Chapter One
Geography, History, and the Social Sciences
Please do not forget to study your Powerpoint slides and read Chapter 1
Visit http://www.mrzindman.com to view the slides and the textbook
(Visit the link for 7th grade Social Studies)
 Thinking Geographically
o Geography is the study of people, their environments, and their resources
o Latitude measures the distance North and South from the Equator
o Longitude measures the distance East and West from the Prime Meridian
o The Equator is an imaginary line at zero degrees that divides the world into two
halves or hemispheres
o Natural resources are materials that humans take from the environment to survive
o Irrigation is bringing water to dry lands
o A map is a drawing of the Earth or part of the Earth
o A globe is a sphere with a map of the Erath printed on it
o A map maker is called a cartographer
o A map projection is a picture of the Earth on a flat surface
1
 Lands and Climates of the United States
o An isthmus is a narrow strip of land that links North America to South America
o Elevation is the height above sea level
o Erosion is the gradual wearing away of land
o A tributary is a small stream or river that flows into a bigger one
o The condition of the Earth’s weather at a given time is known as weather
o The average temperature over an area in a 20-30 year period is known as climate
o Precipitation is falling rain, snow, sleet or hail
o Altitude is height of land above sea level
2
3
A Political Map of the United States
4
Study the American Nation Textbook Chapter 1, Page 18 for
the description of each geographic term. You can view the textbook at
www.mrzindman.com (see the link for 7th Grade Social Studies)
5
 The Tools of History
o A primary source is firsthand information about people or events
o A secondary source is an account provided after the fact by people that did not
directly witness or participate in the event
o Authenticity refers to whether the source has actually what it seems to be
o Bias is leaning toward or against a certain person
o Artifacts are things made by humans
o Archaeology is the study of Earths early people
o Culture is the way of life that a people developed
o Chronology is the sequence of events over time
 Economics and Other Social Sciences
o The study of how people manage their limited resources to satisfy their needs and
wants is known as economics
o Users of goods and services are called consumers
o A cash economy is when we exchange money for goods and services
o The social sciences is made up of Economics, Geography, and History
o The study of government is known as political science
o Civics is the study of the rights and responsibilities of citizens
o The study of how peoples and cultures develop is known as anthropology
o Sociology is the study of how people behave in groups
o Psychology is the study of how people behave and think
6