Classpage - MR. ROSSITER

Class Info Print?

Welcome to Mr. Rossiter's web site. This site was developed to provide students with an opportunity to study important vocabulary terms from their world studies class. These terms are not only used throughout the year in class, but will be seen in many questions on the 8th grade Ohio Achievement Test.

Vocabulary Standards: 7th Grade World Studies

Anarchy - The complete absence of government, political disorder, lawlessness.

BIll of Rights - A list of rights and freedoms assumed to be essential to a group of people.

Caste System - A social system in Hindu society in which a person's place is determined by the rank of the family of which he or she is born.

Caravan - A group of people and animals traveling together for safety, especially through a desert.

Causative Factor - A cause in which an effect is produced.

Circa - A small c. in front of a date that means about or around.

Colonialism - A system or policy by which a country maintains foreign colonies, especially in order to exploit them economically.

Conquest - The act of conquering, especially land taken in war.

Crusades - Any of the journies and battles underetaken by European
Christians between 1095 and 1270, to win control of the holy land (Palistine) from the Muslims.

Culture - The way of life of a group of people at a particular time, including their daily habits, beliefs, and arts.

Democracy - A system of government in which people/citizens vote to make governmental decisions.

Direct Democracy - A democracy in which each person has a vote in the decision making process.

Representative Democracy - A democracy in which representatives are elected by the citizens to represent them in decision making.

Dictatorship - A government in which the ruler has absolute power.

Diffuse - Spread out or dispersed; not concentrated.

Diffusion - A dispersion of news, cultures, ideas, etc...

Due Process of Law - The course of legal proceedings established by the legal system of a nation to protect individual rights and liberties.

Dynasty - A line of rulers that belong to the same family.

Economics - The way people, or government, manage money or resources for the production of goods and services.

Empire - A group of lands and people ruled by one government.

Endowment - To give money or property as to provide an income for the support of a college, hospital, country, etc...

Fealty - A verbal promise of loyalty, a sworn allegience to a feudal lord.

Feudalism - Starting in Europe around A.D. 800, a system for organizing and governing society based on land and services. This system later moved into Japan.

Impede - To bar or hinder the progress of, obstruct, or delay.

Imperialism - The extension of a nations power over other lands, by military, political, or economic means.

Interdependent - Depending on one another to meet needs and wants, such as a trade agreemant between countries.

Institution - An established law , custom, practice, system, etc... or an organizion having public charter, as a school, church, bank, hospital, etc...

Legacy - A tradition that is handed down from one generation to the next and as still a valued part of people's lives today.

Magna Carta - A legal document written by English lords in 1215 that stated certain rights and limited the power of the king.

Mercantilism - A policy that arose in Europe after the decline of feudalism, that a nations economy can be strengthened by the government through tarriffs, increased foriegn trade, and a balance of imports and exports.

Monarchy - A government ruled by a king or queen.

Multiple-Tier Time Line - A time line that has more than one level, and covers the events of more than one country, civilization, dynasty, empire, etc...

OIigarchy - A type of government in which a small group of rich powerful citizens control the decision-making.

Perspective - The ability to understand a specific point of view in judging events that have happened in the past.

Raw Materials - Material still in its original or natural state before processing.

Reformation - A movement beginning in Europe in the 1500's to bring reform to the Roman Catholic Church, and leading to Protestantism.

Relevant - Something that is important to the point; relating to the matter at hand.

Renaissance - A period of great cultural and artistic change that began in Italy around 1350 and spread throughout Europe. Renaissance is also a French word meaning "rebirth".

Reunification - To unify (bring together) again, after being divided.

Silk Road - An important trade route, which ran from China to Italy.

Specialization - Training to do a particular kind of work, having a specialty.

Totalitarianism - A government in which a dictator or small group of leaders has total control over the people.