6th Grade Vocabulary-ALL CAMPUSES
6.1 History. The student understands that historical events influence contemporary events.
The student is expected to:
(B) analyze the historical background of the United States to evaluate relationships between past conflicts and
current conditions.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Apartheid An official policy of racial separation formerly practiced in South Africa
Migration Moving from one area in order to settle in another
Empire A nation or group of territories ruled by an emperor
Independence Freedom from colonial rule
Revolution A period of great change
6.2 History. The student understands the contributions of individuals and groups from various cultures to selected
historical and contemporary societies.
The student is expected to:
(A) explain the significance of individuals or groups from the United States, past and present.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Parliament A national law-making body (Canada & England)
Diversity A variety of cultures and viewpoints
Immigrants A person who comes to a country to take up residence
Descendants The next generation of a culture
Ethnic Groups A group of people of similar culture
Martin Luther King, Jr Black civil rights leader
6.3 Geography. The student uses maps, globes, graphs, charts, models, and databases to answer geographic questions.
The student is expected to:
(B) pose and answer questions about geographic distributions and patterns for selected world regions and
countries shown on maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Political Map A map that shows capitals and boundaries between cities and countries
Physical Map A map that shows landforms like mountains, rivers, and plateaus
Climate The typical weather of a region
Population The number of people who live in an area
Culture region An area of the world in which many people share similar beliefs, history, and languages
Movement The movement of people, goods and ideas
(C) compare selected world regions and countries using data from maps, graphs, charts, databases, and models.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Currency Money used a as form of exchange
Rural In the countryside
Urban In the city
Climate The typical weather of a region
Life Expectancy The number of years a person is expected to live in a population
Religion A belief system
Literacy rate The number of people who can read and write in a population
6.4 Geography. The student understands the characteristics and relative locations of major historical and contemporary
societies.
The student is expected to:
(A) locate major historical and contemporary societies on maps and globes.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Continent one of the main landmasses of the globe
Regions Group of places having the same physical features or human characteristics in common
Weather State of the earth’s atmosphere at any given time.
Glaciers A thick sheet of ice that moves slowly across land.
Atmosphere the gaseous envelope surrounding the earth; the air
Vegetation Plant life such as trees, plants, and grasses.
Precipitation Moisture that falls to the earth such as rain, or snow.
(B) identify and explain the geographic factors responsible for patterns of population in places and regions.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Elevation the altitude of a place above sea level or ground level
Climate A typical weather of a region.
Economy The system by which business owners in a region use productive resources to provide goods and services to provide
peoples’ wants.
Region Group of places having the same physical features or human characteristics in common
Agriculture Farming
Adaptation In ability to modify, in order to survive in a particular environment
Landform A feature of the earth’s surface such as a mountain, valley, or plateau.
(C) explain ways in which human migration influences the character of places and regions.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Immigration The process of moving to a new country to take up residence
Emigration The process of moving from one country to take up residence in another
Immigrant A person that comes to a country to take up residence
(D) identify and explain the geographic factors responsible for the location of economic activities in places and
regions.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Equal opportunity A guarantee that government and private institutions and will not discriminate against people on the basis of factors such
as race, religion, age, or gender.
Population density the number of people living per unit of an area (e.g. per square mile); the number of people relative to the space
occupied by them
Diversity A variety of culture and view points.
6.5 Geography. The student understands how geographic factors influence the economic development, political
relationships, and policies of societies.
The student is expected to:
(A) explain factors such as location, physical features, transportation corridors and barriers, and distribution of
natural resources that influence the economic development and foreign policies of societies.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Diversity A variety of cultures and viewpoints
Migration Movement of one area in order to settle in another
Population Density the number of people living per unit of an area (e.g. per square mile); the number of people relative to the space
occupied by them
Equal Opportunity Guarantee against ageist discrimination on basis of race, religion, age or gender
Fertile Rich in resources and nutrients
Landform Feature of the Earth’s surface, such as a mountain, valley, or a plateau
Physical Features landforms, bodies of water, climate, natural vegetation and soil
6.7 Geography. The student understands the impact of interactions between people and the physical environment on the
development of places and regions.
The student is expected to:
(A) identify and analyze ways people have adapted to the physical environment in selected places and regions.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Region Group of places having the same physical features or human characteristics in common
Adaptation In ability to modify, in order to survive in a particular environment
Agriculture the science of cultivating land, raising crops, and feeding, breeding, and raising livestock; farming
Renewable Resources Resource that can be used and replace over a short period of time
Non-Renewable Resources Resource that can only be replaced over millions of years
Irrigation The process of bringing water to dry land
6.11 Government. The student understands the concepts of limited governments, such as constitutional and democratic
governments, and unlimited governments, such as totalitarian and non democratic governments.
