TABLE OF CONTENTS

An Overview of the Test

What do my childs scores mean? 3

How can I help my child perform well on the tests? 4
Test Taking Strategies 5

LANGUAGE ARTS

Word Recognition 11
Vocabulary and Concept Development 14
Structural Features of Informational Materials and Analysis of 24
Grade-Level Text
Expository Critique 30
Writing Strategies and Writing Applications 34
Spelling 39
Sentence Structure, Grammar, Punctuation, and Capitalization 50
Structural Features of Literature, Narrative Analysis of Grade- 62
Level Text, and Literary Criticism
Answer Key 67

MATH

Computation Skills 69
Number Sense fractions, decimals, and mixed numbers 78
Number Sense fractions, ratios, proportions, and percentages 81
Number Sense addition, subtraction, multiplication, and 85
division of rational numbers
Algebra and Functions verbal expressions 88
Algebra and Functions algebraic expressions 90
Algebra and Functions linear equations 91
Algebra and Functions tables, graphs, and rules 94
Algebra and Functions geometric patterns 96
Measurement and Geometry plane, and solid shapes 98
Measurement and Geometry two-dimensional figures 102
Measurement and Geometry angles 105
Statistics, Data Analysis, and Probability statistical measurement 108
Statistics, Data Analysis, and Probability samples of a population 110
Statistics, Data Analysis, and Probability theoretical and experimental 112
Mathematical Reasoning decisions 116
Mathematical Reasoning strategies 118
Answer Key 120

Grade 6 Edition 1
SOCIAL SCIENCE

Early Physical and Cultural Development of Mankind from the Paleolithic 122
Era to the Agricultural Revolution
Early Civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Kush 127
Early Civilizations of the Ancient Hebrews 132
Early Civilizations of the Ancient Greeks 135
Early Civilizations of India 141
Early Civilizations of China 144
The Development of the Roman Empire 147
Answer Key 153
Related Vocabulary 154

SCIENCE

Plate Tectonics and Earths Structure 157

Shaping the Earths Surface 160
Thermal Energy 162
Energy in the Earth System 164
Ecology 165
Resources 168
Answer Key 169

Grade 6 Edition 2
Introduction for Parents
On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act
of 2001. The law asks Americas schools to describe their success in terms of what each
student accomplishes. It requires each state to create its own standards for what a student
should know in each grade level and then test every students progress toward those
standards by administering achievement tests in all schools. 1 In connection with this
accountability program, four to five million students are taking standardized tests every
year. The results give teachers, parents and students invaluable information about a
childs relative academic strengths and the next steps for learning.

An Overview of the Tests

The tests are standardized achievement tests. This means that they measure
attained knowledge or skills, not potential for achievement. The tests are standardized
because all students who take them receive the same test instructions, the same test
questions, and the same amount of time to complete them.
The tests cover many of the fundamental skills are curricular areas that children
learn in school: math, reading, vocabulary, writing, work-study skills, social studies and
science. The test questions, written in a multiple-choice format, reflect a sample of the
material presented in textbooks that are widely used across the country. In answering the
test questions within the general content areas, students will need to be able to evaluate
and apply information, make inferences, and use many critical thinking skills.
Standardized tests perform several functions. They describe a students
proficiency within a subject area. They help parents and teachers identify students areas
of relative strength and weakness among the subjects they study. They are a means
through which a students progress can be monitored from year to year. They give
educators and parents information from which they can plan instruction. Finally, because
they are norm-referenced tests (see explanation below), educators use them to compare
the achievement of their students with others across the nation who have taken the same
tests.
In many schools, scores are a significant factor in determining educational
decisions such as student promotion and retention, mandatory summer school attendance,
class placement, qualification in programs for high achieving students, principal
evaluations, and school accreditation and reorganization. It is not surprising that
standardized tests have become known as high-stakes tests.

What do my childs scores mean?

Norm-referenced tests provide information about how an individual students

performance compares with the scores of a reference or norm group of students at the
same grade level. The norm group is a large representative sample of all U.S. students
(of different ages; sexes; races and ethnicities; in urban, suburban, rural, public and
private school settings, etc.) who take the test. After a school administers the test, each
students scores are compared to those of the national norm group. The result is reported

1
For more information, visit http://www.nochildleftbehind.gov.

Grade 6 Edition 3
as a national percentile ranking (NPR). This national percentile ranking shows a
students standing within the groups of students in the same grade who were tested at the
same time of year during the national standardization.
A students national percentile rank tells the percent of students in the norm group
that got lower scores on a test than the student did. For example, a student achieving a 78
NPR in reading comprehension scored higher than 78% of the students in the norm group
who took that test. This also means that 22 % of the norm group scored higher on the
reading comprehension section of the test. Percentile ranks range from 1 to 99, with the
50th percentile corresponding to the middle ranking or national median.

What subjects are tested on the tests?

The tests are different for every grade level. Most students in grade 6 take Level
12. The tests are intended to cover essential academic skills and content that is most
often taught at each grade level. The Level 12 Complete Battery includes the following
tests: 2

Vocabulary - 39 questions to be answered in 15 minutes

Reading Comprehension - 45 questions divided among 2 sessions of 25 and 30
minutes
Language
Spelling - 38 questions to be answered in 12 minutes
Capitalization - 30 questions to be answered in 12 minutes
Punctuation - 30 questions to be answered in 12 minutes
Usage and Expression - 38 questions to be answered in 30 minutes
Mathematics
Concepts and Estimation - 43 questions presented in 2 sessions totaling
30 minutes
Problem Solving and Data Interpretation - 28 questions to be answered in
30 minutes
Computation - 30 questions to be answered in 15 minutes
Social Studies - 39 questions to be answered in 30 minutes
Science - 39 questions to be answered in 30 minutes
Sources of Information
Maps and Diagrams - 28 questions to be answered in 30 minutes
Reference Materials - 34 questions to be answered in 25 minutes

Check with your school administrator to see whether your child will be required to take
the Complete Battery or simply one or two of the tests.

2
If your child takes the Survey Battery of Tests, there are fewer questions presented, and the times allowed
are adjusted accordingly.

Grade 6 Edition 4
How can I help my child perform well on the tests?

! Support and guide your child through theses test preparation exercises.
When children take the tests, it is to their advantage to be able to focus on what
they know, without having the additional challenge of deciphering unfamiliar test
instructions and format. This book is designed to help your child review the content area
skills measured by the test and to practice test-taking strategies that will build confidence
and maximize performance on standardized tests. The exercises are presented in various
formats that will give the students practice in answering questions much like those that
they are likely to encounter on any standardized test. By working through the exercises
in this book, your child will gain invaluable experience in the mechanics and strategies of
test taking in the context of the various subjects presented in the tests.
Your child is likely to benefit from discussing with you the thinking processes he
or she used to select or eliminate the various responses to the exercises. Discuss why one
choice is better than another and ask what in the materials points to the correct answer.
The Parent Tips at the beginning of each content section of this book target strategies to
help the student learn critical information or reason through the exercises. It is better to
conduct test preparation sessions on a regular basis throughout the year than to cram right
before test time. Keep the sessions positive by praising your child for effort and result.

! Read aloud to your child and listen to your child read to you.
Students who do well on standardized tests tend to be excellent readers, as all
sections of the tests contain written material that must be quickly comprehended. High
achievers frequently read for pleasure and have a good understanding of what they have
read. You can support your child as a reader by setting aside a regular time for 15-20
minutes of reading each and every day. Encourage the reading of fiction and non-fiction,
and make a point of discussing with your child what he or she is reading, whether it is a
novel, textbook, newspaper, poetry, or magazine. Try to get your child to react to what he
or she is reading, to agree or disagree with it (and explain why), to summarize it or retell
what has happened, to predict what may happen next, to talk about the characters, or link
what they have learned to something they have experienced. Ask your child to make a
note of any new words encountered along the way. Make every effort to use those words
in conversation on a regular basis. Watch those reading and vocabulary test scores soar!

! Reduce any concern your child has about taking the tests. Be positive.
Parents can play an important part in preparing their children to take the tests
by promoting positive attitudes and expressing support and confidence in their children.
If your child perceives that you think the test will be too hard or not important, he may
not do his best. On the other hand, placing undue emphasis on the test scores can cause
counterproductive worrying.
The wisest course is to strike a balance by encouraging your child to take the test
seriously and to give a good effort. If your child becomes anxious, emphasize that
standardized testing is a normal school activity that helps the school plan programs and
instruction suited to the needs of its students. Explain that no student is expected to
answer all the questions correctly, and that the test scores are just one indicator among
many that will measure achievement. Tell him not to become discouraged if he finds a
question too difficult to answer. If he continues on, he will likely come to questions that

Grade 6 Edition 5
he can answer confidently. Finally, remind your child that he is well prepared to do his
best. After all, he has studied the subjects on which he will be tested, become familiar
with the mechanics and strategies of test taking, and practiced answering sample
questions.

Test Taking Strategies for Students in Grade 6

! Learn how to use a fill in the bubble answer sheet.

In most school districts, students in grade 6 receive their own test booklet and a
separate answer sheet. Students read the question, decide what their answer will be, and
then mark their answer on the answer sheet by filling in a bubble with #2 pencils. If their
school does not purchase the answer sheets, students will be able to mark their answer
choices on the test booklet by filling in the bubble that corresponds to their answer. In
that case, the bubbling marks are the only ones that they will be allowed to make on the
tests. (Scratch paper is provided for certain parts of the math test. No calculators are
permitted.)
Parents can help their children learn how to quickly and efficiently fill in the
bubble to mark an answer. The mark should completely darken the bubble without going
outside of it. Make sure they do not waste time trying to fill the bubble perfectly.
Children can practice using the answer sheet provided at the end of this book.
Children should understand that there is only one correct answer for each
question, and if they mark more than one answer to any question, the answer will be
scored as incorrect. That means that they must keep their place on the answer sheet,
making sure that the number of the question they are answering matches the bubble they
are marking on the answer sheet. Any mistakes must be totally erased.

! Listen carefully, bubble accurately, and keep up with the pace.

An important aspect of the test is that a student must listen carefully and pay close
attention to the teacher before, during, and after the test. The teacher will give oral
instructions about the test. The teachers words are scripted, and the script sets strict
limits on the number of times instructions and test questions may be repeated. Students
must remain attentive, keep track of the number of the question that they are answering,
and make sure to keep up with the pace. It is critical that they follow all directions to the
letter.
The Level 12 tests are timed tests. Students should work as quickly as they can
without making careless mistakes and should avoid spending too much time on any one
question. The more practice questions that your child takes, the better sense he will have
about when he is taking too much time on a single question. The test administrator will
tell the students how much time they will have to take the test, but after that there will be
no announcements about the amount of time that has elapsed or that remains in the
testing period.

Grade 6 Edition 6
! Eliminate any unreasonable answer choices and select the best answer.
In a test with a multiple-choice format, it is sometimes difficult to find the perfect
answer among the choices given. The first step is to read carefully through the entire
question and all the answers. Then eliminate all obviously wrong choices in order to
concentrate on the remaining ones. Ultimately, it may be difficult to choose between two
choices. In such instances, the student should reread the question carefully. It will likely
contain key words needed to select the best answer. It may be the case that two choices
are factually correct, but one choice more directly answers the question than another.
Consider the following example.

Read the passage and answer the question about it.

Dogs are members of the canine family. They come in a variety of breeds and
hundreds of different shapes and sizes. Each breed has its own special talent. Sheep
dogs herd cattle and sheep. Golden retrievers make good guide dogs for the blind. St.
Bernards are famous for rescuing people in the mountains. Huskies pull sleds to
transport people and supplies over frozen terrain.

1. What is the main idea of this selection?

A. All dogs are canines.

B. All dogs look the same.
C. Dogs make good companions.
D. Different dog breeds have special talents.

To select the best answer, first eliminate the obviously incorrect choice B. Although
the remaining choices are all true statements, and even though choice A is taken
directly from the selection, only choice D addresses the main idea of the passage.
Choice D is the best answer.

! Solve math problems on scratch paper. Work neatly and keep organized.
In most instances, students may not make marks in the test booklet. Teachers will
distribute scratch paper for solving problems. It will be important to transfer the problem
accurately onto the scratch paper, align columns, and keep track of what problem is being
solved. This means that the student will need to pay extra attention to neatness,
organization, and accuracy. Time is often a factor in math tests, so it is will be necessary
to work steadily and focus on the task at hand. If the student is really stumped on one
problem, it may be best to give an educated guess, make a notation about the problem
number, and return to it later if time permits. If he decides to skip a problem, be sure that
he skips the corresponding bubble on the answer sheet, as well. Any questions left
unanswered will be counted wrong, so it is best not too spend too much time on any one
problem. There is probably a question waiting down the line that will be much easier to
solve!

Grade 6 Edition 7
 Introduction for Students

About This Book

In order to know how well children are learning the information they
need to know, students throughout the United States take certain tests every
year. The exercises in this book will help you get ready for the tests. They
will give you practice in answering questions about the things that you will
need to know by the end of the sixth grade.
This book is divided into four sections: language arts, math, history-
social studies, and science. Each section is divided into important practice
skill areas within that particular subject. Look for the box of tips in each
section. The tips will explain special ways to remember the information or
will give you help in working through the exercises.

Test Taking Tips

! Read for 20 minutes every day.
The skills that you use to read are the same skills that will help you to
do well on any test.
! Review or practice a little bit every day.
If you practice or review what you have already learned in class, it will
help you to remember the information when it appears on a test. It is easier
and more effective to learn something in three focused 20-minute sessions
that in one hour-long session.
! When solving math problems, work neatly and keep organized.
Take extra care when you are writing problems to copy the problems
correctly and compute accurately. It helps to work each problem in its own
area, separated from another problem. Be sure to align columns correctly.
This will help you to avoid careless errors.

! Listen closely and follow directions very carefully.

A student who takes the test must listen carefully and pay close attention
to the teacher before, during, and after the tests. The teacher will
give you important instructions about the test. It is important that
you follow the directions that you hear.

! Stay focused.

Grade 6 Edition 8
 You will only have a certain amount of time to complete each test. Be
sure to concentrate on the task at hand. Keep working and dont let your
mind wander. If you dont know an answer, be sure not to spend so much
time on that one question that you cant finish the rest of the test. Consider
taking your best guess or skipping the question and coming back to work on
it after you have completed the rest of the test. Just make sure that if you
skip a problem that you skip that row on the answer sheet, too.

! In multiple-choice tests, eliminate obviously wrong choices and select

the best answer.
Sometimes it is difficult to find the perfect answer among the choices
given. The first thing to do is to read carefully through the entire question
and all the answers. Then toss away the choices that are obviously wrong
and concentrate on the remaining choices. If you find it hard to choose
between two choices that both seem right, go back and reread the question
very carefully. Look for key words that will help you focus on the best
choice. Dont be fooled by choices that are true, but that do not directly
answer the question! Here is an example:
Read the passage and answer the question about it.
Dogs are members of the canine family. They come in a
variety of breeds and hundreds of different shapes and sizes. Each
breed has its own special talent. Sheep dogs herd cattle and sheep.
Golden retrievers make good guide dogs for the blind. St. Bernards
are famous for rescuing people in the mountains. Huskies pull sleds
to transport people and supplies over frozen terrain.
1. What is the main idea of this selection?
A. All dogs are canines.
B. All dogs look the same.
C. Dogs make good companions.
D. Different dog breeds have special talents.
To select the best answer, first eliminate the obviously incorrect choice B.
Although the remaining choices are all true statements, and even though
choice A is stated in the paragraph, only choice D tells the main idea of
the paragraph. Choice D is the correct answer.

! Learn to use a fill in the bubble answer sheet.

