Geography & Empires
Name the empire that continued after the fall of Rome in the east and had Constantinople as its capital.
The Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire)
What are the two primary sacred texts of Islam?
The Quran and the Sunnah.
Name one motivation for European exploration.
Religion, political rivalry, economic gain/mercantilism.
Who was Genghis Khan?
Founder and leader who united the Mongol tribes and began the Mongol conquests
Name one artistic or scholarly achievement of medieval Southwest Asia or North Africa listed in the standards.
advancements in mathematics, medicine, literature, philosophy, or art from medieval Islamic scholars (e.g., algebra, medical texts, geographic works).
Identify two geographic features students should locate when studying Southwest Asia and North Africa.
Arabian Peninsula; Euphrates River; Persian Gulf; Tigris River; Mediterranean; Red Sea; Black Sea; Caspian Sea; Arabian Sea; Mecca.
Give one basic belief of Islam.
Monotheism and the Five Pillars.
Who sponsored the voyages of Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan (name the country for each)?
Vasco da Gama — Portugal; Ferdinand Magellan — Spain
Name one explorer who sailed for England, and one who sailed for France.
Henry Hudson - England; Jacques Cartier - France.
Identify one literary or cultural contribution from Song Dynasty China described in the standards.
agricultural innovations, commercial and technological developments, and cultural achievements such as poetry or printing advances during the Song Dynasty.
Explain why Constantinople’s location helped maintain European culture (short answer).
Because Constantinople controlled key trade routes between Europe and Asia, sat on strategic waterways, and served as a cultural and political center that preserved Roman and Greek traditions.
Name the Japanese religion that focuses on ritual practices, animism, and Kami.
Shintoism.
Identify one tool or improvement Prince Henry the Navigator influenced.
Compass, caravel, astrolabe, improvements in cartography, or Harrison’s chronometer.
Explain the historical significance of the Battle of Hastings in one sentence.
William’s victory led to Norman control of England, major cultural and political changes, and influence over Northern France.
Explain how Chinese and Korean influences changed Japanese culture, giving one specific cultural or artistic example.
Adoption of Chinese writing, Buddhism, Confucian administrative ideas, and court rituals leading to changes in literature, art, and government (e.g., Prince Shotoku’s reforms).
Describe one achievement of Justinian that influenced law or architecture.
Justinian’s Code (legal reform) or building the Hagia Sophia (architectural achievement).
Explain one way Buddhism or Confucianism influenced Japanese culture.
Adoption of Buddhism or Confucian ideas into government or culture; use the Constitution of Prince Shotoku or adoption of Chinese writing.
Explain one major effect of the Columbian Exchange on the Americas or Europe.
Introduction of new crops and animals (e.g., wheat, horses to the Americas; potatoes, maize to Europe), spread of diseases to indigenous populations, large social and economic impacts.
Summarize the impact of the Magna Carta on monarchy and legal rights.
Magna Carta limited royal power, established rule of law, and affirmed rights such as trial by jury.
Describe one artistic or architectural achievement of the Byzantine or Ming empires and explain its significance.
Byzantine: Hagia Sophia — architectural and religious significance; Ming: Forbidden City and Great Wall reconstruction — demonstrated centralized imperial power and cultural achievement.
Summarize how the Mongol Empire affected trade along the Silk Roads.
The Mongol Empire increased safety and stability on the Silk Roads, enabling greater trade, cultural exchange, and the spread of technologies and people such as Marco Polo.
Describe how the diffusion of Christianity is associated with the Byzantine Empire.
Christianity spread through Byzantine efforts, missions, and cultural influence from Constantinople across Eastern Europe.
Describe how Spanish colonization changed labor systems in the Americas, including the encomienda.
Spanish colonization introduced the encomienda system, mission system, Christianity, and led to increased use of African slavery.
Describe two reasons the Age of Exploration began, tying each reason to a specific historical figure or development.
Economic desire for trade routes (Prince Henry’s navigational advances) and religious motives (spread of Christianity); tie to explorers like Columbus or to mercantilism.
Compare two cultural developments from different regions in the standards (for example: Heian Japan’s court culture and the Golden Age of the Tudors). Explain one similarity and one difference.
Similarity: Both promoted flourishing artistic production under elite patronage (court poetry and theatre in Heian Japan; literature and drama in Tudor England). Difference: Heian culture emphasized court aesthetics and courtly literature (e.g., Tale of Genji) while Tudor culture emphasized national identity, exploration, and Protestant-Catholic conflicts affecting the arts.