Social studies can as well be referred a social sciences. It’s a subject where human behavior, relationships, resources, and institutions are studied and expressed.
There are specific topics in social studies which are covered and studied in school – geography, anthropology, economics, history, sociology, political science, and civics.
The most important reason of teaching social studies or social science is to teach students to become good citizens. We are living in a dissimilar society — one that requires knowledge of social studies to succeed.
Social Studies Vocabulary Words with Meaning
Following is a list of common terms related to social studies from a to z for teaching kids:
- Agriculture: the class of people engaged in growing food
- Alienate: make withdrawn or isolated or emotionally dissociated
- Ambassador: a diplomat of the highest rank
- Amendment: a statement that is added to a proposal or document
- Assertion: a declaration that is made emphatically
- Assets: anything of material value owned by a person or company
- Authoritarian: characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule
- Alien: person not born in the country they are living in
- Alliance: agreement between nations to aid and protect one another
- Artifact: material object of culture such as a tool, article of clothing or prepared food
- Barter: to trade without using money
- Charter: document given by a monarch to create a colony
- Civilization: highly developed level of cultural and technological development
- Citizen: a native or naturalized member of a state
- Colony: group of people who settle in a distant land but are still ruled by the government of their native land
- Culture: entire way of life developed by a people
- Constitution: the constitution written at the constitutional convention in philadelphia in 1787 and subsequently ratified by the original thirteen states
- Congress: the legislature of the united states government
- Catastrophe: an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
- Clergy: the entire class of religious officials
- Colonial: relating to a body of people who settle far from home
- Conservative: a person who is reluctant to accept changes and new ideas
- Democracy: a political system in which power lies in a body of citizens
- Dictator: a ruler who is unconstrained by law
- Diplomat: an official engaged in international negotiations
- Direct tax: a tax paid directly by the person or organization on whom it is levied
- Embassy: a building where diplomats live or work
- Executive: a person responsible for the administration of a business
- Election: vote to select the winner of a position or political office
- Economics: the study of how people manage limited resources to satisfy their wants and needs
- Electoral college: group of electors that vote for the president
- Expansion: to make a country larger
- Expedition: journey for a particular purpose
- Exports: products made in one country and going to another
- Extended family: several generations of family members
- Federal: central government
- Federation: a principle of the united states constitution that establishes the division of power between the federal and state govt
- Famine: a severe shortage of food resulting in starvation and death
- Federal: national
- Feminist: a supporter of equal rights for women
- Feudal system: the social system in which vassals were protected by lords
- Geography: the study of people their environments and their resources
- House of representatives: group of elected officials, based on state population, that make laws
- Hardliner: a conservative who is uncompromising
- Haven: a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary
- House of representatives: the lower legislative assembly of the united states congress
- Heyday: the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
- Import: trade product brought into a country
- Impeachment: a formal document charging a public official with misconduct
- Imperialism: a policy of extending your rule over foreign countries
- Industry: the action of making of goods and services for sale
- Insurgent: a member of an irregular force that fights a stronger force
- Integration: incorporating a racial or religious group into a community
- Judicial: courts
- Judicial review: power of the supreme court to overturn a law
- Legislative: congress, relating to a lawmaking assembly
- Levy: to impose
- Liberty: freedom
- Limitation of powers: principle of the constitution that states that the govt only has the power that the constitution gives it
- Liberal: a person who favors a philosophy of progress and reform
- Legislative branch: the branch of the united states government that makes laws
- Matriarchy: social organization in which a female is the family head
- Monarchy: autocracy governed by a ruler who usually inherits authority
- Maize: field of corn
- Migration: movement of many asians to the continent of north america
- Monarchy: rule by a king or queen
- Monopoly: a company or group having control of all or nearly all of the business of an industry
- Nuclear family: mother, father, and children
- Nationalism: love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it
- Nomad: a member of a people who have no permanent home
- Ouster: the act of ejecting someone or forcing them out
- Preamble: introduction to the constitution that states its goal
- Precedent : something that has not been done before
- Primary source: first hand information about people or events
- Republic: system of government in which citizens choose representatives to govern them
- Parliament: a legislative assembly in certain countries
- Patriarchy: a form of social organization in which men hold power
- Patriotism: love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it
- Polls: the place where people vote
- Predecessor: one who goes before you in time
- Rural: country or farmland
- Representatives: serving to typify
- Representations: standing in for someone and speaking on their behalf
- Radical: a person who has revolutionary ideas or opinions
- Reform: make changes for improvement to remove abuse and injustices
- Reign: the period during which a monarch is in power
- Resurgence: bringing again into activity and prominence
- Secondary source: account provided after the fact by people who dod not directly witness of participate in the event
- Sectionalism: loyalty to a state or section, rather than a country as a whole
- Senate: group of elected officials that make laws
- Sanction: a mechanism of social control for enforcing standards
- Subsequent: following in time or order
- Totalitarian: of a government with an authority exerting absolute control
- Trend: a general direction in which something tends to move
- Unemployment: the situation in which people are willing and able to work at current wages but do not have jobs.
- Unicameral: a state government with a single legislative chamber
- Urban: an area characterized as a city or town where the population density is greater than in the surrounding area and is acknowledged as a major cultural, service, and production location in a region
- Vigilant: one who takes or advocates the taking of law enforcement into one’s own hands.
- Voluntarism: people who work without monetary compensation to help others in their family, schools, communities, state, nation, and the world
- Wants: things that people desire.
- Watershed: an area of land drained by a river and its tributaries
- Weather: atmospheric conditions as regards to temperature, moisture, winds
With a social studies background, children become adults that can participate respectfully in our democratic society.
Quick Links