4th grade Social Studies practice sheet
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) · from Gradelings · Name: ______________________
Question 1
Which group got food mainly by farming?
- the Caddo
- the Lipan Apache
- the Karankawa
- the Comanche
the Caddo
Hint: Think of the farming villages of East Texas.
Question 2
Cabeza de Vaca lived for years among…
- French soldiers
- American Indian groups of Texas
- cowboys on a ranch
- settlers in Austin
American Indian groups of Texas
Hint: He worked as a trader and healer to survive.
Question 3
Some settlers from the southern United States brought enslaved African Americans to…
- serve as Mexican soldiers
- build oil wells
- run the government
- work on cotton farms
work on cotton farms
Hint: Slavery was one of the issues between settlers and Mexico.
Question 4
The Alamo is in…
- Houston
- San Antonio
- Dallas
- Austin
San Antonio
Hint: It began as a Spanish mission.
Question 5
How did Sam Houston try to deal with American Indian nations?
- by forcing all of them out
- by asking France to decide
- through peace and trade agreements
- by ignoring them
through peace and trade agreements
Hint: Houston had lived among the Cherokee.
Question 6
In 1861, Texas left the United States and joined…
- the Confederate States of America
- Mexico
- France
- Spain
the Confederate States of America
Hint: This is called secession.
Question 7
Why did Texans drive cattle north after the Civil War?
- cattle sold for much more money in the North
- cattle needed snow
- the government ordered it
- there was no grass in Texas
cattle sold for much more money in the North
Hint: A steer worth $4 in Texas could sell for $40 up north.
Question 8
The oil and gas industry helped Texas cities…
- become farms
- move to Mexico
- grow as factories and refineries were built
- shrink
grow as factories and refineries were built
Hint: Jobs brought people to cities.
Question 9
Why do fewer people live in far West Texas?
- It is covered in ice
- It is dry and mountainous
- It is underwater
- It is too rainy
It is dry and mountainous
Hint: Hard land and little water mean fewer towns.
Question 10
Irrigation means…
- cutting down trees
- bringing water to crops
- drilling for oil
- building roads
bringing water to crops
Hint: Farmers in dry areas pump water to fields.
Answer key
- 1. the Caddo (First Peoples of Texas)
- 2. American Indian groups of Texas (Explorers & Missions)
- 3. work on cotton farms (Mexican Texas)
- 4. San Antonio (The Texas Revolution)
- 5. through peace and trade agreements (Republic to Statehood)
- 6. the Confederate States of America (Civil War & Reconstruction)
- 7. cattle sold for much more money in the North (Cattle, Rails & the Frontier)
- 8. grow as factories and refineries were built (Oil, Wars & Inventors)
- 9. It is dry and mountainous (Regions of Texas)
- 10. bringing water to crops (Maps & the Land)
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.