MEDIEVAL HISTORYOUTLINE: GRADE 7 

EARLY CIVILIZATIONS OF THE AMERICAS

 

Section 1: South America and the Incas  

 

I. Geography of the Americas

-The Incas were not the _______________________ to develop in the Americas. Many groups ___________________ in the region for _____________________________________________________.

-Individual cultures _________________________________ of life to fit their geographic ___________________. Some people made their homes in dense forests or __________________________________.

-Other people lived among ___________________________ in areas that were ___________ for much of the __________________.

-In North America, temperatures range from ___________________ in the far ____________ to _________________________________ in the southern _______________________.

-In South America, mountain regions are ____________. Areas near sea level are ____________ near the ________________ but much _________________ in the far ___________________.

 

 

II. The Mountain Empire of the Incas

 

-At its peak, the powerful __________________________________ of the Incas measured _______________________ from one end to the other. This great empire grew from ______________________ over _____________________.

 

-About the year A.D. _____________, the Incas settled in a small village on a _____________________________. This village, named _________________, became the Incas’ ______________________ and a center of both ______________________________________.

-In fact, the word _________________ means “______________” in the Incan language.  

-The Incans extended their _______________ over nearby lands through __________________. Over time, many different _______________ came under _______________. By the _______________, the lands ruled by the _____________________________________________.

-At its height, the Incan Empire included as many as ____________ ____________________________________. 

-The Inca ruler was called _________________________ or “the __________________.” The people believed that their emperor was ______________________________________________________.

-The emperor owned all the _____________ and divided it among those __________________________. Under the Sapa Inca was the _______________________________. Nobles oversaw government officials who made sure the _________________________________.

-Officials used a census, or an _______________________________, to keep track of everyone’s __________________________. The census helped to make sure that everyone _____________________.

-Farmers had to give the government _________________________, while women had to ___________________________. In return, the empire took care of the _________________, the _______________, and the _________________.

-The official spoken language of the empire was ________________, but the Incas did not have a ________________________________. 

-Instead, they invented a complex ___________________ for keeping ______________________________________________.

-Information such as _____________, ______________, and ____________________ was recorded on a group of knotted strings called a _______________. Each ___________ had a main cord with several ______________________ attached. The colors represented different __________________, and knots of various sizes recorded __________________________________.

-Incan relay runners carried ______________ across vast networks of ____________________________________ to keep the government informed about __________________________________________.

-The achievements of the Incas still __________________________ today. They constructed thousands of ________________________, massive _______________, and mountaintop __________________. And they did all this with only stone _______________________ and ____________________________.       

-The Incas took advantage of their __________________________. They used _______________—plentiful in the Andes—for many __________________. When Incan ___________________________ made a __________________, they made sure its large, many-sided ______________________________________________________.

-Construction without _____________, or cement, also allowed the massive stones to ________________ and __________________ during earthquakes without _______________________________.

-Among their many _________________ uses of ________________ was a method to increase __________________________________. The Andes are _____________, ___________, and _____________. There is little natural _____________________. By building terraces, or ____________________ into the mountains, the Incas could farm on _____________________________________________________.

-Stone __________________ held the soil in place so it would not be _____________________________. A complex system of aqueducts, or stone-lined channels, carried _____________________________ _______________________________________________________.

-The power of the _______________________ peaked in the 1400s. After that, it lasted for fewer ________________________________.

-A number of factors contributed to the _______________________. Members of the _________________________ began to fight among themselves ______________________________. Also many workers started to rebel __________________________________________.

-Then, in the ___________, a Spanish ________________________ named _______________________ arrived in South America. ________________ had heard of the wealthy __________________. He wanted to ______________ the region and _________________ its peoples.

-The Incan emperor welcomed ___________________. But when he and his ___________________________ met the conquistador, they walked _____________________. Pizarro captured the emperor and killed _________________________________.

-The Spanish had superior ___________________. They also carried _______________ such as _______________ and ______________, to which the ___________________ had never been ____________. These __________________ killed much of the _________________ population.

