7th grade Social Studies practice sheet
California Content Standards · from Gradelings · Name: ______________________
Question 1
What was a caliph?
- A trade caravan
- A merchant guild
- A leader of the Muslim community and ruler of a caliphate
- A kind of mosque
A leader of the Muslim community and ruler of a caliphate
Hint: The Abbasid caliphs ruled from Baghdad for centuries.
Question 2
Song dynasty China is known for…
- movable type, the magnetic compass and paper money
- steam engines and railroads
- the telescope
movable type, the magnetic compass and paper money
Hint: The Song was rich in inventions.
Question 3
The capital of the Songhai Empire was…
- Cairo
- Gao
- Kilwa
Gao
Hint: Gao is on the Niger River.
Question 4
In a rice paddy, fields are flooded. Why?
- To keep the farmers cool
- Rice grows well with its roots in shallow water.
- To frighten insects
- To catch fish only
Rice grows well with its roots in shallow water.
Hint: Rice paddies were shaped to hold water.
Question 5
Why did the growth of trade help weaken feudalism?
- Trade stopped towns from growing.
- Peasants gave up all their rights.
- Merchants and townspeople gained wealth and independence outside the lord-peasant system.
- Trade made lords richer than kings.
Merchants and townspeople gained wealth and independence outside the lord-peasant system.
Hint: Money and towns offered new ways to earn a living apart from the manor.
Question 6
Which Italian family was well known for supporting artists in Florence?
- the Mongols
- the Tudors
- the Vikings
- the Medici
the Medici
Hint: The Medici were bankers and rulers who paid for art, buildings and learning.
Question 7
The Industrial Revolution began in…
- Britain
- Japan
- Brazil
Britain
Hint: It began in the 1700s.
Question 8
The Western Roman Empire fell in…
- 44 BCE
- 1453 CE
- 1066 CE
- 476 CE
476 CE
Hint: A Germanic leader removed the last emperor.
Question 9
The Maya developed a number system that included…
- no numbers above 10
- a symbol for zero
- only even numbers
- Roman numerals
a symbol for zero
Hint: Few ancient peoples used zero.
Question 10
The Mercator map projection helped sailors because…
- it kept compass directions straight
- it showed true sizes
- it had no lines
- it was round
it kept compass directions straight
Hint: It made navigation easier.
Answer key
- 1. A leader of the Muslim community and ruler of a caliphate (The Islamic World)
- 2. movable type, the magnetic compass and paper money (Empires of Asia)
- 3. Gao (African Kingdoms & Empires)
- 4. Rice grows well with its roots in shallow water. (Japan: Land, Beliefs & Values)
- 5. Merchants and townspeople gained wealth and independence outside the lord-peasant system. (Medieval Europe)
- 6. the Medici (Renaissance & Reformation)
- 7. Britain (Age of Revolutions)
- 8. 476 CE (Rome's Fall & Byzantium)
- 9. a symbol for zero (Maya, Aztec & Inca)
- 10. it kept compass directions straight (Exploration & Exchange)
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.