Review for the Social Studies Final

1. Review for the Social Studies Final

2. Fertile Crescent / Geography Explain the meaning of the name “Fertile Crescent” It had rich soil and it is shaped like a quarter moon What does Mesopotamia mean? Greek word meaning between the rivers What are the two rivers? Tigris and Euphrates How did the floodwaters give life? It gave rich soil which brought people there How did the floodwaters bring sorrow? Unpredictable & Destructive – it swept away people, animals, crops and houses

3. Fertile Crescent / Society What is a city-state? • is a city that is a separate, independent state What is a scribe? • professional writers who kept records for the kings & priests What is cuneiform? • form of writing that uses groups of wedges and lines Religion --- What is a ziggurat? • main religious building / they believed that gods descended to Earth using the ziggurat How did they honor their gods in religious ceremonies? • They washed the statues of gods before and after each meal was offered. Who were the Israelites? • People who lived south of Phoenicia They were called Hebrews at first How did Jewish people preserve their heritage? • They lived together in communities. What do Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have in common? • They all believe in one god. What do Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have in common? • They all honor Abraham, Moses, and the other prophets.

4. Fertile Crescent / Economy Describe the Phoenicians • world’s first trading empire & good sailors What did they trade? • snails that gave purple dye & wood What is a bazaar? • a market where shoppers would buy cotton cloth from India & spices from Egypt What is a caravan? • a group of travelers

5. Fertile Crescent / Politics What is an empire? • an area of many territories and peoples that is controlled by one government Who is King Hammurabi? • King of Babylon – created harsh laws Why was the Code of Hammurabi important? • The first laws written down Give an example of a law How were the punishments different? • They were based on the class of the lawbreaker & the victim of the crime

6. Fertile Crescent / History What are the Hanging Gardens? • A structure Who built it? • King Nebuchadnezzar build it for his wife Why is it important? • One of the seven ancient wonders of the world

7. Ancient Egypt / Geography Why was the Nile River important? •  It provided rich farmland. What is the Black land? • the dark soil left by the Nile What is the red land? • the vast desert on either side of the river

8. Ancient Egypt / Society Religion – What is life after death? Afterlife What is a mummy? Preserved dead body What was hieroglyphics? Egyptian writing List the social classes of Egypt Pharaoh - Small Upper Class - Middle Class - Peasants

9. Ancient Egypt/ Economy What did the Egyptians trade? Nile River was a highway for trade Gold, silver, copper and fine pottery, cedar What influenced the lives of the Egyptian peasants? The planting seasons

10. Ancient Egypt/ Politics  What was the greatest achievement of the pharaoh Menes? • He united Lower and Upper Egypt. Describe Hatshepsut • female pharaoh who preserved peace and encouraged trade Describe Thutmose III? • He was a military leader and conquered many lands. Nubian Kingdom of Kerma • Skiiled workers - pottery Nubian Kingdom of Napata Took control of Egypt & They admired Egyptian culture Nubian Kingdom of Meroe • They learned to make iron tools and weapons • They grew rich from trade

11. Ancient Egypt / History  What is a pyramid? • building with four sloping walls Why is Step Pyramid in Saquarra important? • It was the first pyramid Why are The Pyramids of Giza important? •  One of the Ancient wonders of the world Why was the Rosetta Stone important? • We are able to read hieroglyphic writing

12. Ancient India / Geography  Name and describe the two mountain ranges that separate India from Asia 1 - Himalaya Mts : largest in the world 2- Hindu Kush: 2 passes (Bolan & Khyber) How did the mountains and the surrounding water influence its development? It limited contact between the subcontinent and the rest of the world Describe the climate of India Winter: monsoons spread dry air Summer: monsoons drench the plains and river valleys What are the two rivers? Indus River & Ganges River

13. Ancient India / Society  Describe Hinduism National religion of India / Influenced other religions – No single founder / Belief in reincarnation Describe Buddhism A person should avoid a life of extreme pleasure or extreme happiness / All people are equal Who is Siddhartha Gautma? A Hindu prince that started a new religion What is reincarnation? Rebirth of the soul What is nirvana? lasting peace if you follow the Eightfold Path

14. Ancient India / Economy What kind of food did they produce?  Wheat and other grains Why did their population grow? They had a surplus of food.

