praxis 5004

Geography

• Machu Picchu is located in Peru
• Mount Everest is located in the Himalayas
• The Atlas Mountains are located in Africa
• Bangladesh has the strongest monsoons
• The Panama Canal connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans

History

• The American Revolutionary War ended with the Battle of Yorktown
• The War of 1812 ended with the Treaty of Ghent
• The Mexican-American War led to the US gaining control of the Philippines
• The Spanish-American War led to the US gaining control of the Philippines
• The Civil War was the bloodiest conflict in American history
• The Great Depression began in 1929 and ended with WWII
• The Cold War was fought between the US and the Soviet Union
• The Korean War and Vietnam War were part of the Cold War
• The Truman Doctrine was a policy to contain communism
• The New Deal was a series of programs to help the economy during the Great Depression

Government and Politics

• The Constitution has 27 amendments
• The 10th amendment represents the federalist structure of the government
• The 14th amendment relates to the Civil Rights Act
• The President can veto a bill, but it can be overridden by a 2/3 vote in Congress
• The US has a democratic government with a system of checks and balances
• The government has three branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial
• The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the Constitution

Economy

• Inflation is decreased by increasing interest rates
• A market economy is characterized by private ownership and minimal government regulation
• The government plays a big role in the distribution of resources in a command economy
• Deficit spending stimulates a weak economy
• GDP (Gross Domestic Product) measures the economy's performance

Society and Culture

• The Civil Rights Movement fought for racial equality
• The Feminist Movement fought for women's rights
• The Industrial Revolution brought about changes in society and culture
• The Great Migration was a movement of African Americans from the South to the North

Science and Technology

• The lightbulb was invented by Thomas Edison
• Sputnik was a satellite launched by the Soviet Union
• The cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney
• The polio vaccine was invented by Jonas Salk

International Relations

• The US fought in World War I and World War II
• The Cold War was a period of tension between the US and the Soviet Union
• The US has a policy of containment towards communism
• The Truman Doctrine was a policy to contain communism### Geography and History
• The Appalachian Mountains are a natural barrier that kept settlers' growth from expanding.
• Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain and is located in the Himalayan mountains.
• The Ural Mountains are located between Europe and Asia.
• Rwanda is where the conflict between Hutu and Tutsi takes place.
• The Sahel is located in North-central Africa.
• Anthropology is the study of human societies, their development, and their physical linguistics.

Cultural and Socio-Economic Concepts

• Polytheistic refers to the belief in multiple gods, while monotheistic refers to the belief in one god.
• The Aztecs were polytheistic, while the Spanish were monotheistic.
• Terrace Farming required less water and used mountain sides/hills.
• Deforestation increased the threat to wildlife.
• The Amazon Basin was known for having lots of rainfall.
• Loss of habitat is happening to the Amazon Basin.

Historical Figures and Events

• The Rosetta Stone helped scholars understand the ancient Egyptian writing system of hieroglyphics.
• The Egyptians formed paper from Papyrus.
• The Chinese invented printing.
• The Greeks invented the alphabet.
• Rome copied its government from other countries.
• The Pacific Ocean covers 1/3 of the Earth.
• Greece is known for hosting the 1st Olympic games and creating democracy.
• The Soviet Union is in Russia.
• The Mongols were nomadic hunter/gatherers who rode horses.
• The book "Silent Spring" affected the environment.
• The Aral Sea dried up due to urbanization.

Economic Concepts

• Renewable sources are resources that are naturally replaced and do not run out.
• Examples of renewable sources include wood.
• When a person changes the way they dress or behave to fit in, it is called assimilation.
• Topographical maps show natural and manmade features; elevation and contour lines.
• Latitude includes the equator and 90 degrees above and below it; the equator falls on Brazil and other countries.
• Longitude includes the prime meridian and 180 degrees to the left and right; the prime meridian falls on Spain and other countries.

Geographical Features and Concepts

• The Ring of Fire is along the Pacific Ocean.
• The British Empire is where the "sun never sets" because it is always daylight.
• England moved to the mid-Atlantic coastline.
• The largest mountains are the Himalayas.
• An example of an ethnic enclave is an embassy.
• Deforestation causes soil depletion.
• Greenland's weather is cool temperatures around 50 degrees during summer months.
• A delta is a lowland that is fertile where crops can grow.
• Pesticides hurt the environment.
• Drip irrigation is used in drought.
• Not native to the land means not indigenous.

Governments and Policies

• The open door policy allows for a system of trade in China.
• Russia's monarchy ended after war and the king's retirement; France's monarchy ended when citizens overthrew it.
• The Silk Road helped trade between Rome and China.
• The Aztecs had complex temples and pyramids.
• The difference between France and Africa is the economy.
• The open door policy set in motion the economic transformation of modern China.
• The Magna Carta is considered most important in limiting the power of kings and influencing the development of democracy.

Economic Systems and Concepts

• A pure market economy relies exclusively on markets to allocate resources.
• A mixed economy combines command and market economies.
• Command economy has high government control, equal distribution, no rich, no poor, communal ownership, and government and central planners decide how resources are used and distributed.
• Traditional economy has culture control.
• A market economy has no government control, unequal distribution, increased gap between rich and poor, private ownership, and is associated with technology.

Environmental and Resource Concepts

• Desertification occurs when human population overexploits and an area's ability to sustain itself through poor irrigation practices, overgrazing, deforestation, and other agricultural practices.
• Renewable resources can be replaced fairly easily and rapidly.
• Non-renewable resources are available only in limited supplies and cannot be reused.

Social and Political Concepts

• Imperialism is a policy where one country extends its power and influence over another weaker country in order to enrich itself.
• Gerrymandering manipulates the boundaries of an electoral constituency to favor one party or class.
• Oligarchy is a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution.
• Republic is a government where power is held by the people and their elected representatives.
• Confederation is a form of government consisting of a union of many states or countries.
• Monarchy is a country ruled by a monarch (king or queen).
• Dictatorship is a government or social situation where authority rests with one person.