Sixth Grade Units of Study
Other Videos
Six Degrees That Could Change the World (Unit 1)
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King Tut: Life and Death Documentary (Unit 3)
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Eight Features of Civilization
Cities: As farmers settled in fertile river valleys, they began to grow surplus or extra food. This extra food increased the population of the settlements. In time, the settlements grew into cities, such as Ur in Sumer or Babylon in Mesopotamia. Examples: (Modern day) • Paris • London • Charlotte • Rome • Lima • Los Angeles • Boston • Beijing Organized Central Governments: As cities developed and expanded, the food supply and irrigation systems needed to be maintained. Governments, such as councils or religious leaders, began to oversee the business and existence of the cities. Examples: • Cuba (Communism) • Great Britain (Constitutional Monarchy) • Roman Empire (Emperor, Senate) • Canada (Democracy) Job Specialization: As civilizations became more complex, artisans and craftsmen were needed to maintain specific items and tasks. No longer could individuals do all the work. Now some concentrated on teaching, scribing, stone cutting, and so forth. Examples: • Chef • Doctor • Teacher • Sanitation Worker • Scribe • Warrior • Artist Complex Religions: Religious leaders would conduct elaborate ceremonies to appease the gods (polytheism) and insure a bountiful harvest. Floods and droughts were blamed on the gods’ Abger so rituals were conducted in the temples. Examples: • Christianity • Buddhism • Judaism • Islam Social Classes: As jobs became specialized so did the status and needs of certain individuals. The need for a knowledgeable and educated religious leader was more respected than an unskilled worker. Herders were needed and respected for the food, while masons were needed for building. The slave was on the lowest rung of the social ladder warriors and kings were on top. Examples: • Upper Class • Middle Class • Lower Class Writing: Records were needed to keep accounts on trade goods and food storage. Writing was needed because the information became too great. In addition, one needed to express more complex ideas such as "belief" and "social order" where pictures and words simply would not suffice. Examples: • Pictograms • Hieroglyphics • Spanish • Latin • Cuneiform Art and Architecture: This expressed the beliefs and values of a civilization. Different styles were developed and copied by societies. Often the art was used to impress visitors and people about the beauty and power of a king or a community. Examples: • Eiffel Tower • Pyramids • The Coliseum • The Great Wall Public Works: The government would order these, although costly, to aid and benefit the community. Such things as a wall to protect from attack or a canal to aid in irrigation would help insure the survival of a people. Examples: • Building Roads • Bridges • Water Treatment Plants • Sewer Systems |
Five Themes of Geography
When we want to learn about a certain country, city, region, etc., we use the Five Themes of Geography. For each of the Five Themes, students should ask themselves the following questions about a particular country or region:
Location The geographic question, Where is it? refers to location. Location can identify a precise spot or tell where one place is in relation to another. There are two ways to talk about location. Absolute location describes a place's exact position on Earth. You might call absolute location a geographic address. Geographers identify the absolute location by using two kinds of imaginary lines around the Earth: latitude and longitude. With these lines, they can pinpoint any spot on Earth. Geographers also discuss relative location. This explains where a place is by describing places near it. Place The question, What is it like? refers to place. Place includes physical characteristics as well as human ones, like language, religion, and politics.
Region The question, How are places similar or different? refers to region. Region compares physical and human characteristics. What language(s) do people speak?
Movement The question, How do people, goods, and ideas move from one location to another? refers to movement.
Human-Environment Interaction The question, How do people relate to the physical world? refers to human- environment interaction. People learn to use and change what the environment offers them. People depend on the environment. People adapt to the environment. People modify the environment.
Sixth Grades Social Studies Notes
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