Social Studies
"ParentVision" Newsletter...4th Six Weeks
Kindergarden
Social Studies 4th Six Weeks Unit Overview
Unit 8 Overview
In this unit students explore individuals’ contributions to communities. A community is what it is today because of contributions made by people. Who are the local people (patriots and good citizens) who have made a difference in the community? How have they influenced the community? In this unit students expand on their understanding of celebrations to include national patriotic celebrations. They begin to deepen their understanding of chronology by applying what they have already learned (ordering events of the school day, for example) to other situations, in this case to events that have occurred in the local community, including people from the local community who are/were patriots and good citizens.
Key Vocabulary
- Community – place where people live, work, and play together; a unified body of individuals with common interests living in a particular area.
- Good Citizen – person who exhibits characteristics of citizenship and/or leadership, including truthfulness, justice, equality, respect for oneself and others, responsibility in daily life, and participation in government.
- Patriot – person who loves, supports, and defends his country with devotion
- Patriotic – actions or feelings inspired by love of country.
- Vote – a choice that counts in a decision-making situation; an expression of preference for a particular person or issue that needs to be resolved or validated. The majority vote always wins.
People Who Helped Shape the State and Nation
Unit 9 Overview
In this unit student address the idea that people make contributions to state and national communities. Historical figures have influenced national, state, and local communities. Using a timeline, students explore the history of the United States and Texas and study the people (both historical and present-day) who contribute to the national and state communities. George Washington, whose contributions are celebrated on Presidents’ Day, and Stephen F. Austin are two historical figures who have contributed to the national and state communities. Students also apply what they have learned to specific historical figures, looking at how they were good citizens and contributed to their communities.
Key Vocabulary
- Community – a place where people live, work, and play together; a unified body of individuals with common interests living in a particular area.
- Historic Figure – people associated with past happenings who achieve some notability are historical figures.
- Patriotic – inspired by love of country.
1st Grade
Social Studies 4th Six Weeks Unit Overview
Relating to the Environment: Physical Characteristics
Unit 7 Overview
In this unit students explore environment and the physical characteristics of places including the natural environment, landforms, bodies of water, climate/weather, natural resources, and natural hazards. Students will deepen their learning about the physical characteristics of place that are part of our world.
Key Vocabulary
- Physical characteristics – features such as soil, landforms, bodies of water, types of vegetation and climate.
- Natural resources – items provided by nature from which people produce goods and provide services. Some examples of natural resources include water, soil, and vegetation as well as minerals and metals such as gold and iron ore. Even an abundance of fish can be a natural resource.
- Weather – the state of the atmosphere with respect to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness. Weather elements include temperature, wind, and precipitation. Climate is the weather of a place over time.
- Landform – features of the Earth’s surface which include plains, mountains, deserts, hills, and canyons.
Relating to the Environment: Human Characteristics
Unit 8 Overview
In this unit students learn about human characteristics of place and are able to differentiate between physical and human characteristics of places. They practice using cardinal directions (learned in the previous unit) and apply skills to use and create maps. Creating a map requires that they change the 3-dimensional world in which they live into a 2-dimensional representation of that world while keeping intact the physical relationships between things in the 3-D world. Students are also introduced to using graphs and data to learn about places. They use information about places to make inferences about the places based on the knowledge they have of geographic concepts related to physical and human characteristics of place.
Key Vocabulary
- Human characteristics of place – human characteristics of places include the types of houses people build, the ways they earn a living, the games children play, the languages people speak, their religious beliefs, their ethnicity, the daily schedules they follow, the foods they eat, and how they govern themselves.
- Relative location – the position of a place in relation to another place is its relative location.
