Social Studies EC-6

Aristocracy

A government in which power is in the hands of a hereditary ruling class or nobility. A group of nobles control the economy and government.

Monarchy

A government ruled by a king or queen who inherits the power from his or her parents. The ruler has supreme powers and control the entire government.

Theocracy

A government ruled by religious leaders. Ex) Taliban in Afghanistan.

Veteran's Day

A holiday that celebrates those who have served in the country's armed forces. (November 11th)

Independence Day

A holiday that commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. (July 4, 1776)

Columbus Day

A holiday that commemorates the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Americas. (Second Monday in October)

Memorial Day

A holiday that honors members of the military who died in war. (Last Monday in May)

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

A holiday that honors the leader of the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr. (Third Monday of January)

Labor Day

A holiday that recognizes the importance of workers and labor unions. (First Monday in September)

Capitalism

A market economy where free individuals use their resources to dictate price, demand, quality, and quantity through the purchasing of products.

Globes

A mathematical model of the Earth and show correct, unaltered distance, size, and shape of continents and bodies of water

Republic

A representative democracy that is led by someone who is not a monarch, such as a president. Ex) USA

The "Star-Spangled Banner"

A song that is the national anthem of the United States. It was originally a poem written by Francis Scott Key during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812 against the British. In 1931, it was made the official national anthem of the United States.

SQ4R

A study strategy in which the learner engages in the entire reading process. Survey, Question, Read, Reflect, Recite, Review

Parlimentarian Monarchy

The monarch shares the power with the parliament. Often, the powers of the monarch are ceremonial in nature, as they are in Great Britain. This government is also referred to as a "constitutional monarchy".

10th Amendment

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Cultural Diffusion

The process of dissemination, the spread of an idea or innovation from it's source area to other cultures.

6th Amendment

The right to a Speedy Trial by jury, representation by an attorney for an accused person

Culture

The sum total of the knowledge, attitudes, and habitual behavior patterns shared and transmitted by the members of a society.

Executive Branch

This branch of the government is composed of the president and vice president elected every four years by electoral votes. Approves and carries out the laws.

Constitution

This document can be amended with the approval of two-thirds of the House and the Senate and the ratification of individual state legislatures.

The Statue of Liberty

This symbol was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States commemorating the United States' 100th anniversary. It is a universal symbol of freedom, democracy, and international friendship.

Battle of Saratoga

Turning point of the American Revolution

Ancient Greece

Where the historical origins of democratic governance can be found. The cultures participated in pure and representational democracy and developed a court system with a jury.

Flowchart

A diagram that shows step-by-step progression through a procedure or system especially using connecting lines and a set of conventional symbols. Ex) The process to complete and academic degree.

Maps

A flat representation of the Earth and distort the distance, size, or shape of continents and bodies of water.

Timeline for the Age of Revolution and Industry

(1700-1900) 1644 - The Manchu overthrow the Ming dynasty of China 1682-1725 - Peter the Great rules Russia; Frederick the Great becomes king of Prussia; expanded territory, strong military 1756-1763 - Seven Years' War ensues, with France, Austria, and Russia clashing against Prussia and England 1786 - James Cook visits regions in the Pacific 1776 - American declares independence from England 1789 - French Revolution begins with the fall off the Bastille in Paris 1791 - As part of the Enlightenment, Thomas Paine publishes The Rights of Man 1804 - Napoleon declares himself emperor of France, beginning the Napoleonic Era 1808 - Wars for independence begin in Spanish America 1837-1901 - British Empire at its peak under Queen Victoria 1 1848 - Year of revolution in all Europe 1861-65 - American Civil War 1869 - Union Pacific Railroad links the East and West coasts of the United States

Mayas

(1800 BCE to 900 CE) One of the earliest civilizations of Mesoamerica was the Mayan, from regions of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala, and Honduras. They developed a highly integrated society with elaborate religious observances for which they built stone and mortar pyramids. They developed an elaborate calendar, a system of writing, and the mathematical concept of zero. They also had a highly advanced knowledge of astronomy, engineering, and art.

Timeline for the Middle Ages

(500 CE-1400 CE) 500 CE Eastern Roman, Byzantine Empire, at its peak 600 CE Teotihuacan civilization flourishes in Mexico 600 CE Rise of Islam 700 CE Mayan Civilization at its height in Central America 700 CE Feudal system begins in Europe; peasants serve a lord in exchange for protection 711 CE Moors invade Spain 750 CE Abbasid dynasty is founded; Arab Empire at its peak 800 CE Charlemange crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire 900 CE Rise of Toltec civilization in Mexico 1000 CE Vikings land in North America 1095 CE Muslim Turks take Jerusalem and ban Chrisitan pilgrams from the city 1096-1270 CE Crusades try to rescue jerisalem from the Muslims 1215 CE Genghis Khan and the Mongols invade China 1271 CE Marco Polo travels to China from Italy 1300 CE Renaissance begins in Europe 1325 CE Aztecs established Tenochtitlan near modern day Mexico City 1368 CE Foundation of the ming dynasty in china

Aztecs

(6th century to 1525 CE) This civilization achieved the highest development in Mexico. They had a centralized government headed by a king and supported by a large army. There were skilled builders, engineers, accomplished astronomers, and mathematicians. At their peak they had a population of 5 million.

Incas

(Children of the Sun) This civilization covered the modern countries of Ecuador, Peru, and central Chile. Not advanced in math and science, but had a well-developed political system. They also built a monumental road system to unify the empire.

Dictatorship

A form of government where the ruler holds absolute power to make laws and command the army.

Oligarchy

A government in which a small group of powerful and wealthy people rule the nation with the support of the military.

Totalitarian

A form of government in which one person or a few people have all of the governing power and authority. The central government controls nearly all aspects of its citizens' political, social, cultural, and economic lives. This form of government typically has either a communist or socialist economic system. The citizens have few individual rights and the government has unlimited rights.

Democracy

A form of government in which the majority rules. The governments' power is limited, meaning that a constitution, or agreement with the people, delineates the authority that the government allows. Citizens have inalienable rights that can't be taken away by the government. The United States uses this form of government.

Powers reserved for the Federal Government

1. Regulate interstate and foreign commerce. 2. Print money and regulate its value. 3. Establish the laws for regulation of immigration and naturalization. 4. Regulate admission of new states. 5. Declare war and ratify peace treaties. 6. Establish a system of weights and measures. 7. Raise and maintain armed forces. 8. Conduct relations with foreign nations.

Powers reserved for State Governments

1. Conduct and monitor local, state, and federal elections. 2. Provide for local government. 3. Ratify proposed amendments to the Constitution. 4. Regulate interstate commerce. 5. Provide education for its citizens. 6. Establish direct taxes like sales and state taxes. 7. Regulate and maintain police power over public health and safety. 8. Maintain control of state borders.

Constitutional Monarchy

A King or Queen is the official head of state but power is limited by a parliament or a constitution.

Timeline for Industrial and Technological Development

1769 - Richard Arkwright patents the spinning machine powered by a waterwheel, which marks the beginning of industrial mass production of textiles. 1810 - A German, Frederick Koenig, invents an improved printing press 1831 - An American, Cyrus H. McCormick, invents the mechanical reaper, which revolutionizes farming so that more crops can be harvested by machines. This allowed for greater food production, marking a move toward commercial farming. Mass food production supported urbanization by providing a food source for cities. 1836 - Samuel Colt patents the first revolver in the U.S, to be able to be used as a practical weapon. Colt's manufacturing firm would later produce the pistols most widely used in the U.S. Civil War. 1837-38 - Samuel Morse invents the telegraph and the Morse code 1843 - Alexander Bain invents the first fax machine, which evolves from the telegraph 1846 - Ascanio Sobrero, an Italian chemist, invents nitroglycerin 1856 - Louis Pasteur invents the process of pasteurization 1858 - Jean Lenoir invents an internal combustion engine 1866 - Albert Nobel invents dynamite 1876 - Alexander Graham Bell patents the telephone

Narrative Charts

A chart that can show events in a sequence. It can also present a timeline of historical events.

Pedigree Chart

A chart that shows the origin and development of something. Ex) Family tree.

Federal Republic

A constitutional government in which the powers of the central government are restricted to create semi-autonomous bodies (states or provinces) with certain degrees of self-governing powers, as in the US.

Autocracy

A form of government where one person has unlimited power and uses it arbitrarily.

