7th Grade Social Studies

History

• Explain conflict and change in Europe.

Geography and Map Skills

• Explain the causes and effects of acid rain, air pollution, nuclear disaster, and deforestation.

• Identify a physical, political, climate, natural resource, and population map.

• Identify the parts of a map

• Use longitude and latitude to determine a location

• Use a compass rose to identify cardinal and intermediate directions

• Use graphic scales to determine distances on a map

• Use map key/legend to acquire information from maps

• Use a letter/number grid system to determine a location

• Use a map to explain the impact of geography on historical and current events

• Draw conclusions and make generalizations based on information from maps

• Compare maps of the same place at different points to determine changes, identify trends and generalize about human activities 

Government and Civics

• Compare and contrast various forms of government

• Explain citizen participation in government

ECONOMICS

• Analyze different economic systems

• Explain how voluntary trade benefits buyers and sellers

• Describe factors that influence economic growth

• Understand that a basic principle of effective personal money management is to live within one’s income

SKILLS

• Compare similarities and differences

• Organize items chronologically

• Explain a primary and secondary resource

• Explain how to compare and contrast various features on a map

• Construct charts and tables

• Analyze artifacts

• Identify issues and/or problems and alternative solutions

• Distinguish between fact and opinion

• Identify cause and effects

• Draw conclusions and make generalizations

• Interpret timelines, charts, and tables

• Analyze graphs and diagrams

• Formulate appropriate research questions

• Translate dates into centuries, eras, or ages 

Vocabulary

• Gross domestic product               entrepreneurship                           specialization

• Alliances                                          autocratic                                       parliamentary democracy

• Presidential democracy                legislature                                       prime minister

• Human capital                           Reparations                                   command economy 

• Capital goods                                 trade barrier                                  arable 

• Standard of living                             embargo                                     tariff

• Communism                                  mixed economy                                 quota

• Propaganda                                   democratic                                     import

• Currency                                        export                                             literacy

• Currency exchange                       traditional economy                      market economy     

Geography and Map Skills

•  Identify the various types of maps.  

• Create a bumper sticker to illustrate the cause and effects environmental issues have on the planet.  Write a paragraph describing the environmental issue and your ideas for how it can be solved.

• Use the population density map to show how many people live in a specific area.  

Government and Civics

•  View forms of Government Song  

Compare and contrast the two forms of democratic governments: Parliamentary and Presidential.

•  Create a mascot to either represent the Parliamentary or Presidential form of government.  Draw and color your mascot. Give your mascot a creative name.  Write down at least three reasons explaining your form of government. 

Economics

• This video reviews trade barriers: tariff, quota, and embargo.  While you are watching the video, think about a product you want to invent.  Create a product and sketch your invention on the notepad.  Name your invention and answer the questions about your product.  

• Check yourself...Trade Barriers Memory Clues.  Synonyms that describe a tariff, quota,  embargo, and a quick sketch to represent each one.  

Skills

• Can you distinguish the difference between fact or opinion?  Read the passage and highlight sentences or phrases that are facts and underline statements that reflect opinions.

• Visit the World Factbook website, select a country from Europe, and create a brochure for the country.  Click the word "brochure" in the above sentence for requirements. 

Vocabulary

• Practice using vocabulary words.  Complete the vocabulary choice board.