2nd Grade
Social Studies 4th Six Weeks Unit Overview
Invention and Innovation Change Communities
Unit 7 Overview
In this unit students address how communities change. This includes how individuals shape communities through their individualism and inventiveness, especially in the areas of communication, transportation, and recreation. The unit emphasizes the use of multiple valid sources to gather information. Students learn about how communities change over time and about how people, their innovations, and their sense of inventiveness and individualism affect communities. Students apply the concepts of time and chronology as they look at communities past, present, future and discover how things have changed over time. They learn about the problem-solving process and use it to solve a current problem, making predictions about how the solution can change the community.
Key Vocabulary
- Chronology - arrangement of events in order of time or occurrence.
- Innovation - new ways of doing things.
- Invention - an original device or process.
- Technology - the application of processes, methods, or knowledge to achieve a specific purpose; technology includes anything humans create to solve a problem. (Pencils were a technological improvement over a reed brush or chisel. Ball point pens were an improvement over fountain pens, which were an improvement over quills.)
Functions of Government
Unit 8 Overview
In this unit students address functions of government and its role in the community. During this unit students deepen their understanding of the functions of government; they also learn about services provided by the government and how those services are paid for.
Key Vocabulary
- Security - state of being protected or safe from harm; things done to make people or places safe from harm.
- Conflict - an extended struggle, fight, battle, or sharp disagreement (as between ideas, interests, or purposes); disagreement.
- Tax - a fee or sum of money levied by the government to finance and provide public goods and services. Examples of taxes include property, income, and sales taxes.
- Government services – services provided by the government for the good of the community. Examples include public services such as police, fire, and street lights; public utilities such as water, gas, and electricity; transportation services including road maintenance and construction, bus or subway systems, airports, and harbors; and education and recreation services such as schools, libraries, museums, parks, and sports facilities. Local governments generate revenue to pay for these from property and sales taxes and grants from state and national governments.
3rd Grade
Social Studies 4th Six Weeks Unit Overview
Leading the Way: People Influence Communities
Unit 8 Overview
In this unit students learn about some of the individuals whose inventions and innovations changed the community and world, including Jonas Salk, who discovered a polio vaccine, and Maria Mitchell, who discovered a comet in 1847 and who was the first American woman to work professionally as an astronomer. Students also learn about other leaders in technology and innovation, including Cyrus McCormick, Bill Gates, and Louis Pasteur. Phillis Wheatley was a poet in the time of the American Revolution and the first African American woman to be published in America. Ruby Bridges was the first African American child to desegregate an elementary school. James Lovell, during his long career at NASA, achieved many firsts. Ellen Ochoa was the world's first Hispanic female astronaut. Helen Keller was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Students examine the courage and dedication it takes to lead the way in new fields and see the impact such individuals have had on communities.
Key Vocabulary
- Pasteurization –The process of superheating foods, usually liquids, to a particular temperature for a particular length of times, to slow microbial growth. The food is then cooled immediately and is ready for consumption. Pasteurization allows foods to remain viable for longer periods of time, and it reduces the number of disease-causing pathogens in that food. Foods that are usually pasteurized are milk, eggs, fruit juices, honey and syrup. Louis Pasteur invented this process in 1864.
- Vaccine – Protect the body against infectious diseases. When everyone in a community is inoculated, it creates a ‘herd immunity’ which protects everyone in the community from a particular communicable disease. Jonas Salk invented the vaccine against polio, a disease whose outbreak in the United States after World War II infected between 13,000 and 20,000 people annually, usually children. The disease results in mild to severe paralysis and sometimes death. Since the polio vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the last polio case in the U.S. was reported in 1993.
- Innovation– A new idea, method or device; the introduction of something new.
- Influence– To have an effect on the condition or development of something.
How Communities Work: Citizens and Government
Unit 9 Overview
In this unit students address the structure and functions of government. Students will also learn that the government collects money, in the form of taxes, in order to provide services to the community for the common good. During this unit students learn about the structure and functions of government at various levels (local, state, and nation) and build a deeper understanding of how government officials are chosen, and of the services governments provide and the taxes collected to provide the services. Referring back to the Celebrate Freedom Week, students learn more about the concept of “consent of the governed,” including electing certain officials who represent the citizens and make decisions about such things as taxes. The idea of the consent of the governed is enormously important in America, and it is important that students understand what “consent of the governed” means and why it is important. Students investigate how people participate in government processes and have their voices heard. Students also learn how people participate in the government, including through individual acts of civic responsibility and through group efforts with nonprofit and civic organizations that serve the common good.
