Glossary - Grade 4 Social studies - Early Societies

Unit Vocabulary you should be familiar with:

agriculture: the raising of crops and farm animals

archaeologist: a scientist who studies the past by digging into the ground to examine the objects found there in order to discover who lived there and how they lived. 

artifact: any item made by people in the past (for example, a tool, a weapon, a household item)

Before Common Era (BCE): a term used by historians for dates that are before the year 0

cause and consequence: (as a social studies thinking concept) the factors that affect or lead to something (for example, an event, a situation, an action, an inaction) as well as its impact or effects

charter: a legal document that outlines a group or country's rights, privileges and freedoms (for example, Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms)

citizen: an inhabitant of a city, town, or country who has certain rights, freedoms, privileges and responsibilities

 citizenship: an understanding of the rights of citizens within a community (or communities) and of the roles, responsibilities, and actions associated with these rights

civilization: a highly developed culture, including its social organization, government, laws, sport, arts and entertainment

class: a grouping of members of a society based on their birth, wealth, occupation, or other seemingly similar characteristics

Common Era (CE): term used for dates from the year 0 to present

community: a group of people who have shared history, culture, beliefs, or values; a person may belong to more than one community (for example, a school community, religious group or social network)

continuity and change: (as a social studies thinking concept) what has stayed the same and what has changed over a period of time

cultures: nations or groups of people with shared customs, traditions, and beliefs

environment: the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives

era: a distinct period of time in history or geology

evidence: records, data, signs, or objects used to prove something

hierarchy: a system in which people or groups are ranked according to their role or position in society

interrelationships: (as a social studies thinking concept) connections within and between natural and/or human systems, including how they adapt to and have an impact on one another

law: a rule or set of rules that are used to order the way in which a society behaves

matriarchy: a form of social organization in which the women make most of the major decisions and children trace their ancestry through their mothers

patriarchy: a form of social organization in which the men make most of the major decisions and children trace their ancestry through their fathers

patterns and trends: (as a social studies thinking concept) the characteristics that are similar and that repeat themselves in a natural or human environment (patterns), and characteristics or traits that are consistent in a particular setting and/or over a period of time (trends)

perspective: (as a social studies thinking concept) the way in which different individuals and/or groups view something (for example: an issue, an event, a development, a person, a place, a process, an interaction); also known as point of view

physical feature: a natural part of Earth's surface (for example: lake, ocean, mountain, valley, plain)

primary sources: objects, writings, or accounts that date from the time an event happened 

secondary sources: oral, print, or media items that are second hand, created by people who were not part of the original experience or event; these people often use primary sources for research and to help them better understand and make judgments about past events and/or issues.

settlement: a place where a permanent community has been set up

significance: (as a social studies thinking concept) the importance of something (for example: an issue, an event, a development, a person, a place, a process, an interaction)

social organization: the structures, roles, and relationships in a society, such as class and gender roles

society: people considered as a group, or a group of people who live together in a particular social system