Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Regents Review #2 - Belief Systems

Regents Review #2 - Belief Systems
Another theme that NYS has used on the Regents exam is the Belief System theme.  Belief systems develop with the earliest humans who tried to develop an understanding of the world in which they lived.  Many early people believed that the world was full of spirits and that events (harvests, disasters, healthy births, etc.) were due to the spirits and their interaction with the world.  Animism and Shinto both are nature based religions that stress the importance of keeping the spirits happy and having a profound respect for nature. 
However, as with most themes, it is best if you have two solid examples that you can provide detailed facts and explanations.  Two belief systems that I think are important for the NYS Regents are Hinduism and Islam.  This is not to say that their aren’t other equally important belief systems and faiths…you should feel free to pick a faith that you are familiar and comfortable with – providing you can go into detail. 
Let’s start with Hinduism.  Typical questions that NYS asks about belief systems include major characteristics…similarities or differences to other faiths, how it impacts culture and the lives of its followers and finally how it has spread (or if it has).  Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest and most complex religions.  It doesn’t have a single founder but it has developed and evolved over the last 3500 years growing out of the diverse peoples that settled India.  Both the original inhabitants of India and the Aryans who entered India through the Khyber pass have impacted the faith.  Information about the Hindu faith is contained in many sacred texts including the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Ramayana
Hindus believe in a single, unifying spirit called Brahman.   Since Brahman is too complex for human understanding, Hindus worship gods like Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver) and Shiva (destroyer) because they represent aspects of Brahman and are easy to understand.
Hindus also believe in reincarnation (samsara).  The eventual goal is to free yourself from selfish desires (like Buddhism) but most people can’t do this in a single life.  Reincarnation (the rebirth of the soul in a new body) allows people to continue their path toward union with brahman.  In order to be reborn into higher states of being (and be closer to brahman), Hindus obey the law of karma.  Karma is all the deeds that we do in our life that impact our existence in the next life.  Basically, if we act good, we will be reborn at a higher level.  If we are evil, we will be born at a lower level. Good deeds involve following dharma – or the moral and religious duties that we are expected to follow. 
Finally, the concepts of karma and reincarnation reinforce the rigid class structure that Hindus follow called the caste system.  Essentially, you are born into a caste (social group) and you cannot move out of it during your lifetime. 
Islam is a much younger faith, arising in Arabia in 622 CE.  Like Christians and Jews, people who follow Islam believe in one God.  Muslims (followers of Islam) believe that around 570 CE, an Arab named Muhammad was born in Mecca.  He became a caravan merchant, married and had children.  However, he was unable to find spiritual peace because many of his contemporaries (people living in his time) were polytheistic (idol worshippers).  According to Muslim tradition, the angel Gabriel appeared to Muhammad and commanded him to spread the message of Islam.  Muhammad obeyed this command but it made him very unpopular and ne was forced to flee (hegira) to Medina.  This was a major turning point for the faith because Muhammad found many more followers and the religion would begin to spread after he returned to Mecca and defeated his enemies.
Key beliefs of the faith include the Five Pillars of Faith which outline the basic duties of all Muslims.  Additionally, the faith’s beliefs are contained in the sacred scripture called the Qur’an.  For Muslims, this is the final authority on all matters and provides a guide to life for Muslims.  Muslim scholars have also developed a huge collection of laws that are called Sharia.  This system of law has helped to unite Muslims from different backgrounds.

Thought Questions:
1.       What are the characteristics of the major religions?  How are they similar and different?
2.       How has the belief system impacted the lives of its followers?  How did major religions affect cultures? (Confucianism and China or Islam and the Middle East)
3.       How did belief systems spread over large areas?

Regents Review #1 - Civilizations and Geography


Global Concepts Review #1 – Civilizations
It’s all about the geography…

One of the concepts that NYS likes to check for understanding involves human interaction with the environment.  They have the ability to phrase this question in a number of ways but the most common involved understanding how geography impacts ancient civilizations AND how modern people impact the environment through industrialization (more on this in another post).

Earliest man evolved from hunter-gather, nomadic societies to sedentary communities and civilizations. What allowed this to occur was the Neolithic Revolution.  Through the domestication of plants (wheat, etc.) and animals (goats, dogs, etc.) were able to create food surpluses.  Additional food provided the necessary nourishment that allowed people to live longer and healthier lives.  This revolution in food production also led to the beginnings of civilization.  Abundant food allowed people to develop permanent settlement like Catal Hyuk in Turkey, new social classes (warriors gained prestige and artisans gained wealth), and people began to use their leisure time to develop new ideas and tools. 

One of the cradles of civilization is the Fertile Crescent.  The Fertile Crescent or “the land between the rivers” was the site of Mesopotamia.  This was an attractive area to settle in because it was located along the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.  Additionally, this area has very few natural barriers and it became a crossroads were people mingled and shared customs and ideas. 

Mesopotamia was the site of several key contributions.  The Sumerians organized into city-states.  Additionally, they were polytheistic and built their cities around pyramid-like structures called ziggurats.  They conducted trade with places as far as Egypt and India.  The Sumerians also developed an early writing system called cuneiform in which they recorded information on clay tablets. These rivers provided the water the Sumerians needed to develop large-scale agriculture.  They created irrigation systems, dikes, and canals to protect from floods and provide water for their crops.

Additionally, the Babylonians established an early empire – or groups of states governed by one ruler.  They also developed a set of early laws called the Code of Hammurabi – one of the first major collections of laws in history. 

Another civilization that was shaped by their geography is the Egyptians.  The majority of Egypt is a desert.  In order to survive, people settled along the Nile River which provided water for drinking and for irrigation of crops.  Each year, floods soaked the land and left rich silt deposits that kept the agricultural areas fertile.  The river also served as a highway for travel.

The Egyptians were also polytheistic with gods like Amon-Re (chief god) and Osiris (god of the Nile).  The Egyptians believed in life after death and prepared their dead for the afterlife by mummifying them. 

The government was ruled by the pharaoh who was both a god and a king – which provided an important link between the government and their religion.  When he died, he was buried in a pyramid.  These took years to build and required planning and organization. 

The Egyptians made several key contributions including a calendar which helped them to know when to plant and harvest their food.  They also learned a lot about the human body from the process of mummification , allowing them to diagnose many illnesses and perform surgery.  They also developed a writing system called hieroglyphics (picture writing) that was preserved on papyrus or stone monuments. 

Thought Questions:
1.     How does geography impact civilizations?  What geography is helpful/aids in the development of civilizations?
2.     What are the characteristics of civilizations?
3.     What contributions have the early civilizations made that should be remembered?