Below are some suggestions for taking and passing exams in social studies. For additional help, see the Some Hands-on Study Suggestions section on the Extra Tools page of this website.
Social Studies
Take time to look at each area. Create a timeline of events.
Social studies is based on people and the roles they have played in shaping our world as well as a series of events that have occurred over a chronological period of time.
Mnemonic devices are great for remembering quick facts such as the following: names, dates, and other detailed information.
Below are some examples of how to use mnemonic devices.
Some Helpful Tools
Social studies covers:
- National History
- World History
- Civics
- Government
- Economics
- Geography
Example 1:
Do you know how or when the Civil War began?
Ulysses S. Grant was the commanding general who led the Union Army during the Civil War that began when the Confederate troops attacked Fort Sumter on April 12,1861.
Example 2:
Can you name all five great lakes in the United States?
Lake Superior, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, and Lake Michigan
An easy way to remember them would be to use the first letter of each lake and arrange it so that it spells a familiar word such as: "HOMES"
H stands for Huron
O stands for Ontario
M stands for Michigan
E stands for Erie
S stands for Superior
When the Civil War began:
The first initial in Ulysses's name is U, which is also the first letter in the word Union.
Ulysses S. Grant served as the 18th president of the United States. The Civil War began in the 1800's.
We can narrow down the date (April 12, 1861) by saying that April is the same month that Ulysses S. Grant was born (April 27, 1822).
There are 12 letters in United States, and 61 can be remembered by saying that the president during the Civil War was Abraham Lincoln, who served as the 16th president of the United States. Sixteen written backwards is 61.
How the Civil War began:
The Civil War began when the Confederates troops attacked Fort Sumter held by the Union.
Confederate begins with the letter C. This is also the first letter in the word Civil, as in the Confederate troops being the ones who started the Civil War.
Fort Sumter has the initials FS, which could stand for Feuding States of the same country.
Things to Do:
Put events in one category and people in another category.
Make brief notes about events and when each event occurred.
Be aware of what happened as a result of that event.
Use mnemonic devices to memorize quick facts.
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