Social Studies Vocabulary - Week 1 Study Notes

Physical and Environmental Geography

• Climate

  • Defined as the usual weather conditions of a place observed over a long period of time.

• Geographic Feature

  • Refers to any natural or physical feature found on Earth's surface.

• Vegetation

  • Refers to the plant life located in a particular area.

• Location

  • A specific place or piece of land whose boundaries and purpose have been explicitly designated.

• Region

  • An often indefinite portion or area of land that shares certain distinct characteristics.

  • Described as a broad, continuous area of the earth.

• Environment

  • Encompasses the objects, events, and people that surround a person.

  • Refers to the surrounding conditions that determine how one behaves or lives.

  • Key relationship principle: Where you live, effects how you live.

Analytical and Structural Vocabulary

• Effect

  • An event that is produced by a cause.

  • Defined as influence or the result of something happening.

• Significant

  • Having meaning.

  • Important.

  • Containing a special meaning.

• Structure

  • Sense 1 (Noun): Something constructed; a building.

  • Sense 2 (Verb): To apply rules to a situation.

• Influence

  • Having the power to affect the way something turns out.

  • Closely linked to cause.