Name__________________________
History Marjani-Ptah Period____
Date: __________________________
History Alive Chapters 7, 8 & 9 Open Notes Quiz
Part I – Chapter 7 Cloze Summary
Directions- Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the word bank. (Note: Some words from the
word bank will not be used. None of the words/phrases will be used more than once.)
The great civilizations of ancient times all developed in river valleys. The location
of each great civilization was influenced by three major environmental factors:
____________________________ , ________________________, and
____________________________. Based on these three environmental factors, the
ancient Egyptians settled along the ______________________. This body of water was
nicknamed the lotus flower because of its resemblance to that beautiful flower.
Beginning from its source deep in Africa, its waters flowed _______________ to
_______________through both Kush and Egypt to its mouth, which drains into the
_______________________________________.
Both Egypt and Kush were well protected from invaders because to the west of the
Nile River was the vast _________________________. To the east of the river valley
were two deserts, the __________________________________ which borders the
northern section of the Red Sea and the ____________________________________
which borders the southern section of the Red Sea. Due to the lack of water in the
deserts, most of the land in this section of Africa was useless for farming, but the Nile
River provided natural irrigation and fertilization to the land. Every summer the melting
snow from the high mountains where the Nile’s source is would cause the river to
overflow. These floodwaters soaked the dry ground and after the waters went down, a
rich layer of fertile black soil called ______________ was left behind. This made the
land along the banks of the river perfect for __________________. This factor, along
with the abundant wildlife in and around the river and seas, gave the people of Egypt and
Kush a _________________________: one of the 7 characteristics of civilization.
1. stable food supply
4. topography
7. Nile River
10. vegetation
13. Nubian Desert
16. Libyan Desert
19. Mediterranean Sea
Word Bank
2. delta
5. north
8. invaders
11. farming
14. Dead Sea
17. Sumerians
20. government
3. papyrus
6. south
9. silt
12. water
15. nomads
18. the arts
21. Arabian Desert
Did you know that writing is a characteristic of civilization? Well, in order to be
considered a civilization, historians have to find evidence that the people they are
studying had a highly developed system of writing. Remember, historians are mostly
interested in artifacts from the last few thousand years because they study anything that
was written down. According to historians, ancient Egyptian history began around 3100
B.C.E. with the invention of hieroglyphic writing. Through studying the hieroglyphic
writings of temples and artifacts from ancient Egypt, historians have identified three
important periods in ancient Egyptian history. They are called the Old Kingdom,
the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom.
Of course, the ancient Egyptians were living in the Nile River valley long before they
developed hieroglyphic writing. Archeologists have found evidence that in the 1,000
years before the Old Kingdom began the ancient Egyptian people learned how to irrigate
fields and farm. They formed governments, with kings as rulers. They created the belief
systems and customs that make Egyptian life unique. And finally, they invented
hieroglyphic writing. These early achievements formed the basis of ancient Egyptian
society.
Part II-Chapter 8 Reading Comprehension
Directions: Review pages 74-79 and answer the questions below.
1. The Old Kingdom lasted from _________ to ___________ B.C.E.
2. During this time, early pharaohs set up a _____________________________: one
of the 7 characteristics of civilization.
3. The Old Kingdom is also known as the ________________________________.
4. Review the third paragraph on page 75. What three strategies did Pharaoh Khufu
use to control Egypt under his leadership?
1)_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2) ________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3) ________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. The Middle Kingdom lasted from ___________ to __________ B.C.E.
6. During this period, or era, Egyptians made many great achievements in
________________, _____________, and ______________.
7. The time during the Middle Kingdom is also called the _____________________
_________________________, because it followed years of chaos and disunity.
Between periods of strength, discovery, and strong leadership, weak rulers and/or
foreigners gained control of Egypt. These in-between periods were times of great
confusion and disorder in Egyptian society.
8. Review page 76. Look at the statue in the picture and the caption above it. Who is
the leader depicted by the statue? (Entire title and name in a complete sentence)
__________________________________________________________________
9. The Egyptian symbol that the statue is clutching is called a(n) _________, which is
a symbol of _____________________, or _____________ life.
10. What people in society thrived under Senusret’s rule? (b) Why did they thrive?
(a)________________________________________________________________
(b)________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
11. Senusret’s greatest accomplishments were in _____________________________.
12. The only female pharaoh was (entire title and name) _______________________
______________________, and she ruled from _________ to _________ B.C.E.
13. Under her rule Egyptian ______________, _______________, and __________
flourished.
14. The period of about 1600 to 1100 B.C.E. is the __________________, also known
as Egypt’s ______________________.
15. During this time of _____________ and _________________ Egypt’s power
reached its height.
16. The pharaoh who ruled longer than any other is named______________________.
17. He is best known for his _______________________ and ___________________.
18. One of Ramses’ most impressive projects was the ___________ complex at
______________________.
19. Why did Egyptians mummify bodies? (See the picture and caption on page 79.)
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
20. Pharaoh Ramses the Great is famous for being a __________________ and he is
credited with negotiating the world’s first ________________________ with the
Hittite Empire which was located in the modern day country of _______________.
Part III-Chapter 9 Completion/Graphic Organizer
Directions: Review pages 81-93 and answer the questions below.
Each year when the Nile River flooded its banks, all Egypt celebrated the
_________________________. Almost everyone in Egyptian society took part in the
festival. We know so many important details about this festival because ____________
made a written record of the celebrations.
One characteristic of civilization is _____________________________. Scribes and
farmers, potters and brickmakers—all Egyptians had a place in the social class system of
ancient Egypt. A diagram of ancient Egyptian society might look like a _____________.
Use what you’ve read on page 82 and throughout chapter 9 to help you draw the
social pyramid of ancient Egypt. Inside the layers of your pyramid label each strata
of society with the social classes (see page 84). N ext to each strata of society (A)
describe what kinds of people and workers occupied that particular group, (B)
describe the lifestyle of that group, and (C) write any other important information
about that group or strata of society. Be sure your pyramid is big and fills the entire
empty space below. Use a ruler or other straight edge to make your pyramid neat
and even.