FOCUS QUESTIONS BY TOPIC
Topic One :
1.) What is the difference between an archeologist and an anthropologist?
2.) What is prehistory and how is it defined?
3.) Why did early humans migrate the way they did?
4.) What does the term revolution mean?
5.) What is the difference between the Old and New Stone Age?
6.) How was the introduction of farming a turning point in world history? What were the short and long term effects of this?
7.) How did job specialization shape early civilizations?
8.) Analyze the conditions under which the first cities and civilizations arose. What geographical features might people settling in a place want to find?
9.) Analyze the relative importance of the eight characteristics of civilizations.
10.) How did governments help civilizations thrive?
11.) How did cultural diffusion impact civilizations over time?
12.) How did writing help civilizations thrive?
13.) How did religion impact the establishment of governments and social classes in early civilizations?
14.) Why is culture important?
Topic Two:
1.) How did geography influence the development of civilization in the Fertile Crescent? Think about question 8 in Topic one.
2.) What are the main features of Sumerian civilization? Link them to the eight characteristics of civilization discussed in Topic one.
3.) What advances did Sumer contribute to future civilizations?
4.) Explain the importance and legacy of Hammurabi's Code during the Babylonian Empire. What is justice? Is it absolute? Was Hammurabi's Code just?
5.) What were the major achievements of the Akkadians, Hittites, Assyrians and New Babylon? What is changing? Staying the same?
6.) What were the achievements of the Persian Empire:
7.) What were the two main elements of the Persian religion? Why is this important?
8.) How did the size of the Persian Empire strengthen its influence throughout the Middle East?
9.) Discuss the importance of the Phoenicians to world history.
10.) Assess the importance of the Hebrew religion and the development of Israel in this time period.
11.) What is Canaan and why is it important to the ancient Israelites?
12.) Analyze the moral and ethical ideas of Judaism and discuss how it influenced Judeo-Christian legal traditions.
13.) How did geography influence Egyptian development? The Nile river in particular?
14.) What are the differences between the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms? What were their strengths and weaknesses? How did Egypt grow strong in the New Kingdom?
15.) How did religion shape Egyptian life?
16.) How did Egyptians organize their society? What were the impacts of this?
17.) What major advances did the Egyptians make in learning, the arts, science and literature?
18.) Looking back at early civilizations, what major geographical feature is most necessary? Why?
Topic 3:
1.) How might religion affect daily life? Government? Ongoing questions with all civilizations!!
2.) Describe and locate major features of Indian subcontinent geography.
3.) Connect the physical geography of the subcontinent to the development of Indus civilization.
4.) What were the impacts of geography on early migration and trade diffusion?
5.) Record the technological advances of Indus civilization according to the following two criteria: the greatest long term impact, and
which was most important to the civilization at the time.
6.) What is the single most important geographical feature of major civilizations discussed to date? Why?
7.) What are the most important characteristics of Aryan civilization? Did the fact that they are herders influence migration within the Indian subcontinent? Why?
8.) What were the significant achievements of the Indus and Aryan civilizations?
9.) Why did they develop differently?
10.) Describe the central beliefs and principles of Hinduism. What key words would you need to know to do this?
11.) How did the development and spread of Hinduism differ from other major religions?
12.) Compare and contrast the concepts of karma and moksha in Hinduism.
13.) Analyze how the caste system shaped India.
14.) Describe the origins and central beliefs and principles of Buddhism. What is the eightfold path to achieve nirvana.
15.) How is nirvana in Buddhism similar to moksha in Hinduism?
16.) What features increased Mahyana Buddhism's popularity in places like China and Japan
17.) What are the causes of Buddhism's eventual decline in India?
18.) Analyze how Maurya rulers created a strong central government for their empire.
19.) What was the major contribution of the Tamil kingdom that would allow it to be less impacted by the collapse of the Mauryan empire?
20.) Why is the period of Gupta rule in India considered a golden age? Compare and Contrast the Maurya and Guptas to get a better idea.
21.) Having trouble with question 20? What were the major accomplishments, breakthroughs, and inventions of the Guptas?
22.) What do the roles played by family and village in Indian life reveal about the needs of the individual versus the needs of the community?
23.) How did the formation of the Mauryan and Gupta empires contribute to the development of civilization in India?
