6th grade Social Studies practice sheet
Maine Learning Results · from Gradelings · Name: ______________________
Question 1
Which country is in Africa?
- Germany
- Vietnam
- Nigeria
- Chile
Nigeria
Hint: It's in West Africa.
Question 2
What is an era?
- A kind of map
- A long period of history with shared features
- A single day
- A type of coin
A long period of history with shared features
Hint: The Bronze Age is one.
Question 3
Put these events from the human story in order, earliest first.
- 🧍Modern humans (Homo sapiens) appear in Africa
- 🎨People paint animals on cave walls
- 🪨Early humans make the first stone tools
- 🏙️The first cities grow in Mesopotamia
Early humans make the first stone tools → Modern humans (Homo sapiens) appear in Africa → People paint animals on cave walls → The first cities grow in Mesopotamia
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. The first cities grow in Mesopotamia: about 5,500 years ago, or 3500 BCE.
Question 4
Why did many of the earliest civilizations grow up along rivers?
🏞️- Mountains were too crowded
- Rivers gave water for crops, fertile soil, and routes for travel and trade
- 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.
Question 5
A city-state is…
- A country with 50 states
- A state with no cities
- A city that rules itself and the land around it
- A village with no rulers
A city that rules itself and the land around it
Hint: Sumer had many.
Question 6
The Gupta Empire is often called a golden age of India because of advances in…
- Space travel
- Car making
- Maths, science and art
- Television
Maths, science and art
Hint: Aryabhata was an astronomer then.
Question 7
Latin, the language of Rome, is the root of…
- Arabic
- Chinese
- Hindi
- Spanish, French, Italian and many English words
Spanish, French, Italian and many English words
Hint: These are called Romance languages.
Question 8
The Five Pillars (faith, prayer, charity, fasting and pilgrimage) are central practices of…
- Hinduism
- Islam
- Daoism
- Greek religion
Islam
Hint: Muslims follow the Five Pillars as the foundation of their faith.
Question 9
Did trade lead to cooperation or conflict? Sort each example.
Sort into: 🤝 cooperation · 🛡️ conflict
- 🪙using shared coins and weights
- 📜kingdoms agreeing on trade rules
- 🗺️rival cities going to war over a trade route
- 💰disputes over high tolls and taxes on goods
- ⚓a kingdom blocking rivals from its ports
- 🚢Rome and Carthage competing for Mediterranean trade
- 🌱learning new crops and inventions from neighbors
- 🏪merchants from many lands sharing a market
🤝 cooperation: using shared coins and weights, kingdoms agreeing on trade rules, learning new crops and inventions from neighbors, merchants from many lands sharing a market · 🛡️ conflict: rival cities going to war over a trade route, disputes over high tolls and taxes on goods, a kingdom blocking rivals from its ports, Rome and Carthage competing for Mediterranean trade
Hint: Cooperation is when societies work together and both gain. Conflict is when they compete or fight over routes, resources or profits.
Question 10
Why are many of the world's big cities on coasts or rivers?
- The land is always flat
- Mountains are illegal
- Oceans are warm
- Water is useful for trade, travel and drinking
Water is useful for trade, travel and drinking
Hint: Ports and rivers connect places.
Answer key
- 1. Nigeria (World Regions)
- 2. A long period of history with shared features (Time & Evidence)
- 3. Early humans make the first stone tools → Modern humans (Homo sapiens) appear in Africa → People paint animals on cave walls → The first cities grow in Mesopotamia (First Farmers)
- 4. Rivers gave water for crops, fertile soil, and routes for travel and trade (Where Civilizations Grew)
- 5. A city that rules itself and the land around it (Mesopotamia & Egypt)
- 6. Maths, science and art (Ancient India & China)
- 7. Spanish, French, Italian and many English words (Greece & Rome)
- 8. Islam (World Beliefs)
- 9. 🤝 cooperation: using shared coins and weights, kingdoms agreeing on trade rules, learning new crops and inventions from neighbors, merchants from many lands sharing a market · 🛡️ conflict: rival cities going to war over a trade route, disputes over high tolls and taxes on goods, a kingdom blocking rivals from its ports, Rome and Carthage competing for Mediterranean trade (Trade Networks)
- 10. Water is useful for trade, travel and drinking (World Regions)
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.