Social Studies MEAP Vocabulary (from Social Studies Benchmarks)

BASIC HISTORICAL CONCEPTS

Early Elementary:

• Clocks Tell Time

• Weeks, Months, and Years are Intervals of Time

• Past, Present, and Future

• Chronological Order

• Good Character

• Personal Virtue 

• align="left">Records from the Past

• Primary documents

• Stories from the Past

• Personal History

• Family History

• Historical Narratives

• Historical Facts

• Historical Interpretations

• Point of View

• Evaluate the Decisions of Others

Added at Later Elementary:

• Decades and Centuries
• Sequence
• Graphic Data
• Comparing the Past
• Primary Sources

• Conflicting Viewpoints
• Values and Interests
• Ethical Considerations
• Short-term and Long-term Consequences

Added at Middle School:

• Timeline
• Defining Characteristic
• Historical Origins
• Historical Eras
• Reconstruction
• Historical Biographies
• Secondary Records

• Perspective
• Contemporary Factors
• Alternative Courses of Action
• Historic Violation of Human Dignity
• Crimes Against Humanity
• Core Democratic Values

Added at High School:

• Defining Characteristic
• Significant Events
• Global Impact
• Modern World
• Historical Inevitability

• Contemporary Factors
• Alternatives
• Historical Analogies
• Key or Pivotal Decisions

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BASIC GEOGRAPHIC CONCEPTS

Early Elementary:

• Human Characteristics of Place
• Natural Characteristics of Place
• Environment
• Human Wants and Needs
• Location
• Community 
• Movement

• Human Connection to Place
• Region
• State 
• Country
• Boundaries
• Major World Event

Added at Later Elementary:

• Cultures
• Community Characteristics
• Ecosystem
• Processes
• Resources
• Physical Patterns
• Land Use
• Adapt
• Modify
• Economic Activity
• Migration

• Transportation
• Communication
• Sketch Maps
• Geography
• Physical Geography 
• Economic Geography
• Cultural Geography
• Great Lakes Ecosystem
• Physical and Human Processes

Added at Middle School:

• World Regions
• Human Environment Interaction
• Occupations
• Governments

• Economic and Political Connections
• Patterns
• Global Consequences
• Geographic Aspects of World Events

Added at High School:

• Women's and Men's Perceptions
• Environmental Consequences
• World Processes
• World Events
• World Patterns of Economic Activity
• Urbanization
• Population Growth

• Economic Development
• Resource Use
• International Trade
• Global Communication
• Economic Development
• Political Systems
• Cultural Stability and Change
• Conflict and Cooperation

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BASIC CIVIC CONCEPTS

Early Elementary:

• Authority
• Justice
• Core Democratic Values
• National Events
• Government
• Freedom

• Decisions
• International Events
• Rules
• Conflicts
• Influence

Added at Later Elementary:

• State, Local, & National
• Limiting Power of Government
• Declaration of Independence
• Special Rights (guaranteed by the Constitution)

• Laws (making, enforcing, & interpreting)
• Government Institutions
• Campaigns
• State & Federal Courts
• Citizen's Responsibilities

Added at Middle School:

• Constitution
• Alternate forms of Government
• Common Good
• Disparities in American Ideals & Realities

• International Governmental Organizations
• Representative Democracy
• Civic Procedures
• Individual Rights
• Criminal Procedure

Added at High School:

• Federal System
• Parliamentary Systems
• Conduct of Citizens
• Practices of Government
• Core Democratic Values
• American Political System
• American Influence (on other countries)

• American Presidential System
• Diversity in American Life
• Political Behavior
• Civic Courts
• Amendments
• Criminal Courts 
• Foreign Policy
• Branches of Government

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BASIC ECONOMIC CONCEPTS

Early Elementary:

• Production
• Services
• Markets
• Economic Exchanges
• Cash
• Consumption

• Resources
• Market Economy
• Coin
• Goods
• Distribution
• Currency

Added at Later Elementary:

• Scarcity
• Decision Making Model
• Consumer Credit
• Capital Equipment
• Corporation
• Service
• Prices
• Distribution
• Economic Decisions
• Costs
• Natural Resources
• Individual Ownership

• Public 
• Public Goods
• Trade
• Importers
• Opportunity Costs
• Benefits
• Human Capital 
• Partnership
• Good
• Economic Dispute
• International Trade
• Exporters

Added at Middle School:

• Price
• Risks
• Private Good
• Role of the Government in the Economy
• Command Economies
• Commerce
• Economic Trends
• Entrepreneur
• Economic Measurement

• Scarcity
• Demand
• Barter
• Profit
• Distribution
• Taxation
• Economic Institutions
• Incentives
• Supply

Added at High School:

• Earning
• Investing
• Foreign Market
• Fiscal Policy
• Intended Results
• International Economic System
• Absolute Advantage
• Currency Exchange
• Product Standards
• Spending
• Marketplace
• Economic Indicators

• Inflation
• Unintended Results
• Comparative Advantage
• Tariffs
• Saving
• Import
• Export
• Monetary Policy
• Economic Growth
• Domestic Economy
• Free Market Economy
• Specialization
• Quotas