6th GRADE HISTORY REVIEW
Egypt
3100 BC-------------------350 AD
Greece
7500BC --------------------338BC
India
China
2500BC------500BC
1700BC------------220AD
Rome
700BC------476AD
Cultural Development of Humankind
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Hunter-Gatherer- Man that moved from place to place in search of animals and
natural vegetation to eat.
Developments of tools-simple tools were developed based on need.
Location of human communities- Always set up by a source of water.
Human adaptations- Domestication of animal and plants stabilized movement.
The use of protective coverings; Skins, caves, fire
Mesopotamia, Egypt, Kush
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Major Rivers- Mesopotamia=Euphrates, Tigris; Egypt= Nile
Physical settings that support settlement- The area around the rivers have the
richest soil. The low flat land is rich with silt.
Silt- Overflow of dirt left behind by receding waters of a river, very rich in
minerals.
Relationship between religion, social and political order- Religion was the
most important. Controlled the political and social leaders.
Hammurabi’s Code- Laws were taken from the entire entire city, states and
compiled into one list. Hammurabi then selected the ones that he felt were
most important for everyone to live by. This code now became the first
accumulation of laws that people in all areas were expected to follow.
Main features of Egyptian art and architecture-Large, impressive, massive,
pyramids, a great deal of detail, ornate, columns.
Egyptian Trade- the Nile River provided a means of trade within Egypt.
Trading was extensive within the country and out.
Queen Hatshepsut- First woman pharaoh/ruler in history.
Ramses the Great- Egyptian pharaoh. He was known for building great
temples and government buildings.
Kush(using Iron very effectively) takes over Egypt- Built walls around some
of the cities, brought back the rich Egyptian ceremonies.
Sun God- Ra
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Ancient Hebrews
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Monotheistic religion- First religion with the belief of worshipping one God.
Polytheism- belief of more than one God.
Identify the sources of ethical teachings-Sources, Hebrew bible, commentaries
Ethical teachings are belief in one God, observance of law, practice of the
concepts of righteousness and importance of study.
Reflections of moral traditions of Western civilization- The moralities from the
Hebrews are beliefs in today’s society.
Torah – First five books of the bible.
Significance of;
Abraham- earliest ancestor of Israelites
Moses- prophet, lawgiver, led Israelites out of Egypt.
David- a shepherd that had a victorious encounter with Goliath.
Location of Settlement- the Hebrew people when exiled from Egypt settled in
areas that had access to water and usable land.
Diaspora- movement of people
Ancient Greece
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People settled where there was water accessible, as well as land for
farming.
 Greeks were the first to form the idea of citizenship.
 All men had the right to vote, which was the first sign of democracy in
civilization.
 Men were elected to represent individual in the assembly.
 The Greek influence in literature and language today, are shown through
the Homer’s Iliad, Odyssey, and from Aesop’s Fables.
 Life in Athens was different from the life in Sparta in the following ways;
Athens- favored the many people; beauty was an important cultural aspect.
Sparta – military ruled people, emphasize on strength.
Alexander the Great- Built beautiful cities and named one Alexandria, which
became the center of Greek culture. He established democracy.
Marathon- A messenger from Athens to report victory is represented in Olympics
as marathon.
Contributions to the arts and sciences were made by;
Plato- philosopher
Aristotle- philosopher (great thinker)
Euclid- Geometry
Thucydides- great historian re-emerges in the Renaissance- 1400-1600
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India
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Major River System- The Ganges, Indus River. To the north the river is wide,
high plains, and mountains. In the south, the land varies in height, has rugged
hills, and fewer rivers.
Significance of the Aryan invasions- They were important because they
introduced to the region people with different customs and ideas.
BrahmanismSocial structure of the Caste system- pertains to a group within a social class. At
the top were the priests and scholars, then the rulers. Merchants and professionals
were next, followed by the laborers and servants. Finally were the untouchables.
It was believed that everyone needed to work together like the parts on a body.
Moral teachings of the Buddha- path of Buddhism, Four Basic Truths
1.Suffering is a part of life.
2. Wanting things bring suffering.
3. People can find peace by giving up wants.
4. Follow the eight basic rules of the Eightfold Path. This can lead to peace.
a. Practicing proper concentration
b. Controlling feelings and thoughts
c. Striving to free one’s mind of evil
d. Holding a job that does not hurt others.
e. Respecting life and property
f. Saying nothing to hurt others
g. Deciding to resist evil
h. Knowledge of the truth
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Important aesthetic and intellectual traditions of the Maurya empire 321 BC185BC - Sanskrit(writing) literature, Bhaga medicine, metallurgy and
mathematics, Hindu-Arabic numerals, and the zero.
China
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During the Shang Dynasty walls were built around some of the cities. They also
used bronze to make weapons. Technology helped gain control of China.
It was very difficult for the spread of ideas and goods from China to the rest of the
world because they were engulfed by very high mountains, and water. Travel was
virtually impossible at this time.
Confucius was born from a father who was in politics, he followed in his foot
steps but at the age of 25, he was removed as he had disagreements with noble
families. Legend says that he wandered around for 25 years, thinking about life.
Daoism/Taoism – a Chinese philosophy that advocates a simple life and a policy
of noninterference with the natural course of things. The key to happiness is
acceptance of life as it is.
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Legalism- rule people by fear-not respect
Han Dynasties contributions- First seismograph, papermaking, portraits
Significance of the Silk Road- Major trade route to the outside world.
Buddhism was diffused as individuals moved northward to China during the Han
Dynasty.
China is named from the Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi.
Religions were: Taoism/ Daoism, Confucianism
Rome
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Romulus and Remus- founders of Rome
Julius Caesar –dictator for life, created laws to help the poor
Empires fostered economic growth through the use of trade routes
Augustus influenced the transition from a republic to empire as people were
unified. There was peace for 200 years. The 5th amendment idea emerged,
allowing someone the freedom of not having to testify (speak) against themselves.
Jews migrated around the Mediterranean region and the effects of their conflict
with the Romans gave way to restrictions on their right to live in Jerusalem.
Contributions made by the Romans were: plumbing, aqueducts, roads, buildings,
public baths, and libraries.
Jesus was born to Mary. As he grew, he was teaching new ideas promoting
religious equality and performing miracles. He taught belief in one God and in the
Ten Commandments as the other Jewish teachers did. Yet his teachings were
different. He told of the coming of the Kingdom of God.
St. Paul was a new believer in Christianity. After he became a convert he spent
the rest of his life explaining the teachings of Jesus to others, converting both
Jews and non Jews to Christianity.
Out of fear from his popularity to Jesus was put to death. On the 3rd day Jesus
disciples reported that he had risen from the dead and appeared to them. Soon, the
Roman Roads carried the story of his teachings far and wide.
Roman Legacy of Architecture is built upon the influence from the Greeks:
a. Columns, beams, and arches(new Roman success)
b. Domes, Coloseum, found in theaters, sports arenas, public baths,
temples, and libraries.
c. Pantheon, Forum, Aqueduct used to carry water
Art, Literature, and Language
a. Contributed individuals in the area of historians, poets, and
philosophers.
b. Latin, Language used by traveling soldiers. Language comes from
Etruscan alphabet and began being used in government and education.
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