Key Vocabulary
- Consent of the governed –when people agree to establish and abide by a government, they consent to be governed. The philosophy of natural rights articulated in the Declaration of Independence, set the standards for the U.S. government, that the only legitimate government is one based on the consent of the governed.
- Local government officials – the local government assumes responsibility for most services provided to citizens. The judicial branch of local government, the municipal court, handles most civil disputes and legal infractions. Local officials may include the mayor, members of city council, and members of the board of education, the sheriff, and others. They are either elected or appointed to their positions. Local officials often speak to students and to civic organizations, and most meetings of local agencies are open to the public so people can participate in their government.
- Local government services – services provided by the local government include public services such as police, fire, and street lights; public utilities such as water, gas, and electricity; transportation services including road maintenance and construction, bus or subway systems, airports, and harbors; and education and recreation services such as schools, libraries, and museums, parks, and sports facilities. Local governments generate revenue to pay for these from property and sales taxes and grants from state and national governments.
Jonas Salk 1954 polio vaccine trials. The Salk polio vaccine is tested.
4th Grade
Social Studies 4th Six Weeks Unit Overview
Civil War and Reconstruction
Unit 8 Overview
In this unit students address the Civil War and Reconstruction. The unit also includes information about the free enterprise system in Texas and the economic impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction on Texas. During this unit students learn about the secession of Texas from the Union to fight along with the South as part of the Confederate States of America. Texas’ reasons for secession included affinity with "sister slave-holding States" and the Federal government's inability to prevent Indian attacks and slave-stealing raids by Northern abolitionists. Though not many battles were fought in Texas, the state played a vital role in the Confederacy by supplying much-needed goods to the Confederacy, including men and equipment, contributing to the economic viability of Texas. The end of the Civil War and Reconstruction brought many economic, political, and social changes to Texas, but, unlike many southern states after Reconstruction, Texas’ economy thrived. The political and social impact, however, was significant and long-lasting.
Key Vocabulary
- Amendment– change to the constitution.
- Civil War – a war between opposing groups within a country.
- Confederacy – the government of the Confederate States of America.
- Free Enterprise System – a type of economy in which people own and run their own businesses.
- Juneteenth – a Texas state holiday that commemorates the date slaves were freed in Texas, June 19, 1865.
- Reconstruction – the period after the Civil War in which Southerners had to reorganize their state governments in order to rejoin the Union.
- Secede – to leave.
- States’ Rights – the idea that state governments have the right to make certain decisions for themselves.
Texas Frontier
Unit 9 Overview
In this unit, students learn about the life on the Texas frontier. During this unit students learn how the U.S. Army moved the American Indians to reservations, how the economy of Texas boomed with the expansion of the cattle industry, about the growth of the railroad, and about the immigration to Texas of people from Europe, Mexico, and other parts of the United States. During this time, cities all over Texas began to grow, and the culture of Texas began to look different. Students explain the growth, development, and impact of these events.
Key Vocabulary
- Barbwire – twisted wire with sharp points.
- CattleDrive – cowhands drove or guided cattle across the open country to the railroad to be sold in markets in northern cities.
- Immigration – immigration is the process of people moving to a new place to stay permanently or at least for a long time.
- Migration – migration is the process of moving from one place to another place intending to stay permanently or at least for a long period of time.
- Reservations – an area of land set aside by the government for use by Native Americans.
- Transportation – the moving of people and goods from place to place.
