AP World History: Modern Unit 6 – Imperialism, Migration & Resistance | SAQs & LEQs

AP World History: Modern Unit 6 – Imperialism, Migration & Resistance | SAQs & LEQs

Teach AP World History: Modern Unit 6 (c. 1750–1900) with a comprehensive, classroom-ready resource designed to help students understand the powerful connections among industrialization, imperialism, global migration, economic change, and resistance to imperial rule.

This 56-page complete Unit 6 resource combines content-rich historical readings with vocabulary development, primary-source analysis, historical reasoning, evidence-based activities, and AP-style exam practice. Students build the historical knowledge they need while repeatedly practicing the analytical skills emphasized throughout AP World History.

The unit begins by examining how industrialization contributed to the rise of New Imperialism. Students analyze how demand for raw materials and markets, nationalism, political competition, the civilizing mission, Social Darwinism, and technological developments contributed to imperial expansion across Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. 

What’s Included

• 3 in-depth historical background readings
• Multi-part Vocabulary in Context activities
• 3 primary source analyses
• Historical thinking using vocabulary as evidence
• Timeline and chronology activities
• Historical evidence activities
• SAQ practice
• LEQ practice
• AP Exam Connection activities
• Historical reasoning using causation, comparison, and CCOT
• Comprehensive answer keys and sample responses

Major Unit 6 Topics

Students investigate key developments and concepts including:

New Imperialism • Economic Imperialism • Scramble for Africa • Berlin Conference • Social Darwinism • Civilizing Mission • Spheres of Influence • Indentured Labor • Global Migration • Sepoy Rebellion • Boxer Rebellion • Meiji Restoration • Battle of Adwa • Self-Determination • Global Markets

The readings also help students examine the relationship between industrialization and global migration, including European migration, Chinese labor migration, Indian indentured labor, push-and-pull factors, and the cultural and economic consequences of large-scale population movements.  

Primary Source Analysis

Students work directly with historically significant sources while practicing sourcing, contextualization, close reading, point of view, intended audience, corroboration, claims and evidence, and argument development.

Primary-source activities include:

Rudyard Kipling’s The White Man’s Burden (1899) — students examine ideological justifications for imperialism and evaluate the relative importance of ideological versus economic motives.

Emperor Menelik II’s Letter to European Powers (1891) — students investigate Ethiopian resistance during the Scramble for Africa and connect Menelik’s leadership to Ethiopia’s victory at the Battle of Adwa.

John Hay’s Open Door Note (1899) — students explore spheres of influence in China, economic imperialism, foreign competition, and American efforts to maintain access to Chinese markets.

Built for AP World History Success

This resource doesn’t stop at content recall. Students are asked to use historical evidence to explain relationships, analyze causes and effects, compare historical developments, evaluate continuity and change, and construct defensible historical arguments.

The timeline and evidence activities connect major events such as the Sepoy Rebellion, Meiji Restoration, Berlin Conference, Battle of Adwa, Open Door Note, and Boxer Rebellion, helping students see Unit 6 as a connected historical story rather than a collection of isolated facts.

Students then apply what they’ve learned through SAQs, LEQs, and AP Exam Connection activities, strengthening the transition from learning content to actually using that knowledge in AP-style historical writing.

Flexible for Your Classroom

Use the resource as a complete AP World History Unit 6 instructional sequence or select individual components to supplement your existing curriculum.

It’s ideal for:

Whole-class instruction • Independent practice • Small groups • Homework • Sub plans • Review • Intervention • Extension • Test preparation • AP Exam review

Whether you’re introducing nineteenth-century imperialism or preparing students to connect industrialization, empire, migration, resistance, and global economic change, this resource provides a structured way to develop both historical understanding and AP-level analytical skills.

Digital PDF download. Includes the complete 56-page AP World History: Modern Unit 6 resource with student activities and answer keys.

Created by 305HippieChic Educational Resources