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Chapter Summary
Understanding Social Studies

Lesson 1: Studying History

Studying history helps us understand how our world works today.
Historians organize time periods into eras, centuries, and decades to help make sense
of the past.

An era is a span of years noted for its events, people, or other characteristics.
A century is 100 years, and a decade is 10 years.
Relative chronology tells when an event happened in relation to other events. Absolute
chronology tells the date when an event happened.

Calendars are used to track and predict events such as seasons and holidays.
Most people follow the Gregorian calendar today, which was created in 1582 by the
leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Gregory XIII.

People use charts and graphs to represent information visually in a way that is
organized and easy to understand.

A diagram shows parts of something, steps in a process, or how something works.

A primary source is an original record or object created at the time of an event. A
secondary source is a document created after an event by someone who was not
present at the event.

When using a primary or secondary source, it is important to make sure the source is
reliable.

Understanding a persons background will help you understand his or her point of view
about an event.

Lesson 2: Tools of Geography

Geography is the study of Earth, its natural features, its people, and the ways in which
they interact.

The geography of an area affects how we experience that place.

Different areas in Texas have different landforms and climates.
Texas is made up of rural and urban areas.
There are five themes of geography: location, place, region, movement, and humanenvironment interaction.
latitude. Relative location tells where a place is located in relation to another place.

A globe is a spherical representation of Earth. A map is a flat representation of Earth. A

globe is more accurate than a map because it is a sphere.

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Absolute location tells exactly where a place is located on Earth using longitude and

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Understanding Social Studies

There are different types of maps that are used for different purposes. Physical and
political maps are general-purpose maps. A thematic map is used to show information
on a specific subject.

Humans interact with and change the environment to suit their needs.

Lesson 3: Government, Citizenship, and Economics

The purpose of government is to set rules for a society. It provides laws, services, and
defense.

A constitution is a document that establishes a government and outlines the laws and
principles of that government. It describes the nature, functions, and limits of the
government.

The United States has a federalist government. Certain powers are assigned to the
states, while others are assigned to the federal government. The United States is ruled
by the people.

The U.S. government has three branches: legislative (makes laws), executive (carries out
and enforces laws), and judicial (interprets and applies laws).

Other countries have different forms of government such as a monarchy, a parliamentary

government, an authoritarian government, a totalitarian government, or a communist
government.

A citizen is someone who belongs to a country and is entitled to its protections.

You can become a U.S. citizen through birth or by naturalization.
A person must be a U.S. citizen to vote. A citizen can be called upon to serve on a jury.
Economics is the study of how individuals and nations make choices about how
resources are used to meet their needs and wants.

A free enterprise system allows individuals to own their own property and businesses
with limited government interference.

Lesson 4: Culture and Science

Culture is the way of life of people who share similar beliefs and customs.
An ethnic group is a group of people who share a common language, history, or place
of origin.

activities.

Cultures can change when new people move to an area and bring new ideas and
inventions.
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People of the same culture share a language. Some will even share a religion.
In a culture, many of the people have the same customs, traditions, arts, and free-time

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Understanding Social Studies

Science is the study of living and nonliving things. Technology is the way people use
tools and machines to experience or change the world around them.

Advances in technology can come from advances in scientific knowledge.

Many advances in science and technology have come from people in Texas.

Lesson 5: Social Studies Skills

Critical-thinking skills help you understand all subject areas.
Sequencing involves putting events into the order in which they occurred. A time line
is a good tool for sequencing.

Categorizing means sorting events, facts, people, or other items into groups according
to their similar traits.

A cause is an action that leads to an event. An effect is the result of an action.

Comparing ideas, objects, or events involves telling how they are alike. Contrasting
involves telling how they are different.

The main idea is the central focus of a text. The main idea is supported by details, facts,
and examples.

A generalization is a statement that is generally considered true, based on the facts

available.

A prediction is a reasoned guess, based on clues in the text, about what will happen
next.

An inference is a conclusion drawn from information that is not directly stated in a text.
You can communicate information through written reports and presentations.
Make sure you never plagiarize the work of someone else. Write in your own words, and
always give credit to your sources.

A written report is usually more formal than an oral presentation.

When you have a problem to solve, use a step-by-step process to arrive at a solution.
There are steps you can follow to make big decisions.

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