15. Ancient India / Politics  Describe the caste system A social class of people / each class performs special duties and they must stay in the caste of their parent Who is Chandragupta? He became the king and had absolute power, his rule was harsh Who is Asoka? • He conquered more territories and made the empire larger • He was warlike • Converted to Buddhism

16. Ancient India / History Describe Mohenjo-Daro • A carefully planned large city • Built on high ground in case it flooded • Streets laid out in a grid • Clay pipes carried waste

17. Ancient China / Geography  How did the physical geography affect Chinese civilization? It created barriers to the outside world What was the climate like in the South? Monsoons brings rain March – September / Light rain the rest of the year / Warm and wet What was the climate like in the North? Brief but intense summer monsoon winds / No rain the rest of the year / Climate is cool & very dry / Need to depend on the river

18. Ancient China / Society  Describe the role of women Women obeyed their fathers, husbands, and sons  Life of Confucius Most important Chinese thinker / Born to a poor family He was self taught / First professional teacher Teachings of Confucius Loyalty & respect were important qualities. “Treat others how you want to be treated.” Impact of Confucius He changed the Chinese government - civil service.

19. Ancient China / Economy  What was the Silk Road? Where was it? An ancient trade route between China with the West What goods did they exchange? Silk – everyone wanted silk & they would pay a high price for it What ideas did they exchange? Missionaries brought the religion of Buddhism to China

20. Ancient China / Politics Qin Dynasty Shi Huangdi / Main accomplishments - He unified China and organized it into districts, built roads, and started the Great Wall and created a common currency Han Dynasty Liu Bang Main accomplishments - He created a stable government and appointed Confucian scholars to government posts. Wudi Main accomplishments: He improved the Great Wall, strengthened the army and expanded the borders of China’s empire.

21. Ancient China / History Why was Great Wall of China built? It was built to protect China from the invaders from the north Describe the Terra Cotta Army • Shi Huangdi created a tomb with more than 6,000 life size statues of soldiers, weapons and horses • He planned to rule a second empire in the afterlife

22. Ancient Greece /Geography How did the Greeks use the sea?  Food / fish, transportation, and trade Why was it difficult for the Greeks to farm? It was difficult to farm because the land was rugged. They did not have a lot of fertile farmland.

23. Ancient Greece / Society  What is the basic difference between gods and humans? They were stronger and immortal What is the subject of Homer’s two epics? Events related to the wars between the Greeks and the Trojans Describe the ancient Olympics Describe the theater Describe the architecture

24. Ancient Greece /Economy  What did they need and where did they get it? • Fish from the Black Sea • Timber from Cyprus • Grains from the Nile Delta • Meat from the Italian peninsula Who was fighting for control of the Black Sea and why? The Greeks and the Phoenicians fought for control of the Black Sea because they want control the flow of goods in and out of the Black Sea. What is the agora? Central marketplace What is a trireme? a sailing vessel powered by three banks of oarsmen What are the two ways of living off the sea? Sailing & trading

25. Ancient Greece / Politics Describe Athens Trade-oriented, seafaring, vital, religious, freedom-loving, knowledge loving, beauty loving Describe Sparta Harsh, militaristic, strict, brave, physically demanding Describe democracy A government run by the people, in which citizens make their own laws. Greek word meaning “power of the people.” Athens was the world’s first democracy How did Athenian democracy lack “justice for all”? Only 25% of the population had a real voice in the Athenian government – they were all male citizens

26. Ancient Greece / History What is the Parthenon? Largest building on the Acropolis, a temple dedicated to Athena Describe the Persian Wars Sparta and Athens united against Persia Describe the Peloponnesian Wars Sparta and the other Peloponnesian city-states had united against Athens Describe Alexander the Great He was one of the most talented generals of all time - he never lost a battle and never forced to retreat

27. Ancient Rome / Geography What attracted settlers to the Italian peninsula? Location, a good coastline, good for farming What are the four natural regions of the Italian peninsula 1 – Alps 2 – Appennies 3 – Po Basin 4 – Western plain

28. Ancient Rome / Society Name the early Romans Latins, the Greeks and the Etruscans Describe Jesus & Christianity Founder of Christianity – a world religion How did Constantine contribute to the spread of Christianity? He gave Christians full religious freedom to practice and teach

29. Ancient Rome / Economy  What are the 3 important centers of trade? 1. Rome 2. Carthage 3.Alexandria

30. Ancient Rome /  Politics  Describe the Roman government  Republic – where citizens have the right to chose their leaders / All male citizens with money and property can vote Punic Wars Rome and Carthage went to war over Sicily The rise and fall of Julius Caesar He is popular general, he had many victories and he was made dictator. He took power away from the senators and began wearing purple. The senators are unhappy and kill him.

31. Ancient Rome / History  Why did Rome build its system of roads and aqueducts? The roads liked the empire and aqueducts supplied water Describe the advances in architecture Arches, domes and concrete Why is the Colosseum important? Gladiators fought men or animals What are the Romance languages? French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese Which two people were killed because the government was afraid they were becoming too powerful? Julius Caesar & Jesus