SPREAD OF ISLAM
In which region did Islam begin?
The Arabian Peninsula.
What two valuable resources were especially important to the trans-Saharan trade?
Gold and salt.
Who united the Mongol tribes and began building the Mongol Empire?
Genghis Khan.
Which religion developed in India and includes beliefs such as karma, dharma, and reincarnation?
Hinduism.
What ancient Greek idea has influenced many modern governments?
Democracy.
Who is considered the prophet of Islam?
Muhammad.
Which West African empires became wealthy by controlling important trade routes and resources, especially gold?
Ghana, Mali, And Songhai
What was the Silk Road?
A network of trade routes connecting different regions across Eurasia.
Which religion was founded by Siddhartha Gautama and emphasizes overcoming suffering and achieving enlightenment?
Buddhism.
Choose ONE ancient or classical civilization and explain TWO ways it continues to influence the modern world
Answers will vary. Students should identify a civilization and provide two historically accurate connections.
Name TWO ways Islam spread beyond the Arabian Peninsula.
Possible answers include trade, conquest, migration, and missionaries.
Which famous ruler of Mali became known for his enormous wealth and pilgrimage to Mecca?
Mansa Musa.
Besides goods, what else traveled along the Silk Road?
: Ideas, technologies, religions, cultures, and people
Which religion developed in Persia and was associated with the teachings about the struggle between good and evil?
Zoroastrianism.
How does the ancient Silk Road connect to the modern idea of globalization?
Both involve connections between different regions through the movement of goods, people, ideas, and culture.
Why was trade important to the spread of Islam?
Muslim merchants traveled between different regions, allowing Islamic beliefs and practices to spread through contact with other societies.
How did trans-Saharan trade help West African kingdoms become powerful?
Trade brought wealth and allowed kingdoms to control important trade routes and valuable resources.
After Genghis Khan died, how did the Mongol Empire change?
His descendants divided the empire into different khanates, which ruled separate regions.
How did Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire?
It spread through missionaries, followers, travel, and communities throughout the Roman Empire. It eventually became an important religion within the empire.
Give ONE example of how a religion that developed or spread during this period continues to influence modern societies.
Answers will vary. Students could discuss Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, or another religion and provide an accurate modern connection.
Explain how the spread of Islam contributed to cultural exchange
As Islam spread, people exchanged ideas, technologies, languages, artistic traditions, scientific knowledge, and religious beliefs. Islamic civilization also became a center for scholarship in areas such as mathematics, medicine, astronomy, and philosophy.
Explain TWO ways trade connected West Africa to other parts of the world.
Trade connected West Africa to North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Islamic world. It moved goods such as gold and salt and also spread Islam, languages, ideas, and cultural practices.
Explain how the Mongol Empire affected trade and cultural exchange across Eurasia.
Mongol expansion connected large areas of Eurasia under Mongol control. This increased movement along trade routes and encouraged the exchange of goods, ideas, technologies, religions, and people.
Compare ONE similarity and ONE difference between two religions or philosophies studied in this unit.
Answers will vary. Students must provide one historically accurate similarity and one historically accurate difference.
Explain how geography continues to influence human societies today, just as it did in ancient times.
Geography influences where people live, access to resources, transportation, agriculture, trade routes, and interactions between societies. Students should provide specific examples.