Students enrolled in one of two distinct courses, AP World History and AP GT Humanities, will trek down to the gym early Thursday morning to take the same AP World History Exam. It’s a unique situation as its the only AP exam with two different classes on campus providing separate pathways to the same test.

“The advantages of Humanities are that you get to spend two years studying world history you get to look into more detail and depth with regard to the cultural and artistic aspects of the history,” social studies department head Jeff Crowe said. “You get to go a little bit slower a little bit deeper. It’s a more well rounded experience for kids who are interested in that. For those who are just wanting the one year world history that might be their pathway they know ‘hey this is not my thing I’m not an arts and letters kinda guy, I’m more of a math and science kinda girl, then maybe they can just take the one year.”

AP GT Humanities is a course limited to students enrolled in the gifted and talented program and combines world history with literature and the arts over a two year period.

“The class structure in Humanities is a lot more student driven, where I do more coaching and helping students get connected with information,” Humanities teacher and former AP World History teacher Sarah Wiseman said. “A lot of times that information is also related to humanities, art, music, philosophy, etc.”

Methods of reviewing for the AP test is another aspect of the two pathways that is distinct to either course.

“Students this year have been preparing by doing challenge based learning,” Wiseman said. “It’s teaching you to think about how you’re thinking and the goal is for you guys to walk away with some idea of how to study on your own, because you won’t always be in classes where teachers will make you do things to study. Last year at LHS, Humanities students scored better on average than students in AP World History. That trend also bears out across the school district.”

While review in Humanities might be more interactive, AP World History classes put a greater emphasis on notes and quizzing on content.

“Mr. Crowe gives us packets for each unit that we’ve done over this year and we take a quiz at the end of that unit that really just helps us in general to remember all the ideas from that unit,” sophomore AP World History student Mehak Kaul said. “I think it’s better than trying to read the whole book again.”