Social Studies Glossary
Economic Terms
acquisition - something gained
asset - something of value owned by a firm, household or individual; what a company owns
after the debts are paid
balance of trade - the difference between the export and import of merchandise
barter - a moneyless exchange of goods and services
borrow - receive with the intention of returning, often with interest
budget - a financial plan which summarizes income and expenditures over a period of time
capital - any object used to produce a good or service; the tools of production
capitalism - another term for market economy or free enterprise system, when private
individuals own the productive resources
CEO - Chief Executive Officer
CFO - Chief Financial Officer
choice - the power to select or decide freely for oneself
circular flow - a representation that shows the flow of goods and services and of resources
and the flow of money through the product and factor markets
command economy - a system in which the basic economic questions of what to produce,
how to produce, and who should receive what is produced are answered by the government
competition - a situation in which many producers offer the same good or service for sale to
many consumers
consume - use goods or services
corporation - a business or company that is owned by many people but is considered a
single legal entity
cost/benefit analysis - judgments made from a comparison of price and benefit
CPI - consumer price index
currency - paper money and coins provided by the government
debt - something owed, typically money
deficit - when expenditures exceed income
demand - the quantity of a product that consumers will purchase at each possible price
DJIA - Down Jones Industrial Average
earnings - profits
economics - the study of people producing and exchanging to get the goods and services that
they want
EU - European Union
exchange rate - the price of one currency in terms of another
export - good or service sold to a buyer in another country
free enterprise - another term for market economy or capitalism, a system in which people
are free to start businesses and decide how resources will be used to produce goods and
services of their choice
flux - a continuing state of change
goods - a tangible object that is capable of satisfying human wants
import - a good or service purchased from a seller in another country
IMF - International Monetary Fund
incentives - a reason to do something; in market economies profit, interest, wages, and rents
are incentives that provide economic incentives
inflation - a sustained increase in the average price level
interest rate - rate of payment for borrowing someone else’s money or income for allowing
someone to use one’s capital
invest - to commit resources (usually money) in order to earn a financial return
IPO - Initial Public Offering
law of demand - all else being equal, more items will be sold at a lower price than at a higher
price
law of supply - all else being equal, more items will be offered for sale at a higher price than
at a lower price
liability - any claim or debt of an individual or business; what a business owes
market economy - using markets (voluntary exchange) as the primary means of organizing
and coordinating production, also called capitalism or free enterprise
market price - price at which goods or services and money will actually be exchanged; price
at which the supply equals the demand
market system - system where buyers and sellers exchange goods, services and money
merger - absorption by a corporation of one or more others, a method of combining
businesses
mixed economy - an economic system in which the basic economic questions are answered
by a mixture of market, command and traditional approaches
monopoly - market in which there is only one seller
Nasdaq - National Association of Securities Automated Quotation System; 500 businesses
with an emphasis on technology securities
NAFTA - North American Free Trade Organization
needs - what is essential
oligopoly - a market condition in which a few firms dominate production of a particular type
of good or service and have a substantial degree of independence
OPEC - Oil Producing Exporting Countries or Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
partnership - a business organization that is owned by two or more individuals under a
contractual agreement
price - the money value of a good or service
privitization - when a business previously owned and operated by the government is sold to
private individuals or businesses
produce - create goods or services
profit - the difference between a firm’s total revenues and its total costs
progressive tax - one that takes a larger percentage of higher income and a smaller
percentage of lower income
proportional tax - one that takes the same percentage of all incomes
quota - a restriction on the number of goods that can enter a country from abroad
regressive tax - one that takes a higher percentage of a low income and a lower percentage
of a high income
resources - the basic elements used to create goods and services, such as minerals, timber,
and fresh air
salary - the earnings of workers paid on a weekly or monthly basis
scarcity - the result of an inability to satisfy all of everyone’s wants
services - products you can’t touch, intangible items of value
specialization - production of a limited variety of products by a business, region, or country
socialism - an economic system in which the principal means of production are owned by the
state and usually the government allocates resources according to an economic plan
sole proprietorship - a business owned by one person
subsidy - financial aid, usually to a business
supply - the quantity of a good or service that firms will offer for sale at a possible price
tariff - a tax or duty on import
TINSTAAFL - There is no such thing as a free lunch.
traditional economy - a system in which the basic economic questions of what to produce,
how to produce it, and who should get what is produced are generally answered by traditions
and customs
value-added tax- tax levied on the value added to goods at every stage of production
wants - what is desired but not necessary
world marketplace - arena of global trade
WTO - World Trade Organization
Geographic Terms
absolute location - location using coordinates (latitude, longitude)
relative location - location in relation to other places - eg. New Hampshire is west of
Maine, east of Vermont, and north of Massachusetts.