-The __________________ quickly gained ________________ of the vast _________________. For decades, the _____________ tried to regain rule of the _______________, but they never ____________.

 

 

 

Section 2: Cultures of Middle America 

I. Introduction

 

-In about __________, the Aztecs, a __________________________ __________________ Mexico, began looking for a place to build a ___________________________________. According to legend, the Aztecs asked their _________________________ where they should build this ______________________. He replied, “Build at the place where you see an ________________________________________ and holding a ___________________________________________.”

-When the Aztecs found the ____________________ had described, they were _____________________. The _____________ on which the _________________ was growing on a ___________________ in the center of _____________________. It was an unlikely setting for an ____________________________________.

-But they believed their god had ____________________________, and so this was the place where the _________________________, their capital. It would become one of the _____________________ and ___________________________________________ of its time.

 

II. The Culture of the Mayas 

 

-Thousands of years before the _____________________________, other ________________________ in Middle America. One of these ___________________, called the ______________, lived along the ___________________ from about ______________ B.C. until about ____________ B.C.

-The _______________ are known for their ____________________ temples and huge _________________________________.

 

-Somewhat later, an important ______________________________ on parts of ______________________ and the _________________ to the north. The _______________________________ is located at Mexico’s ________________________________________________. 

-These people, called the _______________, established a great civilization and built ______________ in this ______________ of ___________________________________.

-The ________________ may have been influenced by ___________ culture. The _____________ way of life lasted for _______________. Its greatest period was from about A.D. _________ until _________.

-_______________ life was based on ________________. To grow _____________, Mayan farmers used a ________________ called ______________________________. They first cleared the _______ by cutting ____________________. They then burned the ________ _________________, saving the ash to use as _________________. Finally, they planted _________________.

-After a few years, however, the __________ would be __________. The farmers would then have to ____________ and _____________ a new _____________________.

-Mayan farmers grew a variety _____________, including ________, ____________, ____________, ______________, and ___________. But their most common crop was _____________, or ____________.

-In fact, _______________ was so important to the ______________ that one of the ____________ they worshipped was a ___________. And since the ___________ needed the _________ and __________ to grow, it is not surprising that the _____________ also worshipped a _____________________ and a ___________________.

 

-Mayan cities were _______________ and governmental _________. A different _________________ commanded __________________.

-________________ and _________________ were also important community leaders. These leaders lived in _____________________ within the city. Ordinary _________________________ lived on the ___________________ of the _______________________.  

-Each city held great festivals _________________ the many Mayan _______________. The most important ___________________ took place at large _______________________. Some of the ceremonies included __________________________________.

-The Mayas also created a system of ____________________ using _________________ and ________________ called _____________. They used these ________________________ to record information in __________________ made from the _________ of ___________ trees.

-Around A.D. __________, the Mayas _________________________ their cities, and their __________________________. No one knows the exact _______________________. Crop ___________________, ___________, ______________, or overuse of _________________ may have altered the Mayan _______________________. Or people may have _____________________ against their ______________.

-Today, __________________________ of the Maya still live in ________________________.

 

 

 

III. The Aztec Empire

 

-The Aztecs built their new capital, _________________________, in the _____________________________ in about _______. They had first settled in the _____________________ in the late __________.

 

-By the __________, the Aztecs had _____________________ the surrounding lands. Their large _______________ stretched from the __________________ in the east to the ______________________ in the west.

-A single powerful leader, the _____________________, ruled these lands. All the people he ______________ were forced to _________ __________________________, or heavy taxes, in the form of food, ___________________, or ________________.

-In spite of its ______________________, Tenochtitlan became a ______________________ city. There were schools for the sons of _________________ and large _______________________. Raised streets of _____________________, called ___________________, connected the city to the __________________________________.

-To supply the city with _________________________, the Aztecs built _______________________.

-As the population of Tenochtitlan _________________, the Aztecs realized they ______________________. Their solution was to build many ____________________________ in the shallow __________ around the capital.

