SOCIAL STUDIES WORDS ABOUT TIME AND THE WORLD

In every-day life we use lots of different words to describe periods of time. For example if I say, “I’ll be back in a jiffy!” The word “jiffy” means A. after a long time. B. very soon.

In Social Studies we use letter abbreviations with dates to indicate periods of time. BC = dates before Jesus’ birth. BCE = “before common era” - dates before Jesus’ birth. BC or BCE AD or CE

In Social Studies we use letter abbreviations with dates to indicate periods of time. AD = dates after Jesus’ birth (Anno Domini: Medieval Latin meaning In the year of our Lord) CE = “common era” – dates after Jesus’ birth BC or BCE AD or CE

If no letters appear with a date we assume the date is in “common era” (CE) or after Jesus’ birth (AD). Notice that both AD/CE and BC/BCE dates count up from zero. Larger numbered BC/BCE dates indicate an earlier event in history. Larger numbered AD/CE dates indicate a more recent event. BC or BCE AD or CE

Which date below refers to a date after Jesus’ birth? A. 340 BC or BCE B. 340 AD or CE

Which date below refers to a date before Jesus’ birth? A BC B CE C AD

Which happened first in history? A CE – Magnetic compass invented B AD – Rosetta Stone discovered C.1200 BC Ramses rules Egypt

Era refers to a long period of time with no set number of years. The years in an era have something in common. For example Mesozoic era refers to a geologic time period. The Victorian era refers to the time period when Queen Victoria ruled the United Kingdom.

 Three time periods of specific lengths are: decade = 10 years century = 100 years millennium = 1,000 years 10 years = 1 decade 10 decades = 1 century or 100 years (10 X 10 = 100) 10 centuries = 1 millennium or 1,000 years (10X100=1,000)

Which word would be best used to describe how long ago the United States gained its independence from Great Britain? A. millennium B. centuries C. decades

WORDS ABOUT THE WORLD

CLIMATE refers to the average weather conditions in a certain area over a long period of time. Weather is the specific condition of the atmosphere at a particular place and a short period of time. It is measured in terms of such things as wind, temperature, and humidity.

Geographers often identify regions by their climate type. For example, most of northern Africa has DESERT climate, while west-central Africa has HUMID TROPICAL climate.

Which sentence below describes climate? A. It was hot and humid in the Soo this week. B. The extreme north of Alaska is arctic with long, very cold winters and short, cool summers.

Geography is the study of the world’s people, places, and landscapes. That includes almost anything about any place on the globe! Examples: landforms, climate, vegetation, languages, foods, customs, governments, music, religions, architecture, inventions…

Physical features are features on the Earth’s surface—the things we can see. Examples: mountains, rivers, lakes, basin, forest, peninsula, dune, plateau, volcano, delta, desert, coral reef…. (See page H14-15)

Which of the following is NOT a physical feature of the Earth? A. canyon B. island C. people

A region is an area with distinct features. (in common throughout the area. Example: The Midwest, also called “the Heartland”, is one of the four geographic regions within the U.S.A. The region consists of twelve states. These states are relatively flat and have a strong rural heritage.

Which of the following is NOT a feature of the Upper Peninsula region? A. mostly flat land B. lots of big cities C. small towns

Resources are things found on Earth that people need and value. (Natural resources are non-human made things.) Trees, water, and soil are natural resources. Computers, milk jugs, and tires are human-made resources.

Which of the following is a natural resource? A. Styrofoam B. electricity C. iron