5th grade Social Studies practice sheet
New York State Learning Standards · from Gradelings · Name: ______________________
Question 1
The Haudenosaunee Confederacy united… under a shared law.
- all of Europe
- the Inca and Aztec
- five, later six, nations
five, later six, nations
Hint: It formed before European contact.
Question 2
Colonial rule often harmed local people by…
- doing nothing
- building them free schools only
- taking land, forcing labor and banning languages
taking land, forcing labor and banning languages
Hint: Colonialism caused lasting harm.
Question 3
For thousands of years, Inuit have lived in the Arctic by…
- Building stone pyramids
- Herding llamas
- Hunting sea mammals and making warm clothing from skins
- Growing corn and beans
Hunting sea mammals and making warm clothing from skins
Hint: Think about what the Arctic offers.
Question 4
How did the Inca connect their huge empire?
- With telephone lines
- With roads and rope bridges
- With canals across the desert
- With railroads
With roads and rope bridges
Hint: Runners carried messages on the roads.
Question 5
Vasco Núñez de Balboa was the first European to see…
- The Atlantic Ocean
- The Amazon River
- The Great Lakes
- The Pacific Ocean from the Americas
The Pacific Ocean from the Americas
Hint: He crossed Panama in 1513.
Question 6
Why did smallpox kill so many Native Americans?
- It was a disease only of children in Europe
- They caught it from horses only
- They had too much medicine
- They had never been exposed to it, so they had no immunity
They had never been exposed to it, so they had no immunity
Hint: Immunity comes from earlier exposure.
Question 7
A political map shows…
- Countries, borders and capitals
- Only mountains
- Only rainfall
- Only ocean currents
Countries, borders and capitals
Hint: Political maps show governments' areas.
Question 8
San José is the capital of which country?
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Venezuela
- Nicaragua
- Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Hint: San José is the capital of Costa Rica.
Question 9
Baseball is very popular in the United States and in…
- Canada's Arctic
- The Dominican Republic and Cuba
- Chile and Argentina
- Bolivia and Paraguay
The Dominican Republic and Cuba
Hint: Many major league players come from there.
Question 10
Sovereignty means…
- A tax on imports
- A kind of crop
- The right of a group to govern itself
- A type of map
The right of a group to govern itself
Hint: Many Native nations are sovereign nations.
Answer key
- 1. five, later six, nations (Maya, Aztec & Inca)
- 2. taking land, forcing labor and banning languages (Exploration & Exchange)
- 3. Hunting sea mammals and making warm clothing from skins (First Peoples of the Americas)
- 4. With roads and rope bridges (Civilizations of the Americas)
- 5. The Pacific Ocean from the Americas (Explorers & Encounters)
- 6. They had never been exposed to it, so they had no immunity (The Columbian Exchange)
- 7. Countries, borders and capitals (Geography of the Americas)
- 8. Costa Rica (Countries & Capitals)
- 9. The Dominican Republic and Cuba (Cultures of the Americas)
- 10. The right of a group to govern itself (Governments of the Americas)
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.