Module 3:

Oral tradition - stories, especially history, passed on through word of mouth

City-state - a city that is also an independent state with its own system of governance

Indigenous - native to a specific region or place

Matrilineal - tracing descent through the mother's ancestors

Patrilineal - tracing descent through the father's ancestors

pre-Columbian - the time in the history of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus

Quipu - a cord with knotted strings used by the Inca to keep records of apprentices

Chinampas - fields built up above the surface of a lake used by the Aztecs for farming

Codex - an ancient American kind of paper book

Glyphs - characters representing the Mayan language

Griot - a person who plays music and tells the legends, myths, and history of a people

Nazca lines - line drawings created out of stone that are so massive they can only be seen from the air

Mesoamerica - a region of Central America that is defined by the cultural similarities of its indigenous populations

Beringia - an ancient land bridge between Siberia and Alaska

Andes - a mountain range that stretches all the way down South America on the western side of the continents

Module 4:

Penance - acts that show that one is truly sorry for the sins one has committed

Predestination - doctrine where God chose in advance those who are eligible for salvation

Humanism - system of thought that gives the most importance to human matters

Conquistadors - leaders in the Spanish conquest of America

Reformation - Protestant movement that split the Roman Catholic Church

Caravel - seagoing vessel with triangular sails and a slender bow

Patrons - people who gave financial support to artists

Renaissance - time of transition in Europe between the medieval and modern era

Reconquista - retaking control of Spain from the Moors

Nationalism - a feeling of pride in one's country

Encomienda - Spanish forced labor system in the Americas

Simony - sale of Church offices

Astrolabe - navigational device used to determine a position

Heretic - someone who departs from church doctrine

sub-Saharan Africa - the regions of western, central, eastern, and southern Africa that lie to the south of the Sahara Desert