MID-TERM: 8th GRADE WORLD HISTORY
Study Guide
The Middle Ages In Europe (Part 1)
What signaled the beginning of the Middle Ages?

The fall or the decline of the Roman Empire
Why did Germanic peoples invade the Roman Empire?

To settle frontier regions for climate and land
What term or words could best summarizes the legacy of the Roman Empire?

“Great” law, government, architecture, language, engineering
What regions of the world today are still strongly influenced by the achievements of Rome?

Europe and the United States
What was the feudal system based on?

A system of mutual obligations “You do for me and I’ll go for you”
Define the feudal contract.

A contract between a greater lord and a lesser lord
How would you describe a medieval serf?

They are bound to the land so they can’t leave the lord’s estate and they can’t be
bought or sold as they weren’t slaves
Define a medieval manor.

A self-sufficient unit
How were feudalism and the manor system related?

Feudalism was a social order and the manor system was the economic arrangement
that supported it.
What were the forces holding feudal society together?

Mutual obligations and the Church
According to the code of chivalry, who did a knight fight for?

His earthly or feudal lord, his heavenly Lord and his lady
What happened to the status of women during the Middle Ages?

Women’s status improved slightly because of the Church
Define Chivalry.

A code of conduct or rules for knights to follow based on bravery, honor and
courtesy
Define papal supremacy.

Pope has supreme authority over all kings and emperors
Define Lay Investiture

When the king hand picks or appoints church officials
Define Guild

An association of people who work as the same jobs and it protects the workers’
rights
What was the chief goal of the Crusades?

To get the Holy Land from the Muslim Turks
What did the Magna Carta guarantee?

Your basic legal rights
What was the major cause of the Great Schism?

Deciding who was the true pope
What was the name of the legislative body of medieval England?

Parliament
What was the central issue of the Hundred Years War?

Arguing over who was the king of France
What was the most important effect of the Hundred Years War?

A development of a national identity of England and France
What was the purpose of the Reconquista?

To drive the Muslims or non-Christians out of Spain
Why did Science make little real progress in Europe during the Middle Ages?

They thought that knowledge had to match Church teaching and science doesn’t
Describe Gothic cathedral architecture.

New style in the Age of Faith, pointed arches, high vaulted ceilings, stained glass
windows, and sculpture
What did the devastation caused by the bubonic plague contribute to?

The end or decline of the Middle Ages
The Crusades was a series of three holy wars fought between Christians and Muslims to
recapture what city?

Christians fighting Muslims for Jerusalem
Why did The Middle Ages declined?

The end of feudalism or the feudal system, black death, and the corruption in the
church
Define Inquisition.

Court used in Spain to persecute non-Christians and Jews
The Byzantine Empire, Russia and Eastern Europe ( Part 2)
What was the capital of New Rome, or the Byzantine Empire?

Constantinople
Describe the city of Constantinople.



Big in trade and merchants,
Surrounded by a wall and water
Due to its central location, it was able to connect Europe and Asia through trade
What caused the split between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox
Church?

Worshipping icons or idols rather than praying to God
What was the body of civil law that was created for the Byzantine Empire?

Justinian’s Code
What was one of the most important contribution of the Byzantine Empire?

The Greco/Roman or Greek and Christian culture
What helped cause the decline of the Byzantine Empire?



Justinian’s Plague or the Bubonic Plague
Disruption of trade
Mongol and Turks attacked
Which titles did Ivan III use?

Czar
Describe the Mongol rule of medieval Russia

Mongol use of absolute power
After the Great Schism, the Byzantine church became known as what?

Eastern Orthodox Church
What civilizations most influenced the development of Russia?

Byzantine and Mongols
The Abbasids were rulers of what empire?

Muslim
The Seljuks converted to which religion?

Islam
The Rise of Islam ( Part 3)
Islam is an Arabic word meaning what?

Submit to God
In what ways is Islam is similar to Judaism and Christianity?

They are all monotheistic
What do Muslims believe about Muhammad?

That he’s the last great prophet
What is the key difference between the Sunni and Shiites?

How the leader or caliph should be chosen
What division of Islam believes that only a relative of Muhammad is qualified to be a
caliph?

Shi’a
What was the academic subject developed by al-Khwarizmi and originally called al-jabr ?

Algebra
Toward what city do Muslims pray?

Mecca
What are two important teachings that are common to all three faiths?


