4th grade Social Studies practice sheet
New York State Learning Standards · from Gradelings · Name: ______________________
Question 1
Which river flows south past Albany to New York City and the Atlantic Ocean?
- the Hudson River
- the Genesee River
- the Niagara River
- the St. Lawrence River
the Hudson River
Hint: It is named after an explorer from 1609.
Question 2
Corn, beans and squash grown together are called the…
- Three Seasons
- Three Rivers
- Three Hills
- Three Sisters
Three Sisters
Hint: The plants help each other grow.
Question 3
Which New York place name comes from Dutch?
- Rochester
- Syracuse
- Brooklyn
- Albany
Brooklyn
Hint: The Dutch village was called Breukelen.
Question 4
Why was the American victory at Saratoga so important?
- It made New York a Dutch colony.
- It ended slavery.
- It opened the Erie Canal.
- It convinced France to join the war on the American side.
It convinced France to join the war on the American side.
Hint: A turning point brings big change.
Question 5
Which job belongs to the federal government?
- picking up trash on your street
- running a village library
- printing money and running the post office
- fixing a town's sidewalks
printing money and running the post office
Hint: The federal government works for the whole country.
Question 6
Frederick Douglass escaped slavery and published a newspaper in Rochester called…
- The North Star
- Freedom's Journal
- The Liberator
- The Lily
The North Star
Hint: Escaping people followed this star north.
Question 7
The steam engine made travel faster because…
- it was pulled by mules
- it powered boats and trains without wind or animals
- it worked only downhill
- it needed sails
it powered boats and trains without wind or animals
Hint: Burning fuel boiled water to make steam.
Question 8
Willis Carrier, working in Buffalo, invented modern…
- airplanes
- air conditioning
- elevators
- television
air conditioning
Hint: It controls heat and humidity indoors.
Question 9
Which was a pull factor that drew many immigrants to New York?
- jobs in factories and cities
- a famine
- unfair laws at home
- a war at home
jobs in factories and cities
Hint: A pull factor draws people to a place.
Question 10
In what year did this happen? The Dutch build Fort Orange
- 1624
- 1754
- 1886
- 1831
1624
Hint: The Dutch build Fort Orange: 1624.
Answer key
- 1. the Hudson River (New York's Land & Maps)
- 2. Three Sisters (Haudenosaunee & Algonquian Peoples)
- 3. Brooklyn (Explorers & New Netherland)
- 4. It convinced France to join the war on the American side. (Wars for New York)
- 5. printing money and running the post office (Governing New York)
- 6. The North Star (Freedom & Rights)
- 7. it powered boats and trains without wind or animals (The Erie Canal)
- 8. air conditioning (Making & Earning in New York)
- 9. jobs in factories and cities (Coming to New York)
- 10. 1624 (New York Through Time)
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.