Social Studies Word Wall
A social studies word wall is a systematically organized collection of words displayed in large letters on a wall or other large display site in the classroom. The purpose of the word wall is to increase students’ use and understanding of vocabulary. It is a tool to use, not just a display. A content word wall provides a user-friendly reference as new vocabulary is developed. Content word walls are designed to promote group interaction and learning.
Ways to use:
Note (circle, highlight, discuss) a particular vocabulary word to build familiarity as it is encountered.
Select a reference for an important social studies word. Cooperatively decide on a common reference for the word and post on word wall.
Circle in Writing: Ask students to circle their use of word wall vocabulary in their writing.
Quick Review: Do a quick review a few times each week. Take five minutes to call out a few words. After each word is called out students draw a quick sketch with labels or captions to demonstrate the meaning of the word.
Collect Words: Ask students to search reading and writing contexts to collect examples of word wall vocabulary and record examples on charts.
Overhead Celebrations: Celebrate successes. Show positive examples of word wall usage by copying and displaying student writing with usage of the vocabulary.
Social studies word walls are consistently changing based on the content being taught and the needs of the students.
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authorThe author of a map is the person or company who made the map.
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borderThe border is the frame around the map.
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Compass roseA compass rose is a symbol on a map that points to the cardinal directions: north, east, south, and west.
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climateClimate is the typical weather in a particular region. This includes the typical temperature and precipitation for that region.
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dateThe year in which a map was made is called the date.
firsthand Montgomery County Public Schools, MarylandElementary Integrated Curriculum 2012
account/ primary source
A firsthand account/primary source is a record created by someone with firsthand knowledge of an event. The author of this source either participated directly in the activity or witnessed the event from close proximity. These sources include legal documents, diaries, journals, photographs, drawings, maps, oral histories, and some newspaper articles.
generalizatioMontgomery County Public Schools, MarylandElementary Integrated Curriculum 2012
nA generalization is a synthesis of ideas based on a variety of examples. For example, after observing many different examples of types of butterflies, one can make the generalization that many butterflies are colorful.
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geographic characteristic
sGeographic characteristics are the physical and human characteristics of a place or region.
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geographic tools
Geographic tools are the things used to gather, organize, save, report, or display information about geography, including maps, globes, graphs, diagrams, photographs, satellite-produced images, and computer software.Montgomery County Public Schools, MarylandElementary Integrated Curriculum 2012
gridA grid is the pattern of lines that help locate places on a map or globe; for example, latitude and longitude.
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human-made features
Human-made features are a sub-category of human characteristics and include features on the earth’s surface constructed by people, such as, cities, buildings, roads, dams, bridges, and monuments.
key/legendA key or legend
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explains the meaning of the symbols on a map.
locationA location is the
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position of a point on the earth's surface expressed by means of a grid (absolute location) or in relation to the position of other places (relative location).
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mapA map is an image of a place, like a park. Maps provide information about places.
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map elements
Map elements are the parts of a map that help the reader to understand the information on the map such as, the title, author, date, compass rose, scale, legend (key), border, grid, source information, and index.
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map sketchA map sketch is a drawing of a rough map made from memory rather than exact measurements. A map sketch shows the main features of a place or region.
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mental mapA mental map is a map that a person pictures in his or her mind.
natural/ Montgomery County Public Schools, MarylandElementary Integrated Curriculum 2012
physical featureNatural/physical features are landforms and bodies of water formed by nature.
population Montgomery County Public Schools, MarylandElementary Integrated Curriculum 2012
growthPopulation growth is the increase in the number of people living in a place due to migration, immigration and/or births.
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political mapA political map is a map that shows lines defining countries, states, or territories. A political map is unlike other maps in that its purpose is to show borders. A political map may show major cities.
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physical mapA physical map is a map used to show physical features including landforms and bodies of water. Symbols, colors, lines, and tints are used to show features such as oceans, lakes, mountains, deserts, and lowlands.
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regionA region is an area with one or more common characteristics or features, which make it different from surrounding areas, such as the Middle Colonies or the Piedmont Plateau.
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ScaleA scale provides the measure of distance on a map as it compares to the actual distance on Earth’s surface. It is the measurement on a map or globe that shows the distance between places.
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settlementSettlement is the arrangement of places where people live, including rural and urban centers.
secondhand account/
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secondary sourceA secondhand account/ secondary source is created by a person who uses available resources such as primary sources and other secondary sources to interpret a past event. This source does not reflect the perceptions of someone who had a direct relationship to the event. These sources include books, magazines, textbooks, and some newspaper articles.
societyMontgomery County Public Schools, MarylandElementary Integrated Curriculum 2012
A society is a group of people bound together by the same culture or way of life.
timelineMontgomery County Public Schools, MarylandElementary Integrated Curriculum 2012
A timeline is a graphic organizer that typically shows a bar with time periods indicated on it and events at specific points that show when the events happened. A timeline is used to display events that happened in history.
titleThe title is the heading Montgomery County Public Schools, MarylandElementary Integrated Curriculum 2012
that identifies the subject of a map.
____TITLE_____
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