5 Fields of Social Studies HistoryGeographyEconomicsGovernmentCulture

The study of the past. Why study history? –History Helps Us Understand People and Societies Understand change How our society came to be

“How can we know who we are and where we are going if we don’t know anything about where we have come from and what we have been through, the courage shown, the costs paid, to be where we are?” – David McCullough, Historian Return to Fields page

The study of people, places, and the environment. 5 themes of geography (we’ll look at these in just a minute) Return to Fields page

The study of how people manage their resources by producing, exchanging, and using goods and services. 3 essential questions… –What will be produced? –How will it be produced? –For whom will it be produced? Return to Fields page

The people and groups of people that have the power to make laws and see that they are obeyed. Kinds of government –Limited – everyone obeys the law Democracy republics –Unlimited – government does not have to obey the law totalitarianism Return to Fields page

The beliefs, customs, and ways of living that a group of people share. What shared factors make up a culture? –Beliefs, customs, laws, art, ways of living Culture trait –Each kind of food, clothing, technology, each belief, language, or tool shared by a culture

Culture traits food clothing Language and traditions Return to Fields page

5 Themes of Geography LocationRegionPlaceMovementHEI

Where is it located? –Absolute locationAbsolute location The exact spot on Earth where a place is found –Latitude –Longitude –Relative locationRelative location The location of a place in relation to other places

Absolute Location The exact place of a place on Earth The absolute location of Lesotho is 29 S 29 E

Do you remember other terms we use to describe absolute location? Meridians Prime meridians Parallels Equator Hemispheres Compass rose Latitude Longitude Grid system

Longitudes: Meridians Run N to S Measure East and West of prime meridian Starts at Prime Meridian 0 and ends at the International Date line 180 Latitudes: Parallels Runs E to W Measure North and South of the equator Starts at Equator 0 and ends at the Poles at 90 Absolute location

Lake Victoria is east of The Congo River Basin The Nile River is south of the Mediterrane an Sea Relative Location

The pink house is next to the igloo. The tree is to the right of the grass hut. A place’s location in relation to another place.

How can we get even more general or specific?

Solar System Earth Hemisphere Continent Country State County Neighborhood Street House General Specific Return to themes page

What is it like? –Characteristics of place… Climate Landforms Bodies of water Plant and animal life Features that humans have created –Cities, government, cultural traditions

What is it like? Animal life Plant life Landforms Climate

Nairobi, Kenya What features have humans created? Cities Governments Cultural traditions Return to themes page

A group of places that have common physical features and/or human characteristics. What is common? –Physical features –Human characteristics

Human Characteristics Language Culture beliefs

Natural regions a region that has its own unique combination of plant and animal life and climate The Himalayas A rainforest

Language regions Another example of how regions might be divided. Return to themes page

How do people, goods, and ideas move from one place to another? –How do they move? –Why do they move?

Bantu migration – largest human migration in history How did they move? Why did they move? People migrating

Movement of goods

Movement of ideas Can you think of any ideas that have spread globally? Return to themes page

How do humans and the environment interact? –Humans depend on, adapt to, and modify the world around them.

How do humans adapt to their environment? occupation clothing houses

Humans may help or hurt the environment. desertification deforestation pollution

The Swiss Family Robinson 1.How do the Robinsons adapt to their environment? 2.How are they to find food, clothes, shelter? 3.How does their environ. change as they create a home? 4.Where in the world must people adapt to a harsh environment to survive?

The environment may help or hurt humans. Hurricanes Volcanoes Return to themes page

Go back and add to your notes Share your notes with a partner to ensure you have everything!

Look at the following pictures in terms of geography, using the following answers as a GUIDE… What can we assume about the location? (relative) What is the place like? (physical features, human characteristics, community, etc.) How have humans interacted with their environment? Negative? Positive? How has the environment had an impact on humans? Negative? Positive?

Hong Kong

Africa