5th Grade
Social Studies 4th Six Weeks Unit Overview
Westward Expansion
Unit 8 Overview
In this unit students address westward expansion. The United States grew rapidly during the first half of the nineteenth century with the Louisiana Territory, Texas annexation, Mexican Cession, and the Oregon Territory. This expansion affected the political, economic, and geographic characteristics of the United States as the American spirit and concept of Manifest Destiny encouraged many to seek new opportunities in newly acquired territories. In this unit students apply these skills as they examine the geographic changes that took place in the in the United States with westward expansion. Students also study about the concept of Manifest Destiny, and learn about how geographic factors affected westward expansion.
In the next unit students learn about the regional differences that emerged in the United States and the rising tension caused by these differences.
Key Vocabulary
- Manifest Destiny – the belief common in America in the early 1800s that it was the destiny or fate of the U.S. to expand west to the Pacific Ocean.
- Region – a large land area that has geographic, political, or cultural characteristics that distinguish it from others.
A Nation Divided
Unit 9 Overview
In this unit, students address sectionalism and the causes of the Civil War, and leadership during the Civil War. In the fifth grade course students study a very broad overview of the history of the United States and for that reason the fifth grade standards do not address in detail the Civil War, but rather focus on students building an understanding of the context of the Civil War. In this unit students study about the regional differences that divided the nation prior to the Civil War and the causes of the Civil War.
Key Vocabulary
- Sectionalism – an excessive devotion to the interests of one particular section of a country or community.
- States’ rights – all rights not vested by the United States Constitution in the federal government nor forbidden by it to the separate states.
- Federalism – a form of government that distributes the power between the national government and the states.
- Civil war– a war between factions or regions of the same country.
6th Grade
Social Studies 4th Six Weeks Unit Overview
Empire and Ethnicity: Russia and the Eurasian Republics
Unit 6 Overview
In this unit student study Russia and the former republics of the Soviet Union as a culture region which covers a vast land mass and is home to a variety of ethnic groups. The region’s history is characterized by the domination of the Soviet Union as a Russian empire, which experienced a rise to prominence as a superpower following the Second World War. More recently the Soviet Union underwent political disintegration which resulted in political, economic and social change as well as independence for many former Soviet republics. In this unit, students study about the pattern of Soviet domination of many ethnic groups during the twentieth century, the change in geographic patterns with the breakup of the Soviet Union, and the new political, social and economic conditions that characterize culture today in Russia and the former Soviet republics.
Key Vocabulary
- propaganda – the distribution and censorship of written and visual materials that convey a particular message.
- republic – form of government in which people elect representatives to legislate.
- traditional economy – generally refers to an economy based on subsistence farming or customary activities.
- command economy – economy in which the government controls all production and distribution of goods and services.
- socialist economy – economy in which the government owns and operates large-scale companies for the benefit of the public.
- federation – union of self-governing states.
A Crossroads of Diffusion: Southwest Asia/North Africa
Unit 7 Overview
In this unit students learn about Southwest Asia/North Africa as a culture region that has historically been a crossroads of cultural and economic exchange. As the birthplace of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the region is home to a diversity of ethnic groups. Several nations in the region benefit economically from the abundance of oil, yet much of the region is plagued by a shortage of water. In this unit students examine the religious patterns of Southwest Asia/North Africa, the new political patterns that emerged in the region following the First World War, the economic patterns of the region, and how people living in this region modify the environment.
Key Vocabulary
- monotheism- belief in one god.
- scarcity – condition where there is not enough of a product to meet demand for the product.
- desalinization – process of removing salt from sea water to make fresh water.
7th Grade
Social Studies 4th Six Weeks Unit Overview
Texas during the Civil War and Reconstruction – 1861-1876
Unit 7 Overview
In this unit students are expected to address Texas’ participation in the U.S. Civil War and the Reconstruction of Texas. In 1861 Texans voted to secede from the United States and join the Confederate States of America. Many Texans had emigrated from the southern United States and some Texans were slaveholders, especially in East Texas where enslaved African Americans worked on plantations. Texans served in the Confederate Army and some battles of the American Civil War were fought in Texas. The Texas coast was blockaded by the Union for the entire war. After the end of the war, Texans began the process of Reconstruction eventually writing a new constitution for Texas and reestablishing institutions in Texas. During this unit, students learn about the reasons for Texas secession, the experiences of Texans in the Civil War, and the changes to Texas’ society following the war. Additionally, students examine the concept of federalism and other principles of the U.S. Constitution and how these principles are reflected in the Texas Constitution.
