Week #2 VocabularyLatitude

N Lines that run East-West and are used to measure distance on a globe north or south of the Equator.

Another word for lines of latitude is parallels because lines of latitude never intersect.

Longitude

N Lines that run North-South and are used to measure distance on a globe east or west of the Prime Meridian.

Lines of longitude converge at both the South and North poles.

Hemisphere

N Half of the globe, split by the equator and the Prime Meridian.

The equator splits the earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Prime Meridian

N The line of longitude that divides the world into Eastern and Western hemispheres.

The Prime Meridian cuts across the British Isles.

Primary Source

N Sources of information written and created by people who lived during a historical event.

Hammurabi’s Law Code can be considered a primary source.

Week #2 VocabularySecondary Source

N Sources of information that are derived from primary sources by people who were not present at the original event.

Team of Rivals is considered a secondary source because it is a book about Abraham Lincoln that was written in the twenty-first century.

Equator

N The line of latitude that divides the globe into Northern and Southern hemispheres.

Most countries that touch the equator have hot and tropical climates.

BC/AD/BCE/CE

Adj BC=Before Christ, AD=Anno Domini,BCE=Before Common Era, CE=Common Era

BC, AD, BCE, CE are acronyms that are used to refer to specific periods of time.

Peninsula

N Land that is surrounded on three sides by water.

The state of Florida is a peninsula within the United States.

Civilization

N A form of culture characterized by cities, specialized workers, complex institutions, record keeping and advanced technology.

Mesopotamia is home to one of the world’s earliest civilizations.

Week #2 VocabularyContext

N The set of particular facts that surround a situation; circumstances.

John’s lawyer tried to provide the jury some context, in order to explain why he had committed the crime.

Definition

N What something means. Vocabulary words often have multiple definitions.

Irrigation

N A large-scale way of bringing water from one area to another; usually to support agriculture.

Because the state of Nevada is comprised largely of desert, most farming requires irrigation.

Excavate

V To dig up something. The archaeologist excavated three clay pots from the site.

Merchant

N A person who buys and sells goods for profit; dealer; trader.

Merchants and farmers occupied different social classes in most early civilizations.

Week #2 VocabularyColony

N A group of people who leave their native country to form, in a new land, a settlement that is still under the authority of the parent nation.

Australia was originally founded as a penal colony, consisting of overflow prisoners from Great Britain.

Epic

N A long poem, usually centered around a hero, told through extraordinary events.

The Iliad and the Odyssey are the most famous epics to emerge from ancient Greek civilization.

Myth

N A traditional story, usually centered around a hero, told through extraordinary events and often involving gods and goddesses.

Ancient Greeks often used myths to help explain the world around them.

Week #2 Vocabulary

Concept

N A general idea about something.

Theory

N A hypothesis that has generally been proven to be correct.

Philosophy

N A way of looking at the world or looking at life in general.

Propose

V To offer or suggest something for consideration.

Descend

V To be inherited through generations of a family.

Week #2 VocabularyInhabitant

N A person or animal that lives in a particular place.

Hardy

Adj Able to stand up to hardships; sturdy.

Impression

N What you think or feel about someone or something.

Week #2 VocabularyProcedure

N A series of steps you follow in order to get something done.

Hank realized he had not followed the proper procedure when the glass overheated and cracked.

Approach

V To come upon someone or something.

Because they did not want to scare the deer away, the children decided to approach it very quietly.

Republic

N A form of gov’t. in which power is in the hands of representatives who are elected by the people.

In terms of government, both ancient Rome and the United States are republics.

Patrician

N A member of the wealthy, privileged upper class.

In ancient Rome, society was divided into two classes, patrician and plebeian.

Senate

N In ancient Rome, the Supreme governing body, originally made up only of aristocrats.

Julius Caesar was assassinated by members of the Roman senate.

Week #2 VocabularyDictator

N A political leader with absolute power.

Adolf Hitler is a very good example of a dictator.

Eloquent

Adj Very well-spoken; having good speaking abilities.

Many people admire Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his eloquent speaking abilities.

Province

N A unit within a larger country or empire; state.

Gaul (modern-day France) was one of the largest provinces within the Roman empire.