Knights
These stone fortresses were built by lords and kings for protection against enemy attacks.
Castles
What is a crown?
The gold, sparkly headwear that a king or queen wears during special ceremonies to show their power.
What is the Silk Road?
This famous trading route connected China to Europe, allowing people to trade silk, spices, and ideas.
This valuable, shiny metal made West African kingdoms like Ghana and Mali incredibly rich.
Gold
What is feudalism
This system allowed kings to give land to lords in exchange for loyalty and protection from knights.
What is a throne?
royal seat or chair that a king or queen sits on during official court meetings.
Who are samurai?
These fierce warriors in Japan wore armor, used swords called katanas, and followed a strict code of honor.
West African traders traded their gold for this white mineral, which was needed to preserve food and stay healthy.
Salt
Who are knights?
These warriors wore heavy metal armor and rode horses into battle to protect the kingdom.
Who is King Henry VIII?
This famous English king is remembered for having six different wives and breaking away from the Catholic Church.
What is gunpowder?
This Chinese invention was originally used for fireworks, but it changed warfare forever when it was used for weapons.
Mansa Musa
This famous king of Mali was so incredibly wealthy that he gave away free gold on his famous journey to Mecca.
What is the Black Death (or the Plague)?
This terrible sickness spread across Europe in the 1300s, wiping out about one-third of the population.
This fierce queen of Spain helped pay for Christopher Columbus's famous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492
Queen Isabella
Who are the Mongols?
These skilled horse riders from Central Asia, led by Genghis Khan, built the largest continuous land empire in history.
This city in Mali became a world-famous center for learning, math, and large libraries.
Timbuktu
What were the Crusades?
These were a long series of religious wars fought between European Christians and Muslims over control of the Holy Land.
Who is King Louis XIV?
This French king was called the "Sun King" because he believed the whole country revolved around him, and he built the giant Palace of Versailles.
Who is a shogun?
This is the title of the military general who actually ruled Japan, while the Emperor was mostly just a figurehead.
Sahara Desert
Traders crossed this giant, hot desert using camels to trade goods with West Africa.