General Education Review – Key Vocabulary

A set of key vocabulary flashcards drawn from the September 2024 General Education lecture notes, covering science, history, language, mathematics, communication, and Philippine studies.

Science

A systematic process of obtaining knowledge through observation, experimentation and verification.

Technology

The practical application of scientific knowledge for useful purposes.

Nation-building

Developing the political, economic, social and cultural foundations of a state.

Stone Age

Prehistoric period when humans made tools and weapons primarily from stone.

Bronze Age

Era when people used copper–tin alloys for tools, weapons and art; introduced smelting.

Iron Age

Period marked by large-scale use of iron and steel, improving warfare and farming.

Cuneiform

Earliest known system of writing, developed by Sumerians of Mesopotamia.

Code of Hammurabi

One of the oldest recorded legal codes, enacted in ancient Babylonia.

Heliocentrism

Astronomical model placing the Sun at the center of the solar system.

Scholasticism

Medieval philosophical movement aiming to reconcile faith and reason.

Scientific Revolution

16th- to 18th-century period of rapid advances in science and mathematics.

Three Laws of Motion

Newton’s principles describing inertia, acceleration and action–reaction pairs.

Universal Gravitation

Newton’s law stating every mass attracts every other mass with a force.

Diffusion of Technology

Process by which innovations spread across societies and borders.

Globalization

Increasing interconnectedness of nations in economic, political and cultural spheres.

Bretton-Woods Conference

1944 meeting that created the IMF and World Bank to stabilize post-war economies.

IMF (International Monetary Fund)

Global institution providing short-term financial support and promoting monetary cooperation.

World Bank

International lender focused on long-term development and poverty reduction projects.

Washington Consensus

Set of neoliberal policy prescriptions advocating free markets and limited government.

ASEAN

Association of Southeast Asian Nations promoting regional peace, trade and culture.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization—a multilateral military alliance in Europe and North America.

UNCLOS

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas defining maritime zones and rights.

Taxation

Inherent power of the state to impose financial charges on individuals or property.

Progressive Tax

Tax system where the rate increases as the taxable amount rises.

RA 10963 (TRAIN Law)

Philippine tax reform exempting incomes ≤₱250 000 and restructuring excise taxes.

Ethics

Study of moral principles governing right and wrong conduct.

Utilitarianism

Ethical theory judging actions by their consequences for overall happiness.

Deontological Ethics

Kantian framework evaluating actions by adherence to duty, not outcomes.

Virtue Ethics

Aristotelian approach focusing on moral character rather than specific acts.

Common Good

Benefits or interests that serve all members of a community.

Enculturation

Process of learning one’s own culture from birth.

Acculturation

Adoption of traits from another culture through contact.

Assimilation

Process by which individuals fully integrate into a new culture, losing original traits.

Id, Ego, Superego

Freudian model of personality: instinctual drive, reality mediator and moral conscience.

Looking-Glass Self

Cooley’s concept that self-image is shaped by how we think others see us.

Metacognition

Awareness and regulation of one’s own thinking processes.

Growth Mindset

Dweck’s belief that abilities can be developed through effort and learning.

Self-Efficacy

Bandura’s term for one’s belief in their ability to succeed at tasks.

Information-Processing Model

Cognitive framework describing sensory, short-term and long-term memory stages.

Flashbulb Memory

Vivid, detailed recollection of significant events (implied from memory topic).

Sensory Memory

Brief storage of sensory information before attention.

Short-Term Memory

Temporary storage system holding limited information for about 20 seconds.

Long-Term Memory

Relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of knowledge and skills.

Pangngalang Pantangi

Filipino term for Proper Nouns—specific names of people, places or things.

Pangngalang Pambalana

Filipino term for Common Nouns—general names of people, places or things.

Panghalip

Filipino pronoun used to replace a noun in a sentence.

Pangatnig

Filipino conjunction that links words, phrases or clauses.

Ponema

Smallest unit of sound in a language that distinguishes meaning.

Diptonggo

Combination of a vowel and glide /y/ or /w/ in one syllable in Filipino.

Likas na Batas Moral

Natural moral law guiding humans to do good and avoid evil.

Rizal Law (RA 1425)

Philippine law mandating study of José Rizal’s life and works in schools.

Noli Me Tangere

Rizal’s 1887 social-reform novel exposing abuses of Spanish friars.

El Filibusterismo

Rizal’s 1891 political novel advocating radical change against colonial rule.

La Liga Filipina

Socio-civic organization founded by Rizal in 1892 to unite Filipinos peacefully.

Katipunan (KKK)

Secret revolutionary society fighting for Philippine independence from Spain.

Cry of Pugad Lawin

1896 event where Katipuneros tore cedulas to signal armed revolt.

Treaty of Paris (1898)

Agreement transferring the Philippines from Spanish to American control.

Malolos Constitution

First Philippine constitution promulgated in 1899 during Aguinaldo’s presidency.

Commonwealth Act No. 570

1946 law declaring Filipino the national language of the Philippines.

KWF (Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino)

Government body tasked with developing and promoting Filipino language.

Pecha Kucha

Presentation format using 20 slides shown for 20 seconds each.

Manuscript Speech

Delivery method where a speaker reads a prepared text verbatim.

Impromptu Speech

Unrehearsed speech delivered without prior preparation.

Shannon-Weaver Model

Linear communication model featuring source, message, channel, noise and receiver.

Feedback

Receiver’s response that closes the communication loop.

Ethos

Persuasive appeal based on speaker credibility and character.

Pathos

Persuasive appeal targeting audience emotions.

Logos

Persuasive appeal using logic, evidence and reasoning.

Prime Numbers

Integers greater than 1 divisible only by 1 and themselves.

Surface Area of Cube

Formula SA = 6s² where s is edge length.

Volume of Cylinder

Formula V = πr²h where r is radius and h is height.

DOST

Philippine Department of Science and Technology, established 1987.

CRISPR Gene Editing

Technique allowing precise modification of DNA sequences in living organisms.

Nanotechnology

Engineering of functional systems at the molecular or atomic scale (≈1–100 nm).

Scientific Method

A structured approach to inquiry involving observation, hypothesis formation, experimentation, data analysis, and conclusion.

Nicolaus Copernicus

Renaissance astronomer who first formulated the heliocentric model of the universe.

Regressive Tax

A tax system where the rate decreases as the taxable amount increases, disproportionately affecting lower-income individuals.

Pang-uri

Filipino term for Adjective—a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun.

Procedural Memory

A type of long-term memory responsible for knowing how to do things, like motor skills, without conscious thought.