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Word Wise: 102 Words to Know

This year in JS, your students will find the meaning and context for 102 social studies terms. Look for the "Words to Know" boxes in each issue. After students have read the issue, they can try our "Words to Know" quiz on the back page. Here are the words that have appeared in our issues so far this year.

abolitionist: a person who opposes slavery (Oct. 11)
antebellum: existing before a war, notably the Civil War (Mar. 14)
anti-Semitic: related to hostility to Jews (who are descendents of ancient Asian peoples called Semites) (Apr. 18)
aristocratic: belonging to the ruling class or the nobility (Apr. 18)
artisan: a worker who practices a trade; craftsperson (Oct. 11)
assassinate: to murder, especially a political leader (Sept. 20)
assimilate: to absorb into a culture (Jan. 10-24)
authoritarian: relating to a government’s total control (Mar. 14)
bail: money paid to ensure appearance at trial (Feb. 7)
balkanization: the breaking up of groups into smaller, often hostile, units; the term arose from ethnic conflicts in the Balkans, a region in southeastern Europe (Mar. 14)
barbarian: relating to a land, culture, or people that are alien and usually believed to be inferior; lacking refinement (May 9)
barnstormer: a 1920s stunt pilot who performed at fairs and took people on short flights; some also gave flying lessons (Apr. 4)
barracks: buildings in an enclosed area (Sept. 6)
blatant: obvious, conspicuous (May 9)
boycott: an organized protest in which people refuse to do business with a store, an organization, or a city (May 9)
brand: an identity created for a specific product or business, through a symbol or slogan, for example (May 9)
Carnaval: a festival celebrated in predominantly Catholic countries just before the season of Lent and Easter (Apr. 4)
caste: one of the hereditary social classes in Hinduism that restrict association with members of other castes (Nov. 22)
city-state: a city and its surrounding territory that are independent of any kingdom or country (Sept. 20)
civil rights: guarantees of freedom and equal treatment under the law games, and other media (May 9)
colonialism: a policy by which a nation controls others far away (Sept. 20)
commodity: product for sale (Sept. 20)
Communist: related to a highly authoritarian government in which the state controls the economy, and personal freedom is severely limited (Feb. 7)
communist one-party state: a government based on state ownership of businesses. (Oct. 11)
condone: to overlook a wrongdoing (Feb. 28)
constitutional monarchy: A king or queen is head of state but has limited power. An elected Parliament (legislature) chooses the Prime Minister, who leads the government. (Oct. 25-Nov. 8)
counterinsurgency: a political and military strategy designed to defeat rebel fighters (Apr. 4)
cuneiform (kyoo-NEE-uh-form): a system of writing used in ancient Middle Eastern civilizations that became widespread long before modern alphabets were developed (Oct. 11)
defect (dee-FEKT): to leave one side of a conflict and join the other (Sept. 20)
delegate: a person given the authority to act for others; a representative (Feb. 7)
deploy: to send into combat (Dec. 13)
deport: to send out of a country by official order (Apr. 18)
despot: a ruler claiming absolute authority (Mar. 14)
developing country: a nation with widespread poverty and little infrastructure (Feb. 28)
dignitary: a person of high rank or importance (Sept. 20)
domesticate: to make fit for service to humans; to tame (Oct. 11)
dominant party: A system in which one political party rules. Other parties may exist but have relatively little power. (Oct. 25-Nov. 8)
due process: constitutional requirement that laws and legal proceedings must be fair and respect individual rights (Sept. 20)
executive order: directive from a President (Sept. 6)
federal: of or related to a central government that handles affairs for all of a country's states and regions (Sept. 20)
flog: to beat with a whip (Feb. 28)
fossil fuels: fuels, such as coal, oil, or natural gas, formed in the earth from plant or animal remains (Oct. 11)
game: wild animals hunted for food or sport (Sept. 20)
ghetto: part of a city in which members of a particular race or group live, usually under poor conditions (Apr. 18)
globalization: free trade among countries on a world-wide scale (Nov. 22)
greenhouse gases: heat-trapping matter, especially carbon dioxide (CO2), that is emitted into the atmosphere when fossil fuels such as coal and oil are burned (Oct. 11)
heresy: a view contrary to church teachings (Dec. 13)
heretic: one accused of holding dangerous beliefs (Dec. 13)
Industrial Revolution: a period that began in England in the late 1700s and resulted in a shift from home-based manufacturing by hand to large-scale production in factories (Oct. 11)
