What is Social Studies?

Definition• A course of instruction in an elementary or

secondary school comprising such subjects as history, geography, civics, etc.

• This is the Flag of Mexico

5 Fields of Social Studies

• 1. Geography• 2. History• 3. Economics• 4. Government• 5. Culture

5 Themes of Geography

• 1. Location• 2. Place• 3. Region• 4. Movement• 5. Human-Environment Interaction

What is Culture ?

• the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group

• What influences culture?– Religion– Beliefs– Customs– Traditions– Government

What Makes Up The United States’ Culture

• We expect to compete in everthing• We expect equal opportunity• We believe in equal rights• We believe in family• We believe in Freedom• Our beliefs and thoughts are molded by

our traditions-– An inherited, established, or customary

pattern of thought, action, or behavior

United States Traditions

• Family Traditions

• Patriotic Rituals

• Holidays

Why do we need governments?

• We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness --That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men...Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence

• To protect the individual rights of the peple

What would life be like without Rules?

• Sports?

• School?

• Home?

Human Environment Interaction

• Definition- The interaction of people and their environment. How they adapt to the environment. How they change the environment to meet their needs.

People adapting to their environment

• People living on the coast fishing for a living.

• People living in cold places wearing more clothing

People changing environment to meet their needs

• Building bridges

• Building houses

• Building roads

Location

• Definition- a point or extent in space

– Two types of location: Absolute and relative

• Absolute-exact place on earth– Latitude, longitude, equator, prime meridian, hemisphere

• Relative- Describes a place in comparison to other places around it 

Assessment Prompt

• Please demonstrate an example of absolute location in regards to where you live.

• Write an example of relative location for where you live.

Production, Distribution, and Consumption

• Production- the act of producing; creation; manufacture

• Distribution- the delivery or giving out of an item or items to the intended recipients, as mail or newspapers.

• Consumption- the using up of goods and services having an exchangeable value

Why Do We Trade?

• Usually, people or civilizations trade things that they have too much of for things that they don't have enough of.

If You Have Too Much of an Item, What do you do?

1. Save it, this does not work with food.

2. sell it or give it away.

Change and Continuity

• “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

• Example: America changes leaders every two years in congress and every 4 years in the presidency, but we are still America.