enemies.

The AP^® World History: Modern CED suggests that you make connections by “identifying patterns among or connections between historical developments and processes” and develop your sourcing skills in line with certain topics. For Unit 7, we’ve compiled a number of primary source excerpts to help you develop these skills in relation to the topics “Conducting World War I” and “Conducting World War II”. This should help prepare you to be successful on the AP exam.

We recommend using the accompanying Quick Sourcing activity (above) to help you analyze these sources.

The traditional story of the two world wars goes like this: The First World War begins and ends in about four years, there’s a gap of about twenty years, and then the Second World War begins and ends in six years. But what if it makes more sense to study the two world wars and the period in between as a single, connected, 30-year conflict? This article explores some arguments for that view.

This article explores ideas of continuity and change by asking a provocative question: is it worth changing the way we study the period 1914–1945 to look for the things that tie together the two world wars, rather than studying each separately? What might we gain by doing so? It will help you grapple with the Unit Problem as you try to determine what caused the Second World War and what conflicts remained after its conclusion.

Think about the following question as you read the article: Using evidence from this article, explain the continuities and changes in territorial holdings from 1900 to the present. Write this question at the top of the Three Close Reads worksheet. You will be asked to respond to this question again after the third read in the Evaluating and Corroborating section of the worksheet.

Read 1—Skimming for Gist

Fill out the Skimming for Gist section of the Three Close Reads worksheet as you complete your first close read. As a reminder, this should be a quick process!

Read 2—Understanding Content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. How, according to the author, was nationalism an important thread connecting the two world wars?
2. How were empires and colonialism continuities connecting the two world wars?
3. How did the treatment of Germany following the First World War help lead to the Second World War?

Read 3—Evaluating and Corroborating

At the end of the third close read, respond to the following questions:

1. Using evidence from this article, explain the continuities and changes in territorial holdings from 1900 to the present.
2. Do you agree with the author’s assertion that we should treat the period 1914–1945 as a “continuous war”? Why or why not?
3. What is the usefulness of breaking out of the normal view of World War I and World War II as two separate wars? How does viewing them as one war help us to understand this period better? How does it limit us?

Since the end of World War II and the establishment of the United Nations, genocides have continued to occur around the world. Historian Bennett Sherry asks why, and arrives at some unsettling conclusions including international indifference. To explain this failure, Sherry points to United Nations priorities, including a reluctance to violate national sovereignty (even in cases of obvious human rights violations), as well as the paralyzing veto power wielded by each of the five United Nations Security Council’s permanent members.

In this article, Sherry catalogs some of the post-World War II instances of genocide and asks how they have persisted in spite of international bodies designed to prevent such violence. This article should help you consider why genocides continue to occur even though global networks have increased international awareness.

Think about the following question as you read the article: What are the causes and consequences of mass atrocities after 1900? Write this question at the top of the Three Close Reads worksheet. You will be asked to respond to this question again after the third read in the Evaluating and Corroborating section of the worksheet.

Read 1—Skimming for Gist

Fill out the Skimming for Gist section of the Three Close Reads worksheet as you complete your first close read. As a reminder, this should be a quick process!

Read 2—Understanding Content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. The United Nations passed the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the Crime of Genocide in 1948. When was it first enforced and in what context?
2. How did the Cambodian genocide relate to the role of the American military in the Vietnam War?
3. How did the United States and China end up favoring the Khmer Rouge?
4. How do the United Nations Security Council’s permanent members prevent decisive action to stop or mitigate genocides?
5. Sherry notes several reasons for the international community’s failure to prevent or mitigate genocide, including the UN Security Council’s veto structure, international indifference, and a reluctance to fund aid efforts. But what commonly cited excuse for inaction does Sherry flatly reject and why?
6. Sherry concludes with quotes from former US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, who asserts that ongoing genocide is proof that the postwar system “is working.” What does she mean and how does Sherry demonstrate this?

Read 3—Evaluating and Corroborating

At the end of the third close read, respond to the following questions:

1. What are the causes and consequences of mass atrocities after 1900?
2. Sherry defines genocide very simply as “organized murder.” Do you think this is sufficient? What are the strengths of such a simple definition? How might this definition fail to consider the complexity of genocide in history? How would you support this simple approach to characterizing genocide, and how might you challenge this approach? How would you extend this definition?
3. Do you agree with Sherry’s characterization of the international community’s response to genocide? While reading, what did you think about the UN Security Council permanent member’s decision to obstruct decisive action in most instances of genocide?

