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VirginiaWorld History

Module 2: World Religions and Postclassical Empires

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How did Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism shape Chinese government and society?

Apply social science skills to understand the origins, beliefs, and influence of Confucianism and other Chinese philosophies: Confucius and his teachings on social order, the five relationships, and respect for elders, alongside Daoism and Legalism, and their influence on Chinese government and the civil service (WHI.4 and WHI.12).
A standards-level answer on Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism for the Virginia World History SOL: the teachings of Confucius on social order and the five relationships, the ideas of Daoism and Legalism, and how these philosophies shaped Chinese government and the civil service, with worked exam questions.
11 min answer →

How did Hinduism and Buddhism originate in India, what do they teach, and how did Buddhism spread across Asia?

Apply social science skills to understand the origins, beliefs, and spread of Hinduism and Buddhism: Hinduism as an Indian faith with reincarnation, karma, and the caste system, and Buddhism founded by Siddhartha Gautama with the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, spreading along trade routes across Asia (WHI.4 and WHI.6).
A standards-level answer on Hinduism and Buddhism for the Virginia World History SOL: their origins in India, the beliefs of reincarnation, karma, and caste in Hinduism, the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path of Buddhism, and the spread of Buddhism across Asia, with worked exam questions.
11 min answer →

What were the cultural and scientific achievements of Islamic civilization, and how did they reach the rest of the world?

Apply social science skills to understand the cultural and scientific achievements of Islamic civilization: the preservation and translation of Greek and Roman learning, advances in mathematics (algebra and Arabic numerals), medicine, astronomy, and geography, and the role of cities such as Baghdad and Cordoba as centers of learning during the Islamic Golden Age (WHI.8).
A standards-level answer on the achievements of Islamic civilization for the Virginia World History SOL: the preservation of Greek and Roman learning, advances in mathematics, medicine, astronomy, and geography, and centers of learning such as Baghdad and Cordoba during the Islamic Golden Age, with worked exam questions.
11 min answer →

How did Judaism and Christianity originate, what do they teach, and how did Christianity spread through and beyond the Roman Empire?

Apply social science skills to understand the origins, beliefs, and spread of Judaism and Christianity: Judaism as an early monotheistic faith with the Torah and the covenant, and Christianity arising in Roman Judea from the teachings of Jesus, spread by the apostles and Paul, and eventually made the official religion of the Roman Empire (WHI.6).
A standards-level answer on Judaism and Christianity for the Virginia World History SOL: the origins, beliefs, and spread of two monotheistic faiths, the Torah and the covenant in Judaism, the teachings of Jesus, and the spread of Christianity through the Roman Empire, with worked exam questions.
11 min answer →

How did the Byzantine Empire preserve Roman and Greek heritage, and how did it influence Russia and Eastern Europe?

Apply social science skills to understand the Byzantine Empire: the founding of Constantinople as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, the achievements of Justinian including Justinian's Code and Hagia Sophia, the spread of Orthodox Christianity and the Great Schism, and the empire's influence on Russia and Eastern Europe (WHI.7).
A standards-level answer on the Byzantine Empire for the Virginia World History SOL: Constantinople and the Eastern Roman Empire, Justinian's Code and Hagia Sophia, the spread of Orthodox Christianity and the Great Schism, and the influence on Russia and Eastern Europe, with worked exam questions.
11 min answer →

How did Islam originate on the Arabian Peninsula, what does it teach, and how did it spread so rapidly across three continents?

Apply social science skills to understand the origin, beliefs, and spread of Islam: Muhammad and the rise of Islam in Mecca and Medina, the Five Pillars and the Qur'an, the expansion of Islam through the caliphates across the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain, and the Sunni-Shia split (WHI.8).
A standards-level answer on the origins and spread of Islam for the Virginia World History SOL: Muhammad and the rise of Islam, the Five Pillars and the Qur'an, the rapid expansion through the caliphates across three continents, and the Sunni-Shia split, with worked exam questions.
12 min answer →