Welcome to My AP World History Resource Support Page

Hi, I’m Ms. G, a social studies teacher with 18 years of experience. Among the subjects I have taught are Civics/American Government, U.S. History, African American Studies, Ethnic Studies, World History, AP Human Geography, AP Psychology, and AP World History, which I have taught for the past 16 years.

When I first started teaching AP World History, I struggled, and honestly, in some ways, I still do, with fitting all of the course content into a single school year. There is simply so much history to teach, so many skills to develop, and so little time.

I began my journey stepping into a classroom after another teacher had left. Before she moved on, she generously shared her resources and explained how she taught the course. At the time, it felt overwhelming. It was a lot to take in, and honestly, that was all the knowledge I had about teaching AP World History.

Eventually, at her suggestion, I applied to become an AP Reader. That experience completely changed my understanding of the course and what students were truly being asked to do. I began to better understand the expectations behind writing DBQs, SAQs, and Long Essay Questions. More importantly, I realized that I was not just teaching historical content. I was teaching skills.

I had to help students understand historical themes, context, sourcing, and analysis. Students needed to learn how to incorporate historical context, intended audience, purpose, and point of view into their writing using H.I.P.P. strategies aka sourcing. It was a lot for me as a teacher, and it was a lot for students too. Still, together, we kept moving forward.

One of the most meaningful discoveries I made along the way was the incredible community of educators willing to share their knowledge, resources, and encouragement with newer teachers like me. Their generosity helped me grow as a teacher, deepen my understanding of the course, and become more confident in guiding students through this challenging but rewarding class.

I am eternally grateful for the guidance and kindness so many educators showed me over the years.
With that in mind, I wanted to create a space where I could share some of the resources, strategies, and materials that helped me throughout my teaching journey, the same ones I still return to each year as I begin another adventure with a new group of AP World History students.

I have compiled some resources below for new teachers who might be facing some of the same struggles that I faced in the past. There are a wealth of resources available, and the materials below are just a few that I have used over the years and continue to return to regularly.

Teaching and learning AP World History is truly a journey, and I’m excited to continue growing alongside my students every year.

Side Note: Many of these resources are free, while others may lead to paid resources or subscriptions, so please use your own discretion. I will continue updating this page as I discover additional resources and materials, as of course as time allows. Happy teaching!

If you are brand new to teaching this course, start here first. These official resources help you understand the structure, expectations, and skills students are expected to master.

1. Official AP Central Main Page
AP World History Modern Course Overview
Course and Exam Description (CED)
AP World History Modern Course At A Glance
AP Classroom  (Requires Login and includes Unit and topic outlines, Skills and themes and AP Daily videos Practice exam and more.)
Exam format breakdown (Which includes SAQs, DBQs & LEQs. Multiple Choice can be found in AP Classroom)
Past Free Response Questions (Includes SAQ, DBQ, and LEQ samples, as well as student sample responses, score commentaries, and scoring guidelines.)
 
*Consider joining the AP World History Teachers Community Facebook Page, an incredible online fellowship of approximately 9.5 thousand AP World History educators who consistently share resources, pacing guides, lesson ideas, writing strategies, review materials, and classroom support. This group graciously offered a shared google drive that is an academic life saver for many teachers new to teaching AP World.

2. Pacing Guides and Course Planning
You might be asking yourself “How am I supposed to fit all of this into one year or even into one semester!?” Trust me, I had the same question, and that was before the AP World curriculum was divided between ancient and modern history and the course outline ranged form first.

Some Pacing Guides Suggestion that Helped to Navigate the Content.
Year-long pacing guides
College Board’s AP Central Has Unit-Based Pacing Guides in AP Classroom (Login Required)
AMSCO Pacing Guide (OER Project)
Anti-Social Studies Year Long Simplified CED
Pacing Guide Calculator (Source – Reddit Query)
Most AP Aligned Textbooks Also Have Pacing Guides

Remember, no pacing guide is perfect. Most of us have to adjust pacing every year based on student needs, testing dates, and school schedules and a multitude of events that impact instructional time during the school year.

3. Full Websites with Resources, Video Resources and Dynamic Teachers Websites
These are some resources that helped me survive and eventually feel more confident teaching my AP World courses.

The OER Project is a Must. This site provides free, high-quality resources for AP World History teachers, including full units, readings, videos, lesson plans, and assessments designed to support historical thinking skills and AP exam preparation. Their materials are widely used to supplement or structure course pacing and instruction. Teachers often rely on OER for accessible, standards-aligned content that supports both content knowledge and skill development. It is a trusted and growing free resource for social studies educators.

Anti-Social Studies (YouTube Channel) (AP World History Playlist)
Crash Course World History I (YouTube Channel) & Crash Course World History II (YouTube Channel)
Freeman-Pedia (YouTube Channel & Illustrative Examples)
Fiveable (AP World Fiveable Cram Reviews)
Heimer’s History (YouTube Channel) Includes How to SAQ, DBQ, LEQ, and many other review videos for a myriad of AP topics.
Khan Academy AP World (Teacher Resources)
 
4. Unit-by-Unit Teaching Resources:
I have compiled resources organized by unit so teachers can find materials in a structured, sequential way instead of jumping from site to site. Most of these resources come from the websites and communities already listed below, curated and organized to align with the AP World History Modern course framework.