demographic - relating to the statistical study of human population
geopolitical divisions - a particular state, region, or other place defined by geographic and
demographic factors
human geographic features - communication, transportation, technology, culture, etc.
physical geographic features - landforms, vegetation, climate, wildlife, soil, etc.
landforms - a feature of the earth’s surface attributed to nature
non-renewable resource - resources that are not replaced by natural ecological cycles
renewable resource - resources that can be replaced by natural ecological cycles
Civics/Government Terms
checks and balances - a political system in which different branches of the government limit
(or check) the power of the other branches
civilian control of the military - civilian authority should control the military in order to
preserve constitutional government (implied in the Constitution that the President is Commander
and Chief of the armed forces & that Congress has the power to declare war)
common good - welfare of all people
compromise - a settling of differences by arbitration or by consent reached by mutual
concessions
equal opportunity - opportunities for all, non-discrimination
equal protection - protection for all, non-discrimination
minority rights - rights of under-represented (smaller) populations
norms - a principle of right action which guides, controls and regulates proper and acceptable
behavior
popular sovereignty - government created by the people and subject to the will of the
people
rule of law - the principle that both government and the governed are subject to the law;
government decisions and actions are made according to established laws rather than by
arbitrary action or decree
sanctions - the detriment, loss of reward or coercive intervention designed to help enforce a
law
separation of church and state - church and state should be separated in order to
preserve liberty of conscience and belief
tolerance - a sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from one’s own
authoritarian - a government favoring a concentration of power in a leader who is not
constitutionally responsible to the people
constitutional democracy - government according to constitutional principles where the
power is vested in the people
democracy - government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised
by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically
held free elections
democratic republic - a country governed by representatives elected by the people,
representative democracy
direct democracy - form of government where all people meet together to make laws and
decide issues
monarchy - a government having a hereditary chief of state with life tenure and powers
varying from nominal to absolute
oligarchy - government by the few
representative democracy - form of government where people choose representatives to
govern, democratic republic
theocracy - government of a state by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are
regarded as divinely guided
totalitarian - government controlled by an autocratic leader or a political regime, based in
subordination of the individual to the state and strict control of all aspects of life and productive
capacity of the nation, often by coercive measures
Historical Terms
artifact - a product of civilization; a simple object showing human workmanship or
modification
chronology - an arrangement in order of occurrence (time)
institution - a significant practice, relationship or organization in a culture or society
interdependence - mutual dependence
the Great Wars - World War I and World War II
Introduction
Social Studies Topic Outline
Social Studies education is the study of history, the humanities and the social
sciences, including economics, political science, sociology, anthropology,
psychology, archaeology, geography and philosophy. The social studies
provide students with opportunities to understand and appreciate their place
in the past and present history of our communities, our state, our country and
the world. It helps them to understand the ideals and principles of our
democratic government and the foundations of responsible citizenship.
When students learn the processes and skills of inquiry and social studies
research, they are able to apply the concepts, principles and knowledge they
have learned to make informed and reasoned judgments and decisions.
Social Studies education provides students with the knowledge, skills and
appreciation that enable them to be contributing members of society.
This Social Studies curriculum is delineated by grade levels. The curriculum
and proficiency standards in this topic outline spiral as concepts and skills
are applied in different contexts at an increasingly higher level of
understanding each year. An appendix includes a list of vital themes from the
study of the Social Studies, a list of famous people in history and their cross
curricular connections, a timeline of some important events and
developments in world history and a glossary of Social Studies terms.
Teachers in all disciplines are encouraged to use these resources as they
integrate the study of civics, geography, economics and history into their
planning and instruction.
The Social Studies topic outline is a guide book for all who teach Social
Studies in our school district. It is based on the New Hampshire State
Frameworks and the National Social Studies Teachers Association
standards. Clear, consistent, rigorous expectations for student learning are
articulated throughout the K-12 experience in the Inter-Lakes School District.
The goal is to prepare our students for a life time of learning.
Inter-Lakes School District
Social Studies
Topic Outline
This document is the result of the dedication and
collaborative thinking of the Social Studies Topic Outline
committee:
Juli Dennett
Anne Galligan
Laurie Johnson
Steve Kelley
Alesia Parks
Nancy Watt
Some Famous People in History
and their Cross-Curricular Connections
Note: This list is not exhaustive but lists many of the famous people who have
been influential. Please feel free to add others to the list.
Kindergarten
Martin Luther King - American clergyman who was assassinated
Abraham Lincoln - 16th President of the U.S.
George Washington - 1st President of the U.S.
Grade 1
Martin Luther King - American clergyman who was assassinated
Abraham Lincoln - 16th President of the U.S.
George Washington - 1st President of the U.S.
Grade 2
Martin Luther King - American clergyman who was assassinated
Abraham Lincoln - 16th President of the U.S.
George Washington - 1st President of the U.S.
Grade 3
famous people from cultures studied
Grade 4
famous NH people
Grade 5
Alexander Graham Bell - inventor of the telephone
George Washington Carver - researcher on industrial uses of the peanut
Thomas Edison - inventor with over a thousand patents including the incandescent light bulb,
the mimeograph, the phonograph and the microphone
Henry Ford - American automobile manufacturer
Benjamin Franklin - statesman, scientist, philosopher - famous diplomat, experiments with
electricity and publisher of Pennsylvania Gazette and Poor Richard’s Almanac
Thomas Jefferson - third President of the US, wrote Declaration of Independence
Abraham Lincoln - 16th President of the US during the Civil War - assassinated while in
office
Guglielmo Marconi - Italian inventor known for the telegraph
Harriet Tubman - spy for the Union during the Civil War, known for her work with the
Underground Railroad
Eli Whitney - inventor of the cotton gin
Orville and Wilbur Wright - pioneers in aviation
Grade 6
Alexander the Great - famous Greek leader and conqueror
Aristotle - Greek philosopher
Augustus Caesar - first Roman emperor
Julius Caesar - Roman general and statesman, head of the oligarchic party, known for
reform of the calendar as well
Charlemagne - King of the Franks and emperor of the West, founded schools, patron of
literature, science and art
Cheops - or Khufu - first king of the 4th dynasty of Egypt, erected largest of pyramids of
Giza
Jesus Christ - man whose teachings, personal example and sacrificial death are the
foundations of the Christian religion
Christopher Columbus - explorer who believed the earth was round, and discovered
America on behalf of Spain
Nicholaus Copernicus - Polish scientist who is regarded as the founder of modern
astronomy in establishing a theory that earth rotates on its axis and that the planets revolve
around the sun
Hernando Cortez - Spanish conqueror of Mexico
Rene Descartes - French mathematician, scientist and philosopher who developed the
Cartesian system
Euclid - Greek geometer (also a Greek philosopher by the same name who was a follower of
Socrates)
Galileo Galilei - Italian astronomer and physicist who first conceived the laws of motion
later formulated by Newton
Vasco de Gama - Portuguese explorer who first sailed from around Africa to the East
Johan Gutenberg - German inventor of printing from moveable type
Homer - traditional ancient Greek poet to whom the Iliad and the Odyssey are attributed
Queen Isabella I - joint sovereign with her husband Ferdinand in Spain, gave money to
Columbus
Justinian I - emperor of the Eastern Empire who preserved Roman law for future generations
Ferdinand Magellan - Portuguese explorer whose expedition completed circumnavigation
of the globe; he died enroute
Mani - Persian sage who began a new religious movement combining Zoroastrianism and
Christianity who was crucified for preaching
Michelangelo - Italian sculptor, painter, architect and poet of the high renaissance
Moses - Hebrew prophet and lawgiver
Francisco Pizzaro - Spanish conqueror of Peru
Plato - Greek philosopher who was a disciple of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle
Pope Urban II - powerful Benedictine pope during the middle ages
Edward de Vere (Shakespeare) - English dramatist and poet
Leonardo da Vinci - Italian painter, sculptor, architect, engineer and scientist
Grade 7
Buddha - Indian philosopher, founder of Buddhism
Confucius - Chines philosopher whose writing deals with morals and whose maxims are still
taught as a guide for daily life for people
Gandhi - Hindu nationalist & spiritual leader who advocated for social reforms
Genghis Khan - Mongol conqueror
Mohammed - Arabian prophet and founder of the Islam religion
Shih Huang Ti - Chinese emperor, fourth monarch of the Ch’in Dynasty, known for ordering
the burning of the books
Ts’ai Lun - Chinese man who invented paper from tree bark, hemp, rages and fish nets
Lao Tzu - Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism
Grade 8
Benjamin Franklin - statesman, scientist, philosopher - famous diplomat, experiments with
electricity and publisher of Pennsylvania Gazette and Poor Richard’s Almanac
Thomas Jefferson - 3rd President of the U.S.
