Grade 6 Social Studies

Grade 6 social studies vocabulary: 305 terms

Every term from the flashcards above, written out and grouped by strand. Use it to revise without clicking through the cards, to search the page for a word, or to print the list.

Civics & Government

assembly

body of eligible citizens meeting to debate and decide public matters

authoritarianism

system concentrating power while sharply limiting political competition and accountability

citizen

recognized member of a political community with defined rights and duties

citizenship

legal membership in a political community with defined rights, protections, and responsibilities

civil war

organized armed conflict among groups within one political community

constitution

fundamental framework organizing government powers, procedures, and rights

consul

one of two annually elected chief magistrates in the Roman Republic

Council of 500

Athenian body selected by lot to prepare business and administer public work

democracy

system in which people exercise meaningful political authority directly or through representatives

direct democracy

system in which eligible citizens decide public questions themselves rather than only through representatives

emperor

supreme ruler in the Roman imperial system

government

institutions and officials that make, apply, and enforce public decisions

jurisprudence

reasoned interpretation and development of law

metic

resident foreigner in Athens who lacked citizen political rights

philosophy

reasoned investigation of knowledge, ethics, reality, logic, and good life

principate

early imperial system presenting the emperor as first citizen while concentrating power

regime

rules and practices determining how political power is gained and exercised

rhetoric

art and study of persuasive communication

rule of law

principle that public power is exercised through known laws applied to officials and people

Senate

influential council of former magistrates dominated by elites

sortition

selection for public duty by lottery

state

political organization claiming authority over a territory and population

tribune of the plebs

official empowered to protect plebeians and veto some public actions

Twelve Tables

mid-fifth-century BCE public statement of selected Roman legal rules

Culture & Belief

ahimsa

principle of non-harm developed especially strongly in Jain traditions and influential more broadly

apostle

person sent to teach or lead in early Christian movements

bishop

overseer who became an important leader in many Christian communities

Confucianism

diverse ethical, educational, social, and political traditions associated with Confucius and later interpreters

council

assembly of church leaders convened to debate teaching, practice, or organization

Dao

the Way or underlying course of reality, interpreted differently across Chinese traditions

Daoism

diverse philosophical and religious traditions oriented around the Dao, cultivation, nature, ritual, and transformation

denomination

organized branch within a larger religious tradition

dharma

context-dependent concept involving teaching, duty, order, ethics, or way of life in South Asian traditions

filial piety

ethic of care, respect, and responsibility in parent-child and ancestral relationships

gentile

in Jewish and early Christian contexts, a person who is not Jewish

gospel

early Christian narrative proclaiming the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus

karma

principle connecting intentional action with consequences across moral and rebirth frameworks

Legalism

later label for thinkers emphasizing state power, clear standards, administrative technique, and rewards and punishments

li

Confucian concept involving ritual, proper conduct, and cultivated social forms

lived religion

ways people actually interpret and practice religion in everyday life

martyr

person killed because of commitment to a faith or cause

moksha

liberation from samsara in many Hindu traditions

nirvana

liberation from craving and samsara in Buddhist traditions

Pauline letter

letter attributed to Paul or his tradition addressing early Christian communities

puja

forms of worship or reverence offered in many Hindu, Jain, and some Buddhist settings

religion

diverse systems of beliefs, practices, communities, ethics, stories, and relationships to what participants may consider sacred or ultimate

ren

Confucian concept often translated as humaneness or authoritative concern for others

ritual

repeated meaningful practice shaped by a community or tradition

sacred

set apart as deeply significant or holy within a tradition

samsara

cycle of birth, death, and rebirth in several South Asian traditions

sangha

Buddhist community, often referring specifically to monks and nuns and sometimes more broadly

Second Temple Judaism

diverse Jewish life and traditions centered partly on the Jerusalem temple from its rebuilding to 70 CE

secular

not governed by religious authority or not specifically religious, depending on context

tradition

inherited and changing body of practices, interpretations, institutions, or teachings

worldview

framework through which people interpret reality, value, meaning, and responsibility

wuwei

action without forcing or action aligned with the natural course, especially in Daoist texts

