NAME: ______________________     DATE: ___________

 

UNITED STATES HISTORY MID-TERM ASSESSMENT STUDY GUIDE KEY

 

I.           Vocabulary

 

1. Census: A count of the population

 

2. Democracy: Government that is run by the people

 

3. Republic: Form of government in which people elect

                    representatives to make laws and run government

 

4. Constitution: A written plan of government

 

5. Citizen: A member of a country

 

6. Consumer: Person who buys or uses goods and services

 

7. Region: Large area that has common features that set it

                 apart from other areas; the U.S. is divided into

                 regions to make it easier to study its geography

 

8. Geography: Study of earth and how people use it

 

9. Agriculture: Business of growing crops and raising animals

 

10. Irrigation: Method of bringing water to dry land

 

11. Climate: Weather in an area over a long period of time

 

12. Fossil Fuel: Fuels formed from the remains of plants

                         and animals that lived thousands of years  

                         ago (coal, oil, natural gas)

 

13. Renewable Resource: Resources that can be renewed or

                                          replaced

 

14. Glacier: Thick sheets of ice that covered the earth’s surface

                    during the Ice Age.

 

15.  Migrate: To move from one area to another

 

16. Theory: One possible explanation for something

 

17. Artifact: Object made by people in the past

 

18. Drought: Long period without rain

                                          

19. Surplus: More than is needed

 

20. Specialize: Focus on one particular product, activity, or job

 

21. Travois: Sled made of poles tied together; used by Native

                    Americans to transport goods across the plains

 

 

22. Pueblo: Spanish word for village

 

23. Potlatch: Native American celebration in which the hosts

                     give gifts to their guests

 

24. Totem Pole: Wooden posts carved with animals or other  

                          images; often made by Native Americans of

                          the Pacific Northwest to honor ancestors or

                          special events

 

25.  Shaman: Native American doctor or healer

 

 

II.           Please use your textbook or the chapter notes to answer each question.

 

26. Why is the Pledge of Allegiance important? (11) The Pledge states shared American ideals such as liberty and justice for all.

 

27. Why are fossil fuels so important? (35) Fossil fuels are natural resources that are important in making energy and electricity.

 

28. What is a renewable resource? (36) A renewable resource is a resource that can be renewed or replaced.

 

29. Name two renewable resources. (36) Trees, agricultural products such as wheat, and fish are renewable resources.

 

30. Why do we divide America into regions? (25) We divide America into regions to make it easier to study its geography.

 

31. What did the Aztec people create when they ran out of room to farm? (68) The Aztecs created floating gardens so they could grow more crops.

 

32. Who were the first people to develop the kayak? (64) The Inuit were the first people to develop the kayak so they could get to the many animals they hunted in the waters.

 

33. Why were the wooly mammoth and other large animals important to early peoples? (56) The animals provided early people with many of the things they needed to stay alive. For instance, they got meat, clothing, tools, and shelter from these animals.

 

34. According to the United States Constitution, who actually runs the government? (17) According to the opening words of the Constitution, the PEOPLE run the government. (“We the people of the United States…)

 

35. How were the Maya able to develop such a highly accurate calendar? (67) The Maya studied the sun, moon, and stars. What they learned allowed them to develop the calendar.

 

36. What did the animals provide to the people of the Eastern Woodlands? (78) The animals provided meat, skins, and furs for clothing.

 

37. What role did men and women have in the Iroquois League? (77) Women chose the men to attend the Great Council. The Great Council then made the decisions for the Iroquois League

 

38. How did the Anasazi become successful farmers in the desert? (62) The Anasazi dug ditches or irrigation canals from streams to their crops. They seem to be the first people in what is now the U.S. to use irrigation.

 

39. In what area were the Maya extremely successful? (67) The Maya were such successful farmers that they grew a surplus of food. This allowed them to specialize or do only one kind of job.

 

40. Why did the Mound Builders build mounds? (61) The mounds were used as burial places for important chiefs. They may also have been used to honor animal spirits that were part of their religion.  Many of the mounds had platforms where religious or other ceremonies were held.

 

41. How did people get food during the Ice Age? (56) Because the ground was frozen, they could not grow crops. Therefore, they hunted for animals.

 

42. According to the Aztec gods, what did their people need to see before they could settle down? (68) The Aztecs believed their gods wanted them to move south until they saw an eagle with a snake in its mouth sitting on a cactus.

 

43. What is a potlatch? (95) A potlatch is a Native American celebration in which the hosts give gifts to their guests to show their wealth and generosity.

 

44. What was a shaman’s main role in Kwakiutl society? (96) A shaman was a person who tried to cure sick people.

 

45. What was the purpose of the Hopi snake dance? (90) The Hopi danced the snake dance because they thought it would bring rain.

 

46. Why did the Hopi build their homes on top of mesas? (89) The Hopi placed their villages on top of high mesas because these locations provided protection against enemies.

 

47. Which Iroquois custom is still practiced today? (80) The Iroquois still meet in the Great Council.

 

48. What did the buffalo provide to the people of the Great Plains? (83) The buffalo provided meat, clothing, blankets, and utensils to the Plains people.  

 

49. How do we know that horses were important to the Cheyenne? (84) The Cheyenne measured wealth in horses, not dollars.

 

 

50. Name three ways the horse affected the lifestyle of the Cheyenne. (84) The horse made it easier to hunt for buffalo. Mounted on a swift horse, a single Cheyenne hunter could ride close to a herd and use his bow and arrow to kill the animal. The horse also made it easier to travel and transport goods. A horse-drawn travois could move four times as much weight as a travois pulled by a dog.

 

51. Provide two theories scientists think might explain how early people migrated from Asia to North America. (55) Scientists believe they may have walked across the land bridge or come by boat.

 

52. Name the five original members of the Iroquois League. (77)The five original members were the Mohawk, Seneca, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Oneida.

 

53. Name the three tribes of Mound Builders. (61) The three tribes were the Mississippians, Hopewell, and Adena.

 

54. What was a main difference between the Navajo, the Apache, and the Pueblo? (89) The Navajo raised sheep, the Apache were hunters, and the Pueblo were farmers

 

55. Why did U.S. leaders think that E Pluribus Unam was a good motto for America? The leaders thought it was a good idea because people from 13 different states came together to form one country.