5th Grade Social Studies Core Skills and History

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5th GradeSocial StudiesCore Skills and History
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1. In the 1950s and 1960s, Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. and others led nonviolent protests, like
marches to gain civil rights for African
Americans. How did protesting help African
Americans gain their civil rights?

• A. Army soldiers protected civil rights
  protestors from violence.
• B. Civil rights protestors collected money to
  help fight discrimination.
• C. Protesters sought to bring people together to
  solve differences.
• D. Congress passed a law forbidding civil rights
  protestors to use violence.

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2. Historians have compared the South, before the
Civil Rights Movement, to South Africa during
apartheid. Which would be true about the South
and South Africa?

• A. Segregation and apartheid would both become
  illegal.
• B. The South and South Africa segregated people
  based on religion.
• C. Apartheid would be the first to be made
  illegal.
• D. The South and South Africa segregated people
  based on income.

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3. Monroe Elementary School, in Topeka, Kansas,
played an important role in the landmark Supreme
Court case, Brown vs. Board of Education. How did
the Brown vs. Board of Education decision affect
the Civil Rights movement?

• A. It led to more limits on the rights of African
  Americans.
• B. It led to the integration of public schools.
• C. It led to the removal of African Americans
  from public schools.
• D. It led to the continuation of segregated
  public schools.

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4. Charles Richard Drew was an African American
physician and surgeon. By 1940, he helped develop
"blood banks" to process and store blood plasma
for transfusions. What impact did his discovery
have during and after World War II?

• A. Blood plasma helped save the lives of injured
  servicemen and accident victims.
• B. Blood plasma became a important source of
  revenue for the United States.
• C. Blood plasma helped stop the spread of disease
  through the military during the war.
• D. Blood plasma research helped develop new drugs
  to protect children from diseases.

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• 5. These are important periods in United States
  history. What is the correct order of these
  periods?
•                 1. New Deal
•                 2. Great Depression
•       3. Roaring Twenties
• A. 3, 2, 1
• B. 2, 3, 1
• C. 2, 1, 3
• D. 1, 2, 3

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6. Harry Truman became president of the United
States after Franklin Roosevelt died. Truman had
to make a decision on how to end the war with
Japan. He chose to

• A. wait until Japanese political and military
  leaders asked to surrender.
• B. use atomic bombs to force the Japanese to
  surrender.
• C. prepare for an invasion that would have cost
  many American lives.
• D. form a blockade to prevent Japan from getting
  aid.

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7. In 1861, the United States was almost to the
point of a civil war. The firing on Ft. Sumter by
Confederate troops would force President Abraham
Lincoln to take action. He had several options,
but he chose to

• A. ask people in the South to overthrow their
  leaders.
• B. surrender Ft. Sumter and raise an army for
  battle.
• C. meet with Confederate leaders to find a
  settlement.
• D. surrender Ft. Sumter and hope that would be
  the end.

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8. In the late 1800s there was a large increase
in the number of people living in cities. The
main reason for this was that people

• A. moved to cities to collect welfare.
• B. moved to the cities to find jobs in the
  factories.
• C. moved to the cities to find relatives.
• D. moved to the suburbs to find places to live.

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9. During World War II, many women in the United
States assisted in the war effort. For most
women, this was the first time that they found
work in

• A. schools.
• B. hospitals.
• C. factories.
• D. offices.

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10. The Civil War began with the attack on Ft.
Sumter by Confederate troops in 1861. North
President Abraham Lincoln stated that the main
goal of the was to

• A. end slavery.
• B. start a new nation.
• C. save the Union.
• D. expand to the West.

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11. After the Civil War, there was an increase in
the number of these people heading
west.                  Farmers raising
wheat                  Workers on the
railroads                  Miners looking for
gold                  Ranchers herding
cattleWhich group was MOST affected by the
Homestead Act of 1862?

• A. the farmers
• B. the workers
• C. the miners
• D. the ranchers

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12. One of the MOST important reasons why people
often move to other areas is the climate. Which
area of the United States is growing rapidly
because of the climate?

