Social Studies
Grade 6
Ch. 1
“Digging Up the Past”
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Lesson 1
Beringia
A prehistoric “lAnd bridge”
that once connected Asia with
North America
Prehistory
The long period
of time before
people developed
systems
of writing
and
written language
Archaeolgy
The study
of past cultures
through the things
that remain
such as
buildings, tools,
or pottery
Archaeologist
A scientist
who uncovers
evidence,
or proof,
from the past
Artifact
An
object
made
by people
long ago
To move
from
one place
to another
Glacier
A
huge
ice
sheet
A period
of time
when glaciers
covered
great stretches
of land
Fossil
The bone of a long dead human
or animal. Plants may also
become fossilized.
Lesson 2
The way
in which
humans produce
the items
they use
DOMESTICATE
To
tame
Harvest
To
gather
Excation Site
(or excavate)
A site
where
archaeologists
uncover
artifacts
Agriculture
The raising of plants and animals
for human use
Surplus
An
Extra
Supply
(Extra grain
is stored in
these
buildings.)
Nomad
A person
who travels
from
place to place
without a
permanent home
Social Division/
Specialization
A group
that does
a certain type
of work
Climate
The average
weather
conditions
of a place
over a long
span of time
Carbon Dating
A method
of estimating
the age
of something
after
it has died
Stone Age
The period
of time
when humans
relied primarily
on stone tools
Old STone Age
(Paleolithic)
The early,
longer period
of the stone age
when
little progress
was made
New Stone Age
(Neolithic)
The late period
of the Stone Age
when humans
made
great improvements
in technology
Lesson 3
Culture
The way in which individuals and groups
react with their environment, including
their technology, customs, beliefs, and art
Anthropology
The study of how people have lived and developed in a cultural group.
Anthropologist
A person who studies how
people have developed
and live in cultural groups
Landform
A natural feature of Earth’s surface
such as a valley, plain, hill, or mountain
Geography
The study of the relationship between
physical features, climate, and people
Diverse
Different
Civilization
A group of people who have a
complex and organized society
within a culture