GLOBAL STUDIES 9

Chapter I: What is Social Studies, Early

Civilizations

A. Social Studies
Social studies: Various

aspects or branches of the

study of human society.
Aka the study of the human

world around us.

Broken down into various Social
Sciences.

A. Social Studies- History

The study of the past.
How we look at past events

(why they happened, how

they happened, where they
happened, etc.)
Always find a way to tie

history to modern events.

How does this relate to us/ why

is this important?

A. Social Studies- Geography

The study of people, their

environments, and their

resources.
Five themes help define the

impact of humans and

geography:
Place
Human-environment interaction
Movement
Region
Location

A. Social Studies- Geography

Location extremely important in geography.
Use Latitude and Longitude to find and location.

Latitude: measures North and South.

CenterPoint: Equator.

Longitude: measures East and West:

CenterPoint: Prime Meridian.

A. Social Studies- Political Science

The study of government and

politics.
Explores different types of

governments, how people

govern, etc.
General Type

Who Holds Power?

Example

Monarchy

One

Louis XIV in France

(absolute)

Oligarchy

An enlightened few

Ancient Sparta

Democracy

Many

Ancient Athens (direct),

U.S.A. (representative)

A. Social Studies- Economics

The study of how we allocate

our resources and money.

Explores different types of

economies.
Type

Decision Making

Characteristics

Traditional

Based on past
experiences, customs,
religion, etc.

Common in small,
primitive communities
and civilizations.

Market

Individual producers and

consumers.

Flexible, rapid change.

Command

Government planners.

Slow-moving, often
inflexible.

A. Social Studies- Sociology

The study of humans society

and culture.
Looks at their interactions with

each other, as well as behavior

in groups.

A. Social Studies- Psychology

The study of individual

thoughts and emotions.

Explores decisions we

make, behaviors we have,

our personalities, etc.

A. Social Studies- Anthropology

The study of the origin and

development of people and

their societies.
Explores culture, referring to

the way of life of a society that

is handed down generations
through learning and
experience.

A. Social Studies- Anthropology

One branch, archeology,

studies past people and

cultures.
They examine artifacts (such

as jewelry and tools) to see

how they lived, interacted, and
see how our ancestors lived.

B. Early Civilization
Prehistory- time before

written history.
Circa 100,000-10,000 B.C.

Earliest Humans- Hunters/

Gatherers.
Were nomads, traveled in small

groups for food.

Made simple tools, weapons,

language to communicate.

B. Early Civilization
Time period known as

Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age).

Belief System: spiritual, buried

dead with artifacts.

May have believed in afterlife.

Migrated from East Africa into

Europe, Asia.
Later, took land bridge across to

North America, boats through

Pacific.
During Ice Age.

Cultural Diffusion- exchange of

ideas, customs, and goods.

C. Neolithic Revolution
Environmental changes brought

new climate.
Ended Old Stone Age.

About 10,000 B.C., two major

discoveries:
Plant seeds to grow food.
Domesticate animals.

Allowed people to settle in one

location.
Settling down to farm brings about

a new age, Neolithic or agricultural

revolution.

C. Neolithic Revolution
Major developments of Neolithic

Revolution:
People settle together in villages.
Protection, share food.
Social classes began to emerge.
Chiefs, Shaman, etc.
New Technology.
Calendars, Plows, Wheel, etc.

Eventually allow for larger

settlements, earliest civilizations.

C. Neolithic Revolution- Ireland

Newgrange Tomb- Allows

Sunlight to enter and

illuminate the chamber on the
Winter Solstice each year.

D. Rise of Civilizations
About 5,000 B.C., earliest civilizations arise along River Valleys.
Reason: Fertile land, replenished by tides, seasons.
Most civilizations characterized by certain features:
Cities.
Centralized governments.
Traditional economies.
Organized religion.
Social classes (social hierarchy).
Arts/ architecture.
Infrastructure- roads, bridges, etc.
System of Writing.
Specialized jobs.

D. Rise of Civilizations

Chapter II: Ancient Egypt

A. Ancient Egypt
Geography: Egypt, mostly

desert.
Along Nile River, fertile.
Floods keep bringing in silt, full of
nutrients.
Water good for farming, drinking.
River also good for travel, transport.
Egypt in two parts:
Upper Egypt- lower part.
Lower Egypt- connects to
Mediterranean Sea, empties in
delta.
Originally separate kingdoms.

A. Ancient Egypt
Religion: Egyptians polytheistic.
Many gods: Amon-Re- chief god,
Osiris- god of the dead, the Nile.
Believed in afterlife, mummified /

buried those to continue on after

death.

Government: ruled by a

pharaoh.
Worshipped as god.
Had tombs built.
Notable: Pyramids, Valley of Kings.
One kingdom.

A. Ancient Egypt
Interior of a pyramid

Valley of the Kings

A. Ancient Egypt
Social Structure:
Strict social hierarchy.
Pharaoh on top, farmers, slaves
below.

A. Ancient Egypt
Contributions:
Art, wall paintings.
System of writing- Hieroglyphs.
Architecture- Pyramids, temples,

monuments.
Calendar system.
Human Anatomy.

B. Mesopotamia
Geography:
Known as the Fertile

Crescent.
Region between two rivers:
Tigris.
Euphrates.

Flat land, easy to invade,

travel through.

Area became a

crossroads for people,

exchanging goods and
ideas.
Nickname: Cradle of

Civilization

B. Mesopotamia- Sumer
Sumer:
First major Fertile Crescent
Civilization.
Originally city-states (separate small

kingdoms).

Polytheistic, built pyramid-like

ziggurats for worship.

Social hierarchy- priest/ nobles on

top.
Women- role/ rights changed over

time

B. Mesopotamia- Sumer
Contributions of Sumer:
Canals, irrigation.
Earliest form of writing-

cuneiform.
Wedge-shape writing on clay

tablets.
Used to record stories, business,
records.

Developed 12 month calendar

based on the moon, number

system (used today for clocks).

B. Mesopotamia- Babylon
Various armies conquered

region.
Akkadians- established first ever

empire.
Soon, Akkad conquered by
Hammurabi, king of Babylon.

Hammurabi- collects all laws

together, called Code of

Hammurabi.
Put on stone pillars so all people

can see.
Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, etc.

B. Mesopotamia- Babylon
Other empires:
Hittites- known for Iron Making.
Allowed for easier conquest.

Assyrians- known for warfare.

Created a well organized society.
Persians- united the region.
Practiced tolerance (acceptance of others).
Providing taxes were paid.

Introduced money economy- goods now have monetary value.

Phoenicians- sea traders.

Sailed around Mediterranean, trading/ spreading Middle Eastern culture.
Created Phonetic alphabet- letters that represented spoken sounds.

B. Mesopotamia- Babylon
Hanging Gardens of Babylon- one of the
Seven Ancient Wonders of the World,
supposedly built by Nebuchadnezzar II for
his wife, who was homesick for her country.

Ishtar Gate- built by Nebuchadnezzar

II, located in the inner city of
Babylon, dedicated to the goddess
Ishtar.

Chapter III/ IV: Ancient India and China

A. Indus River Valley

India- subcontinent jutting out

of Asia.
Three regions:
Northern plain, very fertile.
Watered by Indus and Ganges

Rivers.
Deccan Plateau, dry/ sparsely

populated.
Coastal Plains. Flat land near
coastlines.

Affected by seasonal winds,

called monsoons.
Bring dry air, rain depending on

time of year.
Can cause floods, famines

A. Indus River Valley

Earliest Civilizations- settled

along Indus River Valley.

Notable cities- Harappa and
Mohenjo-Daro.
Considered very advanced
Organized, had plumbing, heating.
No written records.

Ganges civilizations- Aryans.

Warlike, religious.
Polytheistic, worshipped many
gods.
Origins for Hinduism.

B. Rise of Indian Empires

Mauryan Empire (321 B.C.-185

B.C.):
First empire in India.
United by Chandragupta Maurya.
Empire stretched across most of

northern, central India.

Well organized government:

Well organized bureaucracy
collected taxes, built roads/
bridges.
Strict government- had secret

police spy and watch people.

B. Rise of Indian Empires

Asoka- grandson of

Chandragupta.
Horrified by grandfathers actions,

turned to Buddhism to rule.

United the diverse empire, brought
peace.
Empire falls apart after death.

Maurya empire- very advanced.

Center for learning, trade.

B. Rise of Indian Empires

Gupta Empire (A.D. 320- A.D. 550):
Created after ruins of Maurya empire.
Looser rule than Maurya empire.
Power more in hands of locals,
decentralized.
Contributions:
Center of learning: developed decimal
system.
Buddhist/ Hindu schools.

