This is the Essential Question review for Greg Lehr's 10th grade World History class at Newton High School.

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?