6th grade · Social Studies · Unit 4 of 12
Where Civilizations Grew
Rivers, mountains and seas
What your child practices
How geography shaped Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley and Shang China along their rivers, plus Greece, Rome and the Maya. Includes a reading passage about the Nile flood.
Oregon State Standards learning standard: 6/7.H.CH.2; 6/7.G.GR.1 · the characteristics of civilizations and how geography influenced where they grew
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Along which river valley did Mesopotamia (Sumer and Babylon) grow?
🏞️Mesopotamia (Sumer and Babylon)- the Huang He (Yellow River)
- the Nile River
- the Indus River
- the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
Hint: Mesopotamia: Tigris and Euphrates. Egypt: Nile. Indus Valley: Indus. Early China: Huang He (Yellow River).
Question 2
Ancient Rome grew up on hills beside which river?
🏛️- the Nile
- the Huang He
- the Indus
- the Tiber
the Tiber
Hint: Rome was built on seven hills near the Tiber River in central Italy.
Question 3
The Tigris and Euphrates flooded unpredictably. How did Mesopotamian farmers manage the water?
- They waited for rain instead
- They moved to the mountains every spring
- They dug irrigation canals and built up banks called levees
- They farmed only on rafts
They dug irrigation canals and built up banks called levees
Hint: Controlling water took planning and teamwork, which helped lead to strong local governments.
Question 4
Most of ancient Mesopotamia lies in which present-day country?
- India
- Greece
- Egypt
- Iraq
Iraq
Hint: The Tigris and Euphrates rivers flow through Iraq (and parts of Syria and Türkiye).
Question 5
The Indus Valley civilization was located in present-day…
- Pakistan and northwest India
- China and Mongolia
- Iraq and Syria
- Egypt and Sudan
Pakistan and northwest India
Hint: The Indus River flows from the Himalaya through Pakistan to the Arabian Sea.
Question 6
Why did many of the earliest civilizations grow up along rivers?
🏞️- Rivers gave water for crops, fertile soil, and routes for travel and trade
- Mountains were too crowded
- Rivers kept the weather cold all year
- There were no animals near rivers
Rivers gave water for crops, fertile soil, and routes for travel and trade
Hint: Farming needs water and good soil, and boats made moving goods much easier.