Social Studies Learning Guide:
Vocabulary:
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Explorer:a person who studies and visits unknown lands
Exploration: the process of exploring
Discover: to learn or find something new either by accident (unexpectedly) or
because you were in search of it.
Compass: an instrument that shows direction and has a needle that always points
north. The marks on a compass show cardinal directions, which are north, south,
east, and west.
Map: a flat picture of a place; drawn from an aerial perspective.
Globe: a round model of earth containing continents and oceans
Horizontal: side to side
Intermediate directions: northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest
Equator: The imaginary line that divides the earth into the Northern and Southern
Hemispheres
Prime Meridian: The imaginary line that divides the earth into the Eastern and
Western Hemispheres
Timeline: a number line marked in years, centuries, etc. It is used as a visual aide to
help understand the chronological organization of history and the relationship of
one era to another.
Museum: a building where important cultural, historical, or scientific objects are
kept and shown to the public.
Motivate: to give someone a reason to do something
Big Ideas:
 Know all parts of a map-title, key with symbols, compass rose
 Know the cardinal (north, south, east, west) and intermediate directions (northwest,
northeast, southwest, southeast)
 Know how to give directions from one object to another (ex: the house is southwest
of the park)
 Be able to answer questions about a globe-how it is similar and different to a map,
what the equator is, what the prime meridian is, what the different hemispheres are,
what the North and South poles are and where they are located
 Know the seven continents (North American, South America, Africa, Asia, Europe,
Antarctica, Australia) and four oceans (Atlantic, Pacific,
Indian, Arctic)
 Know what people/events led to the Age of Exploration.
 Know how people view the world before the 1400s.
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Know about a group of explorers called the Vikings who were famous for their
raiding of other lands and the discoveries of new lands.
 Know that in the 1400’s European explorers began to travel to China and India in
search of silk and spices.
 Know the reasons did the Vikings have for exploring? (There was not enough
farmland in Scandinavia for all of the people, probably seeking riches and were
adventurous, Scandinavia was a cold country (far from equator.))
 Know about the lifestyle of a Viking-their life on the farm, their homes, their
clothing, the sports/games they played, their education and even how they married.
 Know that the Vikings traveled by ship.
 Know that the Vikings raided and settled in Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, Greenland,
North America, Spain…
 Know that Vikings came from Scandinavia : Norway, Sweden, Denmark
 Know the Vikings began invading Europe in 900 AD
 Know that Vikings explored because…
1. There was not enough farmland in Scandinavia for all of the people,
2. Probably seeking riches and were adventurous
3. Curiosity
4. Scandinavia was a cold country (far from equator)
 Use a compass rose and locate the following places on a map:
o Norway, Ireland, Baltic Sea, Sweden, Greenland, North Sea, Finland, Africa,
Atlantic Ocean, Denmark, Turkey, Mediterranean Sea, Iceland, Black Sea, and
England
Explorers:
 Leif Erikson
o Year: 1002
o Reason to Exploration: He wanted to find wood for Viking settlements in
Greenland
o Accomplishment(s): He became the first European to set foot on the North
American continent
 Christopher Columbus
o Year: 1492-1504
o Reason to Exploration: He wanted to head west to find an all-water route to
Asia
o Accomplishments: He opened up the Western Hemisphere to Europe.
 John Cabot
o Year: 1497
o Reason to Exploration: He wanted to find an all-water route to Asia by
traveling north and west.
o Accomplishments: He explored the waters off Canada, but thought he was in
Asia. He discovered the Grand Banks, a rich fishing area.
 Hernando Cortes
o Year: 1519
o Reason to Exploration: He wanted to conquer the Aztecs for their gold and
silver.
o Accomplishments: He conquered the Aztecs, stole their gold and silver, and
claimed their land for Spain.
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Jacques Cartier
o Year: 1534
o Reason to Exploration: He wanted to find a Northwest passage to Asia.
o Accomplishments: He discovered the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the St.
Lawrence River. He also claimed as area for France.
Henry Hudson
o Year: 1609-1610
o Reason to Exploration: He wanted to find a northern route or “Northwest
Passage” to the Indies.
o Accomplishments: He did not find the Northwest Passage, but did discover
a river into New York and a large bay. These are called the Hudson Straight
and Hudson bay respectively.
Dear Students and Parents,
Attached you will find the Learning Guide for the first marking period
of Social Studies. A learning guide is a tool that will give key
information about the upcoming unit of study and will help students
review information that is covered in school at home. We hope that it
will lead to interesting discussions about material being covered in
class and promote the use of new vocabulary. Other materials will also
come home throughout the unit to help with studying for tests or
quizzes.
Miss Cook