Midterm #1 Review

Midterm #1 Date:  Monday, September 29th (first hour)

Chapters:  1-4

Format:  20 multiple choice questions (2 points each--40 total points); 1 essay response (choice of two questions (60 points)

What you need to know:

Chapter 1:

• The development and major characteristics of early humanity, focusing primarily on the developments concerning homo sapiens and the hunter-gatherer lifestyle of the Paleolithic Age-Neolithic Age

• The significance of the Neolithic Revolution (including when it happened), the development of agriculture, and the emergence and major characteristics of civilization

• Specific knowledge of all of the Fertile Crescent civilizations covered:
• Sumer and the Sumerians; the Akkadian Empire; the 1^st Babylonian Empire; Egypt; the Hittites; the Phoenicians; the Hebrews/Isrealites/Jews; the Assyrians; the Chaldean/New Babylonian Empire.  For each you should know the relevant:
• Major events in each of their histories and chronology of the empires
• Significant people
• Major characteristics and contributions of each of the civilizations (as relevant:  religion, government, class structure, technology, etc.)
• Major cities
• Significant geographic features

Chapters 2-3:

• Major geographical features of India and Asia—rivers, mountain ranges, oceans, deserts

India:

• Major characteristics of Harappan/Dravidian society, including
• Cities and their characteristics, social structures, technology, religion

• Major characteristics of Indo-European/Aryan society, including
• Lifestyle, social structure, technology, religion
• Consequences of interaction between the Aryans and the Dravidians, especially concerning the caste system and the concept of varna
• The Indian names of the different varna
• The origins and major principles of Hinduism
• The origins and major principles of Buddhism

China:

• Chronology of the first four Chinese dynasties, beginning with the Xia
• Major similarities and differences between the 5 dynasties, including
• How they gained power
• The territory they governed and their style of government
• Technological, artistic, and other cultural characteristics

• Any important people associated with each dynasty and their significance (examples:  Qin Shi Huangdi , Confucius, etc.)
• The significance of the Mandate of Heaven (and how it worked)
• The significance of the Period of the Warring States

• The major principles of Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism including
• Who founded the philosophy
• Books associated with the philosophy  
• Beliefs

Chapter 4 (also includes Persia from Chapter 1):

• The major political, social, and cultural developments in Greece, including
• Geographic features
• The development and characteristics of the polis--specifically Athens and Sparta
• The Hoplite

• The major aspects of the Persian Empire (chapter 1)
• Geographic features
• Important people
• Growth of the Persian Empire
• Aspects of Persian government and administration