Grade 6 Edition 9
 In most schools, students in grade 6 receive their own test booklet and a
separate answer sheet. This means that you will read the question in your
booklet, decide what your answer will be, and then mark your answer on the
separate answer sheet. You will mark your answer by filling in a bubble
with your pencil. It is important to darken the bubble without going outside
of the lines, but do not waste time trying to fill the bubble perfectly. Be sure
to practice filling in bubbles on an answer sheet. You can use the answer
sheet that comes at the end of this book.
Be sure that you fill in only one bubble in each row. That means that
you must keep your place on the answer sheet. Take care that if you are
working on problem 7 in the spelling test, you fill in the bubble in row 7 of
the spelling section of your answer sheet. If you make a mistake or need to
change an answer, be sure to totally erase your original mark in that row.

! Take some practice tests so you wont be nervous.

The more you get used to thinking about what you know and answering
questions about it, the more comfortable and confident you can be. A
positive attitude is always the best way to approach learning and testing.
The exercises in this book are designed to help you learn what you need to
know in the sixth grade and to practice answering questions about it. When
you take a test you will be able to say, I know how to do this. I do it all the
time!

Grade 6 Edition 10
 LANGUAGE ARTS
Practice Skill: WORD RECOGNITION
Objective: To evaluate the students knowledge of the meaning of grade-
level-appropriate words.
Parent Tip: Read, read, read! Read with your child. Read to your child. Listen to your
child read. Those activities will provide a meaningful context in which to improve your
childs reading, speaking, and writing vocabularies. Keep track of new words that he or
she encounters during the reading session. Make a point to try to use them in
conversation and encourage your child to do so. The more your child hears them and
pronounces them at home, the more willing he or she will be to use them in other
contexts.
The words that are presented in the exercises in this section are words that are
likely to appear in sixth grade literary selections and history/social science texts. For
additional vocabulary that is specific to the content of sixth grade social studies, refer to
the word lists that appear at the end of the social science section of this book.
Select the answer that gives the best definition of the word given or the best
synonym for it.
Example:

severe

A. thin
B. troubled
C. harsh
D. solemn
The correct answer is choice C because harsh is the word closest in meaning to the
word severe. (Try the words in a phrase or sentence to test the choices: He was
worried that he would receive a severe punishment. He was worried that he would
receive a harsh punishment. If you do not recognize a word, use the strategies
described in the next content cluster, Vocabulary and Concept Development, to give
you clues about the words meaning.)

1. capable 2. gratitude

! A. worthy ! J. not needed

! B. able to do ! K. amount given
! C. necessary ! L. freedom
! D. smart ! M. being thankful

Grade 6 Edition 11
3. abolish 9. symbol

! A. do away with ! A. something that stands for something else

! B. continue ! B. picture
! C. warn ! C. instrument
! D. take prisoner ! D. surface

4. lawful 10. vow

! J. not governed by rules ! J. solemn

! K. stolen ! K. promise
! L. allowed by law ! L. sacrifice
! M. confession ! M. holy

5. unlawful 11. disciple

! A. governed by rules ! A. leader

! B. stolen ! B. patrol
! C. allowed by law ! C. follower
! D. not allowed by law ! D. director

6. loyalty 12. fiction

! J. being truthful ! J. part of the whole

! K. being hopeful ! K. historical event
! L. being faithful ! L. splinter group
! M. being certain ! M. made-up story

7. majority 13. voluntary

! A. smallest group ! A. done by choice

! B. greater part ! B. done by accident
! C. amount less than half ! C. done by force
! D. wealthy ! D. done with pay

8. supreme 14. accustomed

! J. weak ! J. frequent
! K. only ! K. usual, used to
! L. highest ! L. acceptable
! M. first ! M. accidental

Grade 6 Edition 12
15. annual 21. decrease

! A. angry ! A. to make less or become less

! B. part time ! B. disappear
! C. yearly ! C. distract
! D. flowered ! D. to become bigger

16. deceive 22. rebel

! J. receive ! J. one who resists authority

! K. promise ! K. one who fights for truth
! L. lