1. Social Studies ABC Book
Ashley Walker | ELED 412

2. A is for Academic
Vocabulary
Academic vocabulary is the vocabulary
needed to understand the concepts of school.
Examples of academic vocabulary related to
social studies would be: map, globe, compass,
legend, etc.

4. B is for Byzantine
Civilization
The Byzantine civilization occurred during the
middle ages. This was also known as Eastern
Roman and occurred, at its peak, during 500
CE.

6. C is for Continental
Congress
The continental congress was a convention of
delegates called together from the 13 colonies
which became the governing body of the
United States during the American Revolution.

8. D is for Delaware
Delaware was one of the 13 colonies
established in 1638. The Dutch and the
Swedish initially settled the colony, but later
the English took control. In 1682, Delaware
was awarded to William Penn.

10. E is for Enlightenment
The Enlightenment refers to a period during
the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
when people began questioning religious
beliefs and emphasizing scientific reasoning
and knowledge.

12. F is for First Mission in
Texas
In 1682, the Spanish established the first
permanent settlement in Texas- the mission of
Ysleta del Sur near the present-day city of El
Paso.

14. G is for Globes
A globe is a tool for representing space
symbolically. The main purpose for using a
globe, in the early grades, is to familiarize
children with the basic roundness of the earth
and to begin developing a global perspective.

16. H is for Holocaust
The Holocaust was an act of genocide devised
by Adolf Hitler during World War II to
exterminate the Jewish population. Germany
placed Jews in concentration camps and
systematically killed millions.

18. I is for Indentured
Servant
The indentured servant system was used to
bring workers to the New World. The
indentured servant would sell him or herself to
an agent or ship captain before leaving
England. In return, the contract would be sold
to a buyer in the colonies to recover the cost
of the passage.

20. J is for Juan de Onate
Juan de Onate received permission from King
Philip II of Spain to colonize New Mexico in
1595. In 1598, he founded the first European
settlement west of the Mississippi in New
Mexico.

22. K is for Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan was one of the various secret
societies established during the
Reconstruction to continue the
implementation of the black codes and to
terrorize African Americans.

24. L is for Latitude and
Longitude
Latitude and Longitude are lines that run
across the globe. Latitude lines run
horizontally and longitude lines run vertically.

26. M is for Mayas
The Mayas are one of the most developed
ancient civilizations to have been in the
Americas. The Mayas developed a highly
integrated society with elaborate religious
observances for which they built stone and
mortar pyramids.

28. N is for Nagasaki and
Hiroshima
By the order of president Harry Truman, the
United States dropped two atomic bombs on
the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The
death and destruction caused by these two
bombs forced the Japanese government to
surrender in 1945, which officially ended
WWII.

30. O is for Ohio River
The Ohio river is one of the largest and most
important rivers in the United States. It begins
near Pittsburgh and runs southwest, ending in
the Mississippi River on the Illinois and
Missouri borders.

32. P is for Pacific
Mountain System
The Pacific Mountain System covers the west
coast of the United States. The area extends
from the Cascade Mountains in the north
down the entire west coast through the states
of Washington, Oregon, and California.

34. Q is for Quakers
The Quakers was a religion persecuted in
England that William Penn belonged to. Penn
made Pennsylvania a safe haven for Quakers
and a large number settled in the colony.

36. R is for Reconstruction
Era
The Reconstruction Era occurred during 1865-
1877. The Era was characterized by hatred and
violence.

38. S is for Systematic
Inquiry
Research in Social Studies involves the use of
systematic inquiry. Research includes primary
and secondary sources and students are
expected to apply critical thinking skills to
organize and use information acquired from a
variety of sources including electronic
technology.

40. T is for Thematic
Instruction
The presentation and repetition of content in
different subjects and conditions allow
students the opportunity to develop English
vocabulary while learning content.

42. U is for United Farm
Workers
Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huertas founded
the United Farm Workers union as part of the
effort to support the rights of farm workers.
They fought for better working conditions and
fair compensation for agricultural workers.

44. V is for Vannevar Bush
Vannevar Bush, in 1930, invented the analog
computer at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in Boston.

46. W is for Women’s
Rights
The civil rights movement provided the
impetus for the women’s movement of the
60s. The women’s movement attained better
employment and professional opportunities
for women. The Equal Rights Amendment of
1972 guarantees women’s equal rights.

48. X is for TeXes
The Core Subjects test we will be taking after
this course. I hope this social studies ABC
book has helped you study for the social
studies section of the test.

50. Y is for Yangtze (China)
River
The Yangtze (China) River is the third-largest
river in the world. Its source is the Tibetan
Plateau and its mouth is the East China Sea.

52. Z is for Zapotecs
The Zapotecs were a highly sophisticated
civilization in northern Mexico. They
developed a partly alphabetic writing system
and left codices describing their history,
religion, and daily events.