They all believe in one God
They all believe in life after death
Short Answer Section ( Part 4)
1. Explain how the church shaped medieval life and society? Provide two examples.
Page 370 chapter 13 section 4
Introduce the feudal system as a time where there was a weak central government,
which gave the church more power.
Points to include–
The church was a social center in that it acted like a town hall
 The fear of excommunication as the church was the center of life you’d have
no life. Define excommunication
 Mention and define papal supremacy – the pope held more power than the
king or worldly powers
 Discuss church law or canon law – the church had a court and it provided
laws
Example of how you could answer this question: In Medieval society, the
church was the social center. The church acted like the town hall where
people would go for functions or meetings. The church also had its own set
of religious laws called Canon Law as well as its own court. It’s these reasons
that excommunication becomes the worst punishment of the time because
you’re banned from church activities and society.
2. Define feudalism and explain how it helped to create the manor economy.
Page 360 chapter 13 section 2
To start this answer you need to define feudalism, the manor system and then
explain how they came together to create the manor economy.
Part 1 – Feudalism definition– a social structure of medieval Europe that works on a
system of mutual obligations
Part 2 – Manor system definition – the lord’s estate and property, works on an
economic arrangement
Part 3 – Connect how they work together – The manor system was a self-sufficient
unit where everyone works together and helps one another or “you help me I help
you” which is the idea of the feudal contract which is between a greater lord and a
lesser lord.
Example of how you could answer this question: Feudalism is the social and
government structure that helped shape medieval society. Feudalism is based on
the idea of mutual obligations meaning “I’ll help you if you help me”. Under this idea
people begin working together with a feudal contract. These groups form small
villages or towns that develop into manors. Manors run as self-sufficient units
because everyone has a specific job that they are responsible to get done.
3. Explain the three issues that to the mistrust and desire to reform the Medieval
Church.
Page 379 chapter 14 section 1
Three issues that led to the mistrust and desire to change the church…
Points that you can include –
 Simony and its definition
 Lay investiture and its definition
 Church leaders getting married instead of only being married to God
 The church turned its back on the people during the Black Plague
Example of how you could answer this question: Three issues that led to the
mistrust and desire to reform the church are simony, lay investiture and marriage.
Simony is (this is where you’d define the term). Next lay investiture is (this is where
you’d define the term). Finally society was unhappy with church officials being
married to anyone but God.
4. Define the Reconquista and Spanish Inquisition? Explain how the two are
connected.
Page 384 chapter 14 section 1
To start this answer you need to define Reconquista and then define the Spanish
Inquisition. Then you need to show how they are connected.
Example of how you could answer this question: The Reconquista was Spain’s plan
to rid the country of non-Christians. The Inquisition was the court system and trial
process that let them do this.
5. What were three effects of the Black Death?
Page 401 chapter 14 section 4
To start this answer you need to define what the Black Death was and how it came
about.
Points that you can include End of the Middle Ages
 Population decline due to so many people dying
 Lack of trust or faith in the church
 Church lost power as they turned their backs on the people during this time
 Leads to the breakdown of cities
 Trade declined due to fear of Black Death spreading which also caused a
decline in money
 Decline of the feudal system – the manor system breaks apart as people
aren’t working together anymore as they’re afraid of getting sick
 Cities declined as people move to the country to get away from the disease
 Due to a lack of trade, culture and history (learning) stopped spreading
which caused a decline in education
Example of how you could answer this question: The Black Death was a plague that
was carried by fleas and spread throughout Asia, Africa and Europe. Three effects of
the Black Death include…(this is where you’d discuss points that you wanted to
include from the list above or ones of your own).
6. What were two main causes of the Crusades? What were two results of the
Crusades?
Pages 382-384 chapter 14 section 1
To start this answer you need to define what they Crusades are before you name the
two main causes of the Crusades and then two results.
Definition – series of Holy Wars
Causes – to get control of the holy hand
 Economic gains – more money
 Political gains – want of power and land
Results – trade expands as people are traveling more
 Spread of knowledge and ideas as the cultures blend
 Decline in church and religion
 Loss of the holy land to the Muslims
Example of how you could answer this question: The Crusades were a series of holy
wars fought between the Christians and Muslims for control of the holy land.
Two causes of the Crusades are (this is where you discuss two points from the list
above). Two results of the Crusades are (this is where you discuss two points form
the list above)
7. Describe three things that Justinian accomplished that improved the Byzantine
Empire. Explain why.
Page 301-303 chapter 11 section 1
To start this answer you need to say who Justinian is – ruler of the Byzantine Empire
