Latitude – parallel lines around the earth

Longitude – lines that run from the North Pole to the South Pole

Hemispheres - two parts of the earth divided by the equator (Northern & Southern)

Prime Meridian – the line that connects the North Pole and the South Pole

Equator – imaginary line that divides the earth

Map Key (or legend) – explains the symbols on the map

Scales – used on maps as a tool for measuring distance

domestication – to tame animals and plants for human use

specialization – the development of different kinds of jobs

civilization – complex society with cities, organized government, art, religion, class divisions, and a writing system

irrigation -  method of bringing water to a field from another place to water crops

city-state - independent state made up of a city and the surrounding land and villages

cuneiform - Sumerian system of writing made up of wedge-shaped markings

division of labor/specialization of labor – different types of jobs to fit the skills of each person

agriculture – growing crops for human use or farming

ziggurat – a temple built for worship in ancient Mesopotamia

Hammurabi’s Code – collection of laws created by Hammurabi that covered almost every aspect of daily life

Mesopotamia – land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Sumer – a city in Mesopotamia

Babylon – a city on the Euphrates River that was home to Hammurabi

 Unpredictable flooding

 Crops were irrigated

 Irrigation is a method of bringing water to a field from another place to water crops

Farmers could grow plenty of food

 Built temples called ziggurats to honor their gods

Upper – king, priests, government officials, & scribes

Middle – artisans, merchants, farmers, & fishers

Lower - slaves

 A few people learned to write. They were called scribes. Scribers were record keepers.

Invented the sailboat, wheel, bronze, levees & number system based on 60.

An empire is a group of many different lands under one ruler

Known for Hammurabi’s code. It was the first set of laws ever written down.

Hieroglyphics – system of writing made up of thousands of picture symbols developed by the ancient Egyptians

Pharaoh – all powerful king in ancient Egypt

Deity – god or goddess

Agriculture - growing crops for human use or farming

Irrigation - method of bringing water to a field from another place to water crops

Domestication - to tame animals and plants for human use

Nile River Valley– river that supported the Egyptian civilization

Dynasty – a line of rulers from one family

Pyramid – a tomb built for Egyptian pharaohs

Mummy – a body tightly wrapped in linen strips

Polytheistic- Belief in more than one god

near river

Surrounded

by deserts

Longest river in the world- 4000 miles 

hieroglyphics. Few 

people could read & write

(Upper & Lower)

(Narmer)

Monotheism – the belief in one god

Torah –first 5 chapters of the Old Testament 

Covenant – agreement

Prophet – person who claims to be instructed by God to share God’s word

Sabbath – weekly day of worship and rest for Jews (Saturday)

Synagogue - Jewish house of worship 

Messiah – in Judaism, a deliverer sent by God

Rabbi – Jewish leader and teacher of the Torah

Judaism – monotheistic religion of the Jews 

Moses – a prophet of God who was given the Ten Commandments

Abraham – founder of Judaism

Ten Commandments – laws given to Moses by God; part of the Torah

god made a covenant or an agreement with Israelites

 

the 10 commandments

Subcontinent – large landmass that is part of a continent but distinct from it

Sanskrit – written language developed by the Aryans

Caste – social group a person is born into and cannot change

Hinduism – system of religion that grew out of the religion of the Aryans in ancient India

Brahman – in Hinduism, the universal spirit of which all gods and goddesses are different parts

Reincarnation – rebirth of the soul or spirit in different bodies over time

Dharma – in Hinduism, the divine law that requires people to perform the duties of their caste

Karma – in Hinduism, the good or bad energy a person build up based upon whether he or she lives a good or bad life

Buddhism – religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha; taught that the way to find truth was to give up all desires

Nirvana – in Buddhism, a state of wisdom and freedom from the cycle of rebirth

Indus River Valley – river valley that supported Ancient India

Polytheism – belief in many gods and goddesses

concept & symbol for zero

explained infinity (something without end)

invented symbols for 1-9 (we use today) 

invented algorithms (series of steps that solve a problem) 

Two epics still popular in India –Ramayana. Brave warriors & heroic deeds. Bhagavad Gita (Mahabharata) tells that the soul lives on after death

Understood gravity, that the earth was round & revolved around the sun, mapped movements of planets & stars

Believed that the earth was made up of tiny particles (atoms)

Aristocrat – noble whose wealth came from land ownership

Pictograph – a character that stands for an object

Ideograph – a character that joins two or more pictographs to represent an idea

Bureaucracy – a group of appointed officials who are responsible for different areas of government

Mandate – formal order

Social class – group of people who share a similar position in society

Confucianism – system of beliefs introduced by the Chinese thinker Confucius; taught that people needed to have a sense of duty to their family and community in order to bring peace to society

Daoism – Chinese philosophy based on the teachings of Laozi; taught that people should turn to nature and give up their worldly concerns

Leagalism-society needs a system of harsh laws and punishments, Strong rulers, founded by Hanfeizi 

Silk Road – large network of trade routes stretching from western China to Mediterranean Sea

Acupuncture – Chinese practice of easing pain by sticking thin needles into patients’ skin

Huang He River Valley- second longest river in China, formerly called the Yellow River, location of the first Chinese civilization 

Dao – the proper way Chinese kings were expected to rule under the Mandate of Heaven

Mandate of Heaven- the belief that the Chinese king’s right to rule came from the gods 

Dynasty- line of rulers who belong to the same family

Rulers were called emperors

Agora- an open area that served as both a market and a meeting place

Direct Democracy-Athens government, government by the people, citizens share in running the government, each citizen has 1 vote

Representative Democracy-USA system of government, where citizens choose a smaller group to make laws and decisions for them

Myth - story describing gods, heroes, or natural events

Epic- long poem that tells about legends or heroes

Fable- short tale that teaches a lesson

Drama- story told by actors who pretend to be characters in the story

Comedy-form of drama in which the story has a happy ending

Tragedy- form of drama in which a person struggles to overcome difficulties but meets an unhappy end

Philosopher-thinker who seeks wisdom and ponders questions about life

Socratic Method- a way of teaching that used questions-and-answers to make students to use their reason to see things for themselves

Hellenistic Era- period when Greek language and ideas spread to non-Greek people

Athens- an ancient city-state of Greece that developed democracy

Sparta- ancient city-state of Greece that was military focused

Acropolis- a temple built on a hilltop where people would go take refuge when invaders attacked. Also a place to honor local gods

Oligarchy - Sparta’s government, small group as control, usually a small wealthy group has control over the larger group of citizens