World History

Semester Final

Study Guide

Use your textbook, vocabulary, & notes to review this information:

Foundations of Western Civilization—Module 1

• Determine the role of the Greeks in the development of democracy

• Describe the impact of the Roman Republic on representative government.

• Examine the rise of Judaism.

• Determine the impact of Judaism in history.

• Describe the events which established Christianity as a major religion.

• Explain the cultural impact of Christianity in the Roman Empire and beyond.

The Islamic World—Module 2

• Describe how geography affected the people of the Arabian Peninsula.

• Explain how Islam began.

• Identify the main beliefs of Islam.

• Explore how the Muslims expanded their empire.

• Explain why the Islamic community divided.

• Describe how the location of Arabia affected trade in the Muslim Empire.

• Explain what Muslim society and family life were like.

• Identify Muslim achievements in science.

• Explore how Islam influenced Arab art and literature.

Asian Empires—Module 3

• Explain how Chinese civilization advanced during the Sui and Tang dynasties.

• Describe what daily life was like for the Chinese people during the Sung dynasty.

• Explore how the Mongol invaders were able to conquer and rule so much of Asia.

• Examine the effect Mongol rule had on China.

• Investigate how the geography of Japan influenced its development.

• Analyze how China influenced the early development of Japan.

• Describe how changes in government influenced society in feudal Japan.

• Examine how Southeast Asia was influenced by China and India.

Europe & the Middle Ages—Modules 4-5

• Identify the factors that contributed to the growth & strength of the Byzantine Empire.

• Explain how the Christian church came to be divided.

• Analyze the cultural contributions made by the Byzantines.

• Explain the factors that contributed to the downfall of the Byzantine Empire.

• Explain why different peoples settled in eastern Europe.

• Describe how Kievan Russia differed from the Byzantine Empire.

• Identify the ways in which Mongol rule affected Kievan Russia.

• Describe the effects of Moscow’s growing power & independence.

• Describe how Frankish rulers gained control of Europe.

• Explain what caused the decline of Charlemagne’s empire.

• Determine the impact of invasions by the Vikings, Magyars, & Muslim empires.

• Explore how feudalism helped shape political & social development in Europe during the Middle Ages.

• Identify the ways in which the manorial system influenced economic growth in Europe during the Middle Ages.

• Describe how the church hierarchy fit into society.

• Explain how the practices of monasticism changed.

• Explore how the church influenced life in medieval Europe.

• Explain how the kingdom of England was formed.

• Identify the achievements of William the Conqueror & his successors.

• Describe how Parliament & common law affected political developments in England.

• Explore how the French kings gained power over their nobles.

• Determine the main causes of the Crusades.

• Describe the outcome of the First Crusade.

• Explain the effects the Crusades have on Europe.

• Describe how the Holy Roman emperors used their power.

• Explain how the struggle between the popes & emperors developed.

Civilizations & Empires of Africa—Module 6

• Identify what geographic features of Africa affected human cultures.

• Describe how historians have learned about the migrations of early African peoples.

• Explain the predominant patterns of life in early African societies.

• Explain how Kush developed as an independent kingdom.

• Analyze the factors that helped Aksum develop as an independent kingdom.

• Discuss how trade developed along the East African coast.

• Explain how the kingdoms of West Africa became rich and powerful.

The Renaissance & Reformation—Modules 8-9

• Identify the factors that led to the Italian Renaissance & describe the characteristics of Renaissance thought.

• Explain how Renaissance writers combined classical teachings & Christian doctrine.

• Describe how Renaissance art differed from art of the Middle Ages.

• Explain how the ideas of the Italian Renaissance spread to other parts of Europe.

• Describe how northern Renaissance writers differed from Italian humanists.

• List the principal characteristics of northern Renaissance art.

• Discuss the developments that led to the Reformation.

• Describe how Martin Luther protested against the Roman Catholic Church & began a new church.

• Identify the factors that caused the spread of Protestantism.

• Explain the role that Calvinism played in the Reformation.

• Describe how the Catholic Church responded to the Reformation.

• Discuss the results of the Reformation & the Counter-Reformation.

• Explain why Europeans believed in superstitions.

• Describe the characteristics of daily life that were typical in Europe during the Renaissance & Reformation.

• Explain how knowledge spread to European villages.

• Identify the factors that caused changes in the daily lives of Europeans.

• Determine how religion & government affected each other.

• Explain how migration patterns changed.