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Pre-IB World History I Midterm Review Topics
Directions: Below is a list of the major topics we have covered this year. Use this outline to help you to
organize your notes and study for the midterm. The midterm will be cumulative, however will have more
questions pertaining to Greece, Rome, and the Byzantine Empire.
Era 1: Human Origins and Early Civilization (Prehistory to 1000 BCE)
Topic 1: Early development of human kind from the Paleolithic Era to the Neolithic Revolution
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Definition of a hominid
Definition of hunter gather civilization and characteristics
Reasons that Paleolithic tribes were hunter-gatherer
Types of tools used during the Paleolithic Period and the development (stone tools)
Define the Neolithic Revolution
How did agriculture lead to sedentary societies
How did agriculture advance during the Neolithic Revolution (moved from stone tools – metal
tools)
Define archeologist, paleontologist, artifact, radio-carbon dating, archeological dig
Topic 2: Neolithic villages, Ancient river valley civilization (cradles of civilization), and other early
civilizations
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The reasons why early civilizations developed on rivers
Early civilizations were polytheistic
Reasons for the development of religion and how it influenced the government
How the economy developed from barter to “money”
Advanced tools were used in these later societies made from metal instead of stone
How/why slavery developed in early civilizations
Origins of Judaism and characteristics of the religion
Holy book of Judaism and core beliefs and why this caused Jewish persecution
Define the Diaspora and explain how this fostered the spread of Judaism
Location of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Shang China, Indus, Phoenicians, Babylonians, Hebrews,
Nubians on a map
Discuss the development of written language – hieroglyphics, and cuneiform (and lack of a
written language in the Indus Valley Civilization)
Rivers Egypt, Mesopotamia, Indus Valley, Shang China are located on
Religion, writing, government of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Indus Valley, Shang China
Era 2: Classical Civilizations and Rise of Religious Traditions (1000 BCE – 500 AD)
Topic 3: Persian Empire
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Be able to locate the Persian Empire on a map
Define the government of Persia as being an imperial monarchy
Discuss the importance of Cyrus the Great, Cambyses, and Darius
Discuss the events of the Persian Wars (who were they against, and why were they fought)
Topic 4: Ancient Greece
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Be able to locate Ancient Greece on a map
Discuss the effect the geography (rocky soil, mountainous terrain) had on the development of
Greece
Discuss the early government of Greece (monarchy) and the development based on the
culture of the Minoans and the Myceneans
Define the Polis
Discuss the culture of Athens – the government, the emphasis on art and beauty and learning
Discuss the culture of Sparta – the government, the emphasis on military and loyalty to polis
Discuss Greek mythology
Discuss the importance of slavery in Ancient Rome
Discuss citizenship in ancient Rome (who was considered a citizen and who was not)
Identify the causes of the Persian Wars, major battles, and effects (Athenian Golden Age)
Identify contributions of Athenian Golden Age (Pericles, philosophers, mathematicians,
literature, playwrights)
Identify the difference between the Delian League and the Peloponnesian League
Causes of the Peloponnesian War
Major battles and timeline of the Peloponnesian Wars and outcome of the Punic Wars
Identify Philip and Macedonia and Alexander the Great
Discuss Alexander’s conquests of Greece and the Middle East
Locate Alexander’s Empire on a map
Identify causes of the breakdown of Alexander’s Empire
Topic 5: Ancient Rome
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Identify the Roman Republic and Roman Empire on a map
Discuss the foundation myth of Rome (Romulus and Remus)
Discuss the effect the geography (fertile soil, hilly, but not mountainous) had on the
development of Rome (ability for it to develop as a Monarchy)
Identify the Roman Republic on a map, and identify the hill it began on
Identify the “first Romans”
Discuss why the first Roman Monarchy ended
Discuss the hierarchy of the Roman Republic (Patricians, Plebeians)
Discuss the role of slaves in Ancient Rome (gladiators, role of slaves during the Punic Wars)
Compare Roman and Greek government
Analyze the way Greece influenced Roman culture
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Roman mythology
Discuss the government of the Roman Republic
Discuss the causes of the Punic Wars
Discuss the events and major battles of the Punic Wars
Discuss the results of the Punic Wars
Explain why the Republic failed (wars, growing gap between rich and poor, death of the
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus)
Discuss the first and second Triumvirates and how they established an Imperial Monarchy in
Rome
What role did Julius and Augustus Caesar play in the establishment of the Imperial Monarchy
in Rome
Discuss the government of Rome during the Imperial Monarchy
Discuss how emperors were able to keep Peace in the Imperial Monarchy
Define Pax Romana and discuss the characteristics
Describe the origin, beliefs, traditions, customs of Christianity
Discuss the spread of Christianity (How its spread, the role Pax Romana played in the ease of
its spread, why people converted to Christianity)
Discuss Constantine’s role in the spread of Christianity and Theodosius role in the spread of
Christianity
Discuss contributions in art and architecture, technology and science, literature history and
language and religious institutions from the Roman Empire
Discuss the 4 precipitating and one major cause of the fall of the Roman empire
Discuss why the Huns were able to defeat Romulus Augustus in the West, but could not
capture Constantinople in the East
Discuss Diocletian’s tetrarchy and split of the Roman Empire
Era 3: Postclassical Civilizations (300 to 1,000 AD)
Topic 6: The Byzantine Empire
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Locate the Byzantine Empire on a map
Explain the establishment of Constantinople as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire
Discuss Justinian’s contributions, including the codification of Roman law, and expansion of
the Byzantine Empire (re-unifying the two halves of the empire)
Discuss how/why the Byzantine empire was able to preserve Greek and Roman art traditions
Explain the disputes that led to the split between the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox
Churches and be able to recognize differences between the two
Discuss the impact of Byzantine influence and trade on Russia and eastern Europe
Discuss the reason for the fall of the Byzantine Empire
Discuss the importance of the Byzantine empire culturally (preservation of Greek and Roman
culture)