1. Chapter 1: The World before the Opening of the Atlantic Section 1: The Earliest Americans
Fill in the box below with a summary of the theory of how the first people arrived in North America.
Notes do not need to be in complete sentences but they must be detailed.
Migration Theory:
Write a sentence on the line below using the words environment and culture.
Your sentence should show you understand the meaning of both words.
Culture
Environment
Long before the arrival of Europeans in the Americas, civilizations were thriving in the western hemispheres. Take notes to complete the chart below.
Significant accomplishments
Olmec
Maya
Aztec
Inca

2. Chapter 1: The World before the Opening of the Atlantic Section 2: Native American Cultures
Many of the civilizations that developed in North America had unique societal traits, for each of the civilizations listed below, list some (at least 2) of the things that you found to be interesting.
Anasazi
Hopewell
Mississippians
As you read about Native American culture areas, you will learn that the areas in which people lived often presented different conditions which dictated how the people lived there. For some, there were challenges, and for others, benefits.
The chart below will help you understand those conditions and their effects on the populations. Fill in the missing box with the information you find.
Conditions
Effects
Native American Culture Areas
Few plants grow because the ground is always frozen beneath a thin top layer of soil.
Aleut and Inuit
Kwakiutl and Chinook
Great Basin
Pueblo
Great Plains
Large populations increased without the need for farming
Great Basin received little rain.
The Pueblo religion focused on two key areas of Pueblo life, rain and maize.
Use the map on page 13 to write the correct regions for the map above. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Many groups hunted buffalo using many methods.

3. Chapter 1: The World before the Opening of the Atlantic Section 3: Trading Kingdoms of West Africa
Three powerful societies ruled West Africa for many centuries. Take notes on the rise and fall of early African kingdoms and the role of trade in their development.
Rise Role of Trade
Ghana
Mali
Songhi’s strengths:
Songhi
Similarities Differences
Fall of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai
Briefly answer the following questions about the slave trade in West Africa.
How did some people become slaves in West Africa?
What role did geography play in the development of the slave trade?
Why did the value of slaves as an export increase over time?

4. Chapter 1: The World before the Opening of the Atlantic Section 4: Europe before Transatlantic Travel
While reading the section, think about how new ways of thinking and growth in trade changed the way Europeans lived, and fill in the chart below.
How did each cause a change in European thinking or trade, explain.
The Crusades
Travel, Trade, and Towns
Renaissance thinkers and artists: Michelangelo, da Vinci, Dante etc.
The Printing Press
Write a brief definition for each of these important vocabulary words:
Democracy:
Renaissance:
Joint-stock companies: