TEN WEEK STUDY PLAN
|
|
|
Chris Freiler's AP Achiever is my favorite prep book for AP European History students. Chris has put over 25 years of experience into a helpful book for students preparing for the AP Euro exam.
|
SUBSCRIBE to my AP Euro Students Email List:
Most people wait until the last minute to study for the AP European History exam, but that doesn't mean that you can't go ahead and start getting prepared to earn some college credit on May 18.
Click a thumbnail to proceed directly to a week.
CLICK HERE to access the Ten Week Study Plan in PDF format.
Sunday
|
|
Pico della Mirandola's Oration on the Dignity of Man, which has been referred to as the "Manifesto of the Renaissance," is a brilliant introduction to humanist thinking - especially concerning humanist teachings on free will.
|
|
|
Click on the PDF icon to read Pico's Oration on the Dignity of Man.
|
Monday
Renaissance Art
After looking at my review lecture on Renaissance Art, test your knowledge with this flash card set from Quizlet:
Tuesday
|
|
|
|
Renaissance education focused on the study of the classics in order to prepare young men for the professions and for government service. Machiavelli and Castiglione both wrote books on the subject of civic humanism. My lecture on Machiavelli introduces the concept of civic humanism in the context of Machiavelli's classic work, The Prince. Additionally, my lectures on Castiglione outline the expectations for a courtly gentleman and lady in Renaissance Italy.
Wednesday
The Northern Renaissance
The Northern Renaissance, like the Italian Renaissance, focused on the study of the classics, but there were some key differences between the two movements. This lecture introduces the Northern Renaissance and the writings of its two most famous humanists: Thomas More and Erasmus.
Thursday
|
Over the Weekend...Since you're an AP student, you've likely had a busy week. Use Friday and/or Saturday to catch up on things you might have missed. This is also a good time to quiz yourself on content that you've reviewed this week.
|
Sunday
|
Monday
|
|
|
|
I have two lectures available on YouTube for students wanting to review Martin Luther. The first lecture was a review lecture that I delivered in 2012 and the second is a more recent lecture that focuses specifically on Luther's doctrines.
Primary Source Review
|
For review purposes, I have included a PDF with Luther's 95 Theses and a few other writings. It would be useful to go over these as you review to re-familiarize yourself with Luther's reasoning.
|
|
Tuesday
|
|
|
|
While Martin Luther challenged particular church doctrines and practices, John Calvin started from the bottom in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, a detailed exposition of his systematic theology based upon the ideas of the sovereignty of God and predestination.
Meanwhile, Ignatius of Loyola and other Catholic reformers organized a Counter Reformation, a campaign not only to oppose Protestantism but to reinvigorate the Catholic Church through structural reforms and an infusion of spirituality.
Meanwhile, Ignatius of Loyola and other Catholic reformers organized a Counter Reformation, a campaign not only to oppose Protestantism but to reinvigorate the Catholic Church through structural reforms and an infusion of spirituality.
Primary Source Review
|
Ignatius of Loyola's Spiritual Exercises articulate the mindset of those who joined Loyola's Society of Jesus (Jesuits).
Click on the PDF to read this primary source. |
Wednesday
The English Reformation
|
|
|
Unlike Luther and Calvin, Henry VIII of England did not have a problem with Catholic doctrine, but had much more practical concerns as a monarch seeking to increase his power and continue his dynasty. My lecture on the English Reformation is split into two parts: the first focusing on Henry and the second focusing on the reigns of his children.
Quizlet Reformation Flashcard Set
Thursday
|
|
|
|
The Reformation was followed by several religious wars, the most memorable being the French Wars of Religion and the Thirty Years' War. The Thirty Years' War became increasingly political and continental as it progressed. The Treaty of Westphalia (1648) was a turning point in European History, as it ended the last major religious war on the European continent.
Over the weekend...
|
Use the weekend to catch up on whatever you missed during the week. If you have purchased my Romulus Euro app, quiz yourself and see how much you know and what you may need to go back and review further.
|
|
Sunday
|
|
|
One of the keys to understanding the Age of Absolutism is to being able to describe the general characteristics of absolute monarchies and to explain the goals that these monarchs shared.
|
Louis XIV, the "Sun King" of France, is widely regarded as the most successful and influential absolute monarch, having built an absolute monarchy in France complete with a luxurious palace at Versailles and the largest standing army in Europe.
Monday
Mercantilism & Prussian Absolutism
Jean-Baptiste Colbert put the theory mercantilism into practice in order to build a national economy in France. Mercantilism, with its focus on economic rivalries and government control of trade, went hand in hand with Louis XIV's goal of building an absolutist state.
|
In "The Candlemakers' Petition," Ferderic Bastiat, a 19th century French classical liberal, lampoons the economic assumptions of mercantilism through the use of satire. This is a great primary source for examining tone as well as the differences between mercantilism and economic liberalism.
Click on the PDF to read this primary source. |
|
|
|
Although a small state in comparison to the other great powers, the Prussians, under the leadership of the Fredericks, built up a militaristic absolute monarchy worthy of its nickname, the "Sparta of the North."
|
Tuesday
|
|
This excerpt on Peter the Great from Voltaire's The History of Peter the Great: Emperor of Russia is useful not only for learning about Peter the Great's accomplishments, but for understanding why Enlightenment philosophes like Voltaire admired him so much.
|
Quizlet Absolutism Flashcard Set
At some point this week, take a look at this flashcard set on Quizlet.
|
|
Wednesday
Constitutionalism in Britain
|
While most of the monarchs ruling the great powers of Europe in the 17th century were building absolutist states, the Stuarts of England and Scotland were failing miserably at it. This lecture contrasts the principles of absolutism with those of constitutionalism.
|
|
English Civil War & Glorious Revolution
My four part series on Stuart Absolutism, the English Civil War, the Restoration, and the Glorious Revolution will be helpful for students who need a refresher.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hobbes vs. Locke
|
The most important political philosophers of the 17th century were Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, two English philosophers who presented two variants of social contract philosophy.
|
|
Thursday
|
|
The governing structure of the Dutch Republic is everything one would expect of something that was hastily thrown together in the midst of a rebellion. I explain the role of stadtholders in the Dutch Republic in this video.
|
|
Dutch Golden Age Painting
|
|
My lecture on Dutch Golden Age Painting explains how middle class consumption of art led to new forms of painting in the Dutch Republic.
|
Over the weekend...
|
Use the weekend to catch up on whatever you missed during the week. If you have purchased my Romulus Euro app, quiz yourself and see how much you know and what you may need to go back and review further.
|
|
The AP Euro LEQ
Sunday
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Monday
The British Agricultural Revolution
The British Agricultural Revolution involved the application of the principles of the Scientific Revolution and emerging capitalism to agricultural production, resulting in more efficient agricultural practices.
Tuesday
|
|
Primary Source AnalysisWhat is Enlightenment?
This essay by Immanuel Kant is a great introduction to the values of the Enlightenment. Reading (or re-reading) this primary source will be helpful when you review. |
Lectures on the Enlightenment
|
|
|
If you don't want to read Kant, I've got a video lecture ready for you, as well as a lecture series on the Philosophes. According to the curriculum guide, Voltaire and Rousseau will be the most likely to be emphasized on the multiple choice portion of the exam.
Enlightenment Rap
While I may not have recorded my lecture yet, I have recorded a rap. Check out these Enlightenment bars! I've been told they're fire!
Wednesday
The Enlightenment (Continued)
How does one compare the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment? I answer this question in my video lecture, The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment Compared.
The Enlightenment and Religion
I have made two videos about religion and the Enlightenment. One video is about Deism and the other looks at Voltaire's views on religion from his Philosophical Dictionary. I recorded the video about Voltaire after the Paris attacks.
|
|
|
Thursday
|
Over the weekend...
|
Sunday
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Monday
The Rights of Man and Woman
|
|
|
Tuesday
|
|
|
|
These lectures from my Women in the French Revolution series give additional perspective on the radicalization of the French Revolution, including British perspectives from Edmund Burke and Mary Wollstonecraft.
|
|
|
These two installments of my Women and the French Revolution series highlight the radicalization of the French Revolution through the eyes of two women: Marie Antoinette and Mary Wollstonecraft.
Wednesday
The Reign of Terror
My lecture on the Reign of Terror is divided into two parts, with the first part focusing on the Jacobins and the origins of the Terror and the second focusing on the Thermidorian Reaction.
|
|
|
|
My lecture on Charlotte Corday (from my Women and the French Revolution series) views the Reign of Terror through the eyes of one heroic woman. Charlotte Corday assassinated Jean Paul Marat, one of the principal advocates of the Terror.
|
|
Thursday, April 6
|
Over the Weekend...Albert.io (formerly Learnerator) is a great tool to prepare for your AP exam. They have great questions that will help you get a feel for the format of the exam.
For a discount, send an email to:
|