Discovering Our Past: A History of the World

Worksheet Answer Key

Ancient India

Table of Contents

CHAPTER-LEVEL ACTIVITIES:
What Do You Know? Anticipation Guide.................................. 2
Vocabulary Builder Activity................................................... 2
Hands-On Chapter Project: Ancient India ............................... 3

LESSON-LEVEL ACTIVITIES:
Guided Reading: Lesson 1 Early Civilizations........................... 4
Guided Reading: Lesson 2 Religions of Ancient India................ 5
Guided Reading: Lesson 3 The Mauryan Empire ...................... 5
Geography and History Activity: Lesson 1
Understanding Human-Environment Interaction:
Ancient India ............................................................... 6
21st Century Skills Activity: Lesson 2
Communication: Summarizing ........................................ 6
21st Century Skills Activity: Lesson 3
Communication: Create and Give a Group Presentation...... 7
Primary Source Activity: Lesson 3
Buddhism and Hinduism ................................................ 7

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Discovering Our Past: A History of the World

Worksheet Answer Key

Ancient India

CHAPTER WORKSHEETS

What Do You Know? Anticipation Guide

Before You Read
1-10. All student responses will vary.

After You Read

After students have read the chapter, their responses should be:
1. Agree
2. Agree
3. Agree
4. Disagree; The Aryans originally came from central Asia.
5. Agree
6. Agree
7. Disagree; Buddhists believe that desire is the cause of suffering.
8. Agree
9. Disagree; Ashoka became a peaceful, wise king after he converted to Bud-
dhism.
10. Agree
11. Agree
12. Agree

Vocabulary Builder Activity

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A. Content Vocabulary—Matching
1. k
2. d
3. b
4. g
5. j
6. c
7. e
8. f
9. a
10. h
11. l
12. i

Fill in the Blank

1. Bhagavad Gita
2. theocracy
3. Buddhism
4. stupas
5. karma

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Worksheet Answer Key

Ancient India
6. dharma
7. Jainism
8. nirvana

B. Academic Vocabulary—Antonym
1. emerge
2. decline
3. estimate
4. eventual
5. contribute
6. focus
7. migrate
8. manual
9. abandon
10. promote

Synonym
1. resided
2. promote
3. structures
4. text
5. status

C. Combined Vocabulary Reinforcement

1. correct

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2. Sample sentence for nirvana: The idea of nirvana is to be free of earthly worries
and desires.
3. Sample sentence for estimated: It is estimated that the Mahabharata has
90,000 verses.
4. correct
5. Sample sentence for Jainism: Mahavira founded Jainism.
6. correct
7. correct
8. Sample sentence for reincarnation: Hindus believe that a person may have many
reincarnations.
9. correct
10. correct

Hands-On Chapter Project

Ancient India

Worksheet 1: Critique Plan

Students' notes about each ancient India topic will vary.

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Discovering Our Past: A History of the World

Worksheet Answer Key

Ancient India
Worksheet 2: Project Plan
Our group’s topic is: Groups’ topics will vary.
Task List: Students’ task lists will vary but should be based on how the group
decides to divide up the work.
Slide Show Date: The due date will be assigned by the instructor.

Worksheet 3: Creating a Bibliography

Sources will vary but should be formatted correctly.

Worksheet 4: Assessment Rubric

Students’ self-assessment will be based on their opinions about their performance
during the project.

LESSON WORKSHEETS

Guided Reading: Lesson 1 Early Civilizations

The Geography of India
1-4. The four physical features written in the four boxes should be mountains, river
valleys or plains with rivers, fertile coastlands, and plateaus. Students may in-
clude the specific examples of each feature: Himalaya, Indus, Ganges, Deccan
Plateau.
5. Monsoons are winds that bring heavy rains. They are important because the
rains help farmers grow crops.

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The Indus Valley Civilization
6. mud bricks
7. large paved streets; smaller, unpaved streets
8. has surrounding brick walls for protection
9. grid pattern
10. made of brick, flat wood roofs, may have had several stories, rooms circled a
central courtyard
11. Most houses had them; wastewater flowed through drains and pipes.

Aryan Migrations and Settlements

12. used plows and tools to clear the land; used irrigation methods
13. developed and used a written language, Sanskrit
14. Hinduism
15. many rajas ruling various small tribes

Ancient Indian Society

16. Brahmins: priests; Kshatriyas: warriors and governors; Vaisyas: farmers and
merchants; Sudras: workers and servants; Untouchables should be in the
shaded area.

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Worksheet Answer Key

Ancient India

Guided Reading: Lesson 2 Religions of Ancient India

Origins of Hinduism
1. Yes
2. Yes
3. No
4. Yes
5. No
6. No

Rise of Buddhism
7. the founder of Buddhism
8. “Enlightened One”
9. the desire for worldly things
10. to reach nirvana.
11. the Eightfold Path
12. Anyone of any group could reach nirvana.
13. Theravada and Mahayana

Jainism
14. Not stepping on a spider

Guided Reading: Lesson 3 The Mauryan Empire

Origin of an Empire

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1. unified northern India by conquering other states; started a postal system;
crushed all resistance to his rule
2. began as a military leader but decided to become a Buddhist; built roads, hospi-
tals, resting places for travelers; spread Buddhist teachings and shrines around
the empire; tolerated all religions.