In this activity, you’ll use your knowledge of claim testing to write supporting statements for claims. Claim testing is a skill that will not only help you decide what to believe, but can help you develop the capacity to convince others of particular arguments. By working on backing claims with supports, you’ll become more skilled at writing argumentative essays and using evidence to support your assertions.

In this claim-testing activity, you are given four claims about global conflict. You are asked to work with these claims in three different ways:

1. Find supporting statements for those claims.
2. Evaluate the strength of the supporting statements provided for those claims.
3. Provide statements that refute (argue against) the claims.

Get into small table groups. Each group should have a complete set of Claim Cards in the middle of their table. Listen for your teacher’s directions for when to start.

Round 1

1. Grab one Claim Card from the center of the table.
2. On the card, write down a statement that supports the claim. You can use prior knowledge or course materials for this.
3. Pass your Claim Card to the person to your right.
4. Write down a statement that supports the claim on the card that you now have. It can’t be the same as any of the supports already written on the card.
5. Repeat the process until each group member has written a supporting statement on each card.
6. Put the Claim Cards back in the center of the table.

Round 2

1. Grab one Claim Card from the pile and stand up.
2. Find at least three other students who have the same claim as you and get into a group with them (if there are more than six people in your group, let your teacher know).
3. Look at all the supporting statements that were written for your claim. Decide which supporting statements are strongest (that is, they best support the claim).
4. Write the strongest supporting statements on the whiteboard so everyone can see them.

Round 3

1. With the same group you were in for Round 2, consider any historical exceptions to your claim. What can you offer to refute the claim?
2. Add at least one refuting statement, what we often refer to as a counterclaim, on the board so everyone can see it.
3. Write both your strongest supporting statements and the exception to the claim as an exit ticket—be sure to explain your reasoning for choosing your supporting statements and refutations. Your teacher may also have you share your statements and counterclaim with the class.

Make sure you have the Unit 7 Themes Notebook worksheet that you partially filled out earlier in the unit.

This is a continuation of the Themes Notebook activity that you started earlier in this unit. As part of WHP AP, you are asked to revisit the AP themes in order to maintain a connection to the core themes of the course. Because this is the second time you’re working with the themes questions, you’re asked to explain how your understanding of the unit’s themes has changed since you began the unit. Make sure you use evidence from this unit and sound reasoning in your answers.

Fill out the second table on your partially completed worksheet from earlier in Unit 7. Be prepared to talk about your ideas with your class.

In this activity, you’ll examine the continuities and changes between Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization and Unit 7: Global Conflict to craft thesis statements and compose a multi-paragraph response to a CCOT prompt. This will help you solidify your ability to conduct CCOT analysis, which will not only help you think more like a historian, but will also prepare you for the final CCOT activity: writing a CCOT essay about the major changes and continuities across multiple units.

Your teacher will either hand out or ask you to download the CCOT – Consequences of Industrialization to Global Conflict worksheet (which includes the CCOT Tool). Then, you’ll work either in pairs or on your own to complete the questions on the tool. Start by adding the timeframe you’re investigating (c. 1750 to the present) and identifying the continuities and changes that took place from Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization to Unit 7: Global Conflict. Remember, you use can use any of the articles and videos from these units to help identify continuities and changes—the Units 6 and 7 introduction articles are a good place to start.

Once you have identified the continuities and changes, write these on sticky notes (one change or continuity per note). Then, decide if the continuities and changes you identified are positive or negative and place them on the graph in the tool. If you complete the graphing portion of the tool on your own, then your teacher may ask you to pair up with a classmate and discuss how you chose to graph your continuities and changes.

Next, complete the remaining questions on the tool. Remember that you can use the acronym ADE to determine historical significance. Consider if most people’s lives were affected by these changes and continuities (amount); if people living in this time period were deeply affected by these changes and continuities (depth); or if these changes and continuities were long lasting (endurance).

Then, craft thesis statements in response to the following CCOT prompts:

• To what extent were the political changes that occurred from c. 1750 to the present positive?
• To what extent were the economic continuities that occurred from c. 1750 to the present positive?

Finally, you’ll use your thesis statements to individually write multiple paragraphs that fully respond to the following prompt: Explain how political and economic developments from c. 1750 to the present affected social interactions and organization over time.

This activity will provide additional evidence to help you respond to the Unit Problem: “What were the causes of global conflict from c. 1900 to the present?” In this activity, you will look back on what you’ve learned during this unit by exploring the geography of the First and Second World Wars. You will examine two thematic maps showing the alliances and casualties in each war. Using these maps, you will evaluate change and continuity over time as well as make some arguments about the causes of the Second World War.

