Intro to Social Studies

Why? Social studies is not just made up of history lessons. Social studies contains several different aspects such as geography, economics, civics and government, psychology, archaeology, anthropology, and sociology

Lesson 1 - Thinking Geographically - What is geography? Geo “earth” Graph “write” - To write about and study the people, environments, and resources within a region

Five Themes of Geography Location Place Interaction Movement Regions

Location Exact – specific location of a place Use latitude – measure distance N and S of Equator Use longitude – measure distance E and W of Prime Meridian NY is 41`N/74`W Relative – location of a place in relation to another place NYC is located where the Hudson River empties into the Atlantic Ocean

Place Physical and human features Physical – a river Human – buildings, streets, houses Natural resources – materials that humans can take from the environment to survive Impact people’s choice to live, travel, or work

Interaction Humans have adapted to environments for centuries For example, early Native American tribes created irrigation Bringing water to dry lands

Movement Humans often traveled throughout history to obtain the goods they need to survive U.S. was a place for liberty; people moved to enjoy their beliefs freely The West was full of buffalo, a very sustainable and resourceful animal to hunt

Regions Regions contain certain unifying characteristics For example, the Great Plains has: Level land Hot summers Cold winters Little rainfall

Maps and Globes Help people identify places, observe the sizes of places, locate landforms Cartographers – mapmakers Map projections – ways of drawing the Earth on a flat surface

Maps and History Thematic maps deal with specific topics A political map will tell you where certain cities and countries are A resource map may tell you which natural resources are found in a certain area

Lesson 2 - Lands and Climates of The U.S. There are many specific regions of the U.S. Pacific Coast, Intermountain Region, Rocky Mountains, Interior Plains, Ozark Highlands, Appalachian Mountains, Canadian Shield, Coastal Plains, Hawaiian Islands

American Rivers and Lakes The Mississippi and Missouri Rivers are very important to the U.S. The Great Lakes (border between U.S. and Canada) HOMES (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) Rivers and lakes provide trade between regions; also establish boundaries for states

Climate and Weather Climate – average weather of a place over a period of time (20-30 years) Altitude – height of the land above sea level Climates of the U.S. Marine, Mediterranean, Highland, Desert/Steppe, Humid Continental, Tropical/Humid Subtropical, Tundra/Subarctic

Lesson 3 - The Tools of History History only exists with historical evidence Primary source – firsthand information about people or events Declaration of Independence; journal of a soldier Secondary Source – account provided after the fact by people who did not witness or participate in the event Reading a history book with someone from today telling you about the Declaration of Independence

Evaluating Sources Check for authenticity Check for reliability Is this source actually what it seems to be? Check for reliability Is this really what happened? Watch out for bias representations Leaning towards or against a certain position on the topic

Archaeology Artifacts – objects made by humans Sculptures from Ancient Greece Archaeology – the study of evidence left by early people in order to find out how they lived Archaeologists will study the culture of people that lived in the past

Chronology History is easiest learned by dates in correct order The past is linked to the present Chronology – sequence of events over time Absolute: Abraham Lincoln died at 7:22 AM on April 15, 1865 Relative: phrases like “later that year” or “within three months”

Eras Era - a long and distinct period of history with a particular feature or characteristic

Lesson 4 - Social Sciences Economics Political Science Civics Anthropology, sociology, psychology Social Sciences – related to human society and social behavior

Economics The study of how people manage their limited resources to satisfy wants and needs Make products for consumers Earn profit Trade with other nations

Political Science and Civics Political Science – the study of government Civics – the study of the rights and responsibilities of citizens

Anthropology, Sociology, and Psychology Anthropology – the study of how people and cultures develop Sociology – the study of how people behave and interact in groups Psychology – the study of how people think and behave