1. Where is the food?• Before the Neolithic

Revolution, humans were forced to travel from place to place in search of food as nomads. The result of the Revolution was a shift from a food gathering to food producing societies where people could survive and stay in one place.

2. Can you dig it?• Archaeologists excavate

ancient settlements and study artifacts (items created by human beings) to learn more about how these ancient people lived. Famous archaeologists include Donald Johannson who discovered a 3 million year old skeleton that he nicknamed “Lucy” who he believed was an upright walking humanlike creature.

3. We’ve got Roots

• According to the latest scientific research, the earliest known human remains have been found in Africa. Therefore, scientists believe that human origins can be traced back to that continent. Based off of the radiocarbon dating process (used to date organic material) humanlike creatures have been on the earth for over 3 million years.

4. Down by the River• River valleys became the

site of the most successful early civilizations because of their mild climate, fertile soil, and plentiful water supply. People there would create calendars so that they would know when the seasons would change to avoid having crops in the ground during rainy seasons.

5. Cool It!• In the past 1.5

million years that

earth had long

periods of cooling

which lasted for

thousands of years

and resulted in

glaciers covering

large portions of the

earth’s surface.

6. Do it or else!

• The 1st civilizations found the need to select leaders and create governments to get essential work done by citizens, workers were given specific jobs to accomplish to earn their keep in these communities.

7. Prehistoric Developments

• Before the Neolithic

Revolution, human

beings developed

spoken language, fire,

tamed some animals,

buried their dead, stone

tools (hand axe), and

began to migrate to

cooler areas of the

planet.

8. What a present!

• Egypt’s annual

flooding is referred

to commonly as

the “gift of the

Nile” because each

year it provided

fertile farmland

with a new, rich

layer of silt.

9. Long Standing

• Ancient Egypt was surrounded by seas and deserts prevented outside civilizations from attacking them. Therefore, Egypt remained a unified empire for nearly 3,000 years!

10. Eye for an Eye

• King Hammurabi the ancient Mesopotamian king was the first to develop a law code which applied to all citizens of his empire.

11. Ideas Exchanged

• During the earliest periods of

world history, many

civilizations learned of new

ideas through cultural

diffusion which occurred after

Prehistoric times (Prehistory)

when writing was developed,

other civilizations were

conquered, and trade took

place between different

civilizations.

12. Geography is the Key

• According to Jared

Diamond, civilizations that

possessed abundant

agricultural items, new

forms of technology, and

domesticated animals

tended to be the most

successful ones in the early

part of human history.

13. Write It Down

• Some of the first civilizations in the world developed written language about 5,000 years ago. First, the Sumerians invented Cuneiform and a short time later, the Egyptians invented Hieroglyphics.

14. God said it!

• The Ancient Hebrews (Israelites) developed the idea of Ethical Monotheism. It was first written in the Old Testament which outlines Hebrew moral and ethical teachings.

15. Can You Dig It?

• The use of irrigation

and domesticated

animals allowed

farmers in the first

civilizations to cultivate

crops on a large scale.

In Egypt, irrigation

canals helped early

farmers transform the

desert into fertile land

for growing grapes.

16. Early Trade

• Before the

development of

money, early

civilizations relied on

barter (the exchange

of one good or service

for another) to receive

items or services that

they needed to

survive.

17. Gettin’ Ziggy With It!

• In Ancient Sumer,

Ziggurats were built as

religious ritual centers

in nearly every city-

state throughout the

Tigris-Euphrates River

Valley a.k.a. “The

Fertile Crescent” (see

map).

18. Everyone had a Voice

• In Ancient Greek polis (city-state) of Athens, all free, adult, male citizens voted on all issues brought forth in the system of government called a direct democracy. Just as in the U.S. today, individuals played a significant role in shaping ideas, society, and the state.

19. No freedom of Choice

• In Ancient Sparta, male

citizens were required

to serve and train in the

military from ages

seven to sixty. This

polis was ruled by an

oligarchy- a small

group of wealthy

people.

20. In the Nude

• Ancient Greeks participated in athletic contests every four years as each city-state sent its best athletes to compete for the Greek gods at Mount Olympia. Most artwork of the Golden Age of Greece also glorified the human body in paintings and sculptures.

21. Save the Drama

• There wouldn’t be any drama to be saved if it wasn’t for the Ancient Greeks who developed early plays with humor called comedies and others where characters struggle to overcome an problem called tragedies.

22. Alexander’s Impact

• Through numerous military victories Alexander the Great built new cities with Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian influences. This culture brought throughout the known world by Alexander became known as Hellenistic Civilization.

23. Athenian Legacy

• In the 5th Century B.C. Athens developed great art/architecture like the Parthenon, Philosophy, Pythagorean theorem, Hippocratic Oath, History, and Rhetoric because of its wealth, and under Pericles’ leadership Athenian democracy flourished as ordinary citizens held public offices .

24. Primary and Secondary

• People who study history look at

primary sources (diaries,

paintings, sculptures, journals)

and secondary sources

(textbooks, encyclopedias, and

websites) to learn more about

historical information. One

place with a wealth of primary

sources is the Roman city of

Pompeii which was destroyed by

a volcanic eruption in the 1st

century A.D.

25. Roman Builders

• Ancient Romans constructed several marvels of modern engineering including arches, vaulted ceilings, domes, and aqueducts which carried water from the mountains to the cities.

26. Mad Men• In many Ancient

civilizations, including Rome, women and children were not ever involved in governmental decisions. However, Rome did develop the idea of a republican form of government and established a bicameral legislature. The Roman Republic also gave more say in elections to wealthier citizens.

27. It Catches On!• Around 30 A.D. many people

around Jerusalem began to follow a holy man named Jesus, who performed miracles. His followers would create the Christian Church shortly after Jesus’ death. But it would not become legal in Rome until the 200s after Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. After it became legal it grew in popularity because of its promise of life after death, strong organization led by Popes and use of common languages (Greek/Latin).

28. You’re going Down!

• The Roman Empire began to fall apart around 400 A.D. because of ineffective and corrupt leaders in Rome’s government, inflation in Roman currency, loss of faith and patriotism in Rome, and changes in army membership and discipline.

29. Republican Model

• There are many similarities

between the modern U.S.

government and Roman

Republic including rule by

elected representatives. This

representative democracy

became the model of the U.S.

government and allows the

desires of the citizens who vote

to limit the government’s

actions. Citizens who failed to

vote would often not see their

favored candidate win elections.

30. Charlemagne’s Idea

• In order to establish political control, the Frankish king, Charlemagne, developed called feudalism in which serfs borrowed land from lords on manors exchange for fiefs. On these manors, most of the economic activities were based off of agriculture.

31. Follow the Code

• Medieval knights had to follow a specific code of behavior known as Chivalry to remain in their elite position.

32. Huge Impact• The Magna Carta

established many ideas used in the U.S. government including: credible witnesses, separation of powers, speedy trials, no one is above the law, and personal property rights.

33. Mo Money• By the Late Middle Ages a vast trade network of

trade route connected the centers of trade in Europe which resulted in rapid spread of the Black Death which reduced Europe’s population by 25 million over 4 years which led to a smaller workforce and an increase in wages.

34. I’ve got the Power• Following the defeat of

Islamic armies in 732

A.D. by Charles Martel,

Christianity grew in

strength and popularity

in Western Europe.

Within several hundred

years, European

Christians constructed

large Gothic Cathedrals

to show their devotion

to God.

35. Not Just Tough Guys

• Archaeologists believe that the Vikings

were the first Europeans to sail across the

Atlantic Ocean around 1000 A.D. and made

settlements in modern day Canada.

36. Do It for God!

• The Crusades recruited thousands of Europeans to recapture the holy land from the Muslims by ensuring Crusaders a place in heaven, although they were unsuccessful at recapturing Jerusalem, it did result in increased demand for goods in the Middle East and eventually led to increased cultural exchanges between the Middle East and Europe.

37. Where in the World?• Once again, you need to know the location of the

world’s 7 continents and 4 oceans.

38. Final Exam Breakdown

• All 100 questions have appeared on your

previous unit tests in World History this

semester. (15 Prehistory, 17 Great Civilizations, 20 Ancient

Greece, 17 Ancient Rome, 20 Middle Ages, 11 World Map)

• All questions are multiple choice questions

(1 point each)

• Total score will account for 20% of your

semester grade.