th
4
Aug
If you could live
anywhere in the world- where
would that be and why?
Items to add to your map
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Alberta
China
Saudi Arabia
Himalayas
Washington State
Ireland
Zimbabwe
Alps
Chile
Rocky Mountains
2008 Olympics
Andes Mountains
Quebec
Ural Mountains
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Pakistan
Finland
Tajikistan
Uganda
Winnipeg
Sahara Desert
Paraguay
Malaysia
Mongolia
Poland
West Siberian Plain
Costa Rica
French Guiana
India
Greece
Introduction to Social
Studies
Welcome to
the World!!!!
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There are five
fields of learning in
social studies. We
learn about the
world and its
people by studying
geography, history,
economics,
government,
and culture.
The Hoover Dam on Lake Mead at the
Arizona-Nevada border.
History
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History…
is a record of the past; the past
shapes the present
With your group decide on 5 things
that happened in history that
influence who we are today…
Government
How Countries Govern
 Every country has laws—rules that govern
behavior
 Government makes and enforces laws
Limited and Unlimited Governments
 Limited—everyone obeys laws, including rulers
 Unlimited—rulers have absolute authority over
everyone, everything
With your group write 2 countries that have limited
government, and 2 countries that have unlimited
government…
Government Continued
Citizen—a legal member of a
country with rights and duties
 Two ways to achieve citizenship:
- born in country
- Naturalization
Is there anyone that was born in
another country?
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Economics
The Study of Resources
Economics—the study of how people manage
resources ( what you do with what you have)
 Scarcity—conflict between unlimited desires and
limited resources ( there is never as much as you
want or need!) Resources
 Economists identify three types of resources:
- natural: gifts of nature
- human: production skills
- capital: goods and services produced
Culture
Culture—shared beliefs, customs,
laws, art, ways of living
Many Regions, Many Cultures
people share common:
- beliefs
- history
- language
- religion
- technology
- work
- food
- clothing
- shelter
With your group,
decide what cultural
regions there are
located throughout
the world…be sure to
use the definition to
justify your choices
The World’s Culture Regions
Where you right???
The world has seven culture regions:
- U.S. and Canada
- Latin America
- Europe and former U.S.S.R.
- North Africa and Southwest Asia
- Africa south of the Sahara
- South Asia
- East Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands
Elements of Culture
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With your half of the class- decide
what are some of the characteristics
of your culture.
How Does Religion Effect
Culture?
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Next, with your group describe how
religion has effected our culture in
the United States- name specific
examples on how religion shapes
who we are today.
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What Cultural Conflicts have you
seen within your school and in the
United States?
The World?
Government and Culture…
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How can Government (laws) effect
culture of a society?
THE FIVE THEMES OF
GEOGRAPHY
Geography
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Geography – is the study of people,
places, and the environment
The study of geography focuses on five
themes:
location
region
place
movement
human-environment interaction
Theme 1: Location
Absolute Location
Absolute location —the
exact spot on Earth where
a place is found
latitude—lines parallel to
equator; show distance
north and south of Equator
longitude—lines between
North and South Polesshow distance east and
west of prime meridian
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Lat is fat!!!!
Longitude
Relative Location
Relative location is where a
place is in relation to other
places example:
"Turn right when you see
the big monkey statue,
move 5 blocks down and on
your left will be a water
fountain".
Our Absolute Location
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With your group,
determine our
absolute location.
You want to
describe it in terms
of where you are
right now and work
your way out!
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Mrs. Chen’s Room#505
Freedom Middle School
City- Canton
County-Cherokee
State-Georgia
County- United States
Continent- North America
Hemisphere- Northern
and Western
Planet-Earth
System- Solar
Galaxy- Milky Way
Theme 2: Regions
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Regions are used to make comparisons.
Regions have unifying characteristics
such as climate, population, or history.
What region do we live in? What type of
region is it? What are its characteristics?
What states do you define as the
South? The Northeast? What
characteristics and perceptions go along
with these regions?
Theme 3: Place
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What do you think of when you imagine
China? Japan? Russia? Saudi Arabia?
Places have both human and physical characteristics, as
well as images.
Physical characteristics include mountains, rivers, soil,
beaches, wildlife, soil. Places have human characteristics
also. These characteristics are derived from the ideas and
actions of people that result in changes to the environment,
such as buildings, roads, clothing, and food habits.
The image people have of a place is based on their
experiences, both intellectual and emotional. People's
descriptions of a place reveal their values, attitudes, and
perceptions.
Theme 4: Movement
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The movement of people, the import
and export of goods, and mass
communication have all played major
roles in shaping our world.
People everywhere interact. They
travel from place to place and they
communicate. We live in a global
village and global economy.
Movement Continued
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People interact with each other through
movement. Humans occupy places unevenly on
Earth because of the environment but also
because we are social beings. We interact with
each other through travel, trade, information
flows (E-Mail) and political events.
Not only do humans move but also ideas move;
fashions move; fads move. What is an example
of an idea that moves? How do we depend on
people in other places?
What would happen if
we traveled by camel or horse? How do we move
from place to place?
Theme 5: Human Interaction
How do humans and the environment affect
each other?
There are three key concepts the
human/environmental interaction:
 Humans adapt on the environment.
 Humans modify the environment.
 Humans depend to the environment.
With your group, identify ways we adapt,
modify, and depend on the environment
The Geographer’s World
Geographers study
Earth in terms of
location, place,
region, movement,
and humanenvironment
interaction. They
use tools such as
maps, charts, and
graphs to
Botafogo Bay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
represent Earth.
Types of Maps- You Have to
Know this!!!!
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Physical Map: shows identifiable landmarks such
as mountains, rivers, lakes, oceans, and other
permanent geographic features
Types Of Maps
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Political Map: Map which shows
countries, borders, and major cities
Types of Maps
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Thematic map- shows area with specific
information, such as climate, natural
resources, or human populations
Things to know on a globe:
Location
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Equator - 0°
North and South poles
are 90°
Each degree of
latitude is equal to 69
miles.
Introduction to Geography
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Location Continued
a. Longitude – the
location lines that run
around the earth
through the north and
south pole.
b. Meridians – another
name for the longitude
lines.
c. Prime Meridian - 0°
runs through Greenwich,
England. Opposite side
of the earth would be
180°
Introduction to Geography
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Globes and Maps
Globe – The best way to present a map
of the Earth. A round map like to Earth
itself.
Scale – The difference between the
actual and the model.
Distortion – By changing the shape of
the Earth map, you create distortion
between the real Earth and the map.
Introduction to Geography
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Globes and Maps Cont.
Projections – The act of putting the
globe onto a flat map.
Examples:
Mercator (1st)
Interrupted
Equal-Area
Peters
Robinson (new)
Introduction to Geography
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The Parts of the Map
Compass Rose – A model of a
compass on the map that show the
cardinal directions.
Cardinal Directions – North, South,
East, and West
Key or Legend – The place on the
map where certain symbols will be
explained.
Introduction to Geography
Page 41 in the book…Review and
Activities
Latitude and Longitude