Name: ______Class: ______

Date: ______Comments: ______

Social Studies Midterm Exam Study Guide

Directions: Work on this at home. Then bring it to class.

Tips for studying:

  1. Make flash cards to review the vocabulary and facts.
  2. Study from the previous assessments.
  3. Review the questions from previous assessments. These should all be in the data book which students were required to bring and keep in the classroom.
  4. Study the maps.
  5. Use your notebook. Go over all the notes and reading in your notebook!

The test has several sections. It may include from the following:

  1. Matching Vocabulary/Key Terms or use vocabulary in sentences.
  2. Multiple Choice
  3. Timeline
  4. Image Analysis
  5. Short and or Long Answers
  6. Comparisons with a Venn diagram
  7. GRAPES
  8. Mapping
  9. Close Reading
  10. Think about!

Part I.Vocabulary: You must know the definition and be able to read and use the word in context.Please refer to key words in the chapters we have read. Check your word flaps too!

nomad / a person who has no settled home
civilization / a society with cities, a central government, job specialization, and social classes
oral traditions / stories passed down by word of mouth
Geography / the study of the Earth’s surface and the processes that shape it
prehistory / the time before written history
domestication / adapting wild plants and animals for human use
irrigation / supplying the land with water through a network of canals
archeologists / scientists who examine objects to learn about the human past
surplus / more than what is needed
map title / words that explain what a map is about
equator / An imaginary line around the center of the earth that divides the northern and southern hemispheres
Mesopotamia / “The land between two rivers”
polytheism / belief in many gods
cuneiform / the world’s first writing
Ice-Man/Otsi / A man whose frozen body was preserved for thousands of years. He died holding a copper axe.
ziggurat / a terraced religious temple also known as the Mountain of the gods
topsoil / earth that is close to the surface, good for planting
scribe / professional writer
Fertile Crescent / an area of southwestern Asia
courtyard / an enclosed garden inside a house
city-state / a city that has a government and functions like its own country
fertile / producing or capable of producing abundant vegetation or crops
longitude / imaginary lines north and south
fertilizer / a chemical or natural substance added to soil or land to increase its fertility
silt / fine sand, clay etc. carried by running water and deposited as sediment, especially in a harbor
empire / group of cities or countries ruled by a single person
latitude / imaginary lines east and west
Prime Meridian / an imaginary line around the middle of the earth dividing the eastern and western hemispheres
peninsula / an area surrounded by water on three sides
pastoral nomads / subsist on animal products (milk, meat), and move from place to place with their animals
natural features / are part of the land existing before people lived e.g. plants, rocks, soil, sea and streams
beach / an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake
canal / long and narrow strip of water made for boats or for irrigation
canyon / is a deep valley with very steep sides - often carved from the Earth by a river
cave / is a large hole in the ground or in the side of a hill or mountain
cliff / is a steep face of rock and soil
delta / a low, watery land formed at the mouth of a river
glacier / is a long-lasting, slowly-moving river of ice on land
bay / a bay is a body of water that is partly enclosed by land (and is usually smaller than a gulf)
hill / a raised area or mound of land
island / a piece of land that is surrounded by water
isthmus / a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land-masses, an isthmus has water on two sides
lake / a large body of water surrounded by land on all sides
mountain / a very tall high, natural place on Earth - higher than a hill
oasis / a fertile tract in a desert (where the water table approaches the surface)
ocean / a large body of salt water that surrounds a continent
orbit / circular path
revolve / to move around, usually around an object
axis / a real or imaginary straight line going through the center of an object pencil through Earth
relative location / in relation toanother place
physical map / shows what the region looks like physically, uses color to show elevation
thematic map / aka special purpose map: a map that focuses on a specific subject
political map / shows political borders, usually has labels and symbols for major cities
hemisphere / half of the globe
migration / the movement of people from one area to another area
artisan / a worker in a skilled trade
social class / a group of people with similar incomes, backgrounds and ways of living
hunter-gatherer / people who rely on hunting animals and gathering nuts and berries for their food sources
Copper / a type of metal
Chronological / in order according to dates
Characteristic / a trait or quality

Part II.Multiple Choice.Define and answer questions about the following subjects.

