Download Unit I – Introduction to the Pre- Civilized World

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UNIT II: RIVER VALLEY
CIVILIZATIONS
People made tools, learned to build fires, and developed spoken languages
during the Paleolithic Period or Old Stone Age, the earliest period of human
history. About 11,000 years ago people learned to farm. This breakthrough transformed the
way people lived. It is referred to as the Neolithic Revolution.
Historians define eight basic features common to most civilizations. Cities, a central
feature in civilizations, first rose in river valleys in the middle of East Africa (Egypt) and in
various places on the continent of Asia more that 5,000 years ago.
While civilizations took shape in the Nile River of Egypt and the Fertile Crescent, which was
also called Mesopotamia, people of India and China also carved out their own civilizations. The
Indus River Valley in India was the first to show urban (city) planning. Under the Maurya and
Gupta Dynasties, India developed into a center of trade. They had contacts with civilizations in
Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
China began in the Yellow River Valley when floods left good soil. China grew very powerful
and influenced surrounding states especially Korea and Japan. From the Chinese Empire, the
Japanese and Korean people
adopted Confucian philosophy, belief
in divine emperors, and the Chinese
version of Buddhism.
Social Studies Themes in this unit:
1. Interdependence
2. Change and Turning Points
3. Movement of People and Goods
4. Justice and Law
Homework 1:
Kingdoms of the Nile, Egyptian Civilization and the City-States of Ancient Sumer
Part 1: Egypt (Pages 22-31)
Vocabulary- Define or describe all terms IN YOUR OWN WORDS. That means make sure you understand what
your definition means. Describe the term as best you can.
1. Delta
2. Pharaoh
3. Dynasty
4. Mummification
5. Hieroglyphics
Main Ideas- In COMPLETE SENTENCES, answer the following questions using the information from your textbook.
Make sure your answer COMPLETELY answers the question being asked and demonstrates that you understand the
main idea of the question’s topic.
6. What is one advantage of Egypt being surrounded by desert and one disadvantage?
7. Why was Egypt known as a “breadbasket?”
8. What was a benefit of the Nile flooding annually?
9. How was the Nile River a trade route?
10. How is Egyptian history divided?
11. How did the pyramids show the strength of Egyptian civilization?
12. Name and describe at least two Egyptian gods or goddesses and their importance.
13. Describe accomplishments made by the Egyptians in the following areas:
a. Writing-
b. Medicine-
c. Astronomy-
d. ArtPart 2: Sumer (Pages 31-42)
Vocabulary- Define or describe all terms IN YOUR OWN WORDS. That means make sure you understand what
your definition means. Describe the term as best you can.
1. Mesopotamia
2. Ziggurat
3. Hierarchy
4. Cuneiform
5. The Epic of Gilgamesh
Main Ideas- In COMPLETE SENTENCES, answer the following questions using the information from your textbook.
Make sure your answer COMPLETELY answers the question being asked and demonstrates that you understand the
main idea of the question’s topic.
6. Why is this area called the Fertile Crescent?
7. What made this area a “crossroads?”
8. What does “Mesopotamia” mean?
9. How are Mesopotamia and Egypt similar?
10. Fill in the diagram of the Sumerian social hierarchy.
8. Describe how the importance of women changed in Sumerian society.
9. Describe three characteristics of Sumerian religion
a.
b.
c.
10. Describe three accomplishments of Sumerian civilization (What did they create that is
memorable?)
a.
b.
c.
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Due Date _______
Homework 2: Powerful Empires of India
Pages 50 – 63 AND 83 – 89 MAKE SURE YOU USED BOTH SECTIONS TO FIND INFO!
Vocabulary- Define or describe all terms IN YOUR OWN WORDS. That means make sure you understand what
your definition means. Describe the term as best you can.
1. Monsoon
2. Caste
3. Vedas
4. Chandragupta Maurya
Main Ideas- In COMPLETE SENTENCES, answer the following questions using the information from your textbook.
Make sure your answer COMPLETELY answers the question being asked and demonstrates that you understand the
main idea of the question’s topic.
5. Describe two ways geography has affected how people live on the Indian Subcontinent.
6. What conclusion can be drawn from the fact that the Indus Valley civilization had such wellplanned cities?
7. What do we know about the Aryan society from reading the Vedas?
8. India enjoyed a “Golden Age” under the Gupta dynasty. Describe three achievements (in
learning, architecture, literature, etc.) of the Guptas.
a.
b.
c.
9. Summarize family life in India (include at least four characteristics).
Name_____________________________________
Due___________
Homework 3: Powerful Dynasties of China
Pages 58 – 63, 93 – 99, 306- 314
MAKE SURE YOU LOOK IN ALL SECTIONS TO FIND INFO!
Vocabulary- Define or describe all terms IN YOUR OWN WORDS. That means make sure you understand what
your definition means. Describe the term as best you can.
1. Mandate of Heaven
2. Dynastic Cycle
3. Shi Huangdi
4. Great Wall
5. Silk Road
6. Civil Service Exams
Main Ideas- In COMPLETE SENTENCES, answer the following questions using the information from your textbook.
Make sure your answer COMPLETELY answers the question being asked and demonstrates that you understand the
main idea of the question’s topic.
7. Why is the Huang He River called the “River of Sorrows?”
8. Explain the importance of ancestors to the Chinese.
9. Describe at least two achievements made during the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
10. Describe at least two achievements made during the Han dynasty.
11. Describe at least two achievements made during the Tang and Song dynasties.
12. Describe the two main classes of people in Chinese society during the Tang and Song
dynasties.
13. Describe the custom of footbinding and the effects it had on women in China.