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Social Sciences
Social Scientists- The people who study the world in which humans live.
Historians- Study written records of past events.
Geographers- Study the Earth's surface and its impact on humans.
Geographers often examine topography (physical land features), climate (weather), human migrations (movement), and the way in which humans adapt to (learn to live in) different environments.
Geographers will often examine two types of maps:
Political Maps- Show countries, their borders, and capital cities.
carbon-14 dating (Radio carbon dating) - Process for dating the age of something that was once alive.
Physical Maps- Show topography (land features such as mountains, rivers, deserts, lakes, etc.). Relief Map, Topographical Map
3) Economists- Study how societies use available resources. Remember all
resources are scarce except for solar power.
They often ask and try to answer the following 3 questions about civilizations:
What goods and services are produced?
How are goods and services produced?
How are goods and services distributed?
I. Social Sciences
Anthropologists- Study past and present human cultures.
Archaeologists are a type of anthropologist. They examine the culture of past human societies through analysis of physical remains. (artifacts - something made by humans).
Political Science - Examines how societies are organized - leadership, laws, government
Sociology - Looks at culture (present and past) and tries to explain why we do what we do.
II. Historical Sources
Historians are concerned with the examination of written records from the past.
Primary Source- A firsthand record of a historical event created by an eyewitness
who actually experienced the event (Examples- Diaries, photographs, artifacts, autobiographies).
Secondary Source- A secondhand record of a historical event created by a person who did NOT actually experience the event (Examples- Textbooks, encyclopedias, biographies).
Human Origins online
A thank-you to my colleague at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School.
This series will be labeled YTGR9, as in YouTube Global Regents 9.
Some Practice Questions
1. What is a major feature of a traditional economy? (3 -Ag'11)
(1) nationalizing foreign-owned businesses
(2) determining prices using a free market
(3) establishing quotas based on five-year plans
(4) bartering for goods and services
2. An economist who focused on ancient societies would most likely study the (3-Ju' 11)
(1) development of trade
(2) evolution of family patterns
(3) effect of fire on the lives of the people
(4) role of religion in river valley civilizations
3. In which economic system used by early civilizations are decisions about the distribution of goods based primarily on
customs, beliefs, and habits? (3-Ja'11)
(1) mixed (3) traditional
(2) free-market (4) command
4. The best definition of subsistence agriculture is (7-Ja'11)
(1) supplying crops for overseas exports
(2) bartering crops for manufactured goods
(3) storing surplus food in case of famine
(4) producing just enough food for a family's use
5. An economist is a social scientist who focuses on the study of the ( Ag 10)
(1) development of spiritual practices
(2) establishment of legal systems
(3) creation and implementation of social class systems
(4) production and exchange of goods and services
6. Which statement best describes an aspect of a command economy? (#3- -Ja'10)
(1) Profit motivates individuals to set up private businesses.
(2) Tradition, religion, and customs heavily influence economic decisions.
(3) Supply and demand regulate the economy.
(4) Government directs and controls the means of production.
7. The term subsistence farming is best defined as (3- Ag'09)
(1) redistributing farmland
(2) producing only enough crops to meet family needs
(3) irrigating farmland
(4) exchanging farm products for money
8. Which topic is central to the study of economics? (1-Jan 09)
(1) tracking the development and spread of diseases
(2) understanding the causes of ethnic rivalries
(3) examining the distribution and use of limited resources
(4) studying the growth and role of political parties
9. Subsistence farming can best be defined as (5-Jan 09)
(1) harvesting a surplus of crops to be sold for profit
(2) producing just enough food for a family's survival
(3) domesticating animals to transport goods
(4) irrigating crops to increase production
10. Which social scientist primarily studies how people change resources into goods and services? (#3 - Au'08)
(1) archaeologist (3) economist
(2) sociologist (4) psychologist
11. Hunting and gathering, subsistence agriculture, and the barter system are characteristics of a (# 3 - Au03)
(1) market economy
(2) command economy
(3) traditional economy
(4) mixed economy
12. In a traditional economic system, which type of goods is most often produced? (#4 - Ju03)