  1. Mapping (Map Key, Map Title, Latitude and Longitude, Equator, Prime Meridian)

(Some example questions are added below – however they will be asked in multiple choice form)

Map Key: What is contained in a map key? A map key contains symbols and explanations for those symbols allowing the reader to interpret the map.

Map Title: Why is a map title important? A map title helps the reader understand what the map is about.

Latitude: What does latitude measure? Latitude measures imaginary lines that are horizontal.

Longitude: What is longitude and why is it important? Longitude along with latitude helps us measure the exact location of a place on Earth. It consists of imaginary vertical lines aka (also known as) meridians.

Equator: The Equator is 0 degrees latitude and goes around the center of the Earth.

Prime Meridian: The Prime Meridian goes through Greenwich, England and is 0 degrees longitude.

  1. How do you find exact location?

Today’s technology allows us to use GPS (Global Positioning Satellites) that measure the exact latitude and longitude of a location. Satellites are programed to measure locations in degrees to the highest degree of accuracy possible. Cellular phone applications such as Google Maps allow us to find absolute location.

On a map we can read the degrees of latitude and longitude if the map has the degrees listed. If it does not have the degrees listed then we can guess based on the proximity to The Prime Meridian and the Equator, we can also use the Tropics of Cancer (23.5 degrees North) and Capricorn (23.5 degrees South) and any other known lines on the map to guess the approximate degrees of a location.

  1. Define and give examples of the 5 Themes of Geography (Location, Region, Movement, Place Human/Environment Interaction):

Definitions: Tip: Remember MR. HELP

  1. Movement: How people, goods and ideas move around the earth.
  2. Region: An areawith similar characteristics, such as language and religion.
  3. Human Environment Interaction: How people interact with their natural environment.
  4. Location: Answers the question, “Where is it?” GPS can help this!
  5. Place: This theme is about what makes a place special and unique.

Location: Where a place is on Earth.

Relative Location: The ACA Girls Campus is in Hawally next to the Dukkan.

Absolute Location: This includes latitude and longitude.

Ex. 35 Degrees North or South 25 Degrees West or East.

Region:What region of the world do we live in?We live in the Gulf region. We also live in the Middle East region. Kuwait is in the southwestern Asia region. (any of these will be accepted)

Movement: How do people, goods and ideas move around our region? People use planes, cars and buses. Goods are moved on ships and trucks. Ideas move through social media, the Internet, radio, talking and printed words.

Place: What natural features make Kuwait unique? Kuwait has a desert with oil and is next to the Arabian Gulf. It has a very hot climate for most of the year.

Human/Environment Interaction aka Interaction: How do humans interact with their environment where you live? Humans must protect themselves in the summer from the extreme heat. They do this by staying out of the sun at mid-day and going out when the sun goes down. They also wear clothing that is light but covers them and protects them from the sun.

  1. What are the Caves of Lascaux? Where are they? What can we learn from them?

The Caves of Lascaux are caves with paintings that are up to 20,000 (twenty thousand) years old! There is another cave the Chauvet Cave that has paintings that are 32,000 years old. A movie called “The Cave of Forgotten Dreams” shows the inside of the Chauvet Cave. The Caves of Lascaux and the Chauvet Cave are both in France. We can learn that people thousands of years ago cared about art. They also cared about telling the stories about the animals that they hunted to eat and survive.We learn from the pictures that people used the caves for shelter and that they used mud to paint on the inside of the caves.

  1. What did Stone Age people eat and how is it different from what we eat today? What foods do we eat today that Stone Age people ate?

Stone Age people ate food that was almost only from animal proteins. About 70% of their diet was from animal meat. They ate meat such as deer, mastodon and saber toothed tiger! They had a few vegetables. Corn existed but it was very tough to eat. Tomatoes were extremely small and wild. Sea kale was a vegetable eaten by people close to the coasts. Today we eat more carbohydrates.

