Must-Know-Vocab-by-Theme - AP World History Theme Vocabulary

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Bintang

AP World History “Must Know” vocabulary organized by themes for September 5, 2011. The document lists key terms students should know without needing full definitions, while noting that some terms may extend beyond their listed time period. Topics cover human-environment interaction, culture, politics, economic systems, and global structures including international and humanitarian organizations, with emphasis on relevant examples such as diseases, migration patterns, governance forms, trade networks, and labor systems.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Theme #1: Human-Environment Interaction

Demography and disease

Migration

Patterns of settlement

Environment

Technology

Theme #2: Culture (Development & Interaction of…)

Religions

Belief systems, philosophies, & Ideologies

Science and Technology

The Arts and Architecture

Cultural

Theme #3: Politics (State-building, Expansion & Conflict)

Political structures and forms of governance

Empires

Nations and nationalism

Revolts and revolutions

Regional, Transregional, and Global structures and organizations

Theme #4: Economic Systems (Creation, Expansion & Interaction of…)

Agricultural and Pastoral Production

Trade and Commerce

Labor systems

AP World History “Must Know” Vocabulary Terms by Theme September 5, 2011 The first five pages list terms related to the main five Themes. You do not need to define these terms but you do need to be utterly familiar with them. Some terms extend before or beyond the time period under which they are listed, so try to be time period specific, but it won’t be necessary all the time. In the cases where I felt that there was some confusion as to what the possible definition would be I’ve tried to clarify in parentheses) . When multiple terms are listed divided by slashes (/) I only need one definition, but you might have this in a variety of forms across different chapters. Monica Bond-Lamberty Northwood HS, MD Theme \#1: Human-Environment Interaction Demography and disease • Demographic shifts- (e.g. fertility, birth rate, infant mortality, life expectancy) • Birth control • disease pathogens • epidemic diseases (e.g. tuberculosis, malaria, cholera, ebola, HIV/AIDS, influenza pandemic) • diseases associated with changing lifestyles (diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease) Migration • Coerced and semi-coerced labor migration: • Push and pull factors • Manual laborers • Internal and external migrants Patterns of settlement • Geography—desert, savanna, tropics, tundra, estuaries, steppes, fragile grasslands • Flora and fauna • Water control systems • Environmental diversity • Urbanization-Urban revival and growth Environment • Pollutants • Atmosphere • Environmental Damage—Deforestation, Desertification, Silted rivers, Soil erosion, soil depletion • Rates of extinction Technology • Pottery • Farming Technology-Plows, Yokes, qanat system • Woven textiles • Metallurgy—bronze, iron, steel • Transportation technology-Wheels and wheeled vehicles, Chariots, Saddles, Stirrups • Maritime technology—Cartography, Compass, astrolabe, Revised maps, Lateen sail, Caravels, Junk & Dhow ships, longships • Military technology-gunpowder / cannons, Compound bows, Iron weapons, Tanks, Airplanes, atomic bomb • Technological innovations (Champa rice varieties, chinampa field systems, Waru waru agricultural techniques in the Andean areas, improved terracing techniques, horse collar) Monica Bond-Lamberty, Northwood High School | 2 | AP World History
“Must Know” Vocabulary Terms by Theme September 5, 2011 | | --- | --- | Theme \#2: Culture (Development & Interaction of…) Religions • Monotheism • Polytheism • Buddhism • Christianity • Hinduism(s) / Vedic religion • Islam • Judaism Belief systems, philosophies, & Ideologies • Confucianism & Neoconfucianism • Daoism • Greco-Roman philosophy • revelation Science and Technology • Energy technologies • oil and nuclear power • Reason • empirical observation The Arts and Architecture • Monumental architecture and urban planning (e.g. Pyramids, Ziggurats, Temples, defensive walls, streets and road, Sewage and water systems) • Arts and artisanship (Elaborate weaving, Painting, Sculpture, Wall decorations, Courtly literature, Miniature paintings, Renaissance art, Wood-block prints) Cultural • Languages—Turkic, Arabic • Sports—Cricket • Music and film-Reggae, Bollywood • Literature-Book of the Dead, Rig Veda,“Epic of Gilgamesh,” Kabuki, codices • Systems of Record Keeping—Hieroglyphs, Pictographs, Quipu, Alphabets, Cuneiform Theme \#3: Politics (State-building, Expansion & Conflict) Political Structures and Forms of Governance • Political /state authority and autonomycentralized control/ governments • state consolidation, legitimization and expansion of power • military professionals • political ideologies • bureaucracies/ administrative institutions • Collection of revenue • Warfare—casualties, tactics, Empires • Trading-post empires • Land empires • Diplomacy • Maritime empires • Transoceanic empires • Imperial conquests / Expansion • Indigen

FAQs

Do I need to define every vocabulary term listed in this document?

The first pages state that you do not need to define these terms, but you do need to be utterly familiar with them.

Why do some terms extend beyond the time period listed for a theme?

The document notes that some terms extend before or beyond the time period under which they are listed, so students should try to be time-period specific when possible.

How should I handle multiple terms separated by slashes in the list?

When multiple terms are listed divided by slashes, the document says you only need one definition, even if the phrasing appears in different forms across chapters.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Bintang