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