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Allow one week to teach Chapter 15.

In answering the essay questions, remind students to answer the question asked, not the one they think is being asked. In order to be clear about what is being asked, students need to read the question prompt carefully, underlining, bracketing, or in some way highlighting the core components of the question. They should then restate the question in their own words and check this restatement against the original question prompt to be sure they understand what is being asked. A minute or two spent clarifying the question will reap the reward of a focused essay.

Cross-cultural comparisons
Students should be making comparisons among and between the civilizations that they have been studying so far in the course. The Byzantine Empire provides an opportunity for students to compare the religious, commercial, and political patterns of a post-classical civilization with earlier civilizations.

To build on students' previous work with thesis statements, divide the class into groups of three or four students. Be sure each student has a sheet of paper and a pen. Prepare a question for each student in each group. You can duplicate questions among groups, so you will only need three or four questions.

Each student is to write the opening sentence to an essay answering the question he or she received. Before writing, students should brainstorm a list of ideas, words, names, and facts that will help them answer the question. They should write the list on the front side of the sheet. When they have their lists, students should turn the sheet over and write their thesis statements on the reverse. When they have finished, they hand the sheet and the question to the person their right who will add the next sentence in the essay. Continue in this way until students have written seven or eight sentences.

Debrief the class. Through your questioning help students to see how much the thesis sentence limits their options and controls the direction of their essays. That is why it is important that they spend several minutes at the beginning of the essay-writing time for the AP* World History test planning what they will write about.

You might also find these additional readings useful to develop students' background knowledge or for DBQ activities: