The Daily 5 World History January 5-8, 2016

The Daily Five 1/5/16 Directions: Answer the following five questions on a sheet of paper. Be prepared to share your answers with the class. 1. What is history? 2. Is it important to study history? Why or why not? 3. What is the most important historical event in the history of humanity? Why? 4. Do individuals shape history or does history shape individuals? Give an example to justify your response. 5. What is the most important issue facing people in the world today? Can this problem be solved without examining its history? Why or why not. Be prepared to provide an example.

The Daily Five Directions: Answer the following five questions on a sheet of paper. Be prepared to share your answers with the class. 1/6/16 1. What are the themes of World History? 2. Define the term prehistory and list the dates for this historic era. Is it important to study this time period? Why or why not? 3. What are the two competing theories which attempt to explain human origins? Which do you agree with more? Why? 4. What was the Neolithic Revolution and why was it considered to be “Revolutionary”? In your opinion, did the advent of the Neolithic Revolution represent a step forwards or backwards for humanity? Be prepared to give examples and justify your response. 5. What have historians defined as the five characteristics of civilization? Does meeting these criteria really make someone “civilized” according to your definition? Why or why not.

The Daily Five 1/7/16 Directions: Answer the following five questions on a sheet of paper. Be prepared to share your answers with the class. 1. What were the three biggest challenges people faced when transitioning from a hunter-gathering lifestyle to life in towns and cities? What innovations were made to meet these challenges and were they beneficial or detrimental to human societies? 2. What is cultural diffusion? How did it contribute to the spread of agriculture and the rise of civilization? Is it better for a society to have more or less cultural diffusion? Why? 3. What is the difference between power and authority? Which works best when governing a group of people? How does this explain the establishment of theocratic monarchies as civilization’s oldest form of government? 4. How did geography impact the political, social, economic and religious development of civilization in early Mesopotamia? Be prepared to give examples and justify your response. 5. What were the top three innovations made by ancient Mesopotamians which altered the course of human history? Be prepared to list the innovation, identify the society which created it and defend your response.

Unit 1: 1/8/16 The Daily 5 1. What does “Mesopotamia” mean? Where is Mesopotamia? Why was the land there so valuable to early peoples? 2. What are the characteristics of a City-State? What factors led to the development of city states as the first political entities? 3. What did the Sumerians put at the center of their cities? How do these structures demonstrate the link between religious power and political power in the ancient world? 4. What is an empire? Who created the first empire in the world and why did empires develop? 5. Who was Hammurabi? What did he create? Do you think this system was more or less just than our current legal system? Be prepared to give examples and defend your response.

The Daily 5 World History January 11-15, 2016

Unit 1: 1/11/16 The Daily 5 1. What geographic challenges did early Egyptians face? How were these different from those faced by Mesopotamia? 2. Compare and contrast the worldviews of Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians. What were the reasons for these differences and how did this impact the development of each society? 3. Ancient Egypt was a theocracy in which the pharaoh was believed to be the living incarnation of a God. What unique cultural practices did this lead to and why are we still so fascinated with ancient Egypt today? 4. What time periods is ancient Egyptian history divided into? What led to the ultimate downfall of Egyptian civilization and by whom were they conquered? 5. Why was so much knowledge about Ancient Egypt lost after their conquest? What was the key to modern archeologists learning to translate hieroglyphics? How accurate do you believe their interpretations to be and why?

Unit 1: 1/12/16 The Daily 5 1. For who was the first pyramid built? What made this remarkable feat of engineering possible? 2. How did early Egyptians build the pyramids? What misconceptions exist about the building of the pyramids? 3. What two new keys to human progress were given birth to by cities? What is an entrepreneur? How was writing connected to trade? 4. What was the most valuable material traded during the first two thousand years of civilization? How much profit could be made from its transport? 5. Why was trade so risky in the ancient world? How did trade lead to the birth of modern warfare? Which city lent its name to Armageddon and why? How has warfare both changed and remained the same over the centuries?

Unit 1: 1/13/16 The Daily 5 1. What name was given to ancient Indian Civilization? When was this civilization discovered? What does this imply about our knowledge of ancient India? 2. Where was the first ancient Indian civilization located? What geographic challenges did they face? How did they meet these challenges? 3. Why is our knowledge of ancient Indian civilization so limited? What conclusions have been drawn about the first Indian civilizations based on archeological evidence? 4. Which group of Indo Europeans invaded ancient India? How might this provide a clue as to why the first Indian civilization came to an end? Why is this not a definitive answer about what happened to the first Indians? 5. Based on the videos and what we have learned in class what were the three most critical innovations leading to the survival of the human species? Why? Be prepared to justify your response.

The Daily 5 World History January 18-22, 2016

The Daily 5 January 21, 2016 Directions: Answer the following five questions on a sheet of paper. Be prepared to share your answers with the class. 1. What is the dynastic cycle? Who established it and how did it impact the development of Chinese Civilization? 2. What factors made Chinese society so unique and stable when compared with other ancient civilizations? How and why did this lead to the development of a certain degree of arrogance on the part of the Chinese when it came to interacting with other peoples? Was this attitude deserved? Why or why not? 3. What is feudalism and how did it lead to the development of the Chinese Warring States period? Which philosophies developed in response to this crisis and how did the solutions they offer differ? 4. What eventually led to the adoption of Confucianism as the dominant philosophy in China? How do the basic tenants of Confucianism demonstrate the fundamental differences between Eastern and Western world views? 5. What were the three most important contributions made by ancient China to the development of human civilization? Justify your response.

The Daily 5 January 22, 2016 Directions: Answer the following five questions on a sheet of paper. Be prepared to share your answers with the class. 1. What is a caste system? Who is credited with the establishment of the caste system in Ancient India? 2. How was religion used to justify the injustices of a racially based caste system in Ancient India? Why do you believe people accepted the idea of a caste system? 3. Some people argue that people are actually happier living in a social system with definite boundaries and very few choices because it provides them with a greater degree of stability than a society defined by individualism and freedom of choice. Do you accept this argument? Why or why not? 4. Who was Kautilia and why was the Arthrashatra considered to be one of the most important pieces of literature in Indian history? Do you agree or disagree with the advice it gives to rulers? Why? 5. What is the fundamental difference between Hinduism and Buddhism? Why do you believe that Buddhism died out in India after the death of Ashoka? What arguments does this seem to support regarding the caste system? Justify your response.

The Daily 5 January 25, 2016 Directions: Answer the following five questions on a sheet of paper. Be prepared to share your answers with the class. 1. What is the difference between a religion, a philosophy and a belief system? Is it possible for a person to practice or adhere to more than one at the same time? Why or why not? 2. What led to the development of monotheism? How is this related to the popularity of monotheistic religions today? 3. What are the major belief systems practiced today? How does this impact cultural relationships in differing societies? 4. What similarities do all human belief systems share? What leads to cultural differences? How is this related to geography? 5. In what ways has the diversity of belief systems both positively and negatively impacted the development of the human species? Identify three global crises related to the clash of differing belief systems and explain how and why they might be solved through the development of cultural literacy and education.

The Daily 5 World History January 25-29, 2016

The Daily 5 January 27, 2016 Directions: Answer the following five questions on a sheet of paper. Be prepared to share your answers with the class. 1. What is the difference between a religion, a philosophy and a belief system? Is it possible for a person to practice or adhere to more than one at the same time? Why or why not? 2. What led to the development of monotheism? How is this related to the popularity of monotheistic religions today? 3. What are the major belief systems practiced today? How does this impact cultural relationships in differing societies? 4. What similarities do all human belief systems share? What leads to cultural differences? How is this related to geography? 5. In what ways has the diversity of belief systems both positively and negatively impacted the development of the human species? Identify three global crises related to the clash of differing belief systems and explain how and why they might be solved through the development of cultural literacy and education.

The Daily 5 World History February 1-5, 2016

The Daily 5 February 1-5, 2016 We are working on the comparing classical civilizations project this week. Please see the Classcial Civilizations Essential Questions PPT for Daily 5’s for this week.