Passwords Social Studies Vocabulary Louisiana: Grade 8
To the Student What does bicameral mean? What is the difference between coniferous and deciduous? What is mercantilism? Passwords: Social Studies Vocabulary will help you learn the words you need to do well in social studies. The lessons in this book are about social studies you will be studying. Every lesson focuses on ten words that will help you understand the topic. The lessons include a reading selection that uses all ten vocabulary words. Four practice activities follow the reading selection. Using each vocabulary word many times will help you remember the word and its meaning. A writing activity ends the lesson. You will use the vocabulary words you have learned to write a comparison, an informational article, a description, or an opinion piece. If you need help with a vocabulary word as you do the activities, use the Glossary at the back of the book. The Glossary defines each word and shows you the correct way to pronounce the word. It also has pictures to help you understand the meaning of difficult words. As you work on the lessons, you may learn other social studies words besides the vocabulary words. Keep track of those other words in My Social Studies Vocabulary on pages 94 98. Turn to pages 99 and 100 to learn about roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Find out how they can help you understand social studies words. ISBN 978-0-7609-4626-8 2008 Curriculum Associates, Inc. North Billerica, MA 01862 No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without written permission from the publisher. All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA. 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Table of Contents Lesson 1: The Geography of Louisiana............... 4 Lesson 2: Geographic and Cultural Regions of Louisiana..... 10 Lesson 3: Louisiana s Resources and Industries........... 16 Lesson 4: Louisiana s Economy................... 22 Lesson 5: The First Settlers in Louisiana............... 28 Lesson 6: French Louisiane..................... 34 Lesson 7: Spanish Louisiana.................... 40 Lesson 8: From Territory to Statehood................ 46 Lesson 9: Antebellum Louisiana.................. 52 Lesson 10: The Civil War....................... 58 Lesson 11: Reconstruction....................... 64 Lesson 12: The Early Twentieth Century............... 70 Lesson 13: Louisiana After World War II............... 76 Lesson 14: Louisiana s Environment Today.............. 82 Lesson 15: The Government of Louisiana............... 88 My Social Studies Vocabulary...................... 94 Root Words................................ 99 Prefixes and Suffixes.......................... 100 Glossary................................ 101
LESSON 15 democracy How is our government organized? What important powers and responsibilities do the governments of our nation and states have? Read this selection to find out about the government of Louisiana. The Government of Louisiana The Federal Government The government of ancient Greece was a democracy. A democracy is a system of government that is run by the people living under it. The founders of the United States used the Greeks ideas of democracy to create a. A is a form of government in which power and duties are divided between the national and state governments. As a state, Louisiana must make people obey national and state laws. The United States Constitution outlines our national government. The Constitution includes 27 amendments, or changes. The first 10 amendments are called the. The Bill of Rights guarantees the basic rights of citizens. These rights include freedom of speech, religion, and the press. The opening paragraph of the United States Constitution states clearly that our government was created by and for the people. 88 The Government of Louisiana
The Louisiana Constitution Louisiana s state constitution is modeled after the United States Constitution. Both constitutions divide government into three branches. This division, or separation, is called the. It keeps one branch of government from getting too much power. The of government carries out the laws. The president heads the of the national government. The governor heads the of the state government. The makes the laws. The judicial branch interprets laws and controls the courts. Like the United States Constitution, Louisiana s constitution has a system of. Checks and balances is a system in which each branch of government can limit the power of the other branches. For example, the Louisiana state legislature can pass laws, but the governor can, or reject, them. Citizen Involvement Citizens are part of the law-making process. Responsible citizens vote. If elected officials create a bill of law that citizens don t like, citizens can demand a. A is a direct vote by the citizens to approve or reject a bill. A protects citizens from lawmakers passing an unpopular new law. Good citizens pay their taxes. Federal, state, and local taxes pay for services that people want and need. Taxes pay for schools, roads, police officers, and fire fighters. The of Louisiana state government meets in the Capitol in Baton Rouge. Taxes pay for new roads. My Social Studies Vocabulary Go to page 98 to list other words you have learned about Louisiana s government. The Government of Louisiana 89
democracy A. Match each word with its meaning. Write the letter of the correct meaning on the line in front of each word. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. democracy 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. a. the branch of government that carries out laws b. a system in which each branch of government can limit the power of the other branches c. the separation of government into three branches d. a direct vote by the citizens to approve or reject a bill e. a form of government in which power and duties are divided between national and state governments f. the branch of government that makes laws g. to reject h. a system of government that is run by the people living under it i. the branch of government that interprets laws and manages the courts j. the ten amendments to the United States Constitution that guarantee the basic rights of citizens 90 The Government of Louisiana
democracy B. Choose and write the two words that best complete each sentence. 1. Under the system of, the power of the state legislature to pass laws is checked by the governor s power to laws. democracy 2. The founders of the United States created a based on the ancient Greeks ideas about. 3. After the bill had been passed by the, citizens demanded their right to vote on a to approve or reject the bill. 4. Louisiana s of government carries out the laws, and the interprets laws. 5. The United States Constitution lists citizens rights in the, and outlines the of the three branches of government. WORD ROOT The word comes from the Latin word referre, which means to bring back. The Government of Louisiana 91
democracy C. Choose the correct vocabulary word to complete each sentence. 1. Freedom of speech and religion are two of the rights guaranteed in the. 2. The president is the head of the of the national government of the United States. 3. The Louisiana legislature can pass laws, but the governor can them if she does not want them to pass. 4. The ancient Greeks put ideas about into practice and gave citizens the right to vote. 5. Like the United States Constitution, Louisiana s state constitution outlines the, which divides government into three branches. 6. Even though the had passed the bill, citizens turned out in large numbers to vote on the and rejected the bill. 7. Interpreting laws is the responsibility of the. 8. The power of each branch of government is limited by a system of. 9. Our form of government is a because power and duties are divided between national and state governments. 10. Lawmakers in the debated the new bill for weeks before deciding to vote on it. 92 The Government of Louisiana
democracy D. Use each word in a sentence that shows you understand the meaning of the word. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. democracy 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Write! Write your response to the prompt on a separate sheet of paper. Use as many vocabulary words as you can in your writing. Why is it important for the citizens of Louisiana to participate in our government? The Government of Louisiana 93