Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
End of Year Assessment: Study Guide Geography: Many ancient civilizations were built near rivers, to take advantage of their resources. They could also serve as connectors, while other geographic features, such as mountains and deserts divided civilizations and served as protective barriers. Mesopotamia: Inventions like the plow, wheel, sail, written language, and laws helped to make it “the cradle of civilization”. Hammurabi’s Code was a system of laws designed to unify society by establishing rules for everyone with harsh punishments to discourage violence. Egypt: Considered “the gift of the Nile” because the resources of the Nile River helped Egyptian society develop. Egyptians believed that the pharaoh was actually a god on earth, giving him extensive power over the people. The social structure of Egypt was hierarchical. Pharaohs were followed by government officials, soldiers, scribes, merchants, artisans, farmers, and slaves in order of importance. China: The Four Treasures symbolized the Chinese emphasis on writing. The Three Teachings (Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism) reflected the emphasis on a balanced life. Legalism and Confucianism place a great emphasis on country and family. Confucians, in particular, believed family honor came above everything else. India: Hinduism is the Indian religion in which one is born into a caste system (their social class) and lives a good life (karma) so they may be reincarnated in their next life. Both Hindus and Buddhists believe this. India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh were greatly influenced by the Gupta, Mughal, and British Empires. Greece: Democracy is invented by the Greeks as a way to govern their empire. They were polytheistic, believing in many gods. Their stories were told in myths, known as mythology. They placed an emphasis on physical fitness (“a sound mind in a sound body”). Sparta was a very militaristic society, while Athens was more democratic and artistic. Rome: Romans believed in many of the same gods as the Greeks, until Christianity begins to spread throughout Europe during the Roman Empire. Romans used a big, strong army and their ability to build to create a big empire. Islam: Muslims (followers of Islam) were monotheistic like Christians and Jews. This similar belief did not prevent conflicts such as the Crusades (Muslims vs. Christians), Shiite vs. Sunni Muslims (Muslims vs. Muslims), or the ongoing Arab vs. Israeli (Muslims vs. Jews) conflict. Africa: Ancient Africa consisted on many kingdoms, such as Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Kush and Great Zimbabwe. They became wealthy empires because of their location near rivers and trade routes. They traded a lot of gold, salt, and ivory for goods from Europe and Asia. Mesoamerica: Toltecs, Mayans, Olmecs, and Aztecs were all civilizations from Central America. Aztecs believed that the sun would not rise unless humans were sacrificed to the sun god. This led them to conquer many lands in search of prisoners for sacrifice. Incas were excellent builders and maintained control of a large empire, much like the Romans.