WH Unit 2A Foundations of Civilizations Study Guide 1

World History Study Guide

Unit 2: Foundations of Early Civilizations

WH.H.2.1: Compare how different geographic issues of the ancient period influenced settlement, trading networks and the sustainability of various ancient civilizations (e.g., flooding, fertile crescent, confluence, limited fertile lands, etc.).

1. Why did the ancient civilizations of the Fertile Crescent, India, Egypt, and China develop along rivers?
2. Match the following ancient civilizations with their associated rivers or river valleys and place them in chronological order; [Sumer, India, Egypt, and China]
3. What geographic features protected ancient Egypt from invasion and resulted in long-lasting civilizations?
4. What geographic features protected ancient China from invasion and resulted in long-lasting civilizations?
5. What geographic feature of the Mesopotamia or land between the 2 rivers encouragedinvasions by outside groups?
6. Describe the transition from the Paleolithic Era to the Neolithic Era? How did their lives change?
7. Why did people of Sumer have to create the irrigation system?

WH.H.2.2: Analyze the governments of ancient civilizations in terms of their development, structure and function within various societies (e.g., theocracy, democracy, oligarchy, tyranny, aristocracy, etc.).

1. What role did religion play in helping political leaders of ancient civilizations like Sumer and Egypt?
2. How did King Hammurabi regulate or control trade, marriage, property rights, and other aspects of life in ancient Babylon?
3. Ancient Egypt and China were ruled by several dynasties. What is a dynasty?
4. What was the “Mandate of Heaven” under Ancient Chinese tradition?

WH.H.2.3: Explain how codifying laws met the needs of ancient societies (e.g., Hammurabi, Draco, Justinian, Theodosius, etc.).

1. Why was codifying or creating a system of laws and displaying those laws to the public important?
2. Why was Hammurabi’s Code or system of laws not considered fair to all Babylonians?
3. “ If he puts out the eye of a man’s slave, or break the bones of a man’s slave, he shall pay ½ of a man’s value”. What does this say about Hammurabi society?
4. Describe Ancient India caste system. What was the problem with India’s caste system?

List of possible short answer topics:

Write at least 3 complete sentences identifying terms and their lasting impacts

Neolithic Revolution

Codifying Laws

Social Structure

Confucianism

Legalism

Daoism

River Valleys (Sumer, Egypt, India and China)

Types of Government (autocracy, dynasty, theocracy, oligarchy, republic and democracy)