  1. Why is the Stone Age, called the Stone Age?

The Stone Age is called the Stone Age because it was when early humans began to make and use tools made out of stone. It is characterized by people living in caves, and simple homes and using the hunter gatherer system to feed themselves. This meant people were nomads and followed animals to stay alive.

  1. What is the difference between prehistory and history?

Prehistory is the time before writing. Before writing existed, humans communicated using pictures. An example of prehistoric communication is cave art in France. History is the time after writing was invented. This meant that humans were recording -in writing- the events of their time. An example of early writing is Hammurabi’s Code of Laws.

  1. Who was Otzi?What can we learn from him? Otzi is also known as “The Ice Man”. He

lived and died during theBronze Age. His body was found in 1991, in northern Italy, by two hikers. We can learn about the time he lived in by examining his clothes. We know that his people could sew. Archeologists and historians guess that he was murdered and covered with snow because his most valuable possession, a copper ax, was found with his body 5,000 years after he died. He was found with an arrow tip under his shoulder. This meant that the people who killed him used bows and arrows.

  1. What marked the beginning of the Bronze Age?

The Bronze Age began when people began to mix copper and tin to make a stronger metal. That metal is bronze. People began to make stronger tools and weapons. Soldiers also made bronze shields and helmets for their protection in battle.

  1. What was the effect of trade on societies?Trade leads to communities increasing their

wealth. When the traders moved around to other places they learned new languages. They also learned new technology and they learned new ideas and religion. The best ideas usually spread quickly. For example, the cuneiform writing was popular all around the Mediterranean Sea, northern Africa and out towards India.

  1. Who were the scribes and what did they do? Explain what they wrote and why it was

important.The scribes were usually young boys who were put in school and studied for

10 years. They wrote the accounts of the King. This meant they know how much money was going to the King from taxes. It also meant that they know how much money was being spent by the King. They knew if the King had money to pay an army or if the King had no money and might send his army to conquer another wealthier city.

  1. Who was Hammurabi and what did he believe?Hammurabi was a king of the Babylonians.

He is best known for developing a Code of Laws. In that code of laws, Hammurabi wrote that if a man takes the eye of another man then his punishment was to be to lose an eye. This is the origin of the term, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”. We consider Hammurabi’s Laws to be very strict laws, but at the time they did provide protection for enslaved people and for women. They can be considered progress because it is the beginning of a legal system that decided if people did something wrong then there should be a punishment.

Part III. Timelines.

Answer questions about a timeline. Look in your Skills section of your binder. See Skills for Life: Reading a Timeline.

You will have to answer questions about a timeline or you will have to put events in order on a timeline. Or you will have to do both of these tasks. All the information you need to answer will be present on the timeline.

BCE CE

  1. What does BCE stand for?B.C.E. stands for Before Common Era. In the West, many books refer to this time as B.C.. It is the time before the year 1 Common Era and can go back for millions of years.
  1. What does CE stand for?C.E. stands for Common Era. In the West, many books refer to this time as A.D. It is the time after the year 1.
  1. What comes before BC or BCE?These are both the same time. BC is how many refer to this time period, while BCE is for the same time period.
  1. Why do we use timelines? (There may be many answers to this questions)We use timelines to allow us to more easily see trends in history. Sometimes, by looking at a timeline we can see the cause and the effect of something. Timelines help us to keep information organized and clear to understand.
  1. What is chronological order?Chronological order is when events are put in the order in which they occurred. Timelines present information that are in chronological order.

Part IV Image Analysis. (10 points)Write a description of an image. Describe what you see. Explain why it is important. Use details and historical facts to explain what you see. Write an introduction and conclusion and use complete sentences. You can practice with any image.

Intro: The picture above is a ziggurat. These were important temples developed by the Mesopotamians in the Ancient World. Ziggurats had multiple functions in the world of the Mesopotamians.

Body Paragraph #1: The ziggurat is made of mud bricks. It has many levels and stairs. In this picture, there are trees and a courtyard. I also see people walking on the stairs.

