STS REVIEWER

Archaeologists

Dig, discover, analyze, date artifacts, study ancient sites.

Anthropologists

Study culture, traditions, art, customs, human history.

Ancient Age

The time when the first civilizations emerged and began developing advanced societies. Before this period, human history is divided into Prehistoric Ages, which include: STONE, BRONZE AND IRON AGES.

Stone Age

The earliest period in human history where people relied on simple tools made from stones, bones, and wood.

Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age)

People were hunters and gatherers during this age.

Mesolithic Age (Middle Stone Age)

People started fishing and making pottery during this age.

Neolithic Age (New Stone Age)

People started farming and domesticating animals during this age.

Paleolithic Age

The earliest period of human history when people used simple stone tools and lived as hunter-gatherers, moving from place to place for food.

Mesolithic Age

A transition period between the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) and Neolithic (New Stone Age) when people slowly changed their way of life.

Neolithic Age

Marked the beginning of farming and animal domestication, allowing people to settle in one place instead of constantly moving to find food.

Neolithic Revolution (Agricultural Revolution)

Was when humans stopped hunting and gathering and started farming, leading to permanent settlements and the rise of early civilizations.

Sedentary Lifestyle

Living in one place rather than moving around, as people settle in one location.

The Need for Cooperation and Group Effort

People must help each other to achieve common goals, like building homes or growing food.

Job Specialization

Instead of everyone doing the same tasks, people focus on specific skills, like farming, weaving, or blacksmithing.

Social Hierarchies (Social Classes)

Ranking people in society where some people have more power, money, or privileges than others based on their job, wealth, or status.

Population Growth

Over time, as food became more available and living conditions improved, more people were born and survived.

Bronze Age

People discovered that mixing copper with tin created this, a much stronger and more durable metal used to make weapons, tools, and armor, improving daily life and warfare.

Rise of Civilizations

Societies like Mesopotamia and Egypt grew and became more advanced.

Better Tools & Weapons

These made farming, building, and warfare more efficient.

Advancements in Architecture & Trade

Stronger materials allowed for better buildings, and this became a valuable trade item.

End of the Stone Age

This age replaced stone tools, marking the beginning of a new era of human progress.

Iron Age

This age's tools and weapons were stronger and more durable than those made of bronze. People discovered how to make steel by heating iron with carbon, creating an even harder and more effective metal.

Stronger Tools & Weapons

Improved farming, construction, and warfare.

Steel weapons

Gave civilizations a military advantage over those using bronze.

Spread of Iron Technology

Lead to economic growth and technological progress as people learned ironworking techniques, iron tools and weapons became more common across different civilizations.

Bog Bodies

Naturally preserved human remains found in Northern Europe, mummified by the unique environment of peat bogs, providing insights into ancient burial practices, clothing, and even causes of death.

Middle Ages

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire (476 AD) to the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) when Constantinople was conquered (1453 AD).

Feudalism

Society was structured like a pyramid, with kings at the top, followed by lords, knights, and peasants at the bottom. Lords controlled land and gave protection to peasants, who worked the land in exchange for shelter and safety.

King

The highest authority in the kingdom. Owned all the land and distributed it to nobles (barons) in exchange for loyalty and military support. Protected the kingdom from invaders and internal conflicts.

Barons

Given land and high status by the king in return for loyalty and soldiers. Governed their own land, known as a manor, and collected taxes from peasants. Had great power and could even challenge the king’s decisions.

Knights

Trained soldiers who fought in wars and battles to protect the land. Served their baron and king in exchange for land and wealth. Followed the code of chivalry, which emphasized bravery, loyalty, and honor.

Peasants

The lowest class in society, but the largest group, who worked as farmers, blacksmiths, bakers, and other laborers.

Catholic Church

Influenced every part of life, including laws, education, and government. Kings and peasants alike followed the Church’s teachings, and popes had great political power.

The Crusades

A series of wars between Christians and Muslims over control of the Holy Land (Jerusalem). These wars increased trade, cultural exchange, and tensions between Europe and the Middle East.

The Black Death

A highly contagious disease that killed millions of people in Europe, wiping out one-third of the population. It led to major social and economic changes, as labor became scarce and feudalism began to weaken.

Renaissance

A period of great cultural, artistic, and intellectual growth that began in Florence, Italy, before spreading across Europe, marking the transition from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

Humanism

A key philosophy of the Renaissance which taught that humans were capable of great achievements and should focus on education, arts, literature, and science, believing in logic, reason, and studying history to improve life.

Printing Press

Invented in 1450 by Johannes Gutenberg, the printing press with movable metal type revolutionized communication and allowed ideas to spread quickly across Europe.

The Gutenberg Bible

Printed in 1454 or 1455, this was the first major book produced using movable metal type. It marked the beginning of the printing revolution, helping spread religious, scientific, and philosophical ideas throughout Europe.

The Scientific Revolution

A time when people began questioning old beliefs and used experiments, observations, and reasoning to understand the world, testing ideas and developing new scientific theories.

The Scientific Method

A step-by-step process of observing, experimenting, and forming conclusions. This method is still used today in science. A systematic way for scientists to gather information, test ideas, and draw conclusions based on evidence and reason.