Economics & Personal Finance

APR

annual percentage rate expressing borrowing cost on a yearly basis under defined rules

budget

plan for income, spending, saving, giving, and obligations over a stated period

checking account

deposit account designed for frequent payments and withdrawals

comparative advantage

ability to produce at a lower opportunity cost than another producer

deductible

covered amount the policyholder pays before insurer payment under the contract

default

failure to meet a credit agreement’s required payment or other major term

deposit insurance

government-backed protection for eligible deposits at covered institutions up to legal limits

diversification

spreading exposure across different assets or risks rather than relying on one

division of labor

separation of production into coordinated tasks

economic system

institutions and rules that organize production, distribution, and consumption

exclusion

event, condition, item, or circumstance a policy does not cover

fixed expense

cost that is usually the same amount on a regular schedule

gross pay

earnings before taxes and other deductions

human capital

knowledge, skills, health, and experience that can support productive activity

income

money or value received from work, business, assets, transfers, or other sources

inflation

broad rise in prices that reduces purchasing power of money

installment loan

loan repaid through scheduled payments over a set term

insurance

contract that pools specified risks in exchange for premium payments under stated coverage

interest

money paid for use of funds, received by a saver or paid by a borrower

investment

asset acquired with expectation of future income or growth while accepting risk of loss

mixed economy

economy combining markets, public provision, regulation, households, and other allocation methods

net pay

amount remaining after taxes and authorized deductions

opportunity cost

value of the next-best alternative given up when a choice is made

payroll tax

tax connected to wages that funds designated public programs

periodic expense

cost occurring less often than each budget period but needing advance planning

premium

amount paid for insurance coverage

principal

amount borrowed or amount still owed before new interest and fees

productivity

output produced per unit of input

return

gain or loss on an investment, including income and price change

revolving credit

credit line that can be borrowed, repaid, and borrowed again up to a limit

salary

pay stated as a regular annual or periodic amount

savings goal

specific future purpose with target amount and timeline

scarcity

condition in which limited resources cannot satisfy every possible use

specialization

concentration on a narrower set of tasks or products

term

length of time allowed for repayment

variable expense

cost whose amount can change from period to period

wage

pay based on units of time or output, often stated hourly

withholding

money an employer sends from pay toward taxes or other obligations

Geography & Human Systems

census

systematic count and description of a population

climate

long-term patterns and variability of weather in a region

coordinates

paired values identifying a location in a reference system

cultural diffusion

movement and adaptation of ideas, practices, technologies, or expressions among societies

demography

study of population size, composition, distribution, and change

diaspora

people dispersed from a homeland who maintain varied connections and communities

distortion

change in shape, area, distance, or direction caused by representation

elevation

height above a reference level, usually mean sea level

environmental justice

fair treatment and meaningful participation in environmental decisions, benefits, and burdens

externality

cost or benefit affecting others outside a direct transaction

GIS

geographic information system used to store, analyze, and display spatial data

innovation

new or substantially adapted idea, method, or technology

intermediary

person or group linking others through exchange

latitude

angular distance north or south of the Equator

longitude

angular distance east or west of the prime meridian

map projection

a method for representing Earth’s curved surface on a flat map

metadata

information describing who created data, when, how, and with what limits

migration

movement that changes a person’s usual place of residence

node

a connected place or participant within a network

nonrenewable resource

resource formed so slowly that use reduces the available stock on human timescales

physical system

interacting processes involving air, water, land, energy, and life

population density

number of people per unit of area

population distribution

spatial pattern of where people live

rain shadow

dry region on the downwind side of a mountain range

rate

quantity measured relative to another quantity or time

refugee

under the 1951 Convention framework, a person outside their country of nationality who has a well-founded fear of persecution for a specified reason and is unable or, because of that fear, unwilling to rely on that country’s protection; for a stateless person, the parallel test concerns return to the country of former habitual residence

renewable resource

resource replenished by natural processes on a relevant timescale if use does not exceed renewal

resilience

capacity of a system or community to prepare for, adapt to, and recover from disruption

resource

material, energy, place, or ecological function valued and usable for a purpose

scale

relationship between distance on a map and distance on Earth

selective adoption

choosing, rejecting, or reshaping an introduced practice according to local goals

sustainability

meeting present needs while maintaining ecological and social capacity for the future

syncretism

creation of a new form through interaction among traditions

trade network

linked people and places exchanging goods, services, and information

urbanization

growth in the share or number of people living in urban places

vegetation

plant life characteristic of an area or community

watershed

land area draining water to a shared outlet

weather

short-term atmospheric conditions at a place and time

Inquiry & Evidence

algorithm

defined process a platform can use to select, rank, recommend, or moderate content

archaeology

systematic study of past human life through material remains and contexts

artifact

a movable object made, used, or modified by people

audience

the people a source was intended to reach

authorship

the identity, role, and contribution of a source creator

BCE

Before Common Era, with larger numbers earlier in time

bibliography

an organized list of sources used or consulted

causation

analysis of conditions and actions that helped produce an outcome

CE

Common Era, numbered forward from the conventional era boundary

chronology

arrangement and measurement of events in time

citation

a record identifying the source of words, ideas, images, or data

claim

a defensible answer to a question

compelling question

a meaningful, open question that organizes an evidence-based inquiry

context

spatial, chronological, and material relationships surrounding evidence

contextualization

placing evidence within its time, place, institutions, and conditions

contingency

dependence of outcomes on choices and conditions that could have differed

continuity

a pattern or institution persisting across time

contradiction

claims or evidence that cannot both be accurate in the same sense

convergence

different evidence pointing toward a compatible conclusion

corroboration

comparison of independent evidence for agreement, difference, and explanation

disinformation

false or misleading information deliberately created or spread to deceive

ecofact

natural remains that provide evidence of human activity or environment

evidence

source-based information offered in support of a claim

feature

a nonportable human-made or altered element such as a hearth or wall

genre

a source form with conventions, such as law, hymn, inscription, or textbook

independent source

evidence not merely copied from the same underlying account

informed action

planned civic response grounded in evidence, reflection, and responsible process

lateral reading

leaving a page to investigate its creator, evidence, and reputation through other sources

misinformation

in the intent-based framework used here, false or misleading information shared without intent to deceive

news report

account of a recent event produced through stated journalistic methods

paraphrase

an accurate restatement in new wording and structure

periodization

division of history into interpretive time periods

primary source

evidence created in the period studied or by a direct participant, relative to a question

provenience

the precise documented location of an item within a site

purpose

the intended function or goal of a source

qualification

language limiting a claim to the strength and scope of evidence

quotation

a source’s exact words reproduced with quotation marks and citation

reasoning

the logic connecting evidence to a claim

research plan

an organized sequence of questions, sources, tasks, and checkpoints

retrospective

created later while looking back on earlier events

scope

the boundaries of topic, place, time, and population in a study

secondary source

a later interpretation developed from primary and other evidence

stakeholder

person or group affected by or able to affect an issue

stewardship

responsible care under legal, ethical, and community obligations

stratigraphy

study of layered deposits and their sequence

supporting question

a focused question that develops information needed for the compelling question

turning point

an event or development used to mark significant change

verification

process of checking a specific claim against relevant independent evidence

Social-Science Perspectives

anthropology

comparative study of humans, cultures, societies, languages, biology, and material life across time

correlation

measured relationship between variables that does not by itself establish cause

culture

learned, shared, contested, and changing systems of meaning and practice

ethnography

context-rich study built through sustained observation, participation, and communication

institution

durable pattern or organization structuring social roles and behavior

psychology

study of behavior and mental processes at individual and group levels

sample

subset studied to learn cautiously about a larger population

sociology

study of social relationships, groups, institutions, inequality, and social change

