What is Social Studies? The study of how people over time have interacted with each other and their environment in order to live.

It includes five different areas (strands): 1.Geography 2.Culture 3.History 4.Government 5.Economics

Geography Geography is the study of people, places, and the environment.

There two types of geography: Physical Geography – the study of land forms Cultural Geography - the study of people

We use different types of maps to study geography, including: Physical Maps – show land features like mountains and rivers.

We use different types of maps to study geography, including: Political Maps – show human borders such as countries and states.

We use different types of maps to study geography, including: Population Distributio n Maps – show where large groups of people live.

We use different types of maps to study geography, including: Resource Maps – show which raw materials can be found in a particular area.

Your Turn What kind of map would show the border between the United States and Canada? Political Map

Culture Culture is the beliefs, customs, laws, art, and ways of living that a group of people share.

Culture deals with the everyday lives of people. What kind of food do you eat? What language do you speak? What religion do you follow?

Your Turn List four more examples of culture:

History History is a record of the past.

History includes the study of: Events that have changed the way people live People who have changed society

We learn about history by studying two different kinds of sources: Primary Sources– documents or objects from the actual time period Secondary Sources – documents or objects that interpret or analyze primary sources

Your Turn Mark each of these examples with a P or an S to indicate the type of source. 1.____ biography 2.____ photograph 3.____ interview 4.____ textbook 5.____ movie 6.____ autobiography 7.____ diary entry 8.____ TV show S P P S S P P S

Government Government refers to the people in society who make laws, enforce the laws, and settle disagreements about them.

We focus on two different government models in 7 th grade Citizen participation – describes how much control people have over their own government and what kind freedoms they have. Power Distribution - describes how the government is organized. Does it concentrates power in one place or share it?

The main types of citizen participation are: Autocratic – one person rules Democratic – the people rule

Your Turn What type of citizen participation does the United States use? Democratic

Economics Economics is how people manage their resources by producing, exchanging, and using goods and services.

All societies benefit from trade, the voluntary exchange of goods and services.

Goods and services are produced using the three basic types of resources: Natural Resources – raw material from nature Human Capital – labor done by people Capital Goods – tools, factories, technology and land

Your Turn List one example of each type of productive resource. Natural Resources: Human Capital: Capital Goods: