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Students will create eight 4x8 foot murals showing the golden ages and achievements of civilizations before the rise of Europe around 1450: the Islamic golden age, the Song Dynasty golden age, the African golden age, and the achievements in the Aztec empire and the precolonial Philippines. The inspiration behind these murals is the cutting in 2019 of AP World in half from it鈥檚 beginning 10,000 years ago with the rise of farming, to it鈥檚 beginning in 1450 when Europe had its golden age and began to dominate the world; in doing so, the golden ages and achievements of civilizations before the rise of Europe鈥攎any of which Europe built upon to achieve its rise鈥攚ere cut. In addition, by starting in 1450, the story of Africa begins with slavery, and the stories of the Philippines and the indigenous people in the Americas begins with conquest and colonialism. This is problematic because it doesn鈥檛 give a complete picture of World History; it gives what the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie calls a 鈥渟ingle story鈥濃攐r a partially true, but incomplete story鈥攐f World History with Europeans and their descendants having always been dominant, and other groups having always been oppressed. All students, whatever their heritage, do not benefit from this incomplete understanding of World History. Luckily, the College Board decided to compromise and begin the course in 1200鈥250 years before the rise of Europe鈥攕o that students could learn about some of the achievements of civilizations before the rise of Europe and colonialism. It鈥檚 these civilizations that are the focus of our murals. And I think that by making these murals it will help the student artists and the school community that views them get a wider view of World History that appreciates the contributions of its diverse people.
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