Social Studies Revision Guide

Social Studies Revision Guide for June Exams
Where do we live?:
• We live in Harare, Zimbabwe.
• Most people in Zimbabwe live in rural areas. They are usually farmers.
• Farming is very important in Zimbabwe.
• The capital city of Zimbabwe is Harare.
• The second largest city is Bulawayo.
• Coal is mined in Hwange.
• Asbestos is mined in Zvishavane.
• Timber is grown in Mutare.
Living together long ago:

• Great Zimbabwe is in Masvingo. The first King was the Munhumutapa.
• People worked as craftsmen and farmers and used to trade for goods like gold, cloth, sugar
and jewels.
• People wore animal skins and used tools like hoes, spears and axes.
• Houses were made from mud, poles and thatch.
Shelters:
• A shelter is a habitat. A habitat is a home.
• Homes protect us from weather and animals.
• Great Zimbabwe was built by the Shona, using stone.
• Long ago people used mud and poles to build houses.
• Today we use bricks and cement.
• Types of shelters: house; chalet; igloo; caravan; tent; stilts.
Food:
• When preparing food, we need to wash our hands; use a clean pot; boil water before use.
• Hands, pots, plates and food must be clean or people get sick.
• Foods with lots of sugar can hurt your teeth.
• Always clean your teeth after eating sweets.
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Different types of food from different countries:
• People from different countries eat different types of food. This is called the staple food.
• There are different staple foods from different cultures.
• Europeans eat bread from wheat. Africans eat sadza. Chinese people eat rice. Indian people
eat curry and rice.
• Japanese people eat fish.
• Arab people eat couscous from wheat.
• When there is no rain, there is drought, this means food does not grow and people can starve.
• We get sadza or mealie meal from maize.
• We get milk, meat and dried meat from goats and cattle.
• Long ago the Khoisan men were hunters and women were gatherers.
• Khoisan women would collect fruit, vines and leaves.
• Water was stored in ostrich eggs.
• Long ago the Shona grew maize, millet, sorghum, pumpkins and bananas.
• The Ndebele were cattle farmers.
Foods from long ago and utensils used:

• People from long ago were hunters and gatherers.
• They gathered fruits and vegetables and other plants to eat.
• The plants they gathered were also used as medicine to help people who were sick.
• They also did a lot of fishing.
• People farmed animals like sheep and cattle.
• People used bowls and pots made from clay.
• Ostrich eggs were used to store water for drinking and cooking.
• Long ago rocks were used to grind grain into mealie meal.
• Knives and axes were carved out of stone and used to cut meat and other foods.
• Hunters used spears; axes and poisoned arrows to hunt with.
Different methods of farming:

• Subsistence farming is where the crops and animals are only grown for the farmer and their
family.
• It is important because it makes food more available.
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• Crops and animals are grown to sell to people.
• It is important because it makes food more available and gives people jobs.
• Farmers grow crops like maize; wheat; vegetables and fruit.
• Farmers have animals like cattle and chickens for meat.
• Chickens give us eggs and cattle and goats give us milk.
• Some farms have both crops and animals.
• Horticulture is the growing of fruits; vegetables and ornamental plants like flowers.
• It is important because it gives us lots of fruit and vegetables and teaches us how to grow
them better.
• Apiculture is where we look after bees so they make honey or beeswax.
• It is important because it gives us honey and beeswax.
Droughts cause lack of food:

• A drought is where there is no rain for a long time.
• Droughts cause problems and for farmers and people who grow crops because there is no
water to give to the crops.
• Droughts can occur anywhere in the world.
• Droughts can be caused by wind blowing away the rain clouds.
• Droughts can be caused by deforestation. This is where people cut down trees. When trees are
cut down, moisture cannot stay in the soil.
• When a drought happens, animals have no food to eat because plants do not grow.
• Animals can die from lack of water. This means people do not have meat, eggs or milk to eat.
• When a drought happens, there is no food for people to eat and they can starve.
• When a drought happens, we can try save water. We can do this by using bath water to
water the garden, turning our taps off when brushing our teeth or we can only use the
washing machine when there is lots of clothes to be washed.
Shelter- functions of buildings:

• A shelter is a habitat and a habitat is a home.
• Shelters keep us safe from animals and bad weather.
• Different types of shelters are schools; hospitals; churches and clinics.
Homes in Zimbabwe long ago:
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• Long ago, people made houses out of mud and clay.
• They used sticks and branches to make the walls strong.
• The roof was made out of long grass and was in the shape of a cone.
• There were two types of huts in a village, one was for sleeping and the other was for eating or
cooking.
• Huts had patterns or pictures painted on the walls.
• The huts were surrounded by a grass fence to keep people safe.
Healthy Habits:
• We can look after our ears by:
o Washing them with soap
o We must never put things in our ears.
o We must not hit someone on their ears.
o We must not make loud noises near someone’s ears.
• We can look after our eyes by:
o Washing our eyes with water.
o Do not poke your eyes.
o Do not throw dust or sand into people’s eyes.
o Do not look directly at the sun. ‘
o We must get enough sleep so our eyes can rest.
• When can keep our homes clean by:
o Washing the dishes.
o Cleaning the floor
o Washing our clothes
o Keeping the kitchen clean
o Keeping the toilet clean
o Throwing rubbish in the bin.
• We can keep our school clean by:
o Do not leave food lying around after eating.
o Flush the toilet
o Wash your hands
o Throw rubbish in the dustbin
o Cover your mouth when you cough.
Clean Water
• We use water to wash our clothes, for drinking, bathing, cooking and cleaning.
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• Water can be made dirty by salt, grease, plastic, dirt, compost, soap, oil
• We can keep water clean by boiling it, filtering it, covering our wells to stop things from falling
in and building our toilets far away from water.
Questions on the work:

• What is the capital of Zimbabwe?
• What is the second largest city?
• Where is Great Zimbabwe?
• Who was the first King of Great Zimbabwe?
• What is a habitat?
• Long ago, people built houses with?
• Name 3 types of shelters from around the world.
• What do we need to do when preparing food?
• What is a staple food?
• What is the staple food of Zimbabwe?
• What food do we get from cattle?
• Name one thing the Shona people used to grow long ago.
• Name 3 ways people used to get food long ago.
• Name one thing people used to gather long ago.
• Name one animal people used to farm.
• What did hunters use to hunt?
• What is a drought?
• Why is a drought bad?
• Name one way a drought can happen.
• Name one way we can try and save water.
• What is a shelter?
• Name one thing that a shelter protects us from.
• What is subsistence farming?
• What is commercial farming?
• Bonus Question: Name one type of farming and why it is important.
• Name two crops we can grow on farms.
• Name 3 things we get from animals on farms. For example, what do we get from cows?
• Tell me what apiculture is.
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• Name 3 ways we can look after our ears.
• Name 3 ways we can look after our eyes,
• Name 3 ways we can use water.
• Name 3 ways we can keep water clean
• Name one thing that can make water dirty.
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Social Studies Revision Guide for June Exams

Living together long ago:

Foods from long ago and utensils used:

Different methods of farming:

Droughts cause lack of food:

Shelter- functions of buildings:

Homes in Zimbabwe long ago:

Questions on the work:

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