infrastructure: the physical structures and public works of a society, including bridges, roads, and schools (Apr. 4)
infringe: to limit or violate a right (Feb. 7)
Inquisition: an official court of the Roman Catholic Church created to root out heresy (Dec. 13)
intellectual: an educated person interested in serious study and thought (Feb. 7)
internment camp: a place where enemies are held (Sept. 6)
Jim Crow: widely accepted practices, traditions, or laws that discriminated against African-Americans (Feb. 28)
Ku Klux Klan: a secret society that advocates white supremacy; it has terrorized blacks, Jews, and other minorities (Feb. 28)
linguist: a specialist in languages (Jan. 10-24)
loyalist: faithful to the existing government; in the colonies, loyal to Britain’s King (Nov. 22)
manumission: an act that frees someone from slavery (Oct. 11)
metropolitan: related to a large city (Sept. 6)
migrate: move from one place to another (Sept. 6)
military rule: The leader of a country’s armed forces controls the government. (Oct. 25-Nov. 8)
militia: a nonprofessional force of armed citizens called upon in an emergency (Sept. 20)
monarchy: a government with a hereditary head of state (Apr. 18)
nomad: a member of a people who move from place to place, usually seasonally (Oct. 11)
norm: an established standard of behavior (Feb. 28)
occupy: to control a city or country with an army (Nov. 22)
one-party dictatorship: A single party and its leader hold power. (Oct. 25-Nov. 8)
ornithologist: a scientist who studies birds (Jan. 10-24)
panacea: a cure-all (Mar. 14)
parliamentary democracy: Voters elect the Parliament. A Prime Minister, usually leader of the party with the most seats in Parliament, heads the government. (Oct. 25-Nov. 8)
patriot: one who loves his or her country; during the Revolution, a supporter of the American cause (Nov. 22)
Peace Corps: a U.S. agency started in 1961 to assist development in poor countries (Sept. 20)
persecution: harsh treatment aimed at someone because of his or her origin, principles, or beliefs (Feb. 7)
picket line: a group of people who protest unfair wages and/or working conditions by chanting slogans and carrying signs (Mar. 14)
plantation: a large estate on which workers produce crops for the owner's benefit (Oct. 11)
poacher: one who hunts or fishes illegally (Jan. 10-24)
pound: a unit of British currency (symbol: £) similar to the U.S. dollar (Oct. 11)
presidential dictatorship: A President has almost complete power. (Oct. 25-Nov. 8)
presidential-legislative democracy: An elected President leads the government, sharing power with a legislature and with the courts. (Oct. 25-Nov. 8)
presidential-parliamentary democracy: An elected President is chief executive. A Prime Minister leads the government. (Oct. 25-Nov. 8)
proclamation: a formal public statement (Jan. 10-24)
product placement: an advertising technique used to subtly promote a company’s products through appearances in TV shows, movies, video (May 9)
prosperity: economic well-being (Sept. 6)
psyche (SY-kee): the human mind, soul, or spirit (Dec. 13)
radiation: energy emitted in the form of waves or particles; exposure to large doses can cause sickness, or even death. (Apr. 4)
referendum: a bill passed by a legislature that citizens approve or reject by a direct vote (Dec. 13)
regal: having qualities of a King or Queen (Apr. 18)
Renaissance: a European cultural movement; in Italy, from about the early 1300s to 1600 (Dec. 13)
sanction: a severe economic restriction used by one government to punish another. (Oct. 11)
Scientific Revolution: an era of great scientific advancement in the 16th and 17th centuries (Dec. 13)
secede: to formally withdraw from an organization or a group (Feb. 7)
segregation: the separation of people by race, ethnic group, or class (Feb. 28)
serf: a peasant laborer legally bound to the family of the estate on which he or she worked (Mar. 14)
siege: a military blockade of a city or fortified place to compel it to surrender (May 9)
sniper: a sharpshooter who fires from a hidden location (Apr. 4)
socialist: referring to government control of the economy and large businesses. (Oct. 11)
stratification: the division of people into classes or social groups (Mar. 14)
surveillance: close watch kept over a person or thing, often with suspicion of wrongdoing (Dec. 13)
sweatshop: a factory where employees work in crowded, unsafe conditions for extremely low wages (Mar. 14)
third-world: referring to undeveloped countries that are poor and have few resources (Feb. 7)
totalitarian: related to rule by a dictatorial leader or government (Feb. 7)
traditional chiefs: A body of tribal leaders who play a role in governing. (Oct. 25-Nov. 8)
trauma: an emotional or physical wound or shock that creates serious, often lasting, damage to a person’s psych (Dec. 13)
vocation: profession; career (Nov. 22)
zoologist: a scientist who studies animals and animal behavior (Jan. 10-24)