UNIT 5: THE MIDDLE AGES

STUDENT ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

Unit Overview

Points of focus in this unit include the interaction among peoples in Eurasia, the resulting secular and religious power struggles, and innovations in agriculture and commercial practices leading to increased prosperity and a growing middle class.

Students will develop an understanding of:

· Contributions of Empires: the Byzantine Empire

· Meeting the Needs of the People: legacy of the Eastern Roman Empire and

establishment of feudalism in Western Roman Empire

· The Power of Religion: rise of monarchs; religious and secular powers compete for

authority; religion as a unifying institution; development of absolute power; creation of Islam

· Religious War: causes and outcomes of Crusades, impact of Islamic culture

· Transformation of Societies: results of innovations in agriculture and commercial

Practices

Essential Questions

1)  How did the achievements of the Byzantine Empire influence other civilizations?

2)  How do societies respond when the government fails to meet their needs?

3)  How does the struggle between religious and secular authority affect society?

4)  In the absence of a powerful secular government, how does religious authority fill the political void?

5)  How do regional interactions impact societies?

6)  How do new innovations in agriculture cause societal and environmental changes?

7)  How do population shifts influence commercial innovations?

8)  How did technological improvements change societies?

Key Vocabulary

(See Next Page)

Key Vocabulary

Question #1 / Question
#2 / Question #3, #4, &#5 / Question
#6, #7, & #8
·  Byzantine
Empire
·  Justinian’s
Code
·  The Great Schism
·  Orthodox Church
·  Mosaics
·  Bureaucracy / ·  Medieval
·  Feudalism
·  Manorialism / ·  Secular
·  Monarchs
·  Magna Carta
·  Pope
·  Theocracy
·  Bureaucracy
·  Crusades / ·  Agricultural Revolution
·  Slash and Burn
·  Three Field
System
·  Crop Rotation
·  Fallow
·  Urbanization
·  Artisans
·  Merchants
·  Guilds/Unions
·  Middle-Class
·  Bourgeoisie
·  Banking Houses
·  Bill of Exchange
·  Commercial Revolution