Grade 9 Social Studies practice sheet
NWT Curriculum · from Gradelings · Name: ______________________
Question 1
Put these events in order, earliest first.
- 🏰Storming of the Bastille (1789)
- ⚔️King Louis XVI is executed (1793)
- 🇭🇹Haiti declares independence (1804)
- 🗽American Declaration of Independence (1776)
American Declaration of Independence (1776) → Storming of the Bastille (1789) → King Louis XVI is executed (1793) → Haiti declares independence (1804)
Hint: The Declaration of Independence was in 1776, the storming of the Bastille in 1789, the execution of Louis XVI in 1793, and Haitian independence in 1804.
Question 2
Why were children employed in factories and mines?
- Children were required to vote.
- There were no adults.
- They owned the factories.
- They were paid less and could fit in small spaces.
They were paid less and could fit in small spaces.
Hint: Child labour was cheap, which made it attractive to owners.
Question 3
What problem did drawing borders at the Berlin Conference cause for African peoples?
- No borders were drawn.
- Every group received the same lands.
- Borders followed each nation's wishes.
- Groups were split apart or forced together, causing problems that lasted for generations.
Groups were split apart or forced together, causing problems that lasted for generations.
Hint: African leaders were not asked, and the lines ignored languages and cultures.
Question 4
Who was Canada's first prime minister?
- Wilfrid Laurier
- Pierre Trudeau
- Louis Riel
- Sir John A. Macdonald
Sir John A. Macdonald
Hint: Macdonald led Canada from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 to 1891. His legacy includes policies harmful to Indigenous peoples.
Question 5
What was the pass system?
- A practice from the 1880s that required First Nations people to get permission to leave their reserves
- A fur trade licence
- A way to buy train tickets
- A school exam
A practice from the 1880s that required First Nations people to get permission to leave their reserves
Hint: It limited movement and trade, though it was never written into law.
Question 6
Why did about a million people leave Ireland in the late 1840s?
- Ireland had no schools.
- A potato blight caused a famine.
- A gold rush began.
- They wanted to build railways.
A potato blight caused a famine.
Hint: Many Irish people emigrated to Canada, the United States and elsewhere to survive.
Question 7
Which natural hazards are common in mountain regions such as the Western Cordillera?
- ice-age glaciers over cities
- sandstorms
- landslides and avalanches
- tropical hurricanes
landslides and avalanches
Hint: Steep slopes with heavy rain or snow can give way.
Question 8
During WWI, thousands of people were held in internment camps in Canada. Who were most of them?
- Ukrainian Canadians and other people from enemy countries, labelled “enemy aliens”
- Canadian-born British citizens
- Visitors from the United States
- Soldiers who disobeyed orders
Ukrainian Canadians and other people from enemy countries, labelled “enemy aliens”
Hint: More than 8,500 people were interned between 1914 and 1920 under the War Measures Act, and many more had to report regularly to authorities. Canada has since recognized this injustice.
Question 9
What did the American Declaration of Independence say people have a right to?
- life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
- a crown
- the best farmland
- a free house
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
Hint: These words came from Enlightenment ideas about natural rights.
Question 10
What did the Factory Acts passed in Britain in the 1800s do?
- Banned factories
- Ended unions
- Made children work longer
- Set limits on child labour and working hours
Set limits on child labour and working hours
Hint: They were early laws protecting workers.
Answer key
- 1. American Declaration of Independence (1776) → Storming of the Bastille (1789) → King Louis XVI is executed (1793) → Haiti declares independence (1804) (Enlightenment & Revolutions)
- 2. They were paid less and could fit in small spaces. (The Industrial Revolution)
- 3. Groups were split apart or forced together, causing problems that lasted for generations. (Imperialism & Colonialism)
- 4. Sir John A. Macdonald (Confederation & Expansion)
- 5. A practice from the 1880s that required First Nations people to get permission to leave their reserves (Indigenous Peoples & Canada)
- 6. A potato blight caused a famine. (Migration & Population)
- 7. landslides and avalanches (Canada's Landscapes)
- 8. Ukrainian Canadians and other people from enemy countries, labelled “enemy aliens” (World War I & Canada)
- 9. life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (Enlightenment & Revolutions)
- 10. Set limits on child labour and working hours (The Industrial Revolution)
Want more than 10 questions?
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