Tennessee Academic Vocabulary – 4th grade

SOCIAL STUDIES
WORD / DEFINITION / CURRICULUM OPPORTUNITIES / NUMBER OF EXPOSURES
American Revolution / The American Revolution was a political movement that in 1776 created a new nation, the United States of America, ending British control. The British resisted and the American Revolutionary War, (1775-1783) resulted in American victory
ancient civilizations / Egypt, Greece, Maya, Mesopotamia, Rome, Vikings
Articles of Confederation / The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, commonly known as the Articles of Confederation, was the first governing document of the United States of America.
The Articles, which united the Thirteen Colonies of the American Revolutionary War into a loose confederation, were adopted by the Second Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, after months of debate. The Articles were ratified four years later on March 1, 1781.
Bill of Rights / The Bill of Rights is the term used to describe the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution.
colonial / often capitalized : of or relating to the original 13 colonies forming the U.S.
Constitution / document embodying the fundamental principles upon which the American republic is conducted.
democracy / a philosophy that insists on the right and the capacity of a people, acting either directly or through representatives, to control their institutions for their own purposes.
executive branch / The power of the executive branch is vested in the President, who also serves as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. The President appoints the Cabinet and oversees the various agencies and departments of the federal government
explorers / one that explores <a vehicle called the lunar explorer>; especially : a person who travels in search of new geographical or scientific information
judicial branch / The judicial branch hears cases that challenge or require interpretation of the legislation passed by Congress and signed by the President. It consists of the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts. Appointees to the federal bench serve for life or until they voluntarily resign or retire.
legislative branch / The legislative branch of the federal government consists of the Congress, which is divided into two chambers -- the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each member of Congress is elected by the people of his or her state. The House of Representatives, with membership based on state populations, has 435 seats, while the Senate, with two members from each state, has 100 seats. Members of the House of Representatives are elected for two-year terms, and Senators are elected for six-year terms.
Louisiana Purchase / The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of more than 530,000,000 acres (828,000 mi² or 2,100,000 km²) of territory from France in 1803, at the cost of about 3 cents per acre (7¢ per hectare);
Mayflower Compact / The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. It was drafted by the pilgrims who crossed the Atlantic aboard the Mayflower. It was signed on November 21, 1620 in what is now Provincetown Harbor near Cape Cod.
mission / a task or job that is assigned <our mission was to recover the stolen plans> b : a definite military, naval, or aerospace task
Native American groups (e.g., Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw) / Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples within the territory that is now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska down to their descendants in modern times.
preamble
/ The preamble is an introductory statement, a preliminary explanation. The term is particularly applied to the opening paragraph(s) of a statute, which recite historical facts which may be pertinent to the issue being discussed. It is often confused with the long title or the enacting formula of a law
Puritan / The Puritans were originally members of a group of English Protestants seeking "purity" — further reforms from the established church — during the Protestant Reformation, though many later sought separation from the church.
Quaker / The Religious Society of Friends (commonly known as Quakers) began in England in the 17th century by people who were dissatisfied with the existing denominations and sects of Christianity.
religion / a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
slavery / the state of a person who is a chattel of another
Supply and demand / In microeconomic theory, the partial equilibrium supply and demand economic model originally developed by Antoine Augustin Cournot (published in a book in 1838) and thirty years later broadly publicized by Alfred Marshall attempts to describe, explain, and predict changes in the price and quantity of goods sold in competitive markets.
taxes (Revolutionary War) / The STAMP ACT was passed by Parliament, putting a stamp tax on all newspapers, pamphlets, and many kinds of legal documents
Townshend, the Chancellor of Exchequer, brought in a bill for taxes on tea, glass, wine, oil, paper, lead, and painters' colors
Tennessee political leaders (e.g., Daniel Boone, John Sevier)
Trail of Tears / In 1838 and 1839, as part of Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy, the Cherokee nation was forced to give up its lands east of the Mississippi River and to migrate to an area in present-day Oklahoma. The Cherokee people called this journey the "Trail of Tears," because of its devastating effects. The migrants faced hunger, disease, and exhaustion on the forced march. Over 4,000 out of 15,000 of the Cherokees died.
Westward expansion / 1807-1912, ghost towns, The Gold Rush, The Homestead Act, Lewis and Clark, the Louisiana Purchase, Native Americans, The Northwest Ordinance, the Oregon Trail,
Orphan Trains, the Pony Express, the Transcontinental Railroad, the Wild West