My World HistoryCore ConceptsMy World History

Core Concepts: History and Geography

Measuring Time: Using a Timeline• A timeline is a line marked off with a series of events and

dates.

• Historians use timelines to put events in chronological order.

• A period is a length of time singled out because of a specific event or development that happened during that time. Example: The Bronze Age or The Age of Exploration

Measuring Time: Organizing Time• Prehistory is the time before humans

invented writing.

• We can also organize history by beginning with a key event from the past. Example: The Birth of Jesus

B.C. (Before Christ) or B.C.E. (Before Common Era)

A.D. (anno Domini = “in the year of our Lord”) or C.E. (Common Era)

• Examples of Calendars: Jewish Maya and Aztec Gregorian Islamic

Historical Sources: Primary and Secondary Sources• A primary source is information that comes directly from a person who experienced an event. Examples:

Letters Diaries Speeches Photographs

• A secondary source is information about an event that does not come from a person who experienced that event.

• Examples: Paintings Textbooks Magazine Articles

Historical Sources: Evaluating Historical Sources• Historical sources don’t always give a true account of events.

• Historians must evaluate a source to determine its reliability Who created the source

material? Is the information fact or

opinion? Des the material seem to

have a bias?

Archaeology and Other Sources: Archaeologists and Anthropologists • Archaeology is the scientific

study of ancient cultures through the examination of artifacts and other evidence.

• Anthropology is the study of humankind in all aspects, especially development and culture. Clues from the past can come

from oral traditions. A community’s cultural and

historical background, passed down in spoken stories and songs. Example: The Odyssey

Geography’s Five Themes• Location:

Absolute Location – describes a place’s exact position on Earth in terms of longitude and latitude.

Relative Location – describes the location of a place relative to another place.

• Place refers to the mix of human and nonhuman features at a given location.

• Region is an area with at least one unifying physical or human feature such as climate, landforms, population, or history.

• Movement explores how people, goods, and ideas get from one place to another

• Human-Environment Interaction considers how people affect their environment and how their environment affects them.

Understanding Maps• Key

• Compass Rose

• Scale Bar

• Locator Map

• Longitude and Latitude

Historical Maps• A historical map is a special purpose map that provides information about a place at a certain time in history.

Core Concepts: Citizenship and Economics

Foundations of Government: Origins of Government• A government is a group of people who have the power to make and enforce laws for a certain country or area. Early governments consisted of people living in groups with their leader(s).

As cities began to grow so did their governments.

Foundations of Government: Powers of Government• A constitution is a system of basic rules and principles by which a

government is organized.

• Limited government is a government structure in which government actions are limited by law. Example: U.S. Government

• Unlimited government is a government structure where there is no effective limits on government actions. Example: Chinese Government

• Tyranny occurs when there is an unjust use of power.

Political Systems• A state is a region that shares a common government.

• A city-state is an independent state consisting of a city and its surrounding territory.

• An empire is a state containing several countries.

• A democracy is a form of government in which citizens hold political power Direct Democracy Representative Democracy

• A nation-state is a state that is independent of other states.

• A monarchy is a form of government in which the state is ruled by a monarch (king/queen)

• An authoritarian government is one in which all power is held by a single person or a small group

• Communism is a political and economic system in which government owns all property and makes all economic decisions.

Political Structures• In a unitary system a central

government makes all laws for the entire country.

• In a federal system power is divided among central, regional, and local governments. Central Government=U.S. Capital Regional Government=Ohio State

Capital Local Government=City of Chillicothe

• Branches of Government Legislative Branch – U.S. Congress Executive Branch – U.S. President Judicial Branch – U.S. Supreme Court

Citizenship• A citizen is a legal member of a country.

• Our responsibilities include a duty to participate in government and civic life, or activities having to do with one’s society and community.

• Civic Participation=taking part in government Political party Interest group

Economic Basics• Economics is the study of how

people meet their wants and needs.

• The difference between wants and reality creates scarcity, or having a limited quantity of resources to meet unlimited wants. Opportunity cost is the cost of

what you have to give up. Demand is the desire for a certain

good or service. Supply is the amount of a good or

service that is available for use.

• Producers are people or businesses that make and sell products.

• Consumers are people or businesses that buy, or consume, products.

• An Incentive is a factor that encourages people to act in a certain way.

Economic Process• A market is an organized way for

producers and consumers to trade goods and services.

• Businesses and the Economic Process Profit is the money that a company

has left after subtracting the costs of doing business.

Revenue is the money earned by selling goods and services.

Specialization is the act of concentrating on a limited number of goods or activities.

Competition occurs when there is a struggle among producers for consumer’s money.

• In a growing economy, prices may increase over time. This general increase in prices is called inflation. Example: $1.00 in 1920 had the

same buying power as $10.50 in 2009!

• A decline in economic growth for six or more months in a row is known as a recession.

Economic Systems• A traditional economy is an

economy in which people make economic decisions based on their customs and habits.

• A market economy is an economy in which individual consumers and producers make economic decisions.

• A command economy is an economy in which the central government makes all economic decisions.

• A mixed economy is an economy that combines elements of traditional, market, and command economic systems.

Trade• Trade is the exchange of goods

and services in a market.

• Exports are goods and services produced within a country and sold outside the country’s borders.

• Imports are goods and services sold in a country that are produced in other countries.

• A tariff is a tax on imports or exports.

• A trade barrier is a government policy or restriction that limits international trade.

• Today, many countries are working toward free trade, or the removal of trade barriers.

Money Management• A budget is a plan that shows

income and expenses over a period of time.

• Saving is the act of setting aside money for future use.

• Interest is the price paid for borrowing money.

• Credit is an arrangement in which a buyer can borrow to purchase something and pay for it over time. Example: Credit Cards

• Investing is the act of using money in the hope of making a future profit.

• A stock is a share of ownership in a company.

• A bond is a certificate issued by a company or government promising to pay back borrowed money with interest.

Core Concepts: Culture

What is Culture?• Culture is the beliefs, customs, practices, and behaviors of a

particular nation or group of people.

• A cultural trait is an idea or way of doing things that is common in a certain culture.

• A norm is a behavior that is considered normal in a particular society.

• A cultural region is an area in which a single culture or cultural trait is dominant. Example: French Canadian (Quebec)

• Human activities create cultural landscapes, or geographic areas that have been shaped by people.

Religion• Religion is a system of worship and belief, including belief about the

nature of a god or gods. Examples:

Judaism Christianity Islam Hinduism Buddhism Sikhism Traditional Religions

• Religion can also guide people in matters of ethics, or standards of acceptable behavior.

Cultural Diffusion and Change• A cultural hearth is a place

where cultural traits develop.

• Cultural Diffusion is the spread of cultural traits from one culture to another. Food Language Clothing

• Diversity is cultural variety.

Science and Technology• Science is the active process of acquiring knowledge of the natural

world.

• Technology and Culture Control of Fire Irrigation (supply water to crops) Wheel Printing press Steam Engine Refrigeration

• Standard of Living is the level of comfort enjoyed by a person or a society.