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GRADE SEVEN SOCIAL SCIENCE STANDARDS-BASED VOCABULARY
7.1 ROMAN EMPIRE
province:
any of the lands outside Italy conquered and ruled by Romans (during the
days of the Roman Empire)
barbarian:
people living along the Roman Empire’s borders; a person considered by
another group to have a primitive culture
dynasty:
a succession of rulers from the same family
mosaic:
a picture or design made from small pieces of colored material, usually
quartz or glass, embedded in plaster
commerce:
the buying and selling of goods
empire:
a group of territories, provinces or nations ruled by a single supreme
authority
emperor (empress):
the ruler of an empire
Byzantine Empire:
the eastern part of the Roman Empire which lasted from A.D. 395 until 1453
Byzantium:
an ancient Greek city previously existing on the site of the city of
Constantinople
Constantinople:
Emperor Constantine built a new capital city in the eastern part of the
Roman Empire and named it after himself (A.D. 330)
Roman Law:
The uniform laws that were enforced throughout the Roman Empire and served
to unify it
Schism:
a split in the Christian church that occurred in the year 1054; the single
church became two: Roman Catholic church in the West (pope) and the
Eastern Orthodox in the East (patriarch)
7.2 ISLAM
oasis:
a small area in the desert watered by springs and wells
nomad:
a member of a group that has no fixed home and moves from place to place
in search of food, water and grazing lands for their herds
idol:
an image used as an object of worship
bazaar:
an open-air market with shops and goods for sale
pilgrimage:
a journey to a sacred place (Hajj—when it is the pilgrimage to Mecca)
Ka’bah (Ka’aba):
a cube-shaped shrine, found in Mecca, believed to have been built by
Abraham and Ishmael
sacred:
regarded with religious respect
Qu’ran (Koran):
the sacred book of Islam that is believed to contain the revelations made
to Muhammad by Allah
Sunna (Sunnah):
traditional Islamic law based on the teachings of Muhammad; the guiding
rules for daily life that include the Five Pillars
Muhammad:
the Arab founder of Islam (c.570-632)
monotheism:
the belief that there is only one God
Islam:
A religion based on the teaching of the prophet Muhammad
Muslim (Moslem):
a believer in Islam
mosque:
a Muslim house of worship (built in similar style, but with different
locally available materials, wherever Islam spread)
Mecca:
the Arabian city that is a special holy site for Muslims and toward which
they pray
bureaucracy:
the administration of government through offices, departments and
officials
emir:
a prince or chieftain in the Middle East
dissent:
to disagree, especially with the established doctrine
dissident:
one who strongly disagrees with the opinions or beliefs of the majority
calligraphy:
the art of fine handwriting
faction:
a minority group in disagreement with the larger group
Sunnis:
those who follow the Sunna and accept the first four caliphs as legitimate
(today = 80% of Muslims)
Shiites:
those who accept only members of Muhammad’s family as rightful successors
(today = 20% of Muslims)
7.3 CHINA
Confucianism:
beliefs based on the teachings of Confucius, focused on proper conduct,
respect for elders, high scholarship
Buddhism:
a religion based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha that teaches that
suffering is a part of life (originated in India around 530 B.C.)
Daoism:
a belief system based on the teachings of Laozi that emphasizes living in
harmony with nature and being content with one’s life
aristocrat:
a member of a privileged class having inherited wealth and position
meritocracy:
a system in which people are chosen for jobs and promotions on the basis
of their performance
mandate:
a command or instruction; an order to govern (from heaven to the emperor)
despot:
an abusive ruler with absolute power
Mongolia:
a region of Asia extending from Siberia to northern China
khan:
a leader of the Mongols
currency:
any form of money used as a medium of exchange
migrate:
to move from one area or country to another and to settle there
money economy:
an economy in which cash is the most common item exchanged for goods
clan:
a group of families who claim descent from a common ancestor
junk:
a Chinese sea-going ship; large enough for 500 people (used by Zheng He in
1400s)
imperial:
relating to the emperor or empire
Great Wall:
built (221 B.C.) and rebuilt many times as a 1500-mile protection against
northern invaders
Grand Canal:
built during the reign of Emperor Wen (Sui dynasty) to unite northern and
southern China
7.4 SUB-SAHARAN GHANA AND MALI
labor specialization:
separating the work to be done into certain tasks (sometimes assigned by
gender in certain societies)
caravan:
a single-file of pack animals, such as camels, used to transport goods
long distances
trans-Sahara:
crossing the Sahara desert
savanna:
grasslands; usually flat and with few trees
Sahel:
the Sahara’s southern border or “shore of the desert” (transitions from
desert, to sparse vegetation, to grasslands)
delta:
the mud and silt left at the mouth of a river
oral tradition:
stories, myths, beliefs passed on in a culture by spoken words
griot:
a West-African storyteller
monsoon:
wet and rainy periods brought by seasonal wind systems
matrilineal:
tracing descent through the females (women) of the family (as in certain
African cultures)
patrilineal:
tracing descent through the males (men) of a family
Nok:
early African people who learned the art of working with iron from north
Africans; used this skill to make superior tools and weapons
Bantu:
a major language family found in Africa; also refers to the people who
speak these languages
Proto-Bantu:
the root language of the Bantu language; the descendents of these people
migrated throughout eastern, central and southern Africa
plateau:
a raised and relatively flat area of land
tsetse fly:
an insect that can infect humans and cattle with a fatal illness known as
sleeping sickness
dhows:
sailing ships used by Arab traders to travel to the east coast of Africa
(used seasonal winds—monsoons)
missionaries:
people sent out to do religious work
plantation:
a large farm where crops are grown
ethnolinguistics:
the study of various peoples and their languages
7.5 MEDIEVAL JAPAN
isolation:
being apart or separated from the rest of the world
Shinto:
a Japanese religion that revolves around the spirits of nature
kami:
divine spirits that fill the natural world according to the religion of
Shinto
shogun:
the true head of the medieval government in Japan (great general)
daimyo:
nobles who owned large estates in the Japanese provinces
samurai:
the mounted and armed warrior class (those who serve)
bushido:
the warrior code of behavior and ethics, the way of the warrior
courtier:
people who took part in the social life at court, emphasized refinement,
art, and poetry
haiku:
traditional Japanese poem of three lines (5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5
syllables)
denominations:
different religious divisions or groups
Kabuki:
Japanese theatre that features spectacular staging and costumes along with
dramatic music and dance
Noh:
Japanese drama with a poetic script and a simple plot
Kanji:
the Japanese writing system based on Chinese characters (pictograms)
Hiragana:
the simplified writing system that uses phonetic symbols for each syllable
7.6 MEDIEVAL EUROPE
monastery:
a religious community for monks or nuns
feudalism:
lords (large landowners) give protection to people in exchange for
services and work (a political and economic system)
monarchy:
a strong central government ruled by a king or queen (monarch)
lord:
the owner of a feudal estate who gave protection to his vassals
vassal:
one who receives land and protection from a lord and promises loyalty and
service to the lord
knight:
an armed, mounted soldier who gives his loyalty to a lord
squire:
a young man ranking just below a knight who is in training to become a
knight
page:
a young boy who serves at the manor or castle and one day will advance to
the rank of squire
serf:
the lowest feudal class, a peasant bound to the land
chivalry:
the ideal code of behavior for knights (qualities such as honor, courtesy,
loyalty and protection of the weak)
homage:
allegiance owed to a lord by a vassal (promised in a special ceremony
which was called the “oath of fealty”
manor:
the castle and estate of a feudal lord
pope:
the head of the Roman Catholic church
Magna Carta: (Great Charter)
made the king (John of England) follow the rule of law and stopped him
from taking away the rights of the nobles (foundation of our idea of “due
process of law” and also established jury trials)
parliament:
a representative lawmaking body (England)
habeas corpus:
an order to bring a person into court so that the person may be released
from unlawful detainment
the Crusades:
military expeditions taken by European Christians to attempt to drive the
Muslims from the Holy Land (1100 to 1400)
heretic:
one who holds beliefs different from the accepted religious opinions
plague:
highly infectious, often fatal epidemic disease (bubonic plague); known as
the Black Death when it swept into Europe from Asia (along trade routes)
in the mid 1300s
clergy:
people ordained for religious service (priests, bishops…)
hierarchy:
an classification based on rank and power (as an example,from higher to
lower: pope, cardinal, archbishop, bishop, priest, monk)
guild:
an association of tradespeople in the Middle Ages (merchants,
craftspeople, artisans)
apprentice:
one who is learning a trade
journeyman:
a skilled craftsman who has learned a trade (as an apprentice), but is not
yet a master
master:
an expert craftsman who has been accepted to guild membership
7.7 MESO-AMERICAN AND ANDEAN
Olmec:
one of the earliest civilizations in the Americas, created huge stone
heads (in the region of modern Mexico, around 1200 B.C.)
