Glossary: Terms Starting with O
34 definitions in Social Studies with links to the lessons that teach each word.
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All terms starting with O
oasis
Social StudiesFrom Grade 4
a place in a desert where water allows plants to grow
Learn it in: Deserts (Grade 4), Trans-Saharan trade (Grade 5)
obey
Social StudiesFrom Grade 2
to follow a rule or instruction
Learn it in: What are responsibilities? (Grade 2)
object
Social StudiesFrom Grade 1
a thing you can see or touch
Learn it in: Old and new objects (Grade 1)
observation
Social StudiesFrom Grade 3
something noticed by looking carefully
Learn it in: Observation and enquiry (Grade 3), Local environmental enquiry (Grade 3), Gathering evidence (Grade 5)
observe
Social StudiesFrom Grade 3
to look at something carefully
Learn it in: Observation and enquiry (Grade 3), Identifying community issues (Grade 3)
occasion
Social StudiesFrom Grade 1
a special event
Learn it in: Clothing and cultural expression (Grade 1)
occupation
Social StudiesFrom Grade 2
a job a person does for a living
Learn it in: Occupations (Grade 2)
ocean
Social StudiesFrom Grade 2
a huge area of salt water
Learn it in: Oceans introduction (Grade 2), Oceans (Grade 4), Continents and oceans (Grade 6)
office
Social StudiesFrom Grade 1
a room where staff do school work
Learn it in: Places in our school (Grade 1)
official
Social StudiesFrom Grade 4
a person who holds a public job in an institution
Learn it in: Public institutions (Grade 4), Written records (Grade 5)
official language
Social StudiesFrom Grade 3
the language used by government and schools in a country
Learn it in: Languages (Grade 3), Languages and traditions (Grade 5)
omission
Social StudiesFrom Grade 6
leaving out information
Learn it in: Recognising bias and missing perspectives (Grade 6)
open question
Social StudiesFrom Grade 3
a question with many possible answers that needs thinking
Learn it in: Asking Social Studies questions (Grade 3), Formulating enquiry questions (Grade 3), Research questions (Grade 4)
opinion
Social StudiesFrom Grade 2
what someone thinks or feels
Learn it in: Listening to different opinions (Grade 2), Observation and enquiry (Grade 3), Organising evidence (Grade 3)
opportunity cost
Social StudiesFrom Grade 4
the next best thing you give up when you make a choice
Full explanation with examples and practice →
Learn it in: Scarcity (Grade 4), Opportunity cost introduction (Grade 5), Opportunity cost (Grade 6)
option
Social StudiesFrom Grade 1
one of the things you can choose
Learn it in: Making simple choices (Grade 1), Environmental decision-making project (Grade 6)
oracle bone
Social StudiesFrom Grade 4
an animal bone or shell with early Chinese writing carved on it
Learn it in: Ancient China (Grade 4)
oral history
Social StudiesFrom Grade 2
history told by word of mouth
Learn it in: Stories from older generations (Grade 2), Oral histories (Grade 3), Oral history (Grade 5)
oral literature
Social StudiesFrom Grade 6
stories, proverbs, poems and songs passed down by speaking
Learn it in: Cultural and linguistic diversity (Grade 6)
oral tradition
Social StudiesFrom Grade 3
knowledge passed down by speaking rather than writing
Learn it in: Oral traditions (Grade 3), Writing and recordkeeping (Grade 4), Oral history (Grade 5)
order
Social StudiesFrom Grade 1
one after another
Learn it in: Events in order (Grade 1), Why societies create rules (Grade 4)
ore
Social StudiesFrom Grade 3
rock that contains useful minerals
Learn it in: Mining introduction (Grade 3), Mineral and other natural resources (Grade 5), Mining and resource extraction (Grade 5)
Organisation of African Unity
Social StudiesFrom Grade 6
the continental organisation founded in 1963 that became the African Union in 2002
Learn it in: Colonial history and independence (Grade 6)
organise
Social StudiesFrom Grade 2
to arrange so that things work well
Learn it in: Community organisation (Grade 2)
origin
Social StudiesFrom Grade 6
who made a source, when and where
Learn it in: Source evaluation (Grade 6)
original
Social StudiesFrom Grade 3
the first form of something, not a copy
Learn it in: Primary sources (Grade 3)
original source
Social StudiesFrom Grade 6
where a piece of information first came from
Learn it in: Checking sources (Grade 6)
outcome
Social StudiesFrom Grade 5
the result of an action or project
Learn it in: Reflecting on outcomes (Grade 5)
outline map
Social StudiesFrom Grade 3
a map showing only the shape of an area
Learn it in: National map project (Grade 3)
overfishing
Social StudiesFrom Grade 3
catching fish faster than they can reproduce
Learn it in: Fishing (Grade 3)
overlap
Social StudiesFrom Grade 4
when two things happen at the same time
Learn it in: Timelines (Grade 4)
ownership
Social StudiesFrom Grade 6
who controls and profits from an organisation
Learn it in: Media ownership and purpose (Grade 6)