Grade 5 · Social Studies · Unit 2 of 7
Rise and Fall
Why civilizations grew and why they changed
What your child practises
Food surplus, rivers, trade and strong leaders helped civilizations rise. Drought, invasion, fighting inside and worn-out farmland could lead to decline, usually through several causes together.
Alberta Curriculum learning outcome: the rise and fall of ancient civilizations · what helped civilizations grow, and the many causes of decline
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
A food surplus helped civilizations grow because…
- nobody needed to eat
- everyone had to farm
- some people could do other jobs, like making tools or building
- cities had to be small
Show answer
some people could do other jobs, like making tools or building
Hint: A surplus is extra food. It frees people for other work.
Question 2
Which of these is a sign of a civilization?
- no leaders
- only tents
- no tools
- cities, a system of government and writing
Show answer
cities, a system of government and writing
Hint: Civilizations usually have cities, governments, jobs for different people, and writing.
Question 3
In which way might a civilization 'fall'?
- It could only fall from a cliff
- It could only be flooded
- It could be conquered, break apart, or slowly lose power
- It could only be forgotten in a single day
Show answer
It could be conquered, break apart, or slowly lose power
Hint: Civilizations change in many ways. Falls usually happen slowly, with several causes.
Question 4
The Maya cities of the southern lowlands were left by many people around 800 to 900 CE. What may have contributed?
🌿- the loss of all knowledge of writing
- a single flood
- drought, war and the strain on farmland
- a volcanic winter in Europe
Show answer
drought, war and the strain on farmland
Hint: Historians think several causes worked together, and Maya peoples did not disappear.
Question 5
The western Roman Empire is often said to have ended in 476 CE. Which is a cause historians point to?
- too many farmers
- no roads
- a long peace
- invasions, civil wars and a weakened economy
Show answer
invasions, civil wars and a weakened economy
Hint: Many causes together, not just one, are given.
Question 6
Which pair of causes might help a civilization rise?
- invasion and drought
- fertile land and a strong leader
- disease and hunger
- poor roads and fear
Show answer
fertile land and a strong leader
Hint: Rising civilizations used good land and organized leadership.