Sixth Grade Social Studies

1st Nine Weeks

Foundations

Culture

culture

What people believe, eat, wear, and how they live.

culture region

People in an area of the world that share the same culture People in Latin

America share a similar culture.

culture borrowing

When people from one culture borrow things like food, clothing styles, or art from another culture.

American culture has shared blue jeans with the world.

multiculturalism

To accept many cultures instead of just one.

I like pizza, enchiladas, and hotdogs. Kids at my school speak lots of different languages, and that’s great!

Culture describes how people live. It is about what they believe, the kinds of foods they eat and what they wear. People who live in an area of the world and share a common culture live in a culture region. In multiculturalism, people accept many different cultures. Culture borrowing takes place when people in one culture borrow food, clothes, beliefs, or styles from another culture.

culture

World Religions

Judaism

Followers are called Jews. They believe in one God and that God gave them the land called Israel.

Christianity

Followers are called Christians. They believe in the same God as Jews and Muslims. Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God.

Islam

Followers are called Muslims. They believe in the same God as Christians and Jews. They believe God sent a prophet called Mohammad.

Hinduism

Followers are called Hindus. They believe in many gods. This religion started in India.

Buddhism

Followers are called Buddhists. Believers follow the teachings of a man they called the Buddha.

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are three religions that all believe in the same God. Hinduism is a religion that believe in many gods. Most Hindus live in India. Buddhism is based on the teachings of a man called the Buddha.

World Religions

Government

government

How people in a society decide to make laws, carry them out, and change the laws, and how they protect themselves from danger.

limited government

When the government has limits placed on it. The government cannot do whatever it wants.

Sorry government, but you are not

allowed to do that.

unlimited government

When the government has no limits. It can do whatever it wants.

I said bad things about the

government, so it put me in jail.

The way a group of people make and carry out their laws is called a government. In a limited government, the government has to follow rules. In an unlimited government, the government can do whatever it wants. The United States has a limited government.

government

Types of Governments

democracy

A government ruled by the people. The people make all decisions about how to run things.

We decide how to govern ourselves.

republic

A government in which citizens elect people called representatives to make decisions for them. The United States is a republic.

We vote for our leaders.

monarchy

Rule by a king or queen. The new king or queen is the child of the old one.

totalitarianism

The government has total control. The people have no say in how they are governed.

If you say bad things about the government,

you could end up in jail, like me.

In a democracy, the people make all government decisions. People who live in a republic elect leaders to make government decision. The only way to become king in a monarchy is to be the oldest son of the current king. People who live in a totalitarian country have no say in their government.

Types of Governments

Geography

geography

The study of people, places, and the environment.

transportation corridor

A path that makes transportation easier.

Example – flat plains or rivers are easy to travel and make transportation easy.

transportation barrier

A geographic feature that makes transportation hard or impossible.

Examples – mountains and deserts are hard to cross.

What the earth looks like and how people live in those places is what we study in geography. Mountains and deserts are hard to cross, and they are a transportation barrier. Rivers and flat plains are easy to travel, and they create a transportation corridor.

geography basics 1

equator

0 degrees latitude

The imaginary line that divides the earth into the northern half and southern half.

Equator

latitude

Imaginary lines that measure distance north and south of the equator.

longitude

Imaginary lines that run from the north pole to the south pole. They measure distance east and west of 0 degrees longitude (the prime meridian)

Maps have features to help us find places quickly. Latitude lines go east and west around the globe. They tell us how far we are from the equator. The equator divides the globe in half between the north and south poles. Longitude lines run from the north and south poles. They tell us how far we are from the prime meridian.

geography basics 2

Economics

economics

How people use what they have available to make money or provide services.

market economy

• Each person chooses to own land and/or business (stocks).

• This choice is based on what will make money.

• Synonyms: Free Enterprise and capitalism

command economy

• The government makes all decisions about what is produced, how much is produced, and the price it will be sold for.

• People often have no choice about what kind of job they have.

You will work where we tell you to work and

make what we tell you to make OR ELSE!

traditional economy

Based on customs and jobs passed from one generation to the next.

Example: If the father was a farmer, the son will be a farmer, too.

father

son

If you live in a market economy, you will get to decide how you want to make money based on your skills and education. If you live in a traditional economy, you will probably have the same type of job as your parents and grandparents. If you live in a command economy, the government will make all of the decisions about what kind of jobs you may have.

Types of Economies

factors of production

All of the parts needed to make goods or services.

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natural resources

Raw materials used to make to make goods

labor resources

Workers (people) with the skills to make the goods

capital resources

Machines, factories, and supplies used to make the goods

entrepreneurs

People who bring all of the resources together to produce goods and services

The factors of production are the pieces needed to make goods. They include raw materials are made into the goods. Labor resources are the workers who make the goods. Capital resources are the tools and factories the workers use to make the goods. Entrepreneurs are the people who bring the factors of production together so that the goods can get made.

parts of an economy

supply and demand

Supply – how much of something that you have

Demand – how much others want your product

law of supply and demand

• If the supply is high and the demand is low, the price goes down

• If the supply is low and the demand is high, the price goes up.

goods and services

• Goods – any object you can buy to satisfy a want

• Service – an action that meets a want

• Example – Buying a CD is a “good.” Doing your chores to earn the money for a CD is a “service.”

GoodService

trade / barter

An exchange of goods where no money is involved.

Example: when friends trade with each other, trading one video game for another.

GDP

GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is the total value of goods and services that a country produces in one year. The higher the GDP, the wealthier the country.

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One way to tell if a nation is wealthy is to look at its GDP. Wealthy nations have a high GDP, and poor nations have a low GDP.

Where people do not have access to cash, they use trade or barter to trade what they do have for what they do not have but want or need.

Supply and demand helps determine what goods will cost. People will perform a service, such as doing chores, to earn money to buy goods.

other economy terms