History- intro to History

geography

The study of Earth and its people.

continents

One of the seven large landmasses of earth.

landforms

A naturally formed feature of earth's land surface.

climate

The pattern of weather conditions in a certain location over a long period of time.

vegetation

The plant life of an area.

longitude

A measure of distance, east or west of the prime meridian

latitude

A measure of distance north or south of the equator.

hemisphere

A half of earths surface.

political maps

A map showing features people have created such as cities, states, and countries.

physical maps

A map showing landforms and bodies of water.

thematic maps

A map that presents a particular type of information about a place or region.

artifacts

A human-made object.

fossils

A remain of early life that has been preserved in the ground.

hominids

A human or human-like creature that walks on two feet.

Paleolithic

The old Stone Age, a period that lasted from about 2.5 million to 8000 B.C.E. and was marked by the use of simple stone tools by the earliest humans.

Mesolithic

The middle Stone Age, a period that lasted from about 10,000 to 6000 B.C.E during which people began to control fire and develop language.

Neolithic

The New Stone Age, a period that lasted from about 8000 to 3000 B.C.E and was marked by the beginning of farming and the development of pottery and weaving.

primary source

Something written or created by a person who witnessed a historical event.

secondary source

An account of a historical event written by someone who did not witness the event.

oral history

An unwritten verbal account of an event.

hunter-gatherer

Person who obtains food by hunting animals and gathering plants, and moves when food becomes scarce.

nomad

A person who moves from place to place

migration

the act of moving from one place to settle in another

technology

the ways people apply knowledge and tools to meet their needs

religion

The worship of God, gods or spiritual elements.

domesticate

To grow and tend wild plants and animals

agriculture

planting of seeds to grow crops

slash-and-burn

the clearing of land for farming by cutting and burning vegetation

irrigation

the watering of crops

surplus

an amount of goods that is in excess of what is needed for survival

specialization

A skill in a particular work

artisan

a person trained and skilled in a craft

social class

group of people with similar customs, background, training, and income

government

ways of creating order and offering leadership