Skills for reading, thinking, and researching R2 Historical documents from world history R39 Glossary of economic terms R64 Important terms and definitions R76 Important terms and definitions translated into Spanish R91 Index of all topics in the textbook Skillbuilder Handbook Refer to the Skillbuilder Handbook when you need help in answering Main Idea questions or questions in Section Assessments and Chapter Assessments. In addition, the handbook will help you answer questions about maps, charts, and graphs. SECTION 1: Reading Critically 1.1 Determining Main Ideas R2 1.2 Following Chronological Order R3 1.3 Clarifying; Summarizing R4 1.4 Identifying Problems and Solutions R5 1.5 Analyzing Causes and Recognizing Effects R6 1.6 Comparing and Contrasting R7 1.7 Distinguishing Fact from Opinion R8 SECTION 2: Higher-Order Critical Thinking 2.1 Categorizing R9 2.2 Making Inferences R10 2.3 Drawing Conclusions R11 2.4 Developing Historical Perspective R12 2.5 Formulating Historical Questions R13 2.6 Making Predictions R14 2.7 Hypothesizing R15 2.8 Analyzing Motives R16 2.9 Analyzing Issues R17 2.10 Analyzing Bias R18 2.11 Evaluating Decisions and Courses of Action R19 2.12 Forming and Supporting Opinions R20 2.13 Synthesizing R21 SECTION 3: Exploring Evidence: Print, Visual, Technology Sources 3.1 Analyzing Primary and Secondary Sources R22 3.2 Visual, Audio, and Multimedia Sources R23 3.3 Using the Internet R24 3.4 Interpreting Maps R25 3.5 Interpreting Charts R27 3.6 Interpreting Graphs R28 3.7 Analyzing Political Cartoons R29 SECTION 4: Creating Presentations 4.1 Writing for Social Studies R30 4.2 Creating a Map R31 4.3 Creating Charts and Graphs R32 4.4 Creating and Using a Database R33 4.5 Creating a Model R34 4.6 Creating/Interpreting a Research Outline R35 4.7 Creating Oral Presentations R36 4.8 Creating Written Presentations R37 R1 Section 1: Reading Critically 1.1 Determining Main Ideas The MAIN IDEA is a statement that sums up the most important point of a paragraph, a passage, an article, or a speech. Determining the main idea will increase your understanding as you read about historic events, people, and places. Main ideas are supported by details and examples. Understanding the Skill STRATEGY: IDENTIFY THE TOPIC. To find the main idea of a passage, first identify the topic. Then, as you read, define the central idea about the topic that the many details explain or support. The following passage contains information about the Renaissance. The diagram organizes the information to help you determine the main idea. 1 Identify the topic by first looking at the title or subtitle. 1 A Renaissance Woman This title suggests a quick way Isabella d’Este was a woman who lived during the Renaissance. This historic period produced to identify the topic by looking the ideal, or “universal,” man—one who excelled in many fields. The concept of universal excellence for the name of the Renaissance woman, Isabella d’Este. applied almost exclusively to men. 2 Yet a few women managed to succeed in exercising power. 2 Isabella d’Este was one such woman. Born into the ruling family of the city-state of Ferrara, she 2 Look at the beginning and married the ruler of Mantua, another city-state. Isabella brought many Renaissance artists to her court ending sentences of each and acquired an art collection that was famous throughout Europe. She was also skilled in politics. paragraph for possible clues to the main idea. When her husband was taken captive in war, Isabella defended Mantua and won his release. 3 3 Read the entire passage. Look for details about the topic. What central idea do they explain or support? Symbols and Visual Details Significance Message sbhb-annos. sbhb-annos light. • Stars and stripes • United States The United States and the STRATEGY: MAKE A DIAGRAM. State• Hammer the topic and sickleand list the supporting• Soviet details Union in a Soviet Union are trying to chart. Use the information you record• Lit to fusehelp you state the main idea.• Danger prevent their differences • • Think how each detail Both nations hold the scissors Cooperation from destroying the world. supports the main idea. Topic – IIasabella d’Este Born into a Brought Acquired Skilled in Defended Won her ruling family; artists to an impor- politics. Mantua in captive married into her court. tant art wartime. husband’s another. collection. release. Main Idea – IIabllasabella d’EsteEaapfl was a powerful Renaiss ance wo man. Applying the Skill MAKE YOUR OWN DIAGRAM. Turn to Chapter 3, page 96. Read “Technology Makes Exploration Possible.” Make a diagram, like the one above, to identify the topic, the most important details, and the main idea of the passage. R2 SKILLBUILDER HANDBOOK Section 1: Reading Critically 1.2 Following Chronological Order CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER is the order in which events happen in time. Historians need to figure out the order in which things happened to get an accurate sense of the relationships among events. As you read history, figure out the sequence, or time order, of events. Understanding the Skill STRATEGY: LOOK FOR TIME CLUES. The following paragraph is about the rulers of England after the death of Henry VIII. Notice how the time line that follows puts the events in chronological order. 