Grade 5 · Social Studies · Unit 1 of 7
Where and When?
Find ancient civilizations in place and time
What your child practises
Where early civilizations grew up (the Nile, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, China, the Mediterranean, the Americas) and how to read BCE and CE dates. The peoples of the Americas are shown as living peoples.
Alberta Curriculum learning outcome: the rise and fall of ancient civilizations · locating civilizations on a map and placing them on a timeline, with BCE and CE dates
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
Put these events in order from earliest to latest.
- ⛰️Spain conquers the Inca Empire (from 1532 CE)
- 🏙️First cities of Sumer (about 3500 BCE)
- 🐉Qin unites China (221 BCE)
- 🔺Great Pyramid built at Giza (about 2560 BCE)
- 🏛️Western Roman Empire ends (476 CE)
Show answer
First cities of Sumer (about 3500 BCE) → Great Pyramid built at Giza (about 2560 BCE) → Qin unites China (221 BCE) → Western Roman Empire ends (476 CE) → Spain conquers the Inca Empire (from 1532 CE)
Hint: BCE years count down toward year 1. Then CE years count up.
Question 2
Which year comes right after 1 BCE?
- 10 CE
- 1 BCE again
- 1 CE
- 2 BCE
Show answer
1 CE
Hint: The BCE and CE system has no year 0, so 1 BCE is followed by 1 CE.
Question 3
Which date is the most recent?
- 1000 BCE
- 200 BCE
- 1 BCE
- 200 CE
Show answer
200 CE
Hint: CE years come after all BCE years.
Question 4
Why did many people in ancient Egypt live in a strip beside the Nile?
- The river was the only place with mountains
- The land beside it was always frozen
- The river flooded and left rich soil for farming
- The river was salty and kept animals away
Show answer
The river flooded and left rich soil for farming
Hint: Rivers gave water and good soil for crops.
Question 5
The Maya, Aztec and Inca peoples are not only in the past. Which statement is true?
- Descendants of these peoples live and speak their languages today
- All of these peoples have disappeared
- They lived only in Europe
- They only exist in museums
Show answer
Descendants of these peoples live and speak their languages today
Hint: Maya peoples live today in Guatemala, Mexico and nearby countries, and Quechua is spoken in the Andes.
Question 6
A historian says an event happened 'about 2500 BCE'. Roughly how many years ago is that, from 2025?
- about 500 years
- about 2500 years
- about 4500 years
- about 1500 years
Show answer
about 4500 years
Hint: Add 2500 and 2025 (there is no year 0).