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Social Studies Concepts and Descriptions
Each Concept is linked to a graphic that explains it and a short example video.
History Concepts
Balance: When power is equal on both sides.
Example Video
Change:To make or become different.
Civilization: Organized: Urban Development, Political & Social Structure, Control of the Natural Environment: a Complex Society.
Colonialism: The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers and exploiting it economically.
Example Video
Conflict: A disagreement, sometimes un-reconcilable, that may lead to aggressive military behavior.
Example Video
Conquest: The subjugation and assumption of control of a place or people by use of military force.
Example Video
Consequence: The intended or unintended result of an action or decision.
Example Video
Continuity: An uninterrupted, consistent operation.
Culture: Traditions, customs or way of life of a community.
Example Video
Era: A long and distinct period of history with a particular feature or characteristic.
Escalation: An increase in the intensity or seriousness of a situation leading to a larger crisis.
Exploration: The action of traveling in or through an unfamiliar area in order to learn about it.
Example Video
Identity: The values, culture and traditions that an individual or group of people identify with.
Independence: The fact or state of being independent.
Innovation: Innovation is the act of improving something or creating something that is a new technology.
Imperialism: The policy of extending a nation's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.
Industrialization: Process of transforming an economy based on individual craftsman into automated assembly line factories.
Invention: The action of inventing something, typically a process or device
Isolation: To have little or no contact with other peoples.
Example Video
Migration: When people or animals move from one place to another.
Militarism: Policy of glorifying military power and being prepared for war.
Nationalism: A sentiment or sense of belonging or pride in your country
Origins: The point or place where something begins, arises, or is derived.
Patterns: A series of actions or behaviors that are consistent.
Progressivism: Political philosophy based on social reform through advancements in science, technology, economic development and social organization.
Revolution: The forceable overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system.
Sectionalism: Narrowing your interest to more local/state/regional issues- disregarding the overall good of the state or nation.
Self-Interest: Making decisions based on what is the most advantageous for the individual or group of people.
Time: a unit of measurement such as years, decades or centuries that help historians chronologically place history into eras and can use markers such as AD & BC or BCE & CE.
Total War: Policy of using all of a nation's resources including control of the economy to win a war.
Example Video
War: A conflict that results in military action between groups or nations.
Example Video
Government Concepts
Authority: The power or right to give orders, makes decisions and enforce obedience.
Checks & Balances: Political system where the branches of government can check the power of one another making the branches equal.
Communism: A way of organizing society in which the government owns the means of production and there is no private property.
Democratization: The transition to a government that includes more of the people.
Domestic & Foreign Policy: Policy issues characterized by whether they are inside or outside of a nation.
Empire: An extensive group of states or countries controlled by a supreme, central authority.
Fascism: Political philosophy that exalts nation and often race above the individual and is led by an authoritarian government.
Example Video
Government Systems: The institutions or systems which make up the government of a nation.
Example Video
Leadership: To be responsible for guiding a group of people or nation.
Example Video
Nation-State: Nation: Homogeneous group of people (of the same nationality) State: Political organization that has sovereignty (makes their own decisions with no higher authority to answer to).
Republic: A state where power is held by the people. Representatives are elected by the people and held accountable through elections. A president is also elected as opposed to a hereditary monarch.
Socialism: A way of organizing society where the government owns part of the means of production and directs the economy.
Totalitarianism: Government control of all aspects of public and private life.
Example Video
Economic Concepts
Budget: An estimation of revenues and expenses over a specified period of time.
Surplus: When revenues exceed expenses over s specified period of time.
Deficit: When expenses exceed revenues over a specified period of time.
Depression, Recession, Recovery:
Depression: A long term, severe, economic downturn.
Recession: Significant decline in economic activity lasting for several months
Recovery: Follows a Recession, economy economic activity returns to levels prior to Recession
Inflation: A general increase in prices and decrease in the purchasing power of money.
Deflation: A general decrease in prices caused by a decrease in the supply of money.
Markets: Any structure that allows buyers and sellers to exchange any type of goods, services or information for money.
Example Video
Supply & Demand: Supply- Quantity of a resource available, Demand- How great the need for the resource= Value.
Example Video
Trade: The transferring of goods in exchange for something of value. Ex. Money
Example Video
Geography Concepts
City-State-Country: City: a relatively permanent and highly organized population of people. State: a subdivision of a country. Country: a political state or nation.
Natural Resources: Materials or substances that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain.
Region: A large area that is a part or division of something larger
Urban/Rural: Urban: Referring to a town or city, Rural: Outside a town or city “In the country”
Value: The importance, worth or usefulness of something.
Example Video
Culture Concepts
Religion: A system of beliefs, symbols and rituals, that guide human behavior, gives meaning to life and unites believers into a community.
Example Video
Social Systems: A people in a society organized by a characteristic of behaviors.
Example Video
Tolerance: The ability to live with beliefs or behaviors that one does not agree with.
Example Video
Values & Beliefs: Shared beliefs about what is good-bad, right-wrong, or desirable-undesirable / Specific statements that people hold to be true.
Example Video
Global Connections Concepts
Alliance: An agreement between two or more parties to advance common goals or interests.
Climate Change:
Communication:
Complexity: The state or quality of being intricate or complicated.
Example Video
Cooperation: The process of working together to achieve a common outcome.
Example Video
Crisis: A time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger.
Diffusion: When culture, goods or ideas are mixed together and can result in blending and innovation.
Genocide: The deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political or cultural group.
Example Video
Global Economy:
Human Rights: Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more.
International Law: A body of rules established by custom or treaty and recognized by nations as binding in their relations with one another.
Interdependence: A relationship where each person or group of people is dependent on another person or group.
Invasion: The act of attacking a country or region with an armed force.
Example Video
Peace: The absence of conflict or war.
System:
Terrorism: the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.
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Teaching With Concepts
Every History topic is centered around a few concepts. When students learn and understand History Concepts they are able apply those concepts to other topics and develop a deeper understanding of why historical events happened
Topics Vs. Concepts
Topic: Is a specific event, era or subject in history.
Concept: is something that is timeless and transferable.
-Not specific to any particular topic -Can be applied to many different topics or subjects
Concept Based Learning