Global Themes for the Regents

Global History Themes for the Regents

 

Many of the multiple choice questions on the Global Regents will follow patterns and themes. If you are able to recognize these themes, you will have a much better chance of selecting the correct answer.

1. A society’s adaptation to its geography. This will include Chinese and Incan terrace farming and road systems, and foods based on where they live (islands=fish)
2. Any question about ancient civilizations will involve their dependence upon and location near rivers.
3. The Neolithic Revolution is when man first tamed animals and grew food. They were no longer hunter/gatherers and started civilizations because they now stayed in one place.
4. Any question comparing religions will likely be about how those religions provide codes of behavior for people to follow. They may also match the guiding book to the religion(Christianity=Bible, Judaism=Torah,Islam=Koran)
5. Their will be a question about cultural diffusion likely in the first ten questions. This is when one civilization interacted with another civilization. They rarely use “Cultural Diffusion” as an incorrect answer.
6. Know the difference between polytheism=more than one God, and monotheism=one God. The three monotheistic religions are Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
7. There is often a question about Shintoism or Animism. This is the belief that all things in nature contain spirits.
8. Questions about certain empires will have names that match up to clues in the question. Hinduism will be matched with Gupta or Maurya. Tang with china. Remember – The Gupta’s came up with the concept of zero and the Chinese invented gunpowder.
9. Questions about Alexander the Great will mention Hellenistic/Hellenic or spread of Greek culture.
10. Any question about a Golden Age will require a response about technological advancements or advanced learning.
11. Questions about the African empires of Ghana, Mali, Songhai, etc, will have the word trade in the correct answer or  will refer to salt and gold
12. The city of Constantinople (Byzantine Empire)  was a center of trade between Europe and Asia. Any question about this city will have the word trade or location in the correct answer.
13. There are many questions about the Byzantine Empire. This will be about its influence on Russia and will often mention Justinian (Justinian’s Code), Cyrillic Alphabet, Hagia Sophia or Eastern/Christian Orthodox Religion.
14. The Theory of Divine Right (Ruling power comes from God) will be about absolutism or absolute rulers. Usually Louis XIV of France or Philip II of Spain will also be mentioned referring to absolutism (absolute power)
15. Feudalism = land exchanged for services (farming or military) and remember that the guiding force during the Middle Ages was the Church. Land was also the most important possession.
16. Know the Enlightenment philosophers. Locke=power based on laws of nature/consent of the governed, Montesquieu=separation of powers, Rousseau=freedom of speech.
17. Know the men involved with the Scientific Revolution. Kepler, Bacon, Copernicus, (heliocentric theory) Galileo, Newton.
18. Russian leaders Peter the Great and Catherine the Great wanted to modernize their country or westernize it (become more like Europeans). They wanted to end Russian isolation. Russia was isolated from Europe because of Mongol influence.
19. Any mention of the Magna Carta will be linked to the king having limited power that he shared with Parliament (Limited Monarchy).
20. The Renaissance will always involve a positive answer. It started in Italy due to rich trading cities and they will often mention artists that have the same names as the Mutant Ninja Turtles. Connect Renaissance with Humanism and restoration of Greek and Roman traditions. Humanism is an appreciation for the basic worth of the individual.
21. The Age of Exploration (The Encounter) will connect to the fact that Native Americans suffered from their contact with Europeans. They died from disease and were enslaved. (Encomienda System) African slavery replaced the dying Native Americans.
22. The Age of Exploration led to the Columbian Exchange where animals, foods and European diseases  were exchanged between Europe and the Americas.
23. Any question about mercantilism will be about when a colony exists only to serve the mother country and will usually have the word colony in the correct answer
24. The Boxer Rebellion and Sepoy Mutiny are about Chinese and Indian people wanting to get rid of foreigners.
25. The Meiji Restoration will be about Japan modernizing.
26. Questions involving Commodore Matthew Perry will be about Japan ending its isolation and opening up ports to the west.
27. When you see questions that ask for the similarity between several leaders (Jomo Kenyatta, Simon Bolivar, Gandhi, Ataturk) this will be about them leading nationalist or independence movements.
28. Any mention of Aztec, Incan, Mayan societies will be about the fact that they developed complex societies before they interacted with Europeans. Always remember that the Europeans were able to conquer these civilizations because the Europeans had better technology (weapons)
29. Questions about Imperialism will involve negative answers. Imperialism is bullying. The correct answer will be about how white people did not respect the rights or wishes of native people or had an obligation to improve their lives (White Mans Burden)
30. Political revolutions (French, Russian, Chinese, Cuban) will be about the fact that the existing government did not attend to the needs of its people (hunger=anger) and that is why the people revolted. The revolting leaders (Mao, Lenin, Castro) will always obtain the help of the peasant people. by promising them land. Remember the three reasons for all political revolutions and look for  these in the answers provided 1. Social Inequality 2. Bad Government 3. Bad Economy
31. Questions about a command economy will have the word government in the correct answer because this is when government makes all the economic decisions. When the question is about a Market Economy that is when individuals or private enterprise make economic decisions and the phrase supply and demand will be in the correct answer.
32. The invention of the printing press (Johannes Gutenberg) resulted in the spread of ideas and led to the Protestant Reformation (Martin Luther). – The Protestant Reformation is when new Christian religions were formed because the Roman Catholic Church became too corrupt. Key words – (95 Thesis, sale of indulgences, Martin Luther)
33. Any questions about the Green Revolution will have the word agriculture in the correct answer.
34.  A Primary Source is generally someone that witnesses an event while a Secondary Source is some that heard or read about it from someone else.
35. There are often questions about subsistence farmers. This is when farmers grow only enough for themselves and their families

Remember – Always look for the key words LOCATION, TRADE, GEOGRAPHY, in any answer and strongly consider that as the correct answer.

You should be using regentsprep.org and nysedregents.org to help you prepare for the Regents.