History · Grades 6–12
Societies and historical change
20 key concepts, retrieval questions and a learning checkpoint.
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Definitions are starting points. Different regions and historical periods can use the same term in different ways.
Build your vocabulary
Agriculture
Cultivation of plants and management of animals for food or other products.
Domestication
Long-term changes in organisms associated with human selection and management.
Nomadic life
A way of living that involves moving rather than remaining in one permanent settlement.
Settlement
A place where people establish homes and community activities.
Irrigation
Supplying water to crops through managed systems.
Surplus
An amount produced beyond immediate requirements.
Specialization
Concentration on particular tasks or kinds of work.
Barter
Direct exchange of goods or services without money as the medium.
Trade route
A path or network regularly used to exchange goods.
Empire
A political system extending control over multiple territories or peoples.
Dynasty
A sequence of rulers from the same family or lineage.
Monarchy
A form of government in which a monarch serves as head of state.
Republic
A state whose headship is not a hereditary monarchy, with arrangements that vary by country and period.
Industrialization
Expansion of machine-based production and associated changes in work and society.
Colonialism
A system in which a power establishes control over another territory and its people.
Decolonization
The ending of colonial rule through diverse political and social processes.
Revolution
A fundamental change in political order or other major social arrangements.
Reform
A deliberate change intended to improve an existing institution or practice.
Constitution
A body of fundamental rules and principles for a political community.
Treaty
A formal agreement between states or other parties recognized for that purpose.
Test your recall
Societies and historical change: which term fits this description? Cultivation of plants and management of animals for food or other products.
- Agriculture
- Irrigation
- Surplus
- Barter
Societies and historical change: which term fits this description? Long-term changes in organisms associated with human selection and management.
- Republic
- Industrialization
- Dynasty
- Domestication
Societies and historical change: which term fits this description? A way of living that involves moving rather than remaining in one permanent settlement.
- Dynasty
- Nomadic life
- Decolonization
- Surplus
Check and explain
Answers and marking notes
- Agriculture
Agriculture: Cultivation of plants and management of animals for food or other products.
- Domestication
Domestication: Long-term changes in organisms associated with human selection and management.
- Nomadic life
Nomadic life: A way of living that involves moving rather than remaining in one permanent settlement.
Learning preview · teacher review required. Grade bands are approximate, not official curriculum alignment.