George Washington - 1st President of the U.S.
U.S. and N.H. Government
state and national legislators who represent our towns/state
governor
President and his Cabinet
Economics
Adam Smith - Scottish economist
Karl Marx - German political philosopher who developed the theory of socialism
Thomas Malthus - English economist
Ricardo - known for the idea of comparative advantage
John Maynard Keynes - Keynesian theory
U.S. History I
Simon Bolivar - South American soldier, statesman and revolutionary leader
Napolean Bonaparte - emperor of France with exceptional military genius
Benjamin Franklin - statesman, scientist, philosopher - famous diplomat, experiments with
electricity and publisher of Pennsylvania Gazette and Poor Richard’s Almanac
Alexander Hamilton - American lawyer and statesman who was the first Secretary of the
Treasury
John Hancock - American Revolutionary statesman, first governor of Massachusetts, first
signer of Declaration of Independence
Patrick Henry - American Revolutionary leader attributed to the statement “Give me liberty
or give me death!”
Thomas Jefferson - third President of the U.S.
John Locke - English philosopher
U.S. History I (continued)
James Madison - fourth President of the U.S.
James Monroe - fifth President of the U.S.
Montesquieu - French lawyer, writer and political philosopher
Thomas Paine - political philosopher and author, wrote Common Sense
Voltaire - French writer known for satire
James Watt - Scottish mechanical engineer and inventor, known for steam engine
U.S. History II
Albert Einstein - theoretical physicist known for the theory of relativity and many other
physics theories, who immigrated to US from Germany and became a naturalized citizen
Adolf Hitler - German chancellor and Fuhrer who instituted violent anti-Semitic policy
John F. Kennedy - 35th President of the U.S.
John Locke - English philosopher
Franklin D. Roosevelt - 32nd President of the U.S.
Theodore Roosevelt - 26th President of the U.S.
Adam Smith - Scottish economist
Mao Zedong - Chinese Communist leader
Ancient and Medieval History
Aristotle - Greek philosopher
Julius Caesar - Roman general and statesman, head of the oligarchic party, known for
reform of the calendar as well
Simon Bolivar - South American soldier, statesman and revolutionary leader
Charlemagne - King of the Franks and emperor of the West, founded schools, patron of
literature, science and art
Cheops - or Khufu - first king of the 4th dynasty of Egypt, erected largest of pyramids of
Giza
Jesus Christ - man whose teachings, personal example and sacrificial death are the
foundations of the Christian religion
Constantine the Great - Roman emperor
Copernicus - Polish scientist who is regarded as the founder of modern astronomy in
establishing a theory that earth rotates on its axis and that the planets revolve around the sun
Cyrus the Great - King of Persia and founder of the Persian empire
Euclid - Greek geometer (also a Greek philosopher by the same name who was a follower of
Socrates)
Galileo Galilei - Italian astronomer and physicist who first conceived the laws of motion
later formulated by Newton
Johan Gutenberg - German inventor of printing from moveable type
Homer - traditional ancient Greek poet to whom the Iliad and the Odyssey are attributed
Justinian I - emperor of the Eastern Empire who preserved Roman law for future generations
Ancient and Medieval History (continued)
Mani - Persian sage who began a new religious movement combining Zoroastrianism and
Christianity who was crucified for preaching
Menes - First King of the Thinite dynasty in Egypt, united the north & south kingdoms
Michelangelo - Italian sculptor, painter, architect and poet of the high renaissance
Mohammed - Arabian prophet and founder of the Islam religion
Moses - Hebrew prophet and lawgiver
Saint Paul - apostle of Jesus whose conversion to Christianity was preceded by a vision
Plato - Greek philosopher who was a disciple of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle
Pope Urban II - powerful Benedictine pope during the middle ages
William the Conqueror - King of England who strengthened the power of the crown by
building castles and giving land to his followers, established the feudal system
Zoroaster - founder of the religion Zoroastrianism of the ancient Persians
Modern European History
St. Thomas Aquinas - Italian scholastic philosopher
Francis Bacon - English philosopher and author
John Calvin - French theologian and reformer
Nicholaus Copernicus - Polish scientist who is regarded as the founder of modern
astronomy in establishing a theory that earth rotates on its axis and that the planets revolve
around the sun
Winston Churchill - British statesman and author
Oliver Cromwell - Lord Protector of England
Madame Curie - physical chemist who discovered radium with her husband, Pierre
Albert Einstein - theoretical physicist known for the theory of relativity and many other
