Study Guide for Social Studies FINAL EXAM
5th Grade: Casini-Steger / Forbes
{Reviewing the following information that was presented in class this year will prepare you for the final exam the last week of school. }
General Vocabulary
fact: statement that can be checked and proved to be true; recognize an example
opinion: statement that tells what a person thinks/believes; recognize an example
primary source: record of an event made by a person who saw
or took part in it; recognize an example
secondary source: record of an event written by someone who
wasnot there at the time; recognize an example
culture: a way of life; dress, food, ways of making things, art, literature, system of government
race: group of people united or classified together on the basis of common history, nationality, or geographic distribution
Map Skills
compass rose/cardinal directions:a symbol showing directions on the map. Most compass roses show the four main directions: north, south, east, and west. It may look like a plus sign with arrows. The arrow pointing up usually shows the direction of north.
map scale: part of a map that compares a distance on the map to a distance in the real world
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map legend: explains the symbols, lines, and colors used on the map.
latitude and longitude lines are both used to pinpoint map locations.
latitude lines: lines that run across the globe from side to side are called lines of latitude; are like the steps on a ladder.
longitude lines : run from top to bottom ; like the sides of a ladder.
Geography
geography: study of climate, landforms, bodies of water & natural resources of a specific place
continent: one of several (7) large landmasses on Earth. (from largest in size to smallest): Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.
(5) Great Lakes: collection of freshwater lakes located in NE North America, on the Canada– United States border; hold 21% of the world's surface fresh water. Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior
North America’s countries, from North to South: Canada, USA, Mexico
Oceans surrounding North America: Pacific (W); Atlantic (E), Arctic (N)
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Government / American Symbols
government: system by which people of a community, state or nation use leaders and laws to help people live together
mayor: political leader (local) of a village or small city government
Fredonia’s current mayor: Mr. Stephen Keefe
governor: political leader of astate government
New York’s current governor: Mr. Andrew Cuomo
president: political leader of anation; elections every 4 years
Our nation’s current president: Mr. Barack Obama
The three branches in America’s democratic government :
Legislative: lawmaking
Executive: carries out the laws
Judicial:the court system
Our national anthem: “The Star Spangled Banner”
written by Francis Scott Key, after watching a huge American flag wave after the battle at Fort McHenry in Baltimore (War of 1812)
the flag of the United States has thirteen stripes of red and white, they represent the original thirteen American colonies;
upper left corner: blue field with fifty white stars, one for each state.
red = courage, white = purity and innocence, blue = justice.
U.S. Constitution: The Constitution, written in 1787, is the highest law in our land and the most important document in our history. It formed a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." It remains as relevant today as it was over two hundred years ago.
Preamble: the introduction of the Constitution, explaining its purpose
| “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” |
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Bill of Rights: the first 10 amendments (changes) to the Constitution.
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Presidential Elections
Along with rights, Amerian citizens have responsibilities.
The right to vote is called suffrage
To be eligible to vote, you must:
be a citizen, be 18 years old & be registered to vote
In United States, the National Election Dayis the first Tuesday
after the first Monday in November .
One main job of the President is to represent America to other countries.
There is a limit on presidential terms in office.
A President can only be elected to 2 terms.
PresidentialInauguration Day is always on January 20th.
Louisiana Purchase/ Lewis and Clark
U.S. President Thomas Jefferson bought Louisiana from France in 1803. He hired Meriwether Lewis & William Clark to find a water route to the Pacific Ocean. They explored the northern part of the Louisiana Purchase to the Pacific Ocean. The Corps of Discovery is another name for Lewis and Clark’s Expedition.
Canada
USA’s northern neighbor
symbols: beaver & maple leaf
national anthem: “O Canada”
10 provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland / Labrador,Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan;
3 territories: Northwest Territories,Nunavut, and Yukon.
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Canada’s current Prime Minister: Mr. Stephen Harper
Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of Canada
bilingual: speak/understand 2 languages
Canada’smain languages are French and English
The Dust Bowl
Great Plains region that suffered from period of no rain, through the 1930s. It spread out over parts of Colorado, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma , New Mexico and Nebraska. “Okies” headed to California after they saw ads for jobs there. When they arrived in California, the available jobs paid low wages, because there were so many workers, not enough jobs, and also because the Californians did not like the Okies.
Mexico
USA’s Southern Neighbor
31 States
Mexico’s current President: Mr. Enrique Pena Nieto
Mexico's borders: North - United States of America
(Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte forms part of the border)
South – Guatemala & Belize
East – Atlantic Ocean
West – Pacific Ocean
Tenochtitlan was built where the Aztecs found an eagle, perched on a cactus, eating a snake.
The 2 peninsulas of Mexico are the Yucatan& Baja California
Hernan Cortes of Spain conquered the Aztecs in the 1500s. He took the Aztec leader, Montezuma, prisoner, andeventually killed him.
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World War II
U.S. President: Franklin D. Roosevelt
(died April 12, 1945, just before end of war; replaced by Vice President Harry Truman)
German ruler/dictator: Adolf Hitler
Pearl Harbor: Japanese attacked US forces in Hawaii; US decides to enter war after this. F.D.R. : “December 7, 1941- a date that will live in infamy.”
Allied Powers: USA, Great Britain, USSR
Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan
General Dwight D. Eisenhower: led allied invasion of Europe in 1944; later elected 34th President , 1953-1961
Holocaust: mass murder of European Jews
On a map of North America, you will need toidentify where the
following 10 locations are: U.S.A., Canada, Mexico,
Fredonia, N.Y., Washington, D.C., Ottawa, Mexico City,
Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico