What is Social Studies?
And why should I care?
GEOGRAPHY
HISTORY
Definition:
Definition:
Why do we study it?
GOVERNMENT
Why do we study it?
What is
social
studies?
Definition:
ECONOMICS
Definition:
Definition:
Why do we study it?
Why do we study it?
Social Studies defined…
 Social studies is the study of how
people live and organize themselves
in society, embracing geography,
history, economics, and other
subjects.
So what does that really mean!?
The purpose of Social Studies?
 The primary purpose of social studies is to help
young people develop the ability to make educated
and reasoned decisions for the public good as
citizens of a culturally diverse(different), democratic
society in an interdependent world.
What will I study as a 6th grader in Social
Studies?
 Europe, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean,
and Australia
But what will I study about these parts of the
world??
 Geography
 History
 Government/Civics
 Economics
Geo what!?
 Geography—The study of people, places, and the
environment.
So Social Studies is Geography? Maps and
places I’ll never visit?
 There’s more to Social Studies than geography,
which is the study of people, places and the
environment.
PEOPLE
PLACES
ENVIRONMENT
Let’s see why…GEOGRAPHY MATTERS
Let’s see why……..
GEOGRAPHY MATTERS
Social Studies is also History
Yeah my dad likes to watch the history channel!
 But what is History?
 I’m glad you asked…
 History--A record of the past
So history is just a bunch of
 Dead people
 Dates and
 Wars?
 That is SO boring!
 Why study History?
Importance of History
 “We are who we are today, because of those who have gone before us.”
 History is about increasing knowledge.
 History introduces us to ourselves.
 History connects us to our country, its
achievements and failures, its heroes and villains.
Why study history?
 Why study history?
So Social Studies is Geography and History?
 Well, there’s more!
 Government/Civics—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.
GOVERNMENT
 Every country has laws and a way to govern itself.
 Laws are the rules by which people live.
So Social Studies is Geography, History, and
Government?
 There’s one more…
 Economics—The study of how resources are
managed in the production, distribution, and use of
goods and services.
ECONOMICS
 I thought economics was just money.
Economics
 No… economics deals with how countries and people manage or use their resources such as:







Water
Minerals
Fossil fuels
Timber/Wood
Time
Money
Space
Social Studies
 So Social Studies is: Geography, History,
Government/Civics, and Economics?
 Yes!
 And you will study the Geography, History,
Government/Civics, and Economies of: Europe,
Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean and
Australia in 6th grade World Studies
EUROPE
CANADA
Latin America
The Caribbean
Australia
Exit ticket
 On the index card you are given you will write 5-7
sentences, choosing which of the 4 parts of Social
Studies interests you the most (Geography, History,
Government/Civics, or Economics). Give a
definition of the part of Social Studies you chose and
think of a real world example. Also, you are to
choose one region of the world you are most excited
about studying: Europe, Canada, Latin
America/Caribbean, or Australia. Explain why you
are excited about studying the region you chose.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The part of Social Studies that interests me the most is
(Geography, History, Government, or Economics)…
Geography, History, Government or Economics is defined
as…
A real world example I can share about Geography, History,
Government, or Economics is…
The region of the world I am most excited about studying
is… (Europe, Canada, Latin America/Caribbean or Australia).
The reason I am excited about studying this Europe,
Canada, Latin America/Caribbean or Australia is because…