-These raised _____________, called ___________________, were made from __________________ dredged up from the __________ ______________. Trees planted _____________________________ prevented __________ from ___________________ away. Between the fields were ________________. Farmers used the ___________ to transport produce by _________________ to a huge marketplace _______________________________________.

-To bring about good ______________________, Aztec priests held ceremonies that would win the _____________________________. Their most important god was ______________________________.

 

-Aztec religion taught that the sun would not ___________________ ____________and cross the __________________ every day without __________________________. Of course, if the sun ___________

_______________, crops could not ______________, and the people would ___________________. Therefore, Aztec religious ceremonies included ______________________. Prisoners captured in ________ often served as __________________________________________.

-To schedule their ______________________________ and farming _______________, Aztec priests created a ____________________ based on the Mayan __________________________ and their own understanding of _____________________________________.

-The Aztecs also kept ______________ using ___________________ similar to those used by the ___________________________.

-Tenochtitlan had _________________ and a __________________. Boys from noble _________________ attended these ____________. They studied to be government __________________, _________________, or _______________.

-Aztec society had a strict ______________________________. The emperor, of course, was __________________________. Next were members of the royal ______________, _____________, ________, and military __________________________.

-Soldiers were next in _________________. Below soldiers came _______________—skilled creators of _____________, __________, _________________, and other goods—and ___________________. Then came the _________________. They made up the largest ____ _________________________________.

-The ______________________ position in Aztec society was held by ______________, most of whom were prisoners ________________

____________________________________.

-War was a part of life in the ________________________________, as new _________________ was __________________. Most young men over the age of _______ served as _____________ for a period of time. _________________ and __________________ officials did not serve in the _____________________________.

-Aztec _______________ were not allowed to work as ___________ or military ______________________, though they could train to be _______________. Most _____________—even women from noble families—had to be skilled at ________________________.

-Before teenage ______________ learned to ___________________, they were expected to grind _____________, make _____________, and cook _________________________________.

-In __________, Spanish ____________________ invaded the _____________________. Some of the peoples whose __________ the ________________ had conquered joined forces with ______________________. Together they fought the Aztecs and tried to _______________________________________ emperor, ___________________________ (c. 1480-1520).

-The two sides waged ________________________. Diseases carried by the Spanish ______________ to the Aztecs and killed ___________________. In ___________, the Aztecs surrendered to the ________________. The once-powerful ___________________ was at __________________________.

 

IV. Focus on the Great Temple

 

-In ___________, the Spanish conquered the _______________ and began to destroy the Aztec _________________________________. On the site of the ruined ___________________________, they built __________________________: ______________________.

-For many years, an important piece of ________________ past—the

____________________________________—remained buried under this new city. ________________ were not sure where the site of the __________________________________________.

-Then in ____________, electrical ___________________________ an old _____________________________. Experts who studied the ___________________ knew that it had been made by the __________________. The site of the Great ___________________

________________________________________.

-The Great Temple honored two Aztec gods: ______________, the god of _____________ and ____________, and Huitzilopochtli, the god of ____________________________________.

-The Aztecs first built the _______________ about _____________. A solid earth-filled ________________, the heavy temple soon began to _____________ into the soft ____________ of _______________. To save their ______________________, the Aztec rebuilt it ______ _______________________________________________________.

-The Aztecs ______________ each new ________________ over the previous  _________________. After ______________, they honored their gods with ____________________________ in the temple’s ________________________.

-By the time the _________________ began to destroy __________

__________________, the _________________________ had been built _____________ times.

-The double-headed ______________ was a symbol of __________.

 

 

Section 3: Cultures of North America

 

I. Introduction 

 

-Seen from above, a huge _____________ seems to _____________ across the landscape. A __________________ shape—perhaps an ____________?—is at its __________________.

-This enormous ______________________ was created hundreds of years ago in what is _____________________________. Called the ____________________________, it is the largest image of a ________________ anywhere in ____________________. Uncoiled, the __________________ would be about ___________________.

-Archaeologists have found more than ________________________ across eastern __________________________. They were made by thousands of workers ______________________________________.

