The document introduces the PERMITS strategy for summarizing vocabulary words, people, places, and historical events from documents. It explains that PERMITS stands for Political, Economic, Religious, Military, Intellectual property, Technological, and Social/Arts categories. Keywords or concepts can then be assigned one or more PERMITS labels to help relate them to different contexts. An example is then provided analyzing the US overview text using the PERMITS strategy.

1. P E R M I T S Identification Strategy – Hopper – World Studies
To make vocabulary words, people, places and/or major historical events more meaningful and easier to
understand, it is helpful to identify or qualify (make something relate or make sense) by using PERMITS
categories.
Categories:
P olitical/Legal – having to do with the gov’t, laws, politics, courts, etc.
E conomic – having to do with jobs, money, stock market, banks, etc.
R eligious – having to do with church, priests, belief systems, beliefs, etc.
M ilitary – having to do with war, military strategy, military officers, etc.
I ntellectual property - having to do with ideas, theories, strategies, technological advances, written stories,
books, poems, schooling, schools of thought, discoveries of medicines or cures for diseases, etc.
T echnology – having to do with equipment, new inventions, machinery, weaponry, computers, factories,
scientific discoveries or advances, medicines and medical technologies, vaccinations, etc.
S ocial/Arts – having to do with society, culture, community, music, food, fashion, personal behaviors,
painting, sculpture, entertainment, etc.
*Some words/definitions may only match 1 PERMITS category. Others may match several categories.
*You are going to qualify (identify/relate) each of the vocab terms on the following page using PERMITS
categories.
*Copy each word and its definition, and out to the side of each, simply write a ‘P’ an ‘E’ an ‘R’ an ‘M’ an ‘I’ a
‘T’ and/or an ‘S’ to state which categories match the term. If the relationship is indirect or minor, put
parenthesis around that letter and reason.
US Overview – World Studies, Western Hemisphere p. 212 – 226
P *gov’t structure – origins of Democracy, where the people rule with their voice and vote
*a society of laws and norms, established by and protected under the Constitution
E *econ system is capitalism
R *freedom to practice religion of choice or none at all without harm to others
M *citizen army, volunteer at this point
I *unique inventions, original books, poems or songs, developing theories/plans/strategies,
such as Bill Gates and Microsoft
T *technology plays an ENORMOUS role in American society – it was/is the way we give
and receive information, the way we are transported, the way we
communicate, learn, work, invent, cure, advance, harvest, explore, protect,
process, entertain and is an integral part of most American lives
S *equality for all citizens; citizenship is a privilege, not a right
people of many different cultures live and work together
people share music, literature, art, theatre, dance, media
freedom of expression and relationships
WH p. 104 - 108