• A. Ohio and Michigan
• B. New York and New Jersey
• C. Arizona and California
• D. Montana and Wyoming

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13. During the Civil War, both the South and the
North had certain strengths. Which of the
following would have been a strength for the
South at the beginning of the war?

• A. Great Britain and France gave troops and
  supplies to the South.
• B. Most of the fighting took place in the South,
  so they knew the land.
• C. Southern factories produced large numbers of
  weapons and war materials.
• D. The South had more miles of railroad track to
  move troops.

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14. During the Civil War, each side had certain
strategies, or plans, to win the war. Part of the
strategy of the North was to

• A. use troops from other countries to invade the
  South.
• B. place a naval blockade along the coast to cut
  down on shipping.
• C. ask Southerners who were against the war to
  revolt.
• D. position soldiers around the South and not let
  the people leave.

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15. One of the causes of the Civil War was the
question of states' rights. The people from the
South who supported states' rights would MOST
LIKELY support

• A. recession, the slowing of the economy.
• B. the prohibition of alcohol.
• C. secession, or leaving the Union.
• D. the abolition of slavery.

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16. In 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment was the
first amendment added to the United States
Constitution after the Civil War. As a result of
this amendment

• A. slavery was abolished.
• B. alcohol was not to be made or sold.
• C. free speech was protected.
• D. women obtained the right to vote.

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17. Uncle Tom's Cabin was published in 1852. What
was the impact of this book on the American
public?

• A. It marked the beginning of the Civil War.
• B. It reduced the threat of violence against
  slaves.
• C. It led Congress to pass the Missouri
  Compromise.
• D. It convinced many people that slavery was
  morally wrong.

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18. During the Civil War, both the North and the
South had certain strengths. Which of the
following would have been a strength for the
North at the beginning of the war?

• A. Northern factories were able to make weapons
  and materials needed for war.
• B. Since most of the fighting took place in the
  North, they knew the land.
• C. Northern soldiers had better training, and
  their leaders were better prepared.
• D. Since the South was suffering through a
  drought, the crops were ruined.

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19. Theodore Roosevelt became president of the
United States in 1901. He has been called a
reform president. A reform president wants to

• A. keep things as they are and not make changes.
• B. improve conditions in the country.
• C. limit the power and influence of political
  parties.
• D. expand the size of the country.

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20. There were many causes of World War I. One of
the major causes was a strong feeling of
nationalism that was shared by many people. Which
is an example of nationalism?

• A. The people of Germany believed that their
  country and way of life were better than other
  countries.
• B. The government of Great Britain wanted to
  increase trade with Asia.
• C. The people of the United States believed that
  they should be able to trade with any country.
• D. The government of France wanted to build up
  its army and navy.

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21. By the 1920s the steel industry in the United
States was changing the way Americans lived.
Which of the following was TRUE?

• A. The owners of the steel plants permitted the
  formation of labor unions.
• B. Steel factories were totally operated by
  machines.
• C. The workers in the steel plants bought the
  factories.
• D. Steel appliances made life easier for people.

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Answer Key
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• 1. C) Protesters sought to bring people together
  to solve differences. 2. A) Segregation and
  apartheid would both become illegal. 3. B) It
  led to the integration of public schools. 4. A)
  Blood plasma helped save the lives of injured
  servicemen and accident victims. 5. A) 3, 2, 1
  6. B) use atomic bombs to force the Japanese to
  surrender. 7. B) surrender Ft. Sumter and raise
  an army for battle. 8. B) moved to the cities
  to find jobs in the factories. 9. C) factories.
  10. C) save the Union.

• 11. A) the farmers 12. C) Arizona and
  California 13. B) Most of the fighting took
  place in the South, so they knew the land. 14.
  B) place a naval blockade along the coast to cut
  down on shipping. 15. C) secession, or leaving
  the Union. 16. A) slavery was abolished. 17.
  D) It convinced many people that slavery was
  morally wrong. 18. A) Northern factories were
  able to make weapons and materials needed for
  war. 19. B) improve conditions in the country.
  20. A) The people of Germany believed that
  their country and way of life were better than
  other countries. 21. D) Steel appliances made
  life easier for people.