Timeline for the Modern World

1910- Mexican revolution begins. Large numbers of Mexicans immigrate to the U.S. 1914 WW1 begins when Austria declares war on Serbia and Germany on Russia 1917 Russian Revolution starts when the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, seize power from Czar Nicholas 2 1918 WW1 ends; Europe is in ruins, and Germany is heavily punished 1929 Great Depression begins in the US 1933 Adolf Hitler achieves power in Germany 1936-39 Spanish Civil war brings Francisco Franco to power 1939 WW2 begins when Germany invaded Poland and Czech 1941 US enters WW2 1945 Germany surrenders to the Allied Forces, and Japan surrenders after the US detonates two atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 1947 Pakistan and India obtain independence from Great Britain 1948-49 State of Isreal is founded in palestine, and the Arabs declare war 1949 Communist Mao Zedong gains control of China 1959 Cuban Revolution 1960 Many countries in Africa gain independence 1965-72 America participates in the Vietnam War 1969 Neil Armstrong lands on the moon 1973 U.S. pulls out of Vietnam; conflict ends 1974 U.S President nixon resigns because of Watergate scandal 1975 Cambodian genocide begins; Pol Pot becomes Communist dictator in Cambodia 1976 First Ebola virus outbreaks in Sudan and Zaire 1978 John Paul II becomes the Catholic Pope 1979 Ayatollah Khomeini becomes leader of Iran 1984 Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, is assassinated 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger explodes 1988 Iranian airliner is shot down by the U.S.; the U.S.S.R. launches the Mir Space station 1989 Berlin Wall falls; Chinese military massacres students who are protesting in Tiananmen Square 1990 Germany is reunited 1991 Soviet Union collapses, and the Cold War ends 1994 Free elections in South Africa and the end of apartheid 2001 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington D.C. 2001 War in Afghanistan against the Taliban 2003 U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates during re-entry on Feb. 1 2003 War on Iraq 2009 Barack Obama becomes 44th president

Timeline of the Ancient World

4 million years ago to 500 CE

Constitutional Democracy

A democratic government regulated by a constitution. This form of government can be led by either a president or prime minister and is also referred to as a "constitutional republic".

The United States of American National Flag

A symbol of America that has 50 stars representing the 50 states of the Union. The color red represents hardiness and valor, the white symbolizes purity and innocence, and the blue symbolizes vigilance, perseverance, and justice. The Congress approved a new symbol with 13 red and white alternating stripes and 13 stars representing the original colonies in 1777. A star was added to this symbol each time a state was entered into the union. The Congress set the number of stripes at 13 in 1818 and approved to continue to add a star for each new state.

The Liberty Bell

A symbol of freedom and liberty. The Pennsylvania Assembly ordered this symbol to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Pennsylvania's original constitution, William Penn's Charter of Privileges. It is traditionally believed that it as rung to summon the people of Philadelphia to hear the Declaration of Independence. It became an icon when the abolitionists adopted it as a symbol of freedom.

The Great Seal of the United States

A symbol that consists of a bald eagle holding an olive branch and a bundle of arrows. The olive branch represents peace and the arrows represent military strength. The eagle hold a scroll in its beak with the nation's motto: "E Pluribus Unum" which means "Out of many, one."

The White House

A symbol that was originally planned by President George Washington in 1791 and was completed in 1800 when its first resident, President John Adams, moved in with his wife, Abigail. It was originally called the President's House. President Theodore Roosevelt christened it with its new name in 1901, and for over 200 years it has been home to the U.S. presidents and their families. It is recognizes as a symbol of the U.S. presidency throughout the world.

13th Amendment (1865)

Abolishes and prohibits slavery

The Pledge of Allegiance

An American patriotic symbol that is a declaration of patriotism. It was first published in 1892 in The Youth's Companion and is believed to have been written by the magazine's editor, Francis Bellamy. The original purpose of the pledge was to be used by schoolchildren in activities to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America. The pledge was widely used in morning school routines for many years and received official recognition by Congress in 1942. The phrase "Under God" was added in 1954, and a law indicating the proper behavior to adopt when reciting the pledge, which includes standing straight, removing hats and any other headgear, and placing the right hand over the heart.

Social Studies

An umbrella term encompassing the disciplines of history, geography, civics and government, economics, and psychology.

9th Amendment

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Northern Hemisphere

The half of the Earth that lies north of the equator, where most of the world's land is located.

Data Retrieval Charts

Can collect and track data gathered from research, observation, or experimentation. Allows easy comparison of two or more sets of data.