This activity begins with an identification opening in which you will identify 10 countries that participated in World War II. Next, you’ll compare two thematic maps showing alliances and casualties in both World War I and World War II, evaluating what political changes and continuities might have been important between the two wars. Finally, you will reflect on your guesses and predictions from the Part 1 activity and write a response to a prompt about the causes of these global conflicts.

Step 1

Individually, identify the countries associated with the numbers on the black-and-white map of the world in 1914 CE and record your answers on the worksheet. You should indicate the name of the country, the alliance it was a part of in World War I, and the alliance it was a part of in World War II.

Step 2

In small groups, examine the thematic maps of the two world wars. you should compare these two maps and provide four examples of change or continuity between the two wars. You might focus on casualties, alliances, or territory lost and gained by the various empires.

Step 3

Now, return to the two thematic maps of the world wars. Review your predictions from the Part 1 mapping activity. Which guesses did you get correct? Finally, in small groups, you should prepare a short paragraph or bullet list in response to the prompt below.

The long nineteenth century set into motion massive transformations, some of which would help create the conditions leading to World War I. The peace that followed the First World War helped lay the groundwork for the second. Using the maps you encountered in this unit as evidence, pick one transformation from the long nineteenth century and one outcome of World War I that helped create this 30-year period of global conflict.

This is another writing activity in which you will identify and revise a student essay written in response to a DBQ. Specifically, you will look at the Evidence, Sourcing, and Complexity rows of the WHP DBQ Writing Rubric. As with all the writing progression activities, the goal is to help you improve your writing skills, as well as help you to understand the components of a successful AP essay.

Here we go again! In this writing activity, you will again analyze and then improve a student essay. Today, you will be focusing on evidence, sourcing, and complexity in an essay that was the response to the AP Unit 5 DBQ: Evaluate the extent to which industrialization brought change to Britain and India during the period from c. 1750 to 1900 CE.

The essay should cite sufficient and appropriate evidence to support its claim, including using information from at least four documents and at least one piece of evidence beyond the documents. For at least two sources, the essay should explain how or why the source’s historical situation/context, audience, purpose, or point of view is relevant to the argument being made. And finally, the essay should demonstrate a complex understanding of the historical development that is the focus of the prompt. This can be demonstrated in a number of ways, including using advanced argumentation or effective use of evidence to construct a response that fully addresses the prompt.

Take out the Writing – DBQ Evidence and Sourcing Part 2 worksheet. Refer to the rubric as often as needed as you work on revising the essay. Annotate and revise the essay according to the worksheet instructions and the above descriptions. Although it is not the focus of the activity, you should first find the major claim or thesis statement. Then, look for evidence, sourcing, and complexity, note where these could be improved, and revise those areas.

Finally, use the WHP DBQ Writing Rubric to grade (advanced, proficient, developing, or emerging) the essay for each of the three components studied—evidence, sourcing, and complexity—and explain your reasoning behind the grades you chose.

• Have the Comparison, CCOT, and Causation tools available (find all resources on the Student Resources page)

This DBQ is another opportunity for you to show how your historical thinking skills and reasoning practices are developing. This will help you become better at making and supporting historical claims and should also help prepare you for the AP^® World History: Modern exam.

Day 1

It’s time for another DBQ. The prompt is: Analyze how and why the Nazi Party rose to power in prewar Germany. Start out by using the Question Parsing Tool to help you figure out what this question is really asking so you can write an appropriate response.

Then, take out the DBQ and skim the documents quickly. Pick the thinking tool you want to use to help you analyze the documents (comparison, causation, or CCOT). Then, read each document a bit more closely and write down or underline the information you think you might use in your essay, along with any additional sourcing you have time for. Remember, in your essay, you need to include evidence from at least four of the seven documents, and you also need to provide source analysis for two of the documents. Write your ideas in your chosen tool as you work through the documents.

Next, create a major claim or thesis statement that responds to the prompt. The notes you have taken should help you form a defensible thesis statement.

Finally, it’s time to contextualize. As you likely know, all historical essays require this. If needed, you can use the Contextualization Tool to help you decide what to include.

Day 2

This second day is your writing day. Feel free to use your tools and notes from any prewriting work you completed as you craft your essay response. Make sure you have a copy of the WHP DBQ Writing Rubric available to remind you of what is important to include in your essay. And don’t forget to contextualize! Think of the entire time period, not just the time immediately preceding the historical event or process you are writing about. Your teacher will give you a time limit for completing your five- to six-paragraph essay responding to the DBQ.

Note: Please save your essay, it will be used again in Unit 9 for a self-editing activity.