physics theories, who immigrated to US from Germany and became a naturalized citizen
Queen Elizabeth II - current Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Mikhail Gorbachev - Russian President
Adolf Hitler - German chancellor and Fuhrer who instituted violent anti-Semitic policy
Queen Isabella I - joint sovereign with her husband Ferdinand in Spain, gave money to
Columbus
Lenin - Russian Communist leader
John Locke - English philosopher
Martin Luther - German religious reformer
Niccolo Machiavelli - Italian statesman and political philosopher
Thomas Malthus - English economist
Karl Marx - German political philosopher who developed the theory of socialism
Isaac Newton - English natural philosopher and mathematician
Louis Pasteur - French chemist
Peter the Great - Russian ruler who ruled with brother Ivan & founded Saint Petersburg
John Jacques Rousseau - French author and philosopher
Adam Smith - Scottish economist
Joseph Stalin - Russian political leader, Socialist
Voltaire - French author known for satire
Sociology
Comte - French philosopher and mathematician, founder of positivism
Charles Darwin - British naturalist and physician, known for theory of evolution
Durkheim - French sociologist
Sigmund Freud - Austrian neurologist, founder of psychoanalysis
Karl Marx - German political philosopher who developed the theory of socialism
Spencer - English philosopher advocating individualism
Max Weber - sociologist known for views on social organization and bureaucracy
Contemporary World Issues
famous people in the news
Mathematics
Archimedes - Greek mathematician and inventor, known for work in mechanics and
hydrostatics
Rene Descartes - French mathematician, scientist and philosopher who developed the
Cartesian system
Euclid - Greek geometer (also a Greek philosopher by the same name who was a follower of
Socrates)
Leonard Euler - Swiss mathematician and physicist known as one of the founders of pure
mathematics
Science
Nicholaus Copernicus - Polish scientist who is regarded as the founder of modern
astronomy in establishing a theory that earth rotates on its axis and that the planets revolve
around the sun
Madame Curie - physical chemist who discovered radium with her husband, Pierre
John Dalton - English chemist and physicist, known for table of atomic weights
Charles Darwin - British naturalist and physician, know for theory of evolution
Thomas Edison - inventor with over a thousand patents including the incandescent light bulb,
the mimeograph, the phonograph and the microphone
Albert Einstein - theoretical physicist know for the theory of relativity and many other
physics theories, who immigrated to US from Germany and became a naturalized citizen
Enrico Fermi - Italian physicist known for work in quantum theory and atomic structure and
behavior
Michael Faraday - English chemist and physicist known for his study of electricity
Alexander Fleming - British bacteriologist who discovered penicillin
Galileo Galilei - Italian astronomer and physicist who first conceived the laws of motion
later formulated by Newton
William Harvey - English physician and anatomist, discoverer of the circulation of blood
Werner Heisenberg - German Byzantine scholar and physicist
Johannes Kepler - German astronomer who discovered three laws of planetary motion
Anthony van Leeuwenhoek - Dutch naturalist who studied microorganisms
Joseph Lister - English optician, connected with the microscope
George Mendel - Austrian botanist known for breeding experiments
William T.G. Morton - American dentist who experimented with ether
Isaac Newton - English natural philosopher and mathematician who conceived the idea of
universal gravitation
Nikolaus August Otto - German technician who conceived the early internal combustion
engine
Louis Pasteur - French chemist
Gregory Pincus (Health) - known for birth control pill
Ernest Rutherford - British physicist who studied radioactivity
James Watt - Scottish engineer and inventor, known for the steam engine
Leonardo da Vinci - Italian painter, sculptor, architect, engineer and scientist
English/Language Arts
Francis Bacon - English philosopher and author
Homer - traditional ancient Greek poet to whom the Iliad and the Odyssey are attributed
Jean Jacques Rousseau - French author and philosopher
Voltaire - French author known for satire
Edward de Vere (Shakespeare) - English dramatist and poet
The Arts
Johann Sebastian Bach - German musician and composer
Ludwig van Beethoven - German composer
Louis Daguerre - French painter, inventor of the daguerreotype (early photography)
Michelangelo - Italian sculptor, painter, architect and poet of the high Renaissance
Mozart - Austrian composer of the Viennese or classical school
William Conrad Rontgen - German cabinet maker known for development of ornamental
furniture in Germany and France
Social Studies
Topic Outline
Appendix
1.
2.
3.
4.
Vital Themes
Glossary
Some Famous People
Historical Chart/Timeline