(1) agricultural products
(2) heavy industrial machinery
(3) military supplies
(4) electronics and computers
13. What is a major feature of a traditional economy? (#3-Ag'11)
(1) nationalizing foreign-owned businesses
(2) determining prices using a free market
(3) establishing quotas based on five-year plans
(4) bartering for goods and services
15. During the first Global Age (A.D. 1450–1770), European countries obtained both a source of raw materials and a
reliable market for their finished goods by developing (17-June, 2011)
(1) the policy of mercantilism
(2) trade cooperatives
(3) laissez-faire principles
(4) forts along the Silk Roads
16. An economist who focused on ancient societies would most likely study (3-June, 2011)
(1) the development of trade
(2) evolution of family patterns
(3) effect of fire on the lives of the people
(4) role of religion in river valley civilizations
17. In which economic system used by early civilizations are ecisions about the distribution of goods based primarily
on customs, beliefs, and habits? (#3-Ja'11)
(1) mixed (2) traditional (3) free-market (4) command
18. The best definition of subsistence agriculture is (#7-Ja'11)
(1) supplying crops for overseas exports
(2) bartering crops for manufactured goods
(3) storing surplus food in case of famine
(4) producing just enough food for a family's us
19. Which document is considered a primary source? (1 Ju'10)
(1) encyclopedia article
(2) modern textbook
(3) biography
(4) personal correspondence
20. Which example best represents a primary source? (# 1-Ja'10)
(1) a 20th-century novel about events leading up to the French Revolution
(2) film footage taken during the liberation of Nazi concentration camps
(3) an interview with an expert on the fall of the Roman Empire
(4) a lecture on the impact of the African slave trade on South America
21. Which document is an example of a primary source? (# 2 - Au03)
(1) a novel on the Age of Discovery
(2) a diary of a Holocaust survivor
(3) a textbook on Latin American history
(4) an encyclopedia article on Songhai culture
22. Which statement about the Neolithic Revolution is an opinion rather than a fact? (7-June, 2011)
(1) Early peoples made greater cultural advancements than did people of later civilizations.
(2) The Neolithic Revolution resulted in changes for nomadic peoples.
(3) New technology was developed during the Neolithic evolution.
(4) Agricultural developments resulted in the establishment of permanent settlements.
• Keeping field notes from excavation sites
• Analyzing radiocarbon dating test results
• Examining and cataloging artifacts
23.. Which social scientist directly engages in these activities? (1- Ag'11)
(1) political scientist (3) historian
(2) archaeologist (4) sociologist
Base your answer to question 24 on the passage below
…The girl and two other children were left on a mountaintop to succumb [fall victim] to the cold
as offerings to the gods, according to the archaeologists who found the mummified remains in Argentina in 1999…. — “Frozen Inca Mummy Goes On Display,” National Geographic News, September 11, 2007
24. This passage best illustrates the role of archaeologists in (6 Ju' 2011)
(1) interpreting evidence
(2) challenging customs
(3) classifying artifacts
(4) planning expeditions
• Analyzing the design of a Shang bronze pot
• Deciphering the writing on the Rosetta Stone
• Examining the fabric of a Japanese kimono
25. These actions are most often performed by (1- Ag 10)
(1) a political scientist (3) a sociologist
(2) a geographer (4) an archaeologist
Geneticists are tracing the movements of people in prehistoric Europe using our DNA as a time
machine. . . . — Joe Palca, “Tracing Human Migration Through DNA,” NPR Weekend Edition Saturday, August 11, 2007
26. This passage suggests that modern science can be used to (1-Ja'11)
(1) aid historical analysis
(2) show the development of a point of view
(3) explain ancient medical practices
(4) predict future events
27. A geographic similarity between Italy and India is that both of these countries are located (#2 -Ja'10)
(1) on peninsulas
(2) on archipelagos
(3) between two oceans
(4) south of the equator
• Separated the cultures of Europe and Asia
• Hindered, but did not prevent, invaders from entering India
• Terraced to increase food production in South America
28. .Which geographic feature is being described in these statements? (1- Ag'09)
(1) river valleys (3) mountains
(2) steppes (4) tundra
29. Which process is illustrated by the arrows shown on this
map? (5- Ag'09)
(1) immigration (3) globalization
(2) diffusion (4) nationalization
30. This map illustrates the interaction between (6-Ag'09)
(1) resources and technology (3) record keeping and civilization
(2) religion and culture (4) climate and disease
31. Which feature would most likely appear on a physical map? (2-Jan 09)
(1) population densities
(2) land usage patterns
(3) climatic patterns
(4) mountain ranges
32. Italy, Korea, Spain, and India are similar in that each is considered (#3 - Ja04)
(1) an archipelago
(2) a peninsula
(3) a landlocked nation
(4) an island nation
33. Which feature would most often be shown on a political map? (#2 - Ju03)
(1) topography (3) capital cities
(2) type of climate (4) elevation
34. The geographic isolation of a society most often leads to the (#3 - Ju03)
(1) development of trade
(2) strengthening of traditional culture
(3) promotion of cultural diffusion
(4) growth of international alliances
35. What is a major feature of a traditional economy? (#3-Ag'11)
(1) nationalizing foreign-owned businesses
(2) determining prices using a free market
(3) establishing quotas based on five-year plans
(4) bartering for goods and services
36. Knowing the latitude of a location would be most helpful in determining (4-Ju'11)
(1) language (2) population (3) temperature (4) time
37. Knowing the latitude of a location would be most helpful in determining (4 Ju' 11 )
(1) language (3) population
(2) temperature (4) time
38. One reason that many historians study geography is to (#1 -Ju 09)
(1) help predict changes in government
(2) show connections between people and places
(3) tell when events took place
(4) explore the value systems of early people
• Keeping field notes from excavation sites
• Analyzing radiocarbon dating test results
• Examining and cataloging artifacts
Which social scientist directly engages in these activities? (1- Ag'11)
(1) political scientist (2) archaeologist (3) historian (4) sociologist
1 In which field of study do people learn about the development of early human beings? (# - Au03)
(1) economics (3) political science
(2) cartography (4) anthropology
1 Which document is considered a primary source? ( Ju'10)
(1) encyclopedia article
(2) modern textbook
(3) biography
(4) personal correspondence
1 Which example best represents a primary source? (# -Ja'10)
(1) a 20th-century novel about events leading up to the French Revolution
(2) film footage taken during the liberation of Nazi concentration camps
(3) an interview with an expert on the fall of the Roman Empire
(4) a lecture on the impact of the African slave trade on South America
2 Which document is an example of a primary source? (# - Au03)
(1) a novel on the Age of Discovery
(2) a diary of a Holocaust survivor
(3) a textbook on Latin American history
(4) an encyclopedia article on Songhai culture
7 Which statement about the Neolithic Revolution is an opinion rather than a fact? (7-June, 2011)
(1) Early peoples made greater cultural advancements than did people of later civilizations.
(2) The Neolithic Revolution resulted in changes for nomadic peoples.
(3) New technology was developed during the Neolithic Revolution.
(4) Agricultural developments resulted in the establishment of permanent settlements.
• Keeping field notes from excavation sites
• Analyzing radiocarbon dating test results
• Examining and cataloging artifacts
Which social scientist directly engages in these activities? (1- Ag'11)
(1) political scientist (3) historian
(2) archaeologist (4) sociologist
Base your answer to question 6 on the passage below
…The girl and two other children were left on a mountaintop to succumb [fall victim] to the cold
as offerings to the gods, according to the archaeologists who found the mummified remains in Argentina in 1999…. — “Frozen Inca Mummy Goes On Display,” National Geographic News, September 11, 2007
6 This passage best illustrates the role of archaeologists in (6 Ju' 2011)
(1) interpreting evidence
(2) challenging customs
(3) classifying artifacts
(4) planning expeditions
• Analyzing the design of a Shang bronze pot
• Deciphering the writing on the Rosetta Stone
• Examining the fabric of a Japanese kimono
These actions are most often performed by (1- Ag 10)
(1) a political scientist (3) a sociologist
(2) a geographer (4) an archaeologist
Geneticists are tracing the movements of people in prehistoric Europe using our DNA as a time
machine. . . . — Joe Palca, “Tracing Human Migration Through DNA,” NPR Weekend Edition Saturday, August 11, 2007
1 This passage suggests that modern science can be used to (1-Ja'11)
(1) aid historical analysis
(2) show the development of a point of view
(3) explain ancient medical practices
(4) predict future events
1 In which field of study do people learn about the development of early human beings? (#1 - Au03)
(1) economics (3) political science
(2) cartography (4) anthropology
1 Studying oral histories, archaeological evidence, and cultural histories are methods most often used by (1- Ja 03)
(1) economists (3) philosophers
(2) anthropologists (4) political scientists
1 In which field of study do people learn about the development of early human beings? (#1 - Au03)
(1) economics (3) political science
(2) cartography (4) anthropology
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