hieroglyph:
written signs that represent concepts and ideas
elite:
the upper class of society (has special privileges)
Maya:
a civilization centered on the Yucatan peninsula; limestone pyramids were
at the heart of their cities (height of power A.D. 250-900)
stele:
stone columns with carved and painted hieroglyphs
codex:
the hieroglyphic record books kept by the Mayan priest-kings (few remain)
Aztec:
a civilization centered in the Valley of Mexico; Tenochtitlan (Place of
the Prickly Pear Cactus); conquered by Cortés in 1519
Inca:
the native people who ruled what is now Peru before the Spanish conquest
(by Pizzaro) in the 16th century; these people created a
network of roads and cities in the Andes Mountains of South America
vertical economy:
the growing of plants and raising of animals according to the altitude;
climate and soil conditions change as you move higher
conquistadors:
the Spaniards who came to the New World in the 1500s in search of wealth;
(Spanish word = conqueror)
priest-kings:
leaders who were not only warriors, but also viewed as descendents of the
gods
polytheism:
belief in many gods or spirits
chinampas:
a type of farming used by the Aztec that used “floating gardens”
(approximately 300 feet by 20 feet) surrounded by canals
calpullis:
large Aztec settlements with different social classes including nobles,
commoners, serfs and slaves
quipu:
a counting device used by the Inca to keep track of everything from
people to food
7.8 RENAISSANCE
The Renaissance:
a revival or rebirth of learning that began in Italy in the 14th
century and then spread throughout Europe
Italian city-states:
independent towns, free of feudal lords; often republics ruled by rich
families
Florence:
the Italian town considered to be the birthplace of the Renaissance; ruled
by the Medici family (bankers) for many years
mercenaries:
paid soldiers
Renaissance man:
a person of many talents and with a great desire to learn (example:
Leonardo da Vinci)
classical learning:
works of the ancient Greeks and Romans (art, architecture, sculpture,
philosophy) that were revived during the Renaissance
patricians:
upper class; might be descendants of nobles, but could also be merchants
and business people who ran guilds and banking
patron:
a wealthy supporter of the arts; one who gave money to artists to create
works (commissions)
secular:
non-religious
playwright:
an author of dramas; Shakespeare (wrote both tragedies and comedies
dealing with human nature) is a good example
humanism:
a focus on human beings and their values, capacities and achievements
Silk Road:
a series of trade routes running through Asia connecting China to the
Middle East; reopened by travelers such as Marco Polo in the 13th
century
printing press:
a method of making many identical copies of text or pictures; movable type
developed in Europe by Gutenberg about 450
anatomy:
the scientific study of the parts of the human body (Vesalius)
astronomy:
the scientific study of the universe and the objects in it (Copernicus—sun
centered, Kepler—oval orbits for the planets)
7.9 REFORMATION
Reformation:
the historical movement that started off by wanting to improve the
Catholic church and eventually led to the development of many other
denominations of Christianity
selling of indulgences:
a way to buy cancellation of sins (certificates sold by the Pope)
Martin Luther:
a German religious reformer who challenged the Catholic church by posting
his 95 theses on the doors of All Saints Church in the town of Wittenberg
Protestants:
the name given to the people who criticized (protested against) what they
felt were abuses in the Catholic church
predestination:
the idea that God had already chosen (predestined) those people who would
gain salvation; John Calvin (a Frenchman who moved to Switzerland)
Council of Trent:
held by the Catholic Church (1545 – 1563) in order to get rid of abuses
and to uphold the traditions of Catholicism
Counter-Reformation:
the movement within the Catholic church to reform itself
Jesuits:
a Catholic religious group (Society of Jesus founded by Ignatius Loyola)
that took vows of poverty and obedience to the Pope; focused on education
and missionary work
missionary:
a person sent out to do religious or charitable work
The Inquisition:
a church court established to judge, convict and punish heretics
(disbelievers or those whose beliefs are in conflict with the dominant
opinions)
7.10 SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
The Scientific Revolution
An era in the history of Europe during which scientific thought was
emphasized and during which accepted beliefs about the natural world were
questioned
telescope:
a device that lets you see remote objects, such as planets and stars, that
uses lenses and mirrors (Galileo developed a more powerful one in 1609)
microscope:
an instrument that magnifies very small objects
barometer:
an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure; used to forecast the
weather
thermometer:
an instrument that measures temperature (mercury that rises and falls in a
tube)
Scientific Method:
A method of doing scientific research that uses observation and
experimentation to lead to a statement of principles about the natural
world (Francis Bacon, an English philosopher)
hypothesis:
an assumption about the natural world that can be tested by doing
experiments
gravity:
the force that holds the universe together, described by Isaac Newton
(apple falling from tree)
Rene Descartes:
French philosopher and mathematician
7.11
EXPLORATION, ENLIGHTENMENT, AGE OF REASON
cartography:
the art of making maps
Columbian Exchange:
a term that describes the sharing of biological ideas between the old and
new worlds that occurred after 1492
capitalism:
an economic system with free markets and private ownership
mercantilism:
a European economic system that used colonies as the source of raw
materials and as a market in which to sell goods
cottage industry:
a small-scale manufacturing business carried out in a home
Enlightenment:
the idea that reason (logical thought) could be used to improve the world
and to create a perfect society
natural rights:
the rights guaranteed to all people by nature; described by Locke to be
life, liberty and the protection of property
Montesquieu:
a French philosopher who said that government should be split into three
branches (legislative, executive, judicial) in order to check its power
English Bill of Rights (1689):
the power of the monarch (king) was limited by that of Parliament
(law-making body); also guaranteed basic freedoms such as freedom from
cruel punishments and the right to petition
Declaration of Independence (1776):
written by Thomas Jefferson and used by the 13 colonies as a way to
declare their separation from England; emphasized the equality of people
and basic rights (changed Locke’s list to life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness)
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