1 Look for clue words about time. These are words like first, Henry’s Children Rule England initial, next, then, before, after, 1 After the death of Henry VIII in 2 1547, each of his three children eventually ruled. This created followed, finally, and by that time. religious turmoil. Edward VI became king at age nine and ruled only six years. During his reign, the 2 Use specific dates provided Protestants gained power. Edward’s half-sister Mary 1 followed him to the throne. She was a Catholic in the text. who returned the English Church to the rule of the pope. Mary had many Protestants killed. England’s 1 next ruler was Anne Boleyn’s daughter, Elizabeth. After inheriting the throne in 1558, Elizabeth I 3 Watch for references to pre- returned her kingdom to Protestantism. In 2 1559 Parliament followed Elizabeth’s 3 request and vious historical events that are set up a national church much like the one under Henry VIII. included in the background. STRATEGY: MAKE A TIME LINE. If the events are complex, make a time line of them. Write the dates below the line and the events above the line. ics Protestants Protestants — — ional church ing Cathol — n ies d III I becomes K iament sets up nat ing Henry V izabeth becomes Queen K Edward V Mary becomes Quee El Parl 1547 1548 1549 1550 1551 1552 1553 1554 1555 1556 1557 1558 1559 Applying the Skill MAKE YOUR OWN TIME LINE. Skim Chapter 19, Section 4, “Changes in Central and Eastern Europe,” to find out about the spread of democracy in parts of Europe controlled by the former Soviet Union. List the important dates and events. Start with the demonstrations in East Germany in October 1989, include events in Czechoslovakia and Romania, and end with reunification of Germany in October of 1990. Decide on a scale for your time line. Show the important dates below the line and write what happened on each date above the line. SKILLBUILDER HANDBOOK R3 Section 1: Reading Critically 1.3 Clarifying; Summarizing CLARIFYING means making clear and fully understanding what you read. One way to do this is by asking yourself questions about the material. In your answers, restate in your own words what you have read. SUMMARIZING means condensing what you read into fewer words. You state only the main ideas and the most important details. In your own words, reduce the paragraph or section into a brief report of its general ideas. Understanding the Skill STRATEGY: UNDERSTAND AND CONDENSE THE TEXT. The passage below tells about trade in West Africa between 300 and 1600. Following the description is a summary that condenses and also clarifies the key information. 1 Summarize: Look for topic sentences stating the main West African Trade idea. These are often at the 1 The wealth of the savanna empires was based on trade in two precious commodities, gold beginning of a section or para- and salt. The gold came from a forest region south of the 2 savanna between the Niger and Senegal graph. Restate each main idea briefly. rivers. Working in utmost secrecy, miners dug gold from shafts as much as 100 feet deep or sifted it from fast-moving streams. 3 Until about 1350, at least two thirds of the world’s supply of gold came 2 Clarify: Look up words or from West Africa. concepts you don’t know. Although rich in gold, the savanna and forest areas lacked salt, a material essential to human life. 3 Summarize: Include key In contrast, the 3 Sahara contained abundant deposits of salt. Arab traders, eager to obtain West Afri- facts and statistics. Watch can gold, carried salt across the Sahara by camel caravan. After a long journey, they reached the mar- for numbers, dates, quantities, ket towns of the savanna. 4 Meanwhile, the other traders brought gold north from the forest region. percentages, and facts. The two sets of merchants met in trading centers such as Timbuktu. Royal officials made sure that all 4 Clarify: Make sure you under- traders weighed goods fairly and did business according to law. stand. Ask yourself questions and answer them. For example, who’s carrying what? STRATEGY: FIND AND CLEARLY RESTATE THE MAIN IDEA. MAIN IDEA Gold and salt were traded in West Africa. STRATEGY: WRITE A SUMMARY.