Medical advances- knew the human

body.
Developed vaccines to illnesses.

Arts and Architecture.

Created stupas, temples.

C. Ancient China
Geography- Isolated region.
North- Gobi Desert.
East- Pacific Ocean.
South- Jungle.
West, Southwest- Mountains.
Civilization grows along Huang

He and Yangzi rivers.

Huang He- River of Sorrows.
Known for flooding.

Due to isolation, consider

themselves the Middle

Kingdom.
Middle of the universe.

C. Ancient China- the Shang

1650 B.C., Shang dynasty

established in the north.

Established temples, cities, great
tombs.
Social hierarchy in place.

Shang lands not unified.

Power in hands of local nobles/ families
called clans.
Were polytheistic.
Venerated, or worshipped ancestors.
Asked ancestors for help using oracle

bones.

Developed system of writing still

used today.
Overall, kingdom not unified.

C. Ancient China- the Zhou

1027 B.C., the Zhou defeated and cleared out the Shang.
Told the people the gods were angry with the Shang and their
cruelty.
Justified by Mandate of Heaven.

C. Ancient China- the Zhou

Established feudalism- local lords

control regions of land but owe

military allegiance to main ruler.
Feudal lords will eventually control the

power.

Contributions:
Iron smiting, irrigation projects.
Could farm, feed vast numbers of people.

Developed first books.

Used strips of bamboo as paper.
Silk making- making clothing from the

threads of silkworms.
Became THE export.
Sent along Silk Road to the West.

D. Early Chinese Empires- The Qin

221 B.C., Zheng and his army conquer

China.
Declares himself Shi Huangdi- First

Emperor.

Abolishes feudalism, establishes

military districts.
Made nobles live in capitol city, Xianyang.

Establishes standardized

measurements.
Monetary system (coins).
Promoted uniformity in Chinese writing.
Repaired infrastructure.

D. Early Chinese Empires- The Qin

Ruthlessness:
Cracked down dissent.
Killed Confucius monks and nobles.

Burned books he didnt agree with.

High taxes on peasants.

Decline:
After death, people revolted.
Fed up with taxes, forced labor.

New ruler takes over, proclaims

Mandate of Heaven.

Legacy of the Qin

Terracotta Army: Proposed by Shi
Huangdi to protect him after death. Not
discovered until 1974 in a field, the
tomb consists of thousands of life
sized humans, horses, and chariots.

Great Wall of China: Wall spanning

hundreds of miles. Separates China from
the various hordes of the West. Built by
forces labor of peasants, later becomes
symbol of the greatness of China.

D. Early Chinese Empires- The Han

Liu Bang, a peasant declares Mandate of Heaven.
Declares himself Gao Zu.
Ousts Qin, establishes Han Dynasty in 206 B.C.
Government and Economy:
Emperor Wudi establishes civil service system.
Job by what you know, not who you know.

Established Confucian ideas as the norm.

Very structured.
Men seen as superior.
Women limited in roles.
Empire lasts until A.D. 220, when broken up.

D. Early Chinese Empires- The Han

Contributions:
Technology- created paper out of
wood pulp.
Science- advances in acupuncture,

herbal remedies.
Arts- jade/ ivory carvings, ceramics.
Trade- fully linked the Silk Road.
Trade route from China to the Fertile

Crescent.
4,000 miles.

Traded goods from China, India, Persia,

Rome, etc.

D. The Silk Road

Unit I: Ancient World Belief Systems

GLOBAL HISTORY 9

A. Judaism
Monotheistic- believe one

God is present everywhere.

Male god all knowing, all

powerful, ever present.

Believe God made a

covenant, or binding
agreement.
Believe God made covenant

with Abraham, making them

Gods chosen people.

Abraham: considered father of

Western religions.

A. Judaism
Believe God gave Moses 10
Commandments.

Sacred book- Torah; 1st 5

books of Christian Old
Testament.

Includes rules for daily living

Cleanliness, food
preparation.

Includes criminal codes.

Sabbath- Holy Day of rest/

worship.

Saturday for Jews.

A. Judaism
Prophets- spiritual leaders

of the Hebrews.
Preached ethics- moral standards of

behaviors.

Concerned with personal

morality/ social justice.

All equal before God.
Rich/ powerful protect poor,

weak.

Later an influence on

Christianity, Islam.