Unit 0 (Foundations)
 
Topic Cites
OER Project

Topic Videos
Anti-Social Studies
Freeman-Pedia (Before 1200)
Heimler’s History (Before 1200)
 
Unit 1 – Global Tapestry c. 1200-1450
 
Topic Sites
OER Project
Freeman-Pedia
 
Topic Videos
Freeman-Pedia
Heimler’s History
 
Unit 2 – Networks of Exchange c. 1200-1450
 
Topic Sites
OER Project
Freeman-Pedia
 
Topic Videos
Freeman-Pedia
Heimler’s History
 
Unit 3 – Land-Based Empires c. 1450-1750
 
Topic Sites
OER Project
Freeman-Pedia
 
Topic Videos
Freeman-Pedia
Heimler’s History
 
Unit4 – Transoceanic Interconnections c.1450-1750
 
Topic Sites
OER Project
Freeman-Pedia
 
Topic Videos
Freeman-Pedia
Heimler’s History
 
Unit 5 – Revolutions c. 1750-1900
 
Topic Sites
OER Project
Freeman-Pedia
 
Topic Videos
Freeman-Pedia
Heimler’s History
 
Unit 6 – Consequences of Industrialization c. 1750 – 1900
 
Topic Sites
OER Project
Freeman-Pedia
 
Topic Videos
Freeman-Pedia
Heimler’s History
 
Unit 7 – Global Conflict c. 1900 to the Present
 
Topic Sites
OER Project
Freeman-Pedia
 
Topic Videos
Freeman-Pedia
Heimler’s History
 
Unit 8 – Cold War & Decolonization c. 1900 to the Present
 
Topic Sites
OER Project
Freeman-Pedia
 
Topic Videos
Freeman-Pedia
Heimler’s History
 
Unit 9 – Globalization c. 1900 to the Present
 
Topic Sites
OER Project
Freeman-Pedia
 
Topic Videos
Freeman-Pedia
Heimler’s History
 
Exam Review & Additional Resources
Short Answer Question (SAQ)
Freeman-Pedia SAQ Playlist
SAQs Day
 
Heimler’s History
Get a PERFECT SCORE on the SAQ

Document Based Question (DBQ)
Freeman-Pedia DBQ Playlists
7 Minute DBQ: How To Write A DBQ In 7 Minutes
Essay Writing (DBQ)
DBQ Question
 
Heimler’s History Exam Review
DBQ, LEQ (Review Videos)
 

Historical Thinker
Writing Standard DBQ Essays in History
Writing Standard Essays in History
The DBQ Project (May be available in your Media Center)

Long Essay Question (LEQ)
Freeman-Pedia
Heimler’s History
 

5. Additional Teacher Resources
Discussion & Other Teaching Strategies
Socratic Seminars (Part of Facing History and Ourselves Teaching Strategies)

Note-taking Systems
AP Daily Lecture Notes – When you join the AP World Facebook collective, will find an awesome educator/creator, Russell Levine who created student handouts that pairs with the AP Daily Lecture videos in AP classroom back in 2021 that can serve as homework or openings for students. I found AP Daily Lectures and these accompanying notes a lifesaver for topics that I had not yet become familiar with or created mini lessons and lectures for.
Cornell Style Notes
Standford University Learning Center Cornell Notes
 
Additional Strategies & Resources
History Skills (YouTube Channel)
RAFT Strategy (Role, Audience, Format, Topic)
Teacher Pay Teacher Free AP World History Resources (Login Required)
 
Primary Sources, Documents and Other Digital Recourses Sites
Columbia University’s Asia for Educators
Digital Public Library of America
The Digital Inquiry Group
Fordham Internet Sourcebook
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History (Educational Resources/History Resources Query)
Library of Congress Primary Sources Set
National Archives Educator Resources (Teaching with Documents)
Primary Sources World History
World History for All
The New York Times -The Learning Network (Social Studies)

Exam Prep, Tips and Review Games, quizzes and Activities
Freeman-Pedia / The Exam
Heimler’s History
Former Quizzes / now Wayground (AP World History Modern Query) (Registration Required)
Kahoot (Registration Required)
 
What I Wish I Knew My First Year
 
These are just a few resources. There are thousands more out in the ether, but then it all becomes too much to process. Don’t feel pressured to teach every single detail all at once. Instead, focus on helping students build skills rather than simply memorizing information. Growth comes through repetition and consistent practice, and both teaching and learning become easier with time and experience. You also do not need to reinvent everything from the start, use available resources and materials to support you as you build confidence and find your footing. It is perfectly fine to borrow ideas and strategies from others until you develop your own teaching style. Remember to take a deep breath, and do what you can. You do not need to master everything all at once.
 
Thanks for stopping by and happy teaching, Ms. G.