24.) What are some factors that encourage the advance of civilizations?
1.) What is the difference between an archeologist and an anthropologist?
2.) What is prehistory and how is it defined?
3.) Why did early humans migrate the way they did?
4.) What does the term revolution mean?
5.) What is the difference between the Old and New Stone Age?
6.) How was the introduction of farming a turning point in world history? What were the short and long term effects of this?
7.) How did job specialization shape early civilizations?
8.) Analyze the conditions under which the first cities and civilizations arose. What geographical features might people settling in a place want to find?
9.) Analyze the relative importance of the eight characteristics of civilizations.
10.) How did governments help civilizations thrive?
11.) How did cultural diffusion impact civilizations over time?
12.) How did writing help civilizations thrive?
13.) How did religion impact the establishment of governments and social classes in early civilizations?
14.) Why is culture important?
Topic Two:
1.) How did geography influence the development of civilization in the Fertile Crescent? Think about question 8 in Topic one.
2.) What are the main features of Sumerian civilization? Link them to the eight characteristics of civilization discussed in Topic one.
3.) What advances did Sumer contribute to future civilizations?
4.) Explain the importance and legacy of Hammurabi's Code during the Babylonian Empire. What is justice? Is it absolute? Was Hammurabi's Code just?
5.) What were the major achievements of the Akkadians, Hittites, Assyrians and New Babylon? What is changing? Staying the same?
6.) What were the achievements of the Persian Empire:
7.) What were the two main elements of the Persian religion? Why is this important?
8.) How did the size of the Persian Empire strengthen its influence throughout the Middle East?
9.) Discuss the importance of the Phoenicians to world history.
10.) Assess the importance of the Hebrew religion and the development of Israel in this time period.
11.) What is Canaan and why is it important to the ancient Israelites?
12.) Analyze the moral and ethical ideas of Judaism and discuss how it influenced Judeo-Christian legal traditions.
13.) How did geography influence Egyptian development? The Nile river in particular?
14.) What are the differences between the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms? What were their strengths and weaknesses? How did Egypt grow strong in the New Kingdom?
15.) How did religion shape Egyptian life?
16.) How did Egyptians organize their society? What were the impacts of this?
17.) What major advances did the Egyptians make in learning, the arts, science and literature?
18.) Looking back at early civilizations, what major geographical feature is most necessary? Why?
Topic 3:
1.) How might religion affect daily life? Government? Ongoing questions with all civilizations!!
2.) Describe and locate major features of Indian subcontinent geography.
3.) Connect the physical geography of the subcontinent to the development of Indus civilization.
4.) What were the impacts of geography on early migration and trade diffusion?
5.) Record the technological advances of Indus civilization according to the following two criteria: the greatest long term impact, and
which was most important to the civilization at the time.
6.) What is the single most important geographical feature of major civilizations discussed to date? Why?
7.) What are the most important characteristics of Aryan civilization? Did the fact that they are herders influence migration within the Indian subcontinent? Why?
8.) What were the significant achievements of the Indus and Aryan civilizations?
9.) Why did they develop differently?
10.) Describe the central beliefs and principles of Hinduism. What key words would you need to know to do this?
11.) How did the development and spread of Hinduism differ from other major religions?
12.) Compare and contrast the concepts of karma and moksha in Hinduism.
13.) Analyze how the caste system shaped India.
14.) Describe the origins and central beliefs and principles of Buddhism. What is the eightfold path to achieve nirvana.
15.) How is nirvana in Buddhism similar to moksha in Hinduism?
16.) What features increased Mahyana Buddhism's popularity in places like China and Japan
17.) What are the causes of Buddhism's eventual decline in India?
18.) Analyze how Maurya rulers created a strong central government for their empire.
19.) What was the major contribution of the Tamil kingdom that would allow it to be less impacted by the collapse of the Mauryan empire?
20.) Why is the period of Gupta rule in India considered a golden age? Compare and Contrast the Maurya and Guptas to get a better idea.
21.) Having trouble with question 20? What were the major accomplishments, breakthroughs, and inventions of the Guptas?
22.) What do the roles played by family and village in Indian life reveal about the needs of the individual versus the needs of the community?
23.) How did the formation of the Mauryan and Gupta empires contribute to the development of civilization in India?
24.) What are some factors that encourage the advance of civilizations?