Geocentric Theory

The belief that the Earth was the center of the universe and that everything revolved around it.

Heliocentric Theory

The Sun, not the Earth, is at the center of the universe and that planets and stars revolve around the Sun.

Isaac Newton

Explained the law of gravity and how things move in the universe, stating that every object in the universe pulls on every other object with a force called gravity.

Zacharias Janssen

Credited with creating the compound microscope, a tool that helped scientists see tiny things that were invisible to the naked eye.

Evangelista Torricelli

Invented the barometer, a tool used to measure air pressure to understand how changes in air pressure affect the weather.

Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit

Developed a more accurate thermometer to measure temperature, creating a mercury thermometer and introduced the Fahrenheit temperature scale.

Andreas Vesalius

Transformed the study of human anatomy, dissecting human bodies himself to study their structure firsthand and publishing a groundbreaking book called On the Structure of the Human Body.

Edward Jenner

Developed the first vaccine to prevent smallpox, a deadly disease, leading to the development of vaccination, a method that helps protect people from diseases.

Industrial Revolution

A period of major technological and social change that transformed how people lived and worked, becoming more industrialized and urban.

Urbanization

Refers to the movement of people from rural areas to larger cities, these cities became overcrowded, and the streets were often filled with garbage leading to the spread of diseases.

Industrial Melanism

This is when animals in industrial areas develop darker colors due to pollution, caused the environment to darken providing a survival advantage.

Carolus Linnaeus

A classification system of organisms, classifying organisms into three main groups: animals, plants, and minerals. Wrote Systema Naturae.

Theodor Schwann

Cell theory. Introduced the idea of two types cells.

Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace

Proposed the theory of evolution. Evolution and natural selection, explaining how species evolve over time.

Gregor Mendel

Inheritance of traits where traits are passed down through generations, introducing the concepts of dominant and recessive traits.

Joseph Lister

Introduced antiseptic techniques in surgery and is known as the Father of Antiseptic Surgery.

Boveri and Sutton - Genetics Theory

Proposed that chromosomes carry genetic information, showing that inheritance is linked to the chromosomes passed during cell division.

Karl Landsteiner

Discovered blood types and forensic science and their use in paternity testing and solving crimes.

Alexander Fleming

Discovered penicillin, the first antibiotic that saved millions of lives from infections.

James Watson and Francis Crick

Discovered double-helix structure of DNA, how genetic information is stored and transmitted in cells.

William French Anderson

Performed the first successful gene therapy on a 4-year-old girl with a genetic disorder called SCID.

Human Genome Project

Released the first draft of of the human genome, mapping the human genome, mapping out the entire DNA sequence.

The Information Age

Marks a shift from traditional industries to an economy based on the use of information and technology and is driven by the rapid growth of computers, the internet, and digital media.

The Digital Age

Characterized by the use of modern technologies, such as computers, smartphones, and digital cameras, to spread information.

Computers

Invented by Charles Babbage, initially designed to perform mathematical calculations and assist with basic decision-making tasks.

Internet

Developed by scientists like Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn, initially used for communication between researchers.

World Wide Web

Invented by Tim Berners-Lee.

Flying Shuttle

Invented by John Kay. A hand operated machine that sped up weaving.

Spinning Jenny

Invented by James Hargreaves. Could spin multiple threads at once, making thread production much quicker.

Water Frame

Invented by Richard Arkwright. Used water power instead of hand power. Made stronger, finer thread and increased production.

Spinning Mule

Invented by Samuel Crompton. Combined best features of the Spinning Jenny and Water Frame. Created even higher quality thread.

Science

came from the Latin word “scientia”

Scientia

This means knowledge or understanding

Science

Systematic way of acquiring knowledge through observation, experimentation, and analysis

Technology

came from the Greek word “tekhne” and “logia”

Tekhne and Logia

These means art and study, respectively.

Technology

Systematic application of scientific knowledge to practical tasks

Society

from the Latin word “societas”

Societas

This means companionship or association

Society

Group of people organized by social structures, culture, norms, language, economy, etc.

Empiricism

Gathering knowledge based on experimentation and observation

Objectivity

Unbiased and not influenced by emotion or personal beliefs

Systematic observation

Organized data collection method or process

Hypothesis testing

An educated guess or prediction. Ideas must be testable

Reproducibility

Result must be replicable and should undergo multiple testing for validity

Openness and transparency

Open sharing of data and methods

Falsifiability

Must be disapprovable (matter of evidence)

Peer Review

Scrutinized by experts before publication

Cumulative nature

Knowledge builds overtime (new knowledge in the process)

Problem Solving

Address specific needs or solution

Improving quality of life

Enhance well-being and way of living

Innovation and creativity

Leads to new innovation and/or invention

Efficiency and productivity

Enhance well-being and way of living (less hassle)

Communication and connectivity

Easier way of communication

Advancing scientific knowledge

Easier way of data gathering

Education and learning

Easier way of learning by just searching

Entertainment and leisure

Enhance entertainment experience

Social structure

Way of society is organized. Organized pattern of relationships

Community and social groups

Forms relationship with others. Supports system