Introduction to Social Studies

Unit Highlights

In this unit, students will analyze primary and secondary sources to:

  • Explain how history works and its importance.

  • Utilize and explain historical thinking skills that are needed to effectively analyze documents and think critically. These skills are:

    • Sourcing

    • Contextualization

    • Corroboration

    • Close Reading

  • Distinguish between and primary and secondary sources.

  • Identify and explain the 6 factors to analyze in world civilizations and cultures. G.R.A.PE.S.

    • Geography

    • Religion

    • Achievements

    • Politics

    • Economics

    • Social Structure

Unit Vocabulary

  • Achievements

  • Bias

  • Close Reading

  • Contextualization

  • Corroboration

  • Credible Sources

  • Economics

    • Evidence

    • Geography

    • Not Credible Source

    • Point of View

    • Politics

    • Primary Source

    • Religion

  • Secondary Source

  • Social Structure

  • Social Studies

  • Source

  • Sourcing

  • Unbiased

Activity 1: History Pre-Test

Using your prior knowledge, brainstorm, list, and/or draw what you know about the study of history in a thinking map. Complete this assignment on paper or online. You may include:

  • Information you know or kind of know about History.

  • Guesses about what History is.

  • Questions you have about History.

  • Information you would like to know about History.

  • What comes to mind when you think of History.