Social Studies Content
●Fertile Crescent
oWhat is the difference between monotheism and polytheism?
▪monotheism:
The belief in one god
▪polytheism:
The belief in multiple gods
oWhat is the meaning of the word, Mesopotamia?
The land between the rivers
oWhere is the Fertile Crescent located? (Be able to locate on a map)
In Mesopotamia from the Nile River in Egypt to the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in modern day Iraq
oWhat were the characteristics of the Fertile Crescent that made it a suitable place for the first civilization? Consider climate and natural resources.
Rain, flooding season, transportation, silt, farming, drinking water
oDescribe Hammurabi’s Code, and the meaning of justice.
List of laws about property, personal injury and family
Many were very harsh
Equal punishments for crimes but did not apply to every social status
oDefineHammurabi’s property laws, criminal laws, family laws, and personal injury laws, and give examples of each.
A list of 282 laws issued by Hammurabi for the people of Babylonia.
Family: If you strike your father, your hand will be cut off
Property: If a neighbor floods your field, they must restore the damaged crop
Personal/Criminal: Eye for an eye (if they are of the same social standing)
oWhat was Hammurabi’s view of social status as it related to crimes and punishments?
Wanted to help the weak and the poor but his punishments for equal crimes were more unjust to the weak and the poor and favored the wealthy
oWhat are the characteristics of Judaism? Consider its prophet, Holy Book, and symbol.
Prophet: Abraham
Book: Torah
Symbol: Star of David
●Growth of Islam:
oWhere did Islam originate, and who was its prophet? (Be able to locate on a map)
Originated: Mecca on the Arabian Peninsula (modern-day Saudi Arabia)
Prophet: Muhammad
oWho did Muhammad receive the word of God from?
The angel Gabriel
oWhat are the Five Pillars of Islam?
- Shahadah: One god – Allah
- Salat: daily prayer – 5 times a day
- Zakat: donations to benefit the poor
- Syam: Fasting during Ramadan
- Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca
oCompare and Contrast the Ten Commandments with the Five Pillars of Islam.
Same: Belief in one god and a set of ways that help people lead moral lives
Different: everything else
oIdentify the reasons why Islam spread so quickly.
- Trade routes over huge territories
- Word of mouth
- Invasion by Muslim armies
oDescribe and explain jihad and the ghazu raids.
Ghazu raids: Pre-Islamic raids on other Arab tribes
Jihad: war against disbelievers. Often used to justify attacking non-Muslims
oExplain the major difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims.
The belief in who would take over as leader of Islam
Shia: leader should stay within the family of the prophet Muhammed
Sunni: leader should go to whoever has the best leadership abilities
●Israel / Palestine Conflict:
oSummarize how and whyIsrael was created.
A place was needed for the Jews to go after many fled Europe at the end of WW II
oDefine Zionism.
A movement to re-establish, develop and protect a Jewish nation in what is now Israel.
oExplain the Israeli perspective of the conflict.
It is their homeland promised to them by God (Holy Land)
Lived there for thousands of years before being exiled
They should be allowed to return
oExplain the Palestinian perspective of the conflict.
Their holy land and they have been living there for hundreds of years
Considered to be a historical region
●Ancient Africa:
oWhat were the two most important natural resources in Ancient Africa, and where were they found?
Gold came from the forests
Salt came from the Sahara
oDescribe the achievements of Ancient Egypt.
Pyramids, calendar (365 days, tracked flooding, planting and harvest), mummification and hieroglyphs
oName and define the writing system of Ancient Egypt.
Hieroglyphs: pictures of objects, written in rows and columns, can be read from left to right or from right to left depending on which way the animal/human is facing
oDescribe the physical geography of Ancient West Africa.
Sahara Desert: hot, dry
Niger River: fertile land
oDefine irrigation and explain its use in Ancient Egypt.
Built canals and dams, annual flooding, silt, water can be easily transported to crops
oWhat were the various uses of the Nile River?
Trading, transportation, farming, protection