Technology & Environment

collapse

substantial, relatively rapid loss or transformation of political or social complexity under a stated measure

feedback loop

process in which an effect returns to amplify or reduce further change

infrastructure

durable systems supporting transport, water, energy, communication, health, or production

path dependence

way earlier choices make some later options easier, harder, or more costly

technology

tools, techniques, knowledge, labor, and organizations used to accomplish purposes

unintended consequence

effect not planned or anticipated by decision makers

vulnerability

conditions increasing susceptibility to harm

World History

acropolis

elevated fortified or sacred area of a Greek city

adaptation

biological or cultural response that improves fit with conditions; the processes operate differently

agora

public space associated with markets, meetings, and civic life

agriculture

cultivation of plants and management of animals for food and other products

Aksum

ancient state centered in the northern Horn of Africa and Red Sea networks

Bantu languages

large related branch of Niger-Congo languages spoken across much of central, eastern, and southern Africa

bureaucracy

organized officials and offices administering policies and records

caravan

group traveling together for transport and security

cataract

rocky, shallow stretch of the Nile that can obstruct navigation

city-state

city and surrounding territory functioning as an independent political unit

civilization

contested label often used for complex societies that can hide hierarchy, rural life, and societies organized differently

classical

scholarly label for selected influential ancient periods; its boundaries and usefulness depend on region and question

colony

new settlement connected to a founding city but often politically independent

commodity

good traded in markets, often in standardized or bulk form

common ancestry

descent of different populations from shared ancestral populations

covenant

binding relationship or agreement with obligations, central in many biblical texts

credit

arrangement receiving value now with repayment expected later

cuneiform

wedge-shaped writing system used for several languages in ancient Southwest Asia

domestication

long-term biological and social change as humans manage and reproduce plants or animals

dynasty

sequence of rulers connected by family or political succession

edict

public proclamation issued by an authority

empire

political system in which a state controls diverse territories and peoples

enslavement

legal and coercive system treating people as property and extracting labor

entrepôt

commercial center where goods are stored, exchanged, and redistributed

exile

forced removal from a homeland or political center

food security

reliable access to sufficient, safe, and suitable food

foraging

obtaining food through combinations of gathering, hunting, fishing, and collecting

fossil

preserved remain or trace of past life

frontier

changing zone of interaction, negotiation, movement, and conflict near political limits

genetics

study of heredity and variation using DNA and related evidence

glyph

written sign representing a sound, word, or meaning

Han dynasty

imperial dynasty ruling from 206 BCE to 220 CE with an interruption

Harappan civilization

urban society of the Indus and adjacent regions, flourishing especially about 2600 to 1900 BCE

Hebrew Bible

collection of ancient Israelite and Jewish texts called the Tanakh in Jewish tradition

Hellenic

relating to Greek peoples, languages, and cultures

Hellenistic

period and cultures shaped by Macedonian conquest and Greek-language interaction after Alexander

helot

member of a subordinated population compelled to labor for the Spartan state

hieroglyphs

Egyptian writing signs used especially in monumental and formal contexts

hominin

member of the evolutionary lineage more closely related to humans than to chimpanzees

Homo sapiens

the living human species

hoplite

heavily armed infantry soldier in many Greek poleis

Indus script

short sign system on seals and objects that remains undeciphered

inundation

seasonal rise and spread of river water

ironworking

production and shaping of iron through specialized knowledge and labor

irrigation

managed delivery of water to fields

Israelite

term for members of ancient Israelite communities and kingdoms

jati

numerous localized, inherited social communities connected to occupation, marriage, and status

Judahite

person associated with the ancient kingdom of Judah

kandake

Meroitic title associated with a queen or queen mother

Kerma

major Nubian city and kingdom flourishing especially in the second millennium BCE

