General Vocabulary Flashcards
Social
Anything related to society.
Sentence: Alcoholism is a major social problem today.
Political
Anything related to government or the way power is organized in a society.
Sentence: When the president refused to step down after the election, there was a political crisis.
Economic
Anything related to the economy.
Sentence: When the pandemic broke out the high unemployment caused an economic collapse.
Culture
The traditions, arts, behaviors, and achievements of a particular group of people.
Sentence: We can understand the culture of ancient peoples by looking at the everyday stuff they left behind.
Government
The group or body that manages a larger group (a community, state or nation).
Sentence: The city government banned fireworks near the mountain during the summer dry season.
Sovereign
Having complete power.
Sentence: The United States recognized South Korea as a sovereign country.
Analyze
Look at something (usually information) closely so that you can explain it.
Sentence: Analyze these two documents and tell me what they mean.
Infer
To assume something based on evidence.
Sentence: What can you infer about the weather based on the clothes people are wearing?
Artifacts
Something made by a person that usually tells us about that person or their culture.
Sentence: We found artifacts that proved these people used clay pots to transport water.
Primary Source
A first-hand account of an event or topic in history. These include newspaper reports by journalists who witnessed the event, diaries, letters, photographs, interviews, videos, data (like census and tax records).
Sentence: We found a primary source that told us what life was like for soldiers in WWI.
Secondary Source
Second-hand account of an event or topic in history. A primary source will usually quote or interpret primary sources. These include history books, documentaries, textbooks.
Sentence: My teacher asked me to find a primary source and a secondary source about the Civil War.
Bias
Having a favorable or unfavorable opinion about a person, place or thing compared with another, usually in a way that’s not fair.
Sentence: When reviewing newspaper accounts of the war, he found a clear bias towards the United States.
Perspective
Point of view.
Sentence: From his perspective the war seemed justified and reasonable.
Pre-Columbian
Used to describe the Americas before the arrival of Columbus in 1492.
Region
Part of the world or country that shares some characteristics but not really an absolute boundary.
Sentence: This week we’ll be studying the Rocky Mountain region of the United States.
Environment
The surroundings that a person, plant or animal lives in.
Sentence: Because they lived in a cold environment, they wore thick coats and spent a lot of time indoors.
