Vocabulary 1
African History & Geography
Vocabulary 2
The Americas History & Geography
Challenge Questions
100

A tropical grassland with scattered trees and shrubs across much of Africa is called...

Savanna

100

These geographical features make settlement difficult in many parts of Africa.

Deserts, 

Rain forests

Mountains

Dry regions

100

A narrow piece of land linking two larger areas of land is called....

Isthmus

100

Scientists believe prehistoric people reached the Americas in what two ways?

1. Crossing the Bering Land Bridge

2. Traveling by boat along the Pacific Coast

100

What traits made Mansa Musa a successful ruler?

He was wealthy, intelligent, generous, and promoted trade, education, and Islam.

200

Define griot?

A storyteller, historian, and keeper of traditions in West African societies.  

200

Which natural barrier limited trade between North Africa and the rest of the continent?

Sahara Desert

200
What is a sinkhole

A depression or hollow where soil has collapsed

200

Farming was necessary before civilization could begin because it provided this.

A stable food supply that allowed permanent settlements?

200

From which part of Africa did most enslaved Africans originate?

West Africa

300

Tracing family descent through mothers rather than fathers is called...

Matrilineal

300

Ghana became wealthy because it was located between these two valuable trade resources.

gold mines and salt mines

300

A system of knotted strings used by the Inca to keep records is called

Quipu

300

How did the Mayans make the rainforest livable?

Clearing forests, building raised fields, and creating irrigation systems

300

What were the most important effects of the Bantu migration?

The spread of farming, ironworking technology, and Bantu languages across Africa.

400

What is Swahili?

The unique culture of Africa’s East Coast and the language spoken there

400

List three products that were commonly traded from Africa's inland territories.

Gold

Ivory

Salt

Animal hides,

Enslaved people

400

A traditional Navajo home made of square wood is called... 

Hogan

400

The Aztecs established their society after settling on an island in Lake Texcoco and building a capital city called...

Tenochtitlán

400

Why did the Maya have two types of calendars?

One was used for religious ceremonies and the other for tracking the solar year and agriculture.

500

An area of high and mostly flat land is called...

Plateau

500

In what ways were the governments of Mali and Ghana similar?

Ghana and Mali were similar because both controlled trade routes and were ruled by powerful kings and strong central governments.

500

Which civilization used quipus to record information?

Inca

500

List the different levels of Inca society in the right order.

Emperor

Head priest and army commander

Regional armies

Temple priests

Skilled workers

Farmers

500

Give two examples of how people of the Pacific Northwest adapted to their environment.

  • Built homes from cedar wood
  • Used canoes for travel and fishing
  • Relied on salmon fishing
  • Made tools, clothing, and artwork from natural resources such as cedar and animal products