Legislative Branch

Composed of Congress who makes the laws of the nation, collects taxes, coins money and regulates its value, controls appropriations, and regulates the jurisdictions of federal courts. Can declare war, impeach public officials, and override presidential vetos.

16th Amendment (1913)

Congress is given the power to tax incomes

Supreme Court

Consists of nine justices, each appointed by the President and confirmed by Congress and their ruling is considered final.

14th Amendment (1868)

Grants citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the US"; it forbids any state to deny any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law" or to "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of its laws." Most important law ever passed besides original Constitution and Bill of Rights. It has been the vehicle for the expansion of civil rights, women's rights, gay rights among other movements. It also allowed for the "incorporation doctrine" which means the application of the national Bill of Rights to the states.

Pictorial Graph

most concrete type of graph b/c it uses a Picture of the objects being represented

Jonas Salk

Developed the polio vaccine in 1952

Longitude

Distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees

Zapotecs, Olmecs, and Toltecs

Farther north in Mexico. Highly sophisticated civilizations. Used ceremonial calendar, build stone pyramids for religious observances. Developed a partly alphabetic writing system and left codices describing their history, religion, and daily events. Teotihuacan is the best known example of religious sits built by these civilizations.

Bill of Rights

First 10 amendments to the Constitution to preserve basic human rights.

4th Amendment

Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures

1st Amendment

Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition

Railroads

Industry that revolutionized the Texas economy in the second half of the 19th century.

26th Amendment (1971)

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

8th Amendment

No cruel or unusual punishment

3rd Amendment

No quartering of soldiers

Federal Judges

Nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. These people are appointed for life.

Acculturation

Occurs when one culture takes on some of the aspects or cultural traits of another culture. Ex) Chinese restaurants using American style cooking

Senate

Part of Congress. Comprised of two senators from each state.

25th Amendment (1967)

Presidential succession and presidential disability

15th Amendment (1870)

Prohibited voting restrictions based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude (slavery)

19th Amendment (1920)

Ratified on August 18, 1920 (drafted by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton), prohibits any United States citizen from being denied the right to vote on the basis of sex. The Constitution allows the states to determine the qualifications for voting, and until the 1910's most states disenfranchised women. The amendment was the culmination of the women's suffrage movement in the U.S.

The Progressive Movement

Regulated working conditions and fighting for education for child laborers.

2nd Amendment

Right to keep and bear arms

7th Amendment

Right to sue.

Pecan Tree

State Tree of Texas

Mockingbird

State bird of Texas

Bluebonnet

State flower of Texas

Friendship

State motto of Texas

"Texas, Our Texas"

State song of Texas by William J. Marsh and Gladys Yoakum Wright

Geospatial Technologies

Systems that allow individuals to view and examine the world through multiple layering of geographic data within a spatial environment; use of technology for visualization, analysis, and measurement of features and phenomena. Ex) Oregon Trails and Where in the World is Carmen Santiago?

5th Amendment

The Right to Remain Silent/Double Jeopardy, right to due process

Judicial Branch

The branch of government that interprets the laws and treaties, resolves conflict among states, and interprets the Constitution. Composed of a federal court system that includes the Supreme Court and a system of lower courts.

The President

The commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He or she appoints cabinet members, nominates judges to the federal court system, grants pardons, recommends legislation, and has the power to veto legislation.

Cognates

Words that look similar and have the same origin in two languages.

Organizational Chart

a chart that shows the structure of an organization in terms of rank and chain of command, such as a school or business.

Pie Graph

a graph that shows circles that are "sliced" apart to represent percentages of the total "pie" for particular groups or categories

Bar Graph

a graph that uses vertical or horizontal bars to show comparisons among two or more items. They are more concrete than pie graphs.

Latitude

distance north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees

The Enlightenment

the "Age of Reason" in 17th- and 18th-century when people questioned religious dogmas and emphasized scientific reasoning and knowledge. Resulted in the development of modern chemistry and biology. People questioned governments and demanded more individual freedoms, seek independence, and fight tyranny.

House of Burgesses

the first elected legislative assembly in the New World established in the Colony of Virginia in 1619, representative colony set up by England to make laws and levy taxes but England could veto its legistlative acts.

Southern Hemisphere

the half of the earth that is south of the equator, where most of the world's water is located.

Maps & Globes

tools for representing space symbolically.