A. Judaism
Israelites- originally based in

Palestine.
Capital: Jerusalem.
Eventually kingdom splits, Israel in
the North, Judea in the South.
Eventually conquered by
Babylonians, Persians, then
Romans.
A.D. 70, Jews rebel, Romans crush
uprising.
Destroy main Jewish temple.

Jews forced to leave Israel.

Diaspora- scattering of people.
Keep traditions and culture alive.
Obeyed religious laws/ traditions.

B. Hinduism
No single founder, no single
sacred text.
Grown out of overlapping
beliefs of various people in
India.

Vedas- Aryan holy book.

All groups add own gods/

beliefs to system.

Result: extremely complex

religion.

Many gods/ goddesses.

Gods embodied natural
forces.

Some basic beliefs.

B. Hinduism
Brahman: one unifying,

universal force.
Brahman too complex for
humans.
Given a human face via

different gods.

Most important:
Brahma, the Creator.
Vishnu, the Preserver.
Shiva, the Destroyer.

B. Hinduism
Goal: become one with Brahman

(mosksha).
Cannot do in one lifetime.
Death, become reincarnated.

Reincarnation- rebirth of soul in another

bodily form.

Karma: all actions of a persons life that

affect there fate in the next life.

People who live virtuous life- reborn at

high level
Bad life- lower level, suffering
Cycle of Rebirth- Wheel
Dharma- religious and moral duties of
the individual
Duties vary according to class, age,
etc.

B. Hinduism

Karma, dharma ensure

social order, support
class system.

Caste system- move on

scale upward or
downward depending on
actions in life.

Sacred Text:
Upanishads- philosophy
of Hindu beliefs.

C. Buddhism
Founder: Siddhartha

Gautama.
Hindu prince, lives life of
comfort/ luxury.
Sees human suffering and is

upset.

Sets out to discover realm of

life where there is neither

suffering nor death.
Believed he found cure for

suffering/ sorrow.

Becomes Buddha, the

Enlightened One.

C. Buddhism
Four Noble Truths:
All life is full of suffering, pain, and sorrow.
The cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really

illusions, such as riches, power, and long life.

The only cure for suffering is to overcome desire.
The only way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold Path.

C. Buddhism
Goal: Achieve Nirvana.
Union with the universe and release

from cycle of rebirth.

Emphasizes moral/ ethical rules

Honest, charity, kindness.
Buddhism grows out of Hinduism,

shares some beliefs.

Sacred Text:
Tripitaka (3 Baskets of Wisdom)

C. Buddhism
Hinduism and Buddhism

similarities:
Both believe in:
Karma
Dharma
Moksha
Reincarnation
Non-violence.
Buddhism- no priests,

formal rituals, gods.

Rejects caste system.

C. Buddhism
Two different branches:
Theravada- follow main teachings

of Buddha.

Life devoted to hard, spiritual work.

Harder for everyday person.
Sri Lanka, SE Asia.

Mahayana- easier to follow.

Views Buddha as god.
Describes heavens/ hell.
China, Tibet, Korea, Japan.

D. Chinese Philosophies- Confucianism

Founder: Confucius.

Born: 551 B.C.

Wandering scholar.
After death, teachings/ ideas

written down by students.

The Analects.

Developed philosophy.
System of ideas.
Concerned with ensuring

social order, good

government.

D. Chinese Philosophies- Confucianism

Goal- harmony resulted

when people accepted their

place in society.
Stressed Five Relationships.
Only last relationship equal.
Imbalanced.
Each person had responsibilities.

Filial piety- respect for

parents, came above

everything else, including
loyalty to state.

D. Chinese Philosophies- Confucianism

Believed people are

naturally good.
Best ruler is one that is
virtuous.
Lead by example.

Leaders should take

advice from wise,

educated men.
People should be
educated.

D. Legalism
Philosophy practiced

where strength, not

goodness, a rulers
greatest virtue.
Works in absolutes.
Right or wrong, good or bad.
No grey area.

D. Chinese Philosophies- Taoism (Daoism)

Founder: Laozi.
Wrote:

The Way of Virtue

Goal: live in harmony with
nature.
Focuses on the Dao.
Way of universe as a whole.

Also focused on balance,

yin and yang.

Goes along with harmony.

D. Chinese Philosophies- Taoism (Daoism)

Rejected conflict, strife.
End conflict between

humans and the world.

Water=symbol of life.
Does not resist, yield to

outside pressures.
Govt as unnatural,

source of problems.
Best government= governs least.

D. Chinese Philosophies- Taoism (Daoism)