1. Roots of the American People
Chapter 1
Grade 7

2. The Earliest Americans
Where do you think the first people in the Americas came from and how did they get there?
How did the ways of life of the early Americans change over time?
What marked the rise of civilization in the Americas?
What are some basic features of advanced civilizations in the Americas?

3. Cultures of North America
Define culture.
What challenges did the Arctic ice and the desert southwest present for Native Americans living there?
How were Native Americans in the Northwest able to establish permanent settlements without farming?

4. Trade Networks of Asia and Africa
What does it mean to say that merchants “carried their culture with them as they traveled?”
How did the trade network linking the Middle East and West Africa benefit the people in both regions?
What are two reasons for China’s domination of trade routes between East Asia and the Middle East?
What Chinese goods did people in Europe and the Middle East value? What goods did the Chinese want to obtain through trade?

5. The European Heritage What is our American Heritage?
What is the connection between Judaism and Christianity?
Why is education important in a democracy?
Why was the Portuguese Prince Henry the Navigator?
Why did Portuguese sailors sail along the coast of West Africa?