Kush

ancient Nubian kingdom whose major centers included Kerma, Napata, and Meroe across different periods

land tenure

rules and relationships governing access to, use of, and control over land

language family

group of languages related through descent from an earlier shared language

law code

organized written collection or royal presentation of legal judgments and principles

legacy

later use, memory, transformation, or consequence of an earlier institution or idea

legion

major organized unit of the Roman army

lithic

made of or relating to stone

ma’at

Egyptian concept involving order, justice, balance, and proper relationship

maize

domesticated corn developed from teosinte through long Indigenous cultivation

Mandate of Heaven

Zhou political-religious claim that legitimate rule depended on moral order and could be lost

manumission

legal release of an enslaved person from slavery

maritime

relating to seas, shipping, sailors, ports, and ocean exchange

Mauryan Empire

large South Asian empire of the late fourth through early second centuries BCE

Maya

diverse peoples, languages, communities, and historical societies of Mesoamerica, including living peoples today

Meroe

later Kushite royal and urban center farther south

Meroitic script

writing system used in Kush whose language is not yet fully understood

Mesoamerica

historical-cultural region extending from central Mexico into parts of Central America

Mesopotamia

historical geographic term for lands between and around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers

mobility

movement among places according to social, seasonal, or resource patterns

monotheism

belief in or worship of one God

monsoon

seasonal reversal of winds associated with major precipitation patterns

monsoon winds

seasonally reversing wind patterns important to Indian Ocean climate and navigation

monumentality

large-scale building or landscape modification requiring organized resources and labor

mortuary practice

ritual, material, and social treatment of the dead

Napata

Kushite political and sacred center near Jebel Barkal

Neolithic

archaeological period associated in many regions with farming, herding, settled communities, and new material technologies

Nok

archaeological tradition in present-day Nigeria known for terracotta and early ironworking contexts

Nubia

historical region along the Nile south of Egypt, extending through parts of present-day southern Egypt and Sudan

Olmec

archaeological and cultural label for Gulf Coast societies flourishing especially about 1500 to 400 BCE

oracle bone

prepared animal bone or turtle shell used in Shang royal divination and inscription

oral tradition

knowledge, history, art, and memory transmitted through spoken or performed forms

paleoanthropology

study of human evolution using fossils, archaeology, genetics, and related evidence

Paleolithic

long archaeological period associated with chipped-stone technologies before widespread agriculture

papyrus

Nile plant and writing material made from its processed stem

pastoralism

livelihood centered on managed herds, often with planned mobility

paterfamilias

male household head with significant legal authority in Roman law

patrician

member of a hereditary elite status group in early Roman society

pharaoh

modern English title for the ruler of ancient Egypt, derived from an Egyptian term for the royal household

plebeian

Roman commoner outside patrician status, spanning wide economic positions

polis

Greek city-state consisting of a political community, urban center, and surrounding territory

province

an administrative territory under Roman authority, commonly outside Italy during the Republic and early Empire

Qin dynasty

state and short-lived dynasty that unified large territories in 221 BCE

republic

political system understood as a public matter rather than the private possession of a monarch

rock art

images marked, painted, pecked, or engraved on natural rock surfaces

scribe

person trained to write, copy, calculate, or keep records

seasonal round

planned movement among places as conditions and resources change through a year

sedentism

living for extended periods in one settlement

Shang dynasty

Bronze Age ruling house in parts of the Yellow River region, about the sixteenth to eleventh centuries BCE

Silk Roads

changing overland and linked routes connecting parts of East, Central, South, and Southwest Asia with the Mediterranean and beyond

social network

relationships through which people exchange support, knowledge, goods, and identity

stela

upright carved stone monument often bearing images and inscriptions

subsistence

ways people obtain food and other necessities

surplus

production beyond immediate consumption needs under a stated measure

Torah

in a narrow sense the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, and more broadly Jewish teaching and law

tribute

required payment of goods, labor, or money to a ruling power

varna

fourfold social classification described in some Brahmanical texts

Vedic period

broad period associated with composition and transmission of early Vedic texts and changing societies

Warring States

period of intense interstate competition before Qin unification

Zhou dynasty

long ruling era beginning about 1046 BCE, later marked by decentralized states

ziggurat

monumental stepped platform associated with a temple complex