-There are small _______________ and large _________________. Some contain _______________, but others—like the __________

________________________—do not. Most were constructed between around 700 B.C. and A.D. 1250.

-Today, we call the different _________________________________ who built these ___________________ and long-lasting __________ the _________________________________________.

 

 

II. The Eastern Mound Builders

 

-The _______________________ lived in _______________ North America. They occupied the ________________________________ between _____________________ and ______________________, and between the __________________________________ and the ________________________________.

-The _______________________ lived along the area’s many ____________________, which provided them with plenty of _____________________ and _______________________.

-They hunted _____________________________ for food, including ______________, _______________, _______________, and even _________________. They also gathered nuts such as __________, _______________, and ________________ to supplement their diet.

-Over time, these communities began to ______________________. This meant they did not have to ______________ as much in search _________________________ and could ____________________.

-Archaeologists have _________________ evidence of early ________________________ who lived about ________ B.C. in the _______________________. Called the ____________, these people constructed ______________________ that are usually less than __________________.

-Certain mounds were _____________________ that contained __________________, _________________, and decorative __________________________ in addition to bodies.

-Some items were made from materials _______________________, such as __________________ and ____________________. Thus, historians believe that the _______________ must have taken part in ___________________________. Little is know about the ________ life of the ____________________, but they seem to have ________

__________________________________________________. 

-About 100 years before the _______________ disappeared, another _______________ appeared along the _______________ and upper ________________________________________________.

-Called the _________________, these peoples built ____________

__________________. The ________________ did not have a highly ________________________________________________. Instead, they lived in _____________________________________________.

 -The Hopewell people grew a _______________________________ than did the ______________. They also seem to have traded over a ___________________________. There is evidence that goods were traded from the _____________________________ to present-day ________________ and from the ___________________________ to the _________________________________________.

 -Hopewell sites have ______________ from the ________________ region and _____________________ from present-day __________.

-About A.D. ________, the long-distance _______________ across eastern North America seems to ____________________________. Also the Hopewell stopped _________________________________. Historians are ________________________ why.

-By about A.D. ____________, a new and important culture called __________________________ began to flower in eastern North America. Like the earlier _____________________________, the ________________________ lived along __________________ and built _____________________________.

-They, too, grew new kinds of ___________. _______________ and _________________ became important parts of their ___________. Both ________________ are easily ________________ and stored in ________________________. This helped the __________________ protect themselves against ______________________________ and ____________________________________________.

 

-The _____________________ culture spread over a wide area in the present-day _________________________. During this period, long-distance ____________________. Populations increased over time, and major _____________________________________ and ______________________________ developed.

-These include _______________________ in present-day ___________________, and __________________ in present-day Georgia. The largest center was _____________________, located in present-day ________________________________.

-One of __________________ mounds, around _________ feet tall, was the largest _________________________________________.

-____________________ was a ____________________ for its day. Historians estimate it reached its ________ about A.D. __________. At that time, as many as ________________ to ________________ people may have lived there. But by _____________, the population had __________________.

-The ____________________ of the last of the _________________ is as mystifying as the many ________________________________.

 

 

 

III. Peoples of the Southwest and the Great Plains

 

-The ________________ were an ancient Native American peoples of the _________________. Their name can be translated as “_______ ________________________________.”

 -__________________ culture began about A.D. __________. Historians think that ________________________, in present-day __________________, was a trading center for the ___________.

 

-A network of _____________ connected distant ________________ villages to _________________________. Archaeologists have found tens of thousands of ______________________________ as well as _______________, ______________, _____________, and __________________ in _________________________________.

 -Southwestern North America has ______________________ in some areas and _____________________________. The soil is mostly ______________, and there is little _______________. To capture ___________________ for their fields, the _____________ created a ______________________________________________.

 -This system allowed them to grow _____________, _________, and _______________ for food. They also grew ____________________.

 -For their homes, the ______________ constructed _____________. These ____________ and _____________ dwellings, built next to one another, helped keep people ______________ in the _________ and ________________ in the ________________________.

 -Round rooms called _____________ were used for special _______

________________________. As the population ________________, so did the ___________________. Some ______________ were five stories _____________ and had _____________________________.

 -Between ___________ and __________, however, severe ___________________ hit the region. The __________________ abandoned all their ________________________, never to return.

 -__________________ customs survived among later groups who lived to the _____________________________________. They are called _________________ people, or simply _____________. Like the Anasazi, their crafts included _______________, ____________, and ________________. They were also skilled ________________.

 

-The region of _______________________ where the ____________ lived receives only ______________ inches of ______________ per _____________, but it does have ______________. The Pueblos planted ___________, ____________, ____________, and other ____________ in the _____________________ near their dwellings.

 -They relied on _________________________ to raise these ______. _________________ and ________________ provided the ________________________ with the food they could ___________.

 -The Pueblos believed in many _________ called _______________. They wanted to please these ________________, who they believed controlled the ____________, _______________, and ___________.

 -Many times a year, the ________________ gathered for ceremonies that involved _______________, ________________, and _________________. Today, modern _____________________ of the Pueblo peoples, including the _____________ and the ________, keep many of these _______________________________________. 

 -West of the _______________________________ and east of the ________________________ is a mostly flat and grassy region called the ______________________ For centuries, this land was home to diverse groups of Native Americans called _____________________.

 -Individual groups had their own ____________________ and _________________. They used a form of ____________________ to _______________ with one another.

 -Some groups, such as the ______________, were ______________. They lived in ________________________ along the Missouri River, in lodges _____________________________________________.

 -Others, such as the ________, followed ______________________ that roamed the plains. Dwellings such as ______________—easy to take ____________, _____________, and set up again—were ideal for such _________________________________.

 -After the arrival of _______________________, the lives of Plains Indians _____________________. They had to share their land with eastern ___________________________, such as the __________, who had been forced ______________________________________.

 -Newly introduced _________________, _______________, and __________________ altered their traditions. Most groups suffered from _________________ brought by _______________________ and lost their ____________ to ____________________________.

 -Many Native American cultures began to ____________________.

 -The arrival of the ______________ in the Americas brought major changes to the lives of many _______________________. Native Americans on ______________________________ became expert ________________________________________________.

 -They came to depend more and more on the _________________ for their _________________, using the animal for ______________, ________________, and ___________________. Many previously settled _____________ groups became _____________. They rode their ______________________ across the ___________________, following the ___________________________________________.  

 

 

IV. Peoples of the Woodlands

 

 -Native American groups lived in _________________________ in different parts of present-day ______________________________. The peoples of the ________________________________ hunted in the ________________ and _____________________ full of salmon as well as in the _________________________________________.

 

-They lived in settlements of ____________________________. Like the _____________________ and the ___________________, early Native Americans of the Northwest Coast created _______________

___________________________. They were called _____________.

 -__________________________ were carved and painted ________ stood on end. They typically had images of ____________________

_______________________. Totem poles were a symbol of the _____________________, as were ceremonies called ____________.

 -At a _________________, a person of ________________________ invited many _________________ and gave them ______________

___________________________.

 -In the eastern ______________, Native American groups such as the _______________________ not only ___________ in the forests but also _________________________________________.

 -Because the men were often at _____________, the women were the ____________________________.

 -In the ___________s, five Iroquois nations—_________________, ___________________, _________________, ________________, and ____________________—formed a peace alliance.

 -Nations of the __________________________ governed their own villages, but they met to _________________________ that affected the group as ____________________. This was the best-organized ____________________________________ in the Americas when _________________________. 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

 

 

1. LIST 3 GROUPS OF MOUND BUILDERS

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

 

2. FOR THE PEOPLES OF THE NORTHWEST COAST, WHAT WERE TWO SYMBOLS OF SOMEONE’S WEALTH? 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

3. WHY DID THE AZTECS SACRIFICE HUMANS TO THE SUN GOD?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

4. PROVIDE THREE REASONS WHY THE MAYAN PEOPLE MAY HAVE BEGUN TO DESERT THEIR CITIES AROUND A.D. 900. 

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________