The student is expected to:
(A) describe characteristics of limited and unlimited governments.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Limited Government a type of government in which its functions and powers are prescribed, limited, and restricted by law
Unlimited Government Type of government in which the leaders have almost absolute power
(B) identify examples of limited and unlimited governments.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Monarchy Government ruled by a king or queen
Constitutional Monarchy Government ruled by a king or queen whose power is determined by the nation’s constitution and laws
Absolute Monarchy a monarchy that is not limited or restrained by laws or a constitution
Dictatorship Government ruled by one person who has complete control over a country’s government r
Tyranny arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority
Democracy Government that receives its power from the people
Oligarchy Government in which a group of selected individuals, aristocrats, make the decisions
Republic Government in which power belongs to the citizens, who govern themselves through elected representatives
(C) identify reasons for limiting the power of government.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Bill of Rights a formal statement of the fundamental rights of the people of the United States, incorporated in the Constitution as
Amendments 1–10, and in all state constitution
Amendment an alteration of or addition to a motion, bill, constitution, etc
Checks and Balances The “checking” of powers of the branches of government
Federal System National system of government
Citizen Legal member of a country
Branches of Government In the US, consists of the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches; separates the power of government
(D) compare limited and unlimited governments.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Germany country controlled in WWII by a dictator
United States country ruled under democracy
Sparta ruled under an oligarchy
Athens one of the first places with a democratic form of government
6.12 Government. The student understands alternative ways of organizing governments.
The student is expected to:
(B) identify examples of governments with rule by one, few, or many.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Monarchy Government ruled by a king or queen
Constitutional Monarchy Government ruled by a king or queen whose power is determined by the nation’s constitution and laws
Dictatorship Government ruled by one person who has complete control over a country’s government
Democracy Government that receives its power from the people
Republic Government in which power belongs to the citizens, who govern themselves through elected representatives
Oligarchy Government in which power belongs to a few citizens called aristocrats
(C) identify historical origins of democratic forms of government.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Athens Developed form of democratic government
City-state Central city and it’s surrounding villages that follow the same laws, have one form of government and share culture traits
Polis Central city in a city state
6.14 Citizenship. The student understands the relationship among individual rights, responsibilities, and freedoms in
democratic societies.
The student is expected to:
(B) explain relationships among rights and responsibilities in democratic societies.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Democracy A government that receives its power from the people
Government The people and groups within a society that have the authority to make laws, to make sure they are carried
out, and to settle disagreements about them.
Bill of Rights Ten amendments to the US Constitution that list specific freedoms guaranteed to every US citizen
Constitution the system of fundamental principles according to which a nation, state, corporation, or the like, is
governed, and the document which outlines them.
Individual Rights
Citizenship The status of a citizen, which includes certain duties and rights
Citizen A legal member of a country
Republic A nation in which power belongs to the citizens, who govern themselves through elected representatives
Political Process Legal activities through which a citizen influences public policy
Equal Opportunity A guarantee that government and private institutions will not discriminate against people on the basis of
factors such as race, religion, age, or gender
6.19 Culture. The student understands the relationships among religion, philosophy, and culture.
The student is expected to:
(A) explain the relationship among religious ideas, philosophical ideas, and cultures.
Vocabulary Word Definition
globatlization Spreading around the world
Culture The belief, customs, laws, art, and ways of living that group of people share.
Cultural trait The food, clothing, technology, beliefs, language, and tools that the people of a culture share.
Value A principle or ideal by which people live.
Multi-lingual The ability to speak more than one language.
Civilization an advanced state of human society, in which a high level of culture, science, industry, and government has been
reached
Migration Movement from one area in order to settle in another.
Diversity Variety of cultures and viewpoints.
6.20 Science, technology, and society. The student understands the relationships among science and technology and
political, economic, and social issues and events.
The student is expected to:
(A) give examples of scientific discoveries and technological innovations, including the roles of scientists and
inventors.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Revolution A fundamental change in the way of thinking about or visualizing something
Capitalism An economic system in which the factories and business that make and sell goods are privately owned and the owners
make the decisions about what goods to produce.
Industry Any area of economic activity.
Labor force A pool of available workers.
th th
Scientific revolution A period of great scientific change and discovery during the 16 and 17 centuries.
Irrigation The process of bringing water to dry land.
Technology Tools and equipment made through scientific discovery
6.21 Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a
variety of sources including electronic technology.
The student is expected to:
(A) differentiate between, locate, and use primary and secondary sources such as computer software; interviews;
biographies; oral, print, and visual material; and artifacts to acquire information about selected world cultures.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Primary Sources A first hand account or document of an event or time
Secondary Sources Sources that interpret, analyze or summarize primary sources
Artifact a handmade object, as a tool, or the remains of one, as a shard of pottery, characteristic of an earlier time or cultural
stage, esp. such an object found at an archaeological excavation
Archaeology the scientific study of historic or prehistoric peoples and their cultures by analysis of their artifacts, inscriptions,
monuments, and other such remains, esp. those that have been excavated.
(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing,
contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences
and conclusions.
Vocabulary Word Definition
(C) organize and interpret information from graphs, charts, timelines, and maps.
Vocabulary Word Definition
Latitude A measure of distance north or south of the equator
Longitude A measure of distance east or west of a line called the prime meridian
Scale A tool used for measuring distance
Political Map A map showing the political boundaries between countries
Physical Map A map showing the landforms and physical features of an area
Thematic Map A map that focuses on a specific idea or theme
Compass Rose a circle graduated to degrees or quarters and printed on a chart to show direction
Cardinal Directions The four primary points of the compass: north, east, south, and west.
Intermediate Directions compass directions located halfway between the cardinal directions
Population Density the number of people living per unit of an area (e.g. per square mile); the number of people relative to the
space occupied by them
Distribution Map A map shows dispersed population
Elevation How far above or below sea level an area is
Coordinates The numeric location of a place based on longitude and latitude
Absolute Location The exact spot on Earth where a place is found
Relative Location The location of one place in relation to other places
Map Projection One of the difference ways of showing Earth’s curved surface on a flat map
Equator a great circle of the earth or a celestial body that is everywhere equally distant from the two poles and divides
the surface into the northern and southern hemispheres