The Gupta Empire

3. expanding of the Empire
4. Samudra Gupta, a good military leader and a patron of the arts.
5. rulers giving money to the Hindu religion
6. jobs, cities, and travel
7. Indian cities became wealthy

Cultural Contributions of Ancient India

8. Any two: the Vedas, epic poems, the Baghavad Gita, the Ramayana, the Upani-
shads
9. Any two: musical instruments, sculpture, wall paintings, palaces, temples, monu-
ments, pillars, stupas
10. Any two: the concept of infinity, the concept of zero, the Arabic number system
11. Any two: astronomy; Earth is round and travels around the sun; durable metals
(that don’t rust); medical, surgical and dental tools; healing herbs

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Geography and History Activity: Lesson 1

Understanding Human-Environment Interaction:
Ancient India
1. Chart responses:
Indus Valley Aryans
- mud for bricks - iron for tools to clear land
- water used for farming, removing - water to irrigate crops
waste - wet land to grow rice and drier land for
- water used for transportation and trade other grains

2. The Aryans came across the western mountains, down into northern India and
finally to the Ganges River, where they settled. The mountains were rocky and
cold, so they had to keep moving. Because the river valleys had fertile soil and a
steady source of water, the Aryans were able to settle down and start farming.
3. The nomads used snow for water and mountain plants to feed their animals.
Farmers and city dwellers used the river for farming and mud. Earthquakes,
flooding, or drought posed challenges to humans, making it much harder to
adapt to an environment while these events are taking place or immediately after
they have occurred.

21st Century Skills Activity: Lesson 2

Communication: Summarizing

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1. b
2. I. Teachings of the Buddha
A. different reincarnation, end rebirth
B. follow the Eightfold Path
C. Untouchables and lower jati can reach enlightenment
D. After his death followers disagreed
E. Divided into two groups
1. Theravada
2. Mahayana
Some students may divide the notes in other ways, for example, a “II” heading
for “after his death.” Accept answers that show an understanding of the text and
the concept of outlining.
3. Buddhists believe that a person can end the cycle of rebirth by following the
Eightfold Path. Even the lowest members of society can do this. After the Bud-
dha died, his followers disagreed about his teachings. They divided into the
Theravada Buddhists and the Mahayana Buddhists.
4. Main idea: Jainism belief in ahimsa
• key value ahimsa, practicing nonviolence
• belief that all life is sacred
• they avoid harming even insects and worms
5. Sample summary: Jains believe in “ahimsa,” nonviolence toward all living things.
All life is important, so they are careful not to hurt even insects and worms.
Discovering Our Past: A History of the World

Worksheet Answer Key

Ancient India

21st Century Skills Activity: Lesson 3

Communication: Create and Give a Group Presentation

Practicing the Skill

1. Tools: scalpels, needles, surgery, plastic surgery
Uses: drills and dental surgery, setting broken bones
Skills: repairing damaged noses, sewing wounds, herbal cures
2. Answers will vary. Possible answer: We will use a series of slides and show dif-
ferent “doctors.” As they appear on the screen, each person will explain each
“specialty,” such as surgery, treating diseases, and dental work.
3. Answers will vary. The index cards should make sense, refer to the topic as-
signed, and demonstrate understanding of the task and the material. Sample of
index cards:
Index card 1: Surgery—examples of tools, explanation of use
Index card 2: Dental work—kinds of dental work, drill adapted from another use
Index card 3: Diseases—herbs, cures, prevention

Applying the Skill

1. to show the audience how advanced Indian medicine was
2. Yes
3. visuals and descriptions of surgeries, dental work, and diseases/treatments

Practice and Present

Answers will vary. Sample response:

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Index card 1: A surgeon from the Gupta Empire used these tools. (Show slide) As
you can see, the tools were carefully made and very effective. Notice that some
are made of metal.
Index card 2: A dentist used the same kinds of tools that dentists use today (show
slide). As you see, they knew how to drill and pull teeth. Originally, their drills
were used to make fire.
Index card 3: Ancient Indian doctors would examine people to see what their symp-
toms were. (Show slide) With mixtures of herbs, like the ones shown here, they
would try to bring down fevers and relieve pain. They tried to find out what dis-
ease was causing the symptoms and then decide how to cure the disease.

Primary Source Activity: Lesson 3

Buddhism and Hinduism
1. At the beginning, he did not work very hard at his religion. After that, he worked
much harder.
2. Both the great and the small can reach this state by exerting, or working, very
hard.
3. The “wise man” (“who is mindful and ever pure”) will reach union. The “stupid
man” will not.
4. The readers would probably feel encouraged and would want to follow Ashoka’s

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Ancient India
advice. The Hindu writer’s audience might feel discouraged when told that
choosing pleasure is “stupid” or they might want to learn “understanding,” since
he says that this is the only way to reach the goal.
5. The Buddhist leader would most likely care about his people and do his best to
make their lives better. The leader who followed the teachings of the Hindu writer
might be hard on those he thought were stupid, and discourage them from seek-
ing pleasure, or he might encourage them to look for wisdom.

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