World History:Baseline Knowledge

Historical Bias

Bias: An inclination or preference that influences judgment

from being balanced or even-handedHistory is written by people and all people

carry biases, even when trying to remain impartial

There are many historical theories all which carry heavy bias.

Primary Sources & Secondary Sources

Historians use different sources to make conclusions about history

Primary Sources: These are original materials on which all other research is based. They are from the time period involved and have not been filtered through interpretation or evaluation

Secondary Sources: These are interpretations and evaluations of primary sources written later with the benefit of hindsight.

The First Humans

Most scientists agree the first modern humans probably originated in East Africa about 150,000 years ago.

Generally, the first humans stayed together in small nomadic bands who moved with the animals they hunted. Nomads: People who moved from place to place as they

followed game animals and ripening fruit What sort of things would change history and move

humans from Hunting and Gathering groups into more developed cultures?

This time before civilizations developed is known as prehistory: It is the long period of time before people permanently settled and formed systems of writing.

Baseline knowledge

Human beings would eventually form Civilizations which would grow increasingly complex.

Civilization: A community reaching a relatively high level of cultural and technological development.

These civilizations, how & why they grew, what influenced them, and how they interacted with each other in different situations will be the focus of this course.

To get to World History’s story, you must first solidify a baseline knowledge.

Master this baseline and you will have hooks making the rest of the year much easier & more interesting

Neolithic Agricultural Revolution

A Revolution is a sudden, radical, or complete change. It can be political, economic, social, or technological in its origins, but will have results that are much more far reaching.

The first civilizations developed, about 11,000 years ago as a result of the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution.

This was the beginning of farming societies which led to surpluses of food, allowing for specialization of labor, and new inventions.

Map Activity

In Groups of 4-5, use your memory to fill out the map.

After you have done your best to label all of the map and have cleared it with me. I will give you an atlas to correct any mistakes.

The members of the first group to finish their map without any errors will get +4 added to their Baseline Test.

The major River Valley Civilizations

The first major civilizations sprang up around rivers.

Below is the country or Region most associated with each major river Tigris & Euphrates Rivers = Mesopotamia Nile River = Egypt Yangtze River = China Ganges River = India Amazon River =Brazil

Early religions Most were animistic

Believed in a world full of spirits and forces residing in animals, objects, or dreams.

Polytheism: Belief in or worship of more than one god. Monotheism: Belief in or worship of only one God.

Technology

As a result of humans settling into civilizations, more separation of labor developed and there was more incentive for innovation to improve life.

One of the, if not the, most important driver of history is technology.

What is technology? The practical application of knowledge in a particular

field.

Imperialism

One, of many, game changing effects of new developing technologies was the development of better weapons.

Those with better technologies often would impose their will on opposing civilizations in early examples of imperialism.

Imperialism: The extension or imposition of power by one group over another.

Economy

As people began to specialize their labor, goods and services would be bought and sold so that people could attain all they needed.

The system that provides the goods and services that are bought, sold, and used is known as the Economy.

Baseline Religions

Review: Polytheism; Monotheism; Animism5 Major World Religions:

Hinduism Buddhism Judaism Christianity Islam

• Confucianism

Baseline Economic Systems

Review: EconomyTraditionalCapitalismSocialismCommunism

Baseline Political Systems

MonarchyTheocracyDictatorshipTotalitarianismOligarchyDemocracyRepublic