Then you need to describe three accomplishments of Justinian
 Hagia Sophia – famous church that he rebuilt
 Justinian Code – a set of unified laws
 He rebuilt the capital
 He unified the government
Example of how you could answer this question: Justinian was the rule of the
Byzantine Empire. Under his rule, he (this is where you’d list three of his
accomplishments). The (first accomplishment) helped to improve the Byzantine
Empire by (this is where you’d explain how it helped the empire or the people)
8. Explain/ Describe the Five Pillars of Islam.
Page 267 chapter 10 section 1
To start this answer you need to first explain what the Five Pillars of Islam and then
describe each one.
The Five Pillars of Islam are the major rules by which all Muslims of the Islamic
faith live.
The Five Pillars of Islam
Declaration of Faith – “I bear witness that there is not god, but God; I bear
witness that Muhammad is the prophet of God.” By reciting this, one enters
Islamic faith
Prayer – Muslims are required to pray five times a day, washing themselves before
prayers and facing in the direction of Mecca while praying
Giving a Fixed Proportion to Charity – Muslims are required to give away a
percentage of their earnings to those less fortunate, regardless of their religion
Fasting During the Month of Ramadan – Muslims fast for one lunar month each
year, a period called Ramadan. During this time, Muslims reflect on their behavior
and strive to purify their thoughts.
Pilgrimage to Mecca – If it is physically and financially possible, Muslims are
required to travel to Mecca once in their lifetime
Example of how you could answer this question: The Five Pillars of Islam are the
major rules by which all Muslims of Islamic faith live. The first pillar is (this is
where you’d pick on from above and explain it). The second pillar is…
Essay Section ( Part 5) Your essay needs an introduction, body and closing
paragraph
1. Explain how Feudalism developed in Europe starting with the fall of Rome.
The Middle Ages was the time period in Europe just after the fall of Rome. The Middle Ages
declined/ended because of three major events.
The first event was the Black Death. (The effects of this event can be found in earlier
answers)
Because of the Black Death people began to lose faith in the church, which becomes
our second event. (an explanation to support this can be found in earlier answers).
Finally the decline of feudalism…
Refer back to your earlier test (chapter 13) where this was an essay question to find more
information to answer this question completely. You can also refer to the chart in your
notes to help you too.
2. Discuss the main beliefs and concepts connected to the three monotheistic religions:
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Explain three similarities and three differences
between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Intro – In the world today there are three major religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
Although all three religions have the same origin each one will develop differently.
The first religion is Christianity. Christianity like all religions has a holy book called
the Bible. Christianity also worship on a holy day, for them it’s Sunday. Finally Christians
believe that Jesus was the messiah or spiritual figure who will return again.
The second religion is Islam (You’d write this paragraph similar to the one for
Christianity only changing how things are different).
The third religion is Judaism. (You’d write this paragraph similar to the one for
Christianity only changing how things are different).
As you see though these three religions are very similar they also have many
differences.
****You may use any three similarities and differences that you find in the chart below.
You don’t have to use the three in the sample paragraph.
Religion
Founded by
When
Sabbath – holy day
of worship
Holy Text
Place of Worship
Leader of Worship
Judaism
Abraham
About 2000 B.C.
Saturday
Christianity
Jesus
About 33 A.D.
Sunday
Islam
Muhammad
About 600 A.D.
Friday
Torah
Synagogue
Rabbi
Bible
Church
Priest/pastor
Life After Death
In World to come the
time after the Messiah
Heaven or hell
Qu’ran
Mosque
Ulama (group)/
imam (individual)
Heaven or hell
Judgment is based on
how you’ve lived
your life
Judgment is based on
how you’ve lived
your life
Judgment is based on
how you’ve lived
your life
The Messiah has not
come yet
Do not believe that
Jesus is the Messiah
or the Son of God
Monotheistic
Jesus was the Messiah
and the Son of God
Believe that Jesus was
a prophet and the
Muhammad is the last
great prophet
Monotheistic
Monotheistic
Follow the 10
Commandments
Believe that Jerusalem
is the “Holy Land”
Not required to make
a journey
Follow the 10
Commandments
Believe that Jerusalem
is the “Holy Land”
Not required to make
a journey
Fast for Yom Kippur
No fasting
Follow the Five
Pillars of Islam
Believe that Jerusalem
is the “Holy Land”
Have to travel to
Mecca once in their
lifetime if they are
physically and
financially able
Fast during the holy
month of Ramadan
Basic Beliefs and
Teachings
3. Evaluate what caused the decline of the Middle Ages. Explain/ describe two reasons.




Describe what the Middle Ages were in your introduction and list your two reasons.
Your next paragraph is where you can describe your first reason.
Your next paragraph is where you can describe your second reason
Your closing will wrap up your ideas.
***There are ideas earlier in the study guide to help you with this answer if you chose to do
it***
4. Discuss Eastern and Western Europe during the Middle Ages. Provide four examples of
how they developed differently after the fall of the Roman Empire