Definition and meaning of Folktales

Folktales

A folktale is a tale told to friends and acquaintances which is believed to be true but is usually anonymous, timeless, and placeless. Traditional folktales pass orally from one generation to another. Folklorists collect folktales, write them down, document them, and sometimes determine the parts of the tale which are based in fact compared to the parts based in myth or imagination. Regardless of their degree of truth, folktales convey moral as well as spiritual meaning and provide examples of good and bad behavior. They serve important educational as well as social functions.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Authority Figures

Authority Figures

Authority figures set standards, enforce the law, or maintain social order in the absence of laws. Most people respect authority and comply with the written or spoken rules. Authority figures include parents and grandparents, school teachers and principals, police officers, clergy, military officers, and others in positions of authority.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Folktales

Folktales

A folktale is a tale told to friends and acquaintances which is believed to be true but is usually anonymous, timeless, and placeless. Traditional folktales pass orally from one generation to another. Folklorists collect folktales, write them down, document them, and sometimes determine the parts of the tale which are based in fact compared to the parts based in myth or imagination. Regardless of their degree of truth, folktales convey moral as well as spiritual meaning and provide examples of good and bad behavior. They serve important educational as well as social functions.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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For more dictionary entries, see » Social Studies Dictionary

Definition and meaning of Behaviorism

Behaviorism - [Psychology]

Behaviorism was pioneered by John Watson, an American psychologist who argued that psychology should concern itself only with the observable facts of behavior. Behavior could then be linked to prior experience. Psychologists who study observable behavior are called behaviorists. Behavior therapy concentrates on the present. Therapists help patients understand how they learned to behave badly and how this caused them to be disturbed. The reasons why something was learned is less important than helping the patient change the behavior.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Landforms

Landforms

Landforms are features on Earth's surface which include plains, mountains, deserts, hills, and canyons. The shape of landforms (tall and jagged, flat with steep sides, etc.), the nature of the landforms (easy to live on, difficult to live on, etc.), and the processes that continue to affect the landforms (erosion and deposition) are important factors to consider in studying the influence of these physical characteristics on humans.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Landforms

Landforms

Landforms are features on Earth's surface which include plains, mountains, deserts, hills, and canyons. The shape of landforms (tall and jagged, flat with steep sides, etc.), the nature of the landforms (easy to live on, difficult to live on, etc.), and the processes that continue to affect the landforms (erosion and deposition) are important factors to consider in studying the influence of these physical characteristics on humans.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Behaviorism

Behaviorism - [Psychology]

Behaviorism was pioneered by John Watson, an American psychologist who argued that psychology should concern itself only with the observable facts of behavior. Behavior could then be linked to prior experience. Psychologists who study observable behavior are called behaviorists. Behavior therapy concentrates on the present. Therapists help patients understand how they learned to behave badly and how this caused them to be disturbed. The reasons why something was learned is less important than helping the patient change the behavior.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Region

Region - [World Geography]

A region is a part of Earth's surface that is alike or connected in some way. It is used as a tool to help organize the complexity of Earth's surface. All regions have area, boundaries (which may be distinct or fuzzy depending upon the criteria used to define the region), and location. Regions can be large or they can be small and are arranged in a nested, hierarchical order. Regions are either Formal Regions, Functional Regions, or Perceptual Regions.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Oceans

Oceans

There are four major oceans including the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean. They are all part of one huge body of salt water which covers the globe. The largest and the deepest is the Pacific Ocean. 

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Thematic Maps

Thematic Maps

The two categories of maps are reference maps and thematic maps. A thematic map shows a specific spatial distribution, theme, or topic such as population density, cattle production, climates of the world, or distribution of world religions. A reference map shows the locations of things. Road maps or maps in atlases are reference maps.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Totalitarian

Totalitarian

Totalitarian government is a type of unlimited government which attempts to control all facets of the lives of citizens. Independent associations are prohibited and government resorts to intimidation to impose rule. Examples of totalitarian regimes include the Soviet Union under Stalin, Germany under Hitler, Cambodia under Pol Pot, Cuba under Castro, and Iraq under Saddam Hussein. These governments control education, art, literature, and mass communications and may even ban emigration

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Totalitarianism

Totalitarianism - [Government]

Totalitarianism is a type of government which attempts to control all facets of the lives of its citizens, often resorting to intimidation to impose rule. Examples of totalitarian regimes include the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, Germany under Adolf Hitler, Cambodia under Pol Pot, Cuba under Fidel Castro, and Iraq under Saddam Hussein. These governments control education, art, literature, and mass communications and may even ban emigration.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Traditional Economy

Traditional Economy - [World Geography]

There are three types of economies: traditional (also known as subsistence), command (also known as planned) and market (commercial). In a traditional economy, goods and services are produced by a family for their personal consumption. There is little surplus and little exchange of goods. There is only a limited need for markets (places to buy and sell goods and services). This is the type of economy found in less developed nations of the world, usually in rural areas. Most less developed nations today are a mix of traditional and either market or command economies.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Treaty of Velasco

Treaty of Velasco

Velasco, a port located at the mouth of the Brazos River, was one of the first three towns in Texas in 1821. Santa Anna was captured during the Battle of San Jacinto, April 21, 1836, and forced to sign the Treaty of Velasco. Under the terms of the treaty, he agreed to stop fighting the Texans, recognized the independence of Texas, and agreed to withdraw all Mexican troops from Texas. The treaty was never ratified in Mexico.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Technology

Technology

Technology is the application of processes, methods, or knowledge to achieve a specific purpose. Scientists and engineers develop technology with positive outcomes in mind such as increasing production and improving communication. Products of technology including computers, telephones, radios, and scientific equipment affect human conditions. Many believe the influences are positive, but some consider the negative ramifications of technology. For example, citizens differ in their viewpoints of nuclear energy. Does it provide safe fuel, or do the risks of disaster override its potential?

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Secondary Sources

Secondary Sources

Secondary sources are descriptions or interpretations prepared by people who were not involved in the events described. Researchers often use primary sources to understand past events but they produce secondary sources. Secondary sources provide useful background material and context for information gained from primary sources.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Sensation

Sensation - [Psychology]

Sensation is knowledge of the world based on chemical and electrical processes within the nervous system, particularly in the brain. A stimulus is anything which causes chemical, electrical and mechanical activity in sense receptors. The initial electrical activity caused by sensory stimulation is a sensation.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Settlement

Settlement

Settlement is the act or process of establishing a permanent home in a new region. Settlers often move to the new area to take advantage of resources such as available land or fertile soil. After the Revolutionary War the U.S. government encouraged settlement by giving land to veterans of the war. Mexico encouraged settlement and development of large parts of Texas by offering land grants. In both instances, the settlement forced Native Americans off the land.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Atmosphere

Atmosphere - [World Geography]

The atmosphere is the envelope of gases, aerosols, and other materials that surrounds Earth and is held close by gravity. Water vapor, clouds, dust, meteor debris, salt crystals, and pollutants contribute to the atmosphere's mass, which is concentrated within a layer that extends about 12 miles from Earth's surface. The gases are nitrogen (78 percent), oxygen (20 percent), argon (.93 percent), and carbon dioxide (.03 percent).

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Biosphere

Biosphere - [World Geography]

The biosphere is the realm of Earth which includes all plant and animal (including humans) life forms. The biosphere is divided into very large ecosystems (termed biomes) made up of specific plants and animals. Examples of biomes include forests, grasslands, and savanna.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Aesop's Fables

Aesop's Fables

A group of stories attributed to the Greek storyteller Aesop which remain popular. Animals are the main characters. The experiences they endure and their responses to challenges provide moral lessons. Examples include "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," "The Tortoise and the Hare," and "The Fox and the Grapes."

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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Definition and meaning of Annexation

Annexation

Annexation is the process of adding something. Representatives of the Republic of Texas recognized several advantages the young nation could gain if it gave up its status as an independent nation and agreed to annexation by the United States. The U.S. Congress passed a resolution to allow annexation on February 28, 1845, with several conditions including the need for Texans to hold a convention and an election to approve annexation and to write and adopt a new state constitution. Having satisfied the requirements, Texas was admitted as the twenty-eighth state on December 29, 1845.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

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