Unit I – Introduction to the Pre- Civilized World - First ...



Name_____________________________________ Period_____ Class ID#___

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. Art-

Part 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.

Name_________________________________ 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 well-planned 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.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download