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Course: World History Project AP® > Unit 1
Lesson 1: 1.0—History Stories- BEFORE YOU WATCH: What Makes History Usable?
- WATCH: What Makes History Usable?
- BEFORE YOU WATCH: The Danger of a Single Story
- WATCH: Chimamanda Adichie — The Danger of a Single Story
- READ: AP Themes and the Course Narrative
- BEFORE YOU WATCH: Meet the Themes
- WATCH: Historical Themes in World History
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BEFORE YOU WATCH: What Makes History Usable?
Use the “Three Close Reads” approach as you watch the video below.
Use the “Three Close Reads” approach as you watch the video below (next in the lineup!). If you want to learn more about this strategy, click here.
First read: preview and skimming for gist
Before you watch, you should skim the transcript first. The skim should be very quick and give you the gist (general idea) of what the video is about. You should be looking at the title, thumbnails, pictures, and first few seconds of the video for the gist.
Second read: key ideas and understanding content
Now that you’ve skimmed the video transcript and taken a quick peek at the video, you should preview the questions you will be answering. These questions will help you get a better understanding of the concepts and arguments that are presented in the video. Keep in mind that when you watch the video, it is a good idea to write down any vocab you read or hear that is unfamiliar to you.
By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:
- Bob Bain describes a long debate that politicians and educators have “waged war” over, about what should be taught in the history classroom. What are the two sides and what do they argue?
- What was the big driving question Bains’s students in Detroit studied?
- What did students do over the course of the school year, after they shared the stories they collected?
- What did looking at multiple narratives help students do?
- According to Bob Bain, what makes history usable?
Third read: evaluating and corroborating
Finally, here are some questions that will help you focus on why this video matters and how it connects to other content you’ve studied.
At the end of the third read, you should be able to respond to these questions:
- What stories do we have about the world since 1750? How do we know these aren’t just made up stories? How might we use evidence to test them?
- How might looking at the history of the world since 1750 help you understand the future better?
Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to watch! Remember to return to these questions once you’ve finished watching.
Want to join the conversation?
What makes History usable to us?(6 votes)
I'm no expert, but in my experience, History helps us to understand our world better, and present day issues as well. We can understand why things are the way they are today, such as relations between countries, whether friendly or hostile. History can also warn you about the mistakes of others in the past, so that you do not repeat them.(22 votes)
How is this course different from AP World History: Modern? Also, can you use this to study for AP World History: Modern?(4 votes)
This course isn't very different from AP World History: Modern. If anything, it is quite similar -- I remember using these resources to help me study for my AP World History exam a few years ago.
Make sure you visit the CollegeBoard website and view the course outline to be aware all the updated topics you need to know, if any.(4 votes)
Q: Bob Bain describes a long debate that politicians and educators have “waged war” over, about what should be taught in the history classroom. What are the two sides and what do they argue?
A: One side in the "war" argues that history is how you use the facts and the content in history, the other side argues that history is about thinking like a historian and using critical thinking.
Q: What was the big driving question Bains’s students in Detroit studied?
A: They studied the question of how different stories of the same subject in history compare and contrast other stories of the same subject.
Q: What did students do over the course of the school year, after they shared the stories they collected?
A: They compared their stories and saw how they were similar and different in their own ways.
Q: What did looking at multiple narratives help students do?
A: Looking at multiple narratives helped them see a bigger picture of their history as a whole.
Q: According to Bob Bain, what makes history usable?
A: What makes history usable is to get a better understanding of our own lives and our own history.(4 votes)
what makes history usable?(1 vote)
History is like a mirror- it always repeats iteslf. Take the Bubonic Plague- now it's Covid! By understanding history, we can try to prevent or lessen the impacts of negative things on our world.(4 votes)
- In our future after our days of education are gone, how does history help us on?(1 vote)
What time period is this unt in(1 vote)- Is the history being taugh in school, or anywhere else for that matter, been altered to keep or preserve certain evets/things?(1 vote)
'm no expert, but in my experience, History helps us to understand our world better, and present day issues as well. We can understand why things are the way they are today, such as relations between countries, whether friendly or hostile. History can also warn you about the mistakes of others in the past, so that you do not repeat them.(1 vote)- Are these text going to be beneficial in the long run(0 votes)
- They can be, depending on how you use these courses. I hope that you'll be able to learn about how humans have interacted with each other in society, and how we can avoid some of our past mistakes and create a better future.(0 votes)