Body Paragraph #2: The main purpose of the ziggurat was as a place for people to pray to their gods. The Mesopotamians believed that if they made the ziggurats high buildings then their gods would come to visit them. They had many stairs.

Body Paragraph #3: The astronomers (people who study the sky) would go to the top of the ziggurat to study the sun, the moon and the stars. By studying the patterns of the night sky they began to make calendars. They also learned when to plant the crops to grow the most food.

Conclusion: Ziggurats were very important buildings to the Mesopotamians. Some ziggurats even survived for thousands of years.

Part V Short Answer. On the midterm please write all answers in your own words!

  1. What is Human/Environment Interaction? Provide examples. Human environment interaction is how humans interact with their environment. Examples may be as simple as what people wear to be safe and comfortable. Answer may be more complicated such as developing electronic systems such as air conditioning to make living in Kuwait more comfortable in the summer months. An ancient example of Human Environment interaction is living next to the sea and becoming a fisherman. …
  1. Name two important discoveries of the Stone Age and describe why they were important.

Stone Age people learned to control fire. They learned to start fires by rubbing two sticks together. When they could control fire they could use it to protect themselves from wild animals. Also, the control of fire allowed people to migrate to northern climates. They made tools from stones and bones. They sharpened rocks to make knives and made rocks into an arrow shape to kill animals.

  1. Where were cities most likely to develop?Cities were most likely to develop near bodies of water. The first cities developed near rivers where it was easier to create irrigation systems. Canals were dug and the fresh water from the river was moved to the crops planted on the sides of the river. Rivers flooded and left rich soil on the banks of the river. This is where the crops were planted. When there was surplus (extra) food then they could transport the food on boats and trade it with other places.
  1. Describe two characteristics of a civilization.Civilizations have organized government. They also have a military or a security system to keep its citizens safe. Civilizations usually have multiple cities that are under one leader’s control. Civilizations have a social structure with often king or a queen at the top of the social pyramid.
  1. Why did people choose to live near rivers? People chose to live near rivers for access to water and transportation. The water was needed to sustain life. The transportation allowed people to more easily trade with other people. Before the wheel and axel were developed, putting goods on boats was the easiest way to move goods. Rivers also flooded and left fertile soil for the farmers to grow crops. Water was used to bath and keep the cities clean.
  1. What is trade, and why was it so important in the development of early civilizations?Trade is the exchange of goods and services for either money or for materials. People that traded traveled around the world. When people traded they also learned languages and shared ideas.
  1. What was the Bronze Age? How did it begin? The Bronze Age began when humans began to
  2. List and describe two roles governments played in cities.Governments made laws for their society. Governments built irrigation systems.
  1. Who was Hammurabi and why was he important? Hammurabi was the king of Babylon. He is known for writing a code of laws.
  1. Hammurabi’s Code was fair in some ways and unfair in other ways. Explain. Hammurabi’s code included rules that if an architect built a house and the house collapsed and killed the son of the owner then the son of the architect would also be killed.
  1. Why did people choose want to live in cities? The reason why ancient people moved to cities are the same reasons why people live in cities today. They actually had to …
  1. What were 4 things that the Mesopotamians did first in human history?The Mesopotamians developed the wheel and axel. They also used the arch in architecture. The Mesopotamians developed cuneiform writing. They also developed math using a system of 4 by counting on their fingers using their knuckles (they did not use their thumbs).They were the first astronomers.
  2. Who were the scribes and why were they important? Scribes were young boys who went to school to learn to read and write. They were important because they wrote the letters for the king and they kept his accounts. They learned a lot of information about the king and whether the king had money in his accounts or whether he did not have money in his accounts.
  1. Why did the Mesopotamians develop math? In this answer include a description of their system of math. The Mesopotamians developed math because they needed to keep track of the money they made by trading. They developed a system of math by counting on their fingers but not their thumbs.
  1. What was the first writing called and why was it important? The world’s first writing was called cuneiform writing. It is important because it allowed people to record their own history and to share and send stories through writing. The spread of cuneiform was

Part VI Venn Diagram: