WORLD HISTORY
Name: _________________________________
FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE (Fall 2014)
Final Exam Day: ______________________ Final Exam Time: ____________ Worth _______% of my final grade
What grade will I receive in World History?
(Current Grade x 0.85) + (Projected grade on Final Exam x 0.15) = FINAL GRADE
**REMINDER: In order to receive BONUS POINTS on your final exam, you must complete ALL
questions on a SEPARATE sheet of paper. Include HEADINGS and NUMBER your answers.
BEGINNINGS OF CIVILIZATION
1. What significant development occurred during the Neolithic Era? What is the significance of this development?
2. Which geographic locations are considered to be the 4 CRADLES OF CIVILIZATION? (Be able to locate on a world
map)
3. Why did civilization develop in these particular areas?
4. What are the 5 CHARACTERISTICS OF CIVILIZATION?
ANCIENT RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATIONS
 EGYPT
1. What is the significance of the Nile River?
2. What is the definition of a theocracy?
3. What did the Egyptian people believe in regards to their Pharaohs?
4. What was the primary purpose of the great Egyptian Pyramids?
5. What is the definition of polytheism?
 MESOPOTAMIA
1. What is the Fertile Crescent? Why did ancient Mesopotamian civilization begin on the Fertile Crescent? Where is the
Fertile Crescent?
2. What was Hammurabi’s Code? How did it reflect society in Ancient Babylon?
3. What was the primary difference between Egyptian Pharaohs and Mesopotamian Kings, in terms of the way in which
their people viewed them?
4. What are the modern-day countries associated with ancient Mesopotamia?
 JUDAISM
1. Who were the ancient Hebrews? What happened to them?
2. How was Judaism different from other religions at the time?
 INDIA & HINDUISM
1. Which river did ancient India develop on?
2. What is/was the caste system?
3. How did the caste system impact daily life in ancient India?
4. How did Hinduism initially develop? Which two groups contributed to its development?
5. How does Hinduism tie in to the caste system and vice-versa?
6. Explain the concept of Brahman
7. Define: Reincarnation, Karma, Dharma, Moksha
 BUDDHISM
1. Who is the founder of Buddhism? What is his story?
2. What are the main values of Buddhism?
3. What are The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path?
4. How do each of the following relate to Buddhism?: Reincarnation, Karma, Dharma, Nirvana
5. How are Hinduism & Buddhism similar? How are they different?
 CHINA
1. Which two rivers are considered to be China’s natural barriers?
2. What is the definition of a dynasty?
3. What is the dynastic cycle? What was the significance of the dynastic cycle in ancient China?
4. What is the Mandate of Heaven? How does the Mandate of Heaven relate to the dynastic cycle?
CLASSICAL CIVILIZATIONS
 GREECE
1. Describe the geography of Greece. How did the geography of Greece impact its political situation?
2. What is the definition of an acropolis?
3. Define each of the political structures experimented with in ancient Greece: Monarchy, Oligarchy, Aristocracy,
Direct democracy
4. What were the primary societal values for Athens? For Sparta? How were women treated differently in each?
5. What was the Golden Age of Athens? How/why did it begin?
6. Who was Alexander the Great?
7. What was Alexander’s most lasting achievement?
8. What is Hellenistic culture? How did it spread? What cultures blended to develop Hellenistic culture?
 ROME & CHRISTIANITY
1. How were the social Groups in ancient Rome – Plebeians and Patricians – different?
2. What is a republic? What were the various roles of each of the following in the Roman Republic - Senate, Consuls
and Dictator?
3. What were the Twelve Tables?
4. What was a Triumvirate?
5. Who was Julius Caesar and how did his assassination lead to the Second Triumvirate?
6. What was the Pax Romana?
7. How were early Christians treated in the Roman Empire? Why? How did this change toward the end of the empire?
THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE, RUSSIA & ISLAM
 BYZANTINE EMPIRE
1. What was the significance of Constantinople & the Byzantine Empire in terms of geography?
2. Who were Justinian and Theodora? How did they both influence the Byzantine Empire?
3. What was Justinian’s Code? What was it based on?
4. What caused the Schism of 1054? What two religions developed as a result of this schism?
5. What caused the fall of the Byzantine Empire?
 EARLY RUSSIA & MONGOLS
1. How did Vladimir I impact the course of religion in Russia?
2. How did Byzantine culture influence Russian culture?
3. How did the Mongols impact the development of Russia?
 ISLAM
1. Who was the prophet/founder of Islam?
2. What is the Quran?
3. What are the 5 Pillars of Islam?
4. What are the similarities between Islam, Christianity, & Judaism?
5. How did the Islamic Empire prosper economically?
THE MIDDLE AGES
 FEUDALISM & MANORIALISM
1. What are the defining characteristics of the Early Middle Ages? The Late Middle Ages?
2. What is feudalism? Why did feudalism develop in Western Europe? How did mutual obligations play into the system
of feudalism?
3. What was the purpose of a Medieval Manor? What could be found on a medieval manor?
 THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
1. What was the significance of the Medieval Catholic Church?
2. What is a sacrament? Why was it important?
3. Crusades - what were they? Who fought? Who won? What were the effects?
4. How was the Black Death spread? What did the people living in the Middle Ages think caused the Black Death?
5. What impact did the Black Death and other disasters of the late 14th century have on the Catholic Church?
THE RENAISSANCE, PROTESTANT REFORMATION & SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
 THE RENAISSANCE
1. What was the Renaissance? Where did it begin? When? Why?
2. What is humanism? What are the characteristics of humanism?
3. Who wrote The Prince and what is it about? What is the author’s view of human nature? How does this impact his
advice?
4. What is vernacular? What was the significance of the development of the vernacular?
5. What are the characteristics of Renaissance art? How does Renaissance art differ from medieval art?
 THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION
1. What was the Protestant Reformation? How did it begin and why?
2. Who led the Protestant Reformation?
3. What is Justification by Faith? Who was the primary proponent of Justification by Faith?
4. What is an indulgence? Why was Martin Luther opposed to the selling of indulgences?
5. Know the primary differences between Lutheranism (Protestantism) and Catholicism.
6. Why did Henry VIII break from the Catholic Church? What was the result?
7. How did the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) contribute to the Counter Reformation?
 THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
1. How did individuals like Kepler, Galileo, & Newton change the way that knowledge was acquired?
THE AGE OF EXPLORATION & IMPACT ON NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE
 EARLY AFRICA
1. Why were the kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai able to grow and prosper?
2. Who was Mansa Musa? How did religion impact his rule?
3. What was the significance of the West African city of Timbuktu?
 EARLY AMERICA
1. Identify evidence from the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan civilization that proves each had an advanced/complex society.
2. How were the Incans able to rule/control such a large empire?
 EUROPEAN EXPLORATION
1. Explain the European motives for exploration
2. What are the Treaty of Tordesillas & the Line of Demarcation?
3. Why were Europeans able to conquer the natives so easily?
4. What were conditions like for slave in the Middle Passage?
5. What is the theory of mercantilism? How did mercantilism benefit European countries?