3rd grade Social Studies practice sheet
Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards · from Gradelings · Name: ______________________
Question 1
Homes with thick mud-brick walls are common in some hot, dry places. Why?
🧱- mud bricks are colder than ice
- thick walls let in more sunlight
- thick walls keep the inside cool during the hot day
thick walls keep the inside cool during the hot day
Hint: Thick walls slow down the heat, so the inside stays cooler than outside.
Question 2
Is it kind to say another culture's food is “weird”?
- Yes, if you do not like it
- No, it is kinder to be curious
- Yes, always
No, it is kinder to be curious
Hint: Using respectful language shows we value diversity.
Question 3
Put these events from the human story in order, earliest first.
- 🎨People paint animals on cave walls
- 🏙️The first cities grow in Mesopotamia
- 🌾People begin farming in Southwest Asia
- 🧍Modern humans (Homo sapiens) appear in Africa
Modern humans (Homo sapiens) appear in Africa → People paint animals on cave walls → People begin farming in Southwest Asia → The first cities grow in Mesopotamia
Hint: 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. The first cities grow in Mesopotamia: about 5,500 years ago, or 3500 BCE.
Question 4
Along which river valley did the Harappan civilization (cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-daro) grow?
🏞️the Harappan civilization (cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-daro)- the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
- the Nile River
- the Indus River
- the Huang He (Yellow River)
the Indus River
Hint: Mesopotamia: Tigris and Euphrates. Egypt: Nile. Indus Valley: Indus. Early China: Huang He (Yellow River).
Question 5
Which river flows through ancient Egypt?
- The Indus
- The Amazon
- The Nile
- The Tigris
The Nile
Hint: It flows north to the Mediterranean.
Question 6
Indian mathematicians developed which idea we still use?
- Roman numerals
- Cuneiform numbers
- The number zero and the digits we write today
- Tally marks
The number zero and the digits we write today
Hint: Our numerals are called Hindu-Arabic numerals.
Question 7
The Byzantine Empire's capital was…
- Athens
- Alexandria
- Babylon
- Constantinople
Constantinople
Hint: Today it is Istanbul.
Question 8
A carving shows a pharaoh much larger than his enemies. What is it probably showing?
- Nothing at all
- That he was a giant
- That enemies were children
- The pharaoh's power and importance
The pharaoh's power and importance
Hint: Size can show status.
Question 9
Which is a visual way to present information?
- A silent room
- A whisper
- A poster or chart
A poster or chart
Hint: Visuals can be seen.
Question 10
Upper Sioux and Lower Sioux are Dakota communities along the…
- Red River
- St. Croix River
- Lake Superior
- Minnesota River
Minnesota River
Hint: In the southwest.
Answer key
- 1. thick walls keep the inside cool during the hot day (Needs Around the World)
- 2. No, it is kinder to be curious (Communities Around the World)
- 3. Modern humans (Homo sapiens) appear in Africa → People paint animals on cave walls → People begin farming in Southwest Asia → The first cities grow in Mesopotamia (First Farmers)
- 4. the Indus River (Where Civilizations Grew)
- 5. The Nile (Mesopotamia & Egypt)
- 6. The number zero and the digits we write today (Ancient India & China)
- 7. Constantinople (Greece & Rome)
- 8. The pharaoh's power and importance (Time & Evidence)
- 9. A poster or chart (Working Together Fairly)
- 10. Minnesota River (Minnesota's 11 Tribal Nations)
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.