Mr. Lehr's 2009 1st Semester World History Final Review
1. World History 1st Semester Final Review
These essential questions will be the final exam. Be prepared to answer a question from
each section. The final exam will be:
Gold: Tuesday, December 15
Black: Wednesday, December 16
• Remember, PROVIDE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES
These questions will be graded using the Ideas and Content rubric found below:
Ideas and Content
5 points 3 points 1 point
- Clear, focused, - Clear and focused - No sense of purpose
interesting - Lacks insight - Dull, uninteresting to
- Insightful - Limited development reader
- Details relevant - Some random - Shallow
- Writer in control thoughts development
- Shows - Originality not seen - Very random
imagination/creativity in main points - Not original
Renaissance – Change
1) Many people refer to the Middle Ages as the “Dark Ages.”
- What do you think? Was it “Dark?” (not the color)
- Was the Renaissance a reaction to the Middle Ages? Why or why not?
- Are we in a “dark age” or “renaissance” today?
2) Choose one of the following:
- You’re da Vinci’s paintbrush…
- You’re Michelangelo’s hands…
- You’re Machiavelli’s pen…
- What do you feel, see?
- How is this person changing the world?
3) The Renaissance was a time that brought a lot of change.
- If the "delete" button were pushed on the Renaissance, what would society lose?
2. - How would the world be different?
4) Renaissance means rebirth.
- Was the Renaissance a time of rebirth? Why?
- Can you think of any other instances where the world has undergone a rebirth?
- What do you consider to be a rebirth?
5) Change was the Big Idea for the Renaissance.
- Why does the word Change fit the Renaissance?
- If you could give the Renaissance a Big Idea other than Change, what would it be?
Reformation – Change
1) The printing press was an important invention.
- Why is the printing press such an important invention?
- Why did the printing press play such an important part in the Reformation?
- What would have occurred if the printing press wouldn't have been invented?
Exploration and Isolation – When One Group Prospers, Another Group Suffers
1) Money was definitely a factor in European exploration.
- Why was money so important to exploration?
- Does money play a part in people moving or “exploring” today? or does it matter?
2) Europeans had a huge impact on America.
- Do you feel the Europeans coming to America was a positive or a negative? Or both?
- Could it have been done differently? How?
- How would life be different?
3) Isolationism is a concept that has been around for hundreds of years.
- Why did China and Japan isolate themselves?
- Can you predict the outcome if China and Japan didn’t isolate themselves?
- Did it benefit them?
4) “When one group suffers, another group prospers,” is the Big Idea for Exploration and
Isolation.
- How does this Big Idea fit this unit?
- If you could give this unit a different Big Idea, what would that be?
Age of Constitutionalism & Absolutism - Independence
1) Thomas Rainsborough: “Every man that is to live under a government ought first by
his own consent to put himself under that government.”
- How does this quote apply to what happened in England?
- Does this quote apply to the United States? How?
2) The events that occurred in England had a huge impact on the world.
- Why does America have to thank England when it comes to our government?
3. - If you had the power to change one thing about our government, what would it be?
3) England and France were different as far as government goes.
- Compare and contrast the government in France to the government in England during
this time period.
- How did the government in each country during that time affect the people?
4) Russia had a few different rulers that could be considered absolute.
- Why could each ruler be considered absolute? Give specific facts for each ruler.
- What is the relationship between an absolute ruler and the people they rule?
- What about the relationship between a ruler that isn’t absolute and the people?
5) The Big Idea for this unit is “Independence.”
- How does the term Independence fit both Constitutionalism and Absolutism?
- If you could give this unit another big idea, what would you call it?
The Enlightenment – Think, Think, Think
1) The Enlightenment helped the founding fathers write the Declaration of Independence
and the Constitution.
- What were some of the Enlightened ideas that were used by the founding fathers in
these historic documents?
- Why are they significant?
2) The Enlightenment changed the world in which we live today.
- How did the Enlightenment change the world?
- Think about Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Wollstonecraft
- What would happen if the Enlightenment had not occurred?
French Revolution – Freedom!!!
1) The French Revolution was a complicated affair with many different events.
- Think about the Estates General, National Assembly and the Reign of Terror
- How would you summarize the French Revolution?
- Was it Positive or Negative? Why?
2) The French Revolution was a complicated affair with many different events.
- Think about the Estates General, National Assembly and the Reign of Terror
- How would you summarize the French Revolution?
- Was it Positive or Negative? Why?
3) Many people consider the French Revolution to be the most important event in history.
- Can you assess the value or importance of the French Revolution?
- Why is it important?