wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

NEW

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

WH Unit 1 Ancient River Valley Civilizations

Total questions: 50

Worksheet time: 1hrs 14mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which of the following is NOT one of the 4 river valley civilizations?

a)

Mesopotamia

b)

Egypt

c)

Mali

d)

Indus

e)

China

2.

What geographic location did early civilizations settle around?

a)

mountains

b)

plains

c)

rivers

d)

deserts

3.

Why did early people settle?

a)

they got tired of walking

b)

the ice age caused animals to die off, meaning less hunting

c)

they wanted to settle around mountains to stay away from invaders

d)

fertile soil near rivers meant good farming, causing a food surplus

4.

Which one is not a characteristic of a civilization?

a)

cities

b)

nomadic tribes

c)

religion

d)

written language

5.
Civilization in Mesopotamia developed between which two rivers?
a)
the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean
b)
the Tigris and the Persian Gulf
c)
the Persian Gulf and the Euphrates
d)
the Euphrates and the Tigris
6.
Who wrote a legal code that covered most areas of daily life?
a)
Gilgamesh
b)
Hammarabui
c)
Nineveh
d)
Sargon
7.
The Sumerian writing system was called
a)
Cuneiform
b)
Hieroglyphs
c)
English
d)
Sargon
8.
Which of the following is  NOT true of Hammurabi's code?
a)
It covered many aspects of Babylonian life, not just crimes.
b)
t was used by many later civilizations as a model
c)
It treated all people the same under the law.
d)
It was carved in stone.
9.
What was the main religion of the Sumerians?
a)
Monotheism
b)
Christianity
c)
Polytheism
d)
Judaism
10.
A city with political and economic control over the surrounding countryside
a)
City-State
b)
Country
c)
Villiage
d)
Culture
11.

Curved strip of land that runs from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf that had fertile soil (hint: another term for the region of Mesopotamia)

a)

Gift of the Nile

b)
Fertile Crescent
c)

Silt

d)

China's Sorrow

12.
How were canals used by ancient Egyptians?
a)
food storage system
b)
funeral rituals
c)
religious festivals
d)
irrigation systems
13.

Which is the most famous Egyptian architecture with the purpose of serving as a tomb for pharohs?  

a)

Ziggurat

b)
Pyramids
c)

Temple Abu Simbel

14.
What is the name for the writing Egyptians used? 
a)
hieroglyphics
b)
alphabet
c)
papyrus
d)
symbols 
15.
What is one reason the Nile River was important to the Egyptians? 
a)

Rich farming soil

b)
Sand to help build Pyramids
c)
Boat rides 
16.

The people of the Indus Valley practiced Hinduism, which is what type of religion?

a)

Monotheistic

b)

Polytheistic

c)

Dualsistic

d)

Realistic

17.

What is a religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, an Indian spiritual leader with ties to the religion of Hinduism?

a)

Hinduism

b)

Sanskrit

c)

Buddhism

d)

Reincarnation

18.

What is the sum of a person's good and bad actions, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences?

a)

Dharma

b)

Karma

c)

Reincarnation

d)

Moksha

19.

What is a person's personal duty, based on the individual's place in society?

a)

Dharma

b)

Karma

c)

Moksha

d)

Reincarnation

20.

What is the world's oldest religion that developed in India with no single founder?

a)

Buddhism

b)

Hindiusm

c)

Varna

d)

Dharma

21.

What is the ultimate goal of Hinduism?

a)

To reach nirvana

b)

To reach moksha

c)

To be mummified

d)

To be a king

22.

What is the ultimate goal of Buddhism?

a)

To reach nirvana

b)

To reach moksha

c)

To be mummified

d)

To be a king

23.
This is the name of the trade route that ran from China, through India, to Rome
a)
Demin Road
b)
Silk Road
c)
Polyester Road
d)
Wool Road
24.
What did Emperor Qin build that allowed no one to leave, or invade, for thousands of years?
a)
a statue of himself
b)
a fortress
c)
The Great Wall
d)
a model of a dinosaur
25.

4. What is the mandate of heaven?

a)

The idea that people should follow what the gods say

b)

The idea that it doesn't matter how you are, you would still go to heaven

c)

The idea that the emperor, the son of heaven, has the support of the gods (as long as he rules correctly.)

d)

The idea that the emperor can take his belonging when he goes to heaven

26.

5. What are the warring periods?

a)

Periods of worrying

b)

Period of warning for natural disasters

c)

Periods of civil wars, instability, suffering, and violence

d)

none of the above

27.

6. Emperor Shi Huangdi, sent out an order to burn all books that did not have to do with the new philosophy of the empire. This is an example of

a)

Buddhism

b)

Confucianism

c)

Legalism

d)

The fire nation attacking

28.

11.What is a dynasty?

a)

A series of rulers from the same family

b)

A series of rulers from the same continent

c)

A series of rulers from the same country

d)

A series of rulers

29.

Confucianism focused on

a)

Following the vedas of hinduism

b)

The yin and yang

c)

worshipping more than one god

d)

Respecting rulers and elders

30.

According to belief in the Mandate of Heaven, earthquakes and floods might be signs that

a)

A. the king did not govern well.

b)

B. the end of the world was near.

c)

C. the people did not obey the laws.

d)

D. the natural world ignored humans.

31.

What technology enabled the Assyrians and Chaldeans to defeat neighboring city-states and empires?

a)

Decoding machines for hieroglyphics

b)

Bronze tools and sailboats

c)

Iron weapons and chariots

d)

Stone weapons

32.

Which quotation from the teachings of Confucius is most similar to the Golden Rule from Judeo-Christian teaching?

a)

“While a father or mother is alive, a son should not travel far.”

b)

. “By nature, men are pretty much alike. It is learning and practice that set them apart."

c)

“If a ruler is upright, all will go well without orders.”

d)

“Do not do to others what you do not wish for yourself.”

33.

Use the statements below to answer the question

SPEAKER A:  The laws of nature, not government, should rule society.

SPEAKER B:  A good ruler will rule by example, not by decree.

SPEAKER C:  Because people have greed, government needs rigid laws.

The speaker's statement that BEST reflects Daoist ideals is

a)

Speaker A

b)

Speaker B

c)

Speaker C

34.

“It is better to do the work of your own caste poorly than to do the work of another caste well.”  This statement BEST expresses the idea that in traditional India

a)

some castes do better work than others

b)

skilled workers were needed throughout India

c)

little social mobility existed between castes

d)

each person could choose his/her occupation

35.
  1. 1. Showing respect for parents

  2. 2. Maintaining family honor

  3. 3. Honoring all elders

Which term is most clearly related to these three actions?

a)

Nirvana

b)

Animism

c)

Karma

d)

Filial Piety

36.

Which river had predictable flooding?

a)

Tigris River

b)

Nile River

c)

Huang He/Yellow River

d)

Indus River

37.
Name the River Valley Civilization shaded in orange on the map
a)
Egypt
b)
Mesopotamia/
Sumer
c)
India
d)
China
38.
Name the River Valley Civilization shaded in yellow on the map
a)
Egypt
b)
Mesopotamia/
Sumer
c)
India
d)
China
39.

The Five Characteristics of Civilizations are 1.)Advanced Cities 2) Advanced Technology 3) Complex Organizations 4) Specialized Labor and 5.)__________________

a)

Extensive Farming

b)

Domestication of Animals

c)

Record Keeping

d)

Two story buildings

40.

What was the name of the religious buildings in Sumer?

a)

Ziggurats

b)

Temples

c)

Mosques

d)

Churches

41.

Name the River Valley Civilization shaded in purple on the map

a)

Egypt

b)

Mesopotamia/

Sumer

c)

India

d)

China

42.

Egyptian developed a type of government in which rule is based on the religious authority of the pharaoh.

a)

Democracy

b)

Theocracy

c)

Oligarchy

d)

Monarchy

43.

Embalming, drying, and wrapping a body to prevent it from decaying.

a)

canopic jars

b)

papyrus

c)

mummification

d)

sarcophagus

44.
1.) What is a monsoon?
a)
Periods of large rainfall
b)
Seasonal wind patterns
c)
Times of extreme heat
d)
Extreme storms with heavily rain and lightening
45.

The Harrapans in the Indus River Valley were known for

a)

The Great Wall

b)

Building Pyramids

c)

City-Planning

d)

The Grand Canal

46.

Hammurabi's Code is an example of

a)

Codified laws and using religion as a political tool

b)

Religious Traditions

c)

The first alphabet

d)

The laws of Judaism

47.

Which of the following is NOT an example of polytheism?

a)

Egyptian Religious Beliefs

b)

Hinduism

c)

Judaism

d)

Mesopotamian Religious Beliefs

48.

Which Chinese Philosophy matches the quote?

a)

Confucianism

b)

Daoism

c)

Legalism

49.

Who founder of Buddhism?

a)

Jesus

b)

God

c)

Siddhartha Gautama

d)

Moses

50.

What does this image depict?

a)

Different Mesopotamian gods

b)

Ancestor Worship

c)

Buddha's Eightfold Path

d)

Caste System in Hinduism