Assess students' ability to analyze and compare how the geography (river systems, flood patterns, climate, terrain) and natural resources (soil fertility, plants/animals, minerals, trade routes) of the Nile, Tigris‑Euphrates, Indus, and Huang He regions shaped settlement patterns, agriculture, economic activities, political organization, technology (irrigation/engineering), and social/religious life; require identification of specific geographic features, explanation of cause-and-effect with evidence, and a brief comparison of similarities and differences among the four civilizations.