2.   Get ready to provide SPECIFIC and EXPLICIT detailed explanations  What does that mean?  More than just the facts!  Tell me the significance  Explain the “Why?” Do you want to improve your grade from the last test??

3.   The Sumerians faced the most challenging geographic situation, because of their river conditions, lack of natural resources, and lack of boundaries. The Tigris and Euphrates flooded unpredictably, which could destroy the Sumerians’ crops and homes. This meant that there was no truly stable food source. Also, because the Sumerians lacked many natural resources, there was competition for what little resources they did have. This fact, combined with a lack of natural defenses, meant Sumerians had to deal with frequent invasions and warfare (like that time Hammurabi and his band of nomadic warriors stepped in). Examples: Geography impacts development

4.   In Ancient Egypt, religious beliefs dominated much of daily life. The Egyptians had a pretty optimistic religion based on a happy and peaceful afterlife. Most religious practices focused on connecting with the Other World. For example, the mummification process- in which Pharaohs’ bodies were dehydrated and preserved- was an attempt to physically preserve the body and therefore preserve the body’s spirit forever, into the Other World. Also, we saw in the Book of the Dead the emphasis on living a good life, so that when you died and were judged by the Gods, you would be found worthy enough to enter the other world. Example #2: Religion

5.   The Indus Valley people lived in modern day Northern India. Their rivers, the Indus and Ganges, often dried up. However, during monsoon season, the rivers would flood with water. Therefore, the Indus Valley people had to learn how to deal with a river that sometimes was overfilled and sometimes provided no water. Thus, the reservoir system was created. In this system, dams would divert water from the river during Monsoon season (when the river rushed with water)- into reservoirs built around the city. These reservoirs would store water, so that even when the river dried up, the Indus people had a water source. Example #3: Challenge/Solution

6.   Cultural diffusion is the process in which ideas, customs, or values transfer between different locations or people. In the River Valleys, cultural diffusion occurred quite often, mostly through trade. In order to sell their goods, merchants and traders had to travel to new places. This meant that they would see and experience new customs, occupations, practices, traditions, religions, and art. For example, a merchant might travel out of his hometown and go to a larger city. There, he might meet someone who would teach him a new skill- like writing or waterproofing a boat. He might also experience a religious festival, featuring offerings, dancing, and decorated shrines that are different from his own practices.  We know cultural diffusion occurred between the River Valleys because of specific evidence. For example, the seals of the Indus Valley people have been found on goods in Sumer. This indicates that goods that started in the Indus Valley and were marked by the Indus Valley people had to have traveled all the way to Sumer. Therefore, we know the two places traded with one another and would have also exchanged ideas. Example #4: Cultural Diffusion