Key Vocabulary
sectionalism –concern for regional needs and interests.
secede – to withdraw, including the withdrawal of states from the Union.
blockade – blocking off an area to keep supplies from getting in or out.
emancipation – the act of giving someone freedom.
reconstruction – the act of rebuilding, generally refers to the rebuilding of the Union following the Civil War.
martial law – the imposition of laws by a military authority, generally in defeated territories.
sharecropper – a tenant farmer who receives a portion of the crop.
popular sovereignty – independent power given to the people.
Cotton, Cattle, Railroads and Closing the Texas Frontier – 1866-1900
Unit 8 Overview
In this unit students will learn about economic development in Texas following the end of the Civil War. In the latter half of the twentieth century the cattle industry in Texas flourished, while the agricultural sector expanded. Many new innovations were introduced at this time, such as windmills that facilitated economic development in Texas. It was also during this time that railroads were built across Texas, facilitating further economic development and the first moves towards urbanization in the state. Eventually the railroads and the enclosure of land, brought about by the invention of barbed wire, resulted in the closing of the Texas frontier. During this unit, students study about the conflict brought about by westward expansion in Texas, the development of the cattle industry in Texas, the expansion of railroads in Texas, and the changes in the agriculture industry in Texas.
Key Vocabulary
subsistence farming – the practice of growing enough crops to provide for one’s family group.
commercial agriculture – the practice of growing surplus crops to sell for profit.
vaqueros – Spanish term for cowboy.
urbanization – the process of increasing human settlement in cities.
settlement patterns – the spatial distribution of where humans inhabit the Earth.
8th Grade
Social Studies 4th Six Weeks Unit Overview
Westward Expansion – From Sea to Shining Sea 1780s-1850s
Unit 7 Overview
In this unit students address the concept of Manifest Destiny and the westward expansion of the United States. During this unit students learn about the concept of Manifest Destiny, how the lands west of the Mississippi were acquired by the United States, including the exploration of the Louisiana Purchase, the United States-Mexican War, and the processes that facilitated the settlement of the western United States, including the Northwest Ordinance.
Key Vocabulary
- manifest destiny – idea that the United States should expand to include the territory from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
pioneers – someone is first to settle a region or enter into an project.
Industrialization and Reform – Innovation Brings Change1800s-1850s
Unit 8 Overview
In this unit students address the development of the economies in the North and the South, innovations in technology and the application of the American Free Enterprise economic system. During this unit, students study the economic and social changes that came about with increasing industrialization in the northern United States as well as the resulting changes in the southern United States after the invention of new farming machinery. Additionally students examine how reformers addressed the injustices in society during the nineteenth century, including the development of reform movements related to public education, temperance, prison reform, care of the disabled, abolition, and the expansion of women’s rights. Students also learn about the developments in art, music and literature that exemplified American culture in the mid-nineteenth century.
Key Vocabulary
free enterprise – economic system in which consumers and producers are free to make economic decisions and choices.
innovation – creating new ideas, products or methods.
industrialization – the process of economic development based on factory production.
urbanization – the process of migration to large, densely populated areas, generally cities.
abolition – legally ending of the practice of enslaving people.
mechanization – using machines in the production process.
civil disobedience – refusing to obey laws believed to be unjust.
US History since 1877
Social Studies 4th Six Weeks Unit Overview
Total War – the Second World War 1939-1945
Unit 7 Overview
In this unit students address U.S. involvement in the Second World War. Students study about the rise of dictatorships in Europe and how that contributed to the cause of a second world war. Students examine the reasons for the United States’ entry into the war, and the responses on the home front, including Executive Order 9066 as well as the economic and social changes brought about by U.S. involvement in the war. Additionally students study the military involvement of the United States in the fighting of the Second World War by examining significant battles, the fighting on two fronts, the military and political leadership during the war, and the decision to drop atomic bombs.
Key Vocabulary
totalitarianism – form of government in which all aspects of daily life are controlled by a central authority.
neutrality – a policy of non-involvement in wars or the affairs of other nations.
mobilization – the making ready of military forces for war.
Differing Ideologies – The Cold War 1945-1970s
Unit 8 Overview
In this unit students address issues surrounding Cold War policies both domestic and foreign as well as the prosperity of the 1950s and 1960s in the United States. Students examine the Cold War policies developed to address Soviet aggression, the involvement of the United States in Korea, the economic prosperity of the 1950s and 1960s, the domestic issues surrounding the Cold War, the fighting of the Vietnam War and the public response to the war in Vietnam.
Key Vocabulary
containment – policy focused on stopping the territorial spread of communism
communism – political and economic system characterized by centralized government control of property and society
prosperity – flourishing economic activity resulting in wealth for a large number of people
ideology – guiding principles and beliefs
Vietnamization – policy advocating for South Vietnam to take over the fighting in Vietnam, in order for US troops to withdraw
Silent Majority – a reference by President Nixon to describe who he considered to be a large number of people that are not vocal about their support of U.S. foreign and domestic policies
counterculture – refers to those who adopt ideas and lifestyles which differ from the mainstream culture
domino theory – a foreign policy theory asserting that when communism spreads to a new nation, it will eventually infect neighboring nations
World Geography
Social Studies 4th Six Weeks Unit Overview
North Africa and Southwest Asia
Unit 8 Overview
In this unit students focus on how physical geography affects settlement patterns and adaptation to an environment with a scarcity of water and how human geography can vary within a region. During this unit students learn about a region of the world that is characterized by religious significance, along with cultural, economic and political diversity. While the region is characterized by a Muslim majority, the region is home to a variety of political systems from monarchy to republic. The region is home to a variety of ethnic groups including Arabs, Persians, Kurds, Jews, and Turks. The region is also home to nations that economically benefit from the sale of oil and others who lack oil as a resource. Students study about the physical and cultural landscape of North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as the settlement patterns, the environmental issues, and political conflicts that characterize the region. Students expand their understanding of “place” with a specific emphasis on the unique characteristics of this region.
Key Vocabulary
- Place – topographic point: a point located with respect to surface features of some region
- Settlement patterns – the spatial distribution and arrangement of human habitations, including rural and urban centers.
- Islam – the religious faith of Muslims, based on the words and religious system founded by the prophet Muhammad and taught by the Koran, the basic principle of which is absolute submission to a unique and personal god, Allah. Originated in the Southwest Asia (Middle East).
- Christianity – a monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the role of Jesus as the messiah. Originated in the Southwest Asia (Middle East).
- Judaism – the monotheistic religion of the Jews, having its ethical, ceremonial, and legal foundation in the precepts of their holy book, the Torah, (called incorrectly the Old Testament by other religions) and in the teachings and commentaries of the rabbis as found chiefly in the Talmud. Originated in the Southwest Asia (Middle East).
Sub-Saharan Africa
Unit 9 Overview
In this unit students focus on how physical geography and the distribution of resources affect human geographic patterns. In this unit this concept is applied to a study of the physical and human geographic patterns in Sub-Saharan Africa. During this unit students learn about the physical and human geographic patterns of Sub-Saharan Africa by examining the physical landscapes, environmental concerns, and cultural characteristics of the region along with a study of the current conflicts and social issues that typify the region. Students examine the geographic factors that have affected settlement patterns in the region, factors that have affected cultural patterns in the region and factors that affect economic development in the region, with an emphasis on the challenge of sustainable development.
Key Vocabulary
- Resources – the total means available for economic and political development.
- Environment – the circumstances or conditions of one's surroundings.
- Subsistence agriculture – farming whose products are intended to provide for basic human needs and brings little or no profit to the farmer, allowing only for a marginal livelihood.
- Sustainability – social and environmental practices that protect and enhance the environment for future generations to enjoy a quality of life.
World History Studies
Social Studies 4th Six Weeks Unit Overview
An Expanding World 1450-1750
Unit 6 Overview
In this unit students address the events which occurred during the Connecting Hemispheres period (1450 to 1750), including the rising power of European nations, and changing global trade patterns. During this unit students learn about the expansion of European influence in the world with exploration, and the changing global trade patterns including the rise of the Ottoman Empire, the role of the Ming dynasty, the Columbian Exchange, the Atlantic slave trade, and the European commercial revolution as features of that development.
Key Vocabulary
- mercantilism – an economic philosophy that promoted the idea of a nation’s wealth was enhanced by the accumulation of bullion, a favorable balance of trade, and the establishment of overseas colonial monopolies
- encomienda system– a forced labor system in which a tract of land was granted to Spanish colonists in Latin America during the 16th century that included the American Indians living on the land to serve as labor
- mit’a – an economic system used by the Incas that required men to give labor service to imperial projects; the system was later adapted by Spanish colonists to require laborers to work in the agriculture and mining sectors
- Columbian Exchange –massive exchange of agricultural goods, livestock, disease, culture and people between the Old World the New World during the 16th-19th centuries
- junks – large Chinese sailing ships used for long voyages
- Janissaries – an elite division of the Ottoman military that was mainly comprised of Christian boys captured in war or given as tribute
Ideas Change the World 1450-1750
Unit 7 Overview
In this unit students address the events which occurred during the Connecting Hemispheres period (1450 to 1750), including the Renaissance, Reformation, Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment. During this unit students learn about how the ideas introduced during the Renaissance, Reformation, Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment brought into question traditional ideas and introduced new political, economic, and social patterns in Europe. Students specifically examine the development of humanism, the challenge to papal authority, the shift from traditional methods of truth-seeking to the use of scientific method, and the introduction of new political ideas by enlightened philosophers. The ideas of Thomas Aquinas are included in this unit as a contrast to the changes taking place during the fifteenth century. The emergence of Sikhism is also included in this unit.
Key Vocabulary
- humanism – an intellectual and philosophical emphasis on the importance of individuals as creative and critical thinkers
- Renaissance – a rebirth or resurgence; has been applied to the time period between 1450-1750 in Europe characterized by the rediscovery of the classical works of Greece and Rome, but can refer to any general cultural resurgence
- Reformation – the process of updating an institution or practice; has been applied to refer to the 16th century events in Europe that resulted in the establishment of Protestant churches and changes to the Roman Catholic Church
- Protestant – refers to Christian church denominations, teachings, and individuals during the Reformation that rejected Roman Catholic Church doctrines
- sacraments – sacred religious practices or ceremonies first introduced by the Roman Catholic Church
- secularism – refers to the belief that religion and politics should operate in separate spheres as well as the rejection of religion in the public sphere
- vernacular – language used by the common people
- scientific method –the use of hypothesis, observation and experimentation to reach conclusions about the natural and physical world
- heliocentric theory –idea that the sun is the center of universe
- Enlightenment –to gain understanding or knowledge; has been generally applied to an intellectual movement in Europe during the 18th century in which philosophers sought to find natural laws by which to govern societies
- social contract – political philosophy that argues that the populous and the ruler/government enter into a mutual relationship
- natural rights – liberties and freedoms inherent to being human
Government & Economics
Director of Advanced Academics & Social Studies, Hearing Officer, Title IX Coordinator & Anti-Bullying Program Director
Email: elida.deloen@aliceisd.net
Website: http://www.aliceisd.net/
Location: 2 Coyote Trail, Alice, TX, United States
Phone: 361664-0981