7th grade Social Studies practice sheet
Alaska content standards · from Gradelings · Name: ______________________
Question 1
Put these events from the human story in order, earliest first.
- 🧍Modern humans (Homo sapiens) appear in Africa
- 🪨Early humans make the first stone tools
- 🌾People begin farming in Southwest Asia
- 🎨People paint animals on cave walls
Early humans make the first stone tools → Modern humans (Homo sapiens) appear in Africa → People paint animals on cave walls → People begin farming in Southwest Asia
Hint: Early humans make the first stone tools: more than 2.5 million years ago. Modern humans (Homo sapiens) appear in Africa: about 300,000 years ago. People paint animals on cave walls: more than 30,000 years ago. People begin farming in Southwest Asia: about 12,000 years ago, or 10,000 BCE.
Question 2
The name Mesopotamia comes from Greek. What does it mean?
- home of the gods
- city on seven hills
- land of the pharaohs
- land between the rivers
land between the rivers
Hint: 'Meso' means middle or between, and 'potamos' means river: the land between the Tigris and Euphrates.
Question 3
What does 'polytheism' mean?
- belief in one God
- belief in many gods
- belief in ancestors only
- belief in no gods
belief in many gods
Hint: 'Poly' means many. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Maya were polytheistic.
Question 4
Use the table. A merchant wants to buy glassware. Which region should they trade with?
Goods traded along the Silk Road and connected sea routes Region Famous goods Arabia frankincense and myrrh China silk, bronze mirrors, lacquerware India pepper and other spices, cotton cloth, gems the Roman Empire glassware, gold coins, wool - Arabia
- China
- India
- the Roman Empire
the Roman Empire
Hint: Find the good in the 'Famous goods' column, then read across to the region.
Question 5
Cuneiform was written by pressing a stylus into…
- Wet clay tablets
- Silk
- Paper
- Stone with paint
Wet clay tablets
Hint: The tablets were dried hard.
Question 6
Which other invention came from China?
- The pyramid
- The compass
- The aqueduct
- The alphabet
The compass
Hint: Useful for sailors.
Question 7
Homer's Iliad and Odyssey are…
- Epic poems from ancient Greece
- Roman law codes
- Chinese inventions
- Egyptian tombs
Epic poems from ancient Greece
Hint: The Odyssey tells of a long journey home.
Question 8
What was the main role of the Christian Church in medieval Europe?
- It had little influence.
- It guided religious life and also had great influence in politics, education and daily life.
- It only built castles.
- It ruled only in Asia.
It guided religious life and also had great influence in politics, education and daily life.
Hint: The Church owned land, ran schools and hospitals, and advised rulers.
Question 9
Fatima al-Fihri founded the University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez in 859. Why is it notable?
- It was a castle.
- It was built in Spain.
- It taught only farming.
- It is often described as one of the oldest universities still operating.
It is often described as one of the oldest universities still operating.
Hint: Education in the Islamic world included women as founders, learners and teachers.
Question 10
Swahili city-states like Kilwa and Mombasa traded across the…
- Arctic Ocean
- Indian Ocean
- Atlantic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Hint: Monsoon winds carried ships.
Answer key
- 1. Early humans make the first stone tools → Modern humans (Homo sapiens) appear in Africa → People paint animals on cave walls → People begin farming in Southwest Asia (First Farmers)
- 2. land between the rivers (Where Civilizations Grew)
- 3. belief in many gods (World Beliefs)
- 4. the Roman Empire (Trade Networks)
- 5. Wet clay tablets (Mesopotamia & Egypt)
- 6. The compass (Ancient India & China)
- 7. Epic poems from ancient Greece (Greece & Rome)
- 8. It guided religious life and also had great influence in politics, education and daily life. (Medieval Europe)
- 9. It is often described as one of the oldest universities still operating. (The Islamic World)
- 10. Indian Ocean (African Kingdoms & Empires)
Want more than 10 questions?
In Gradelings the questions change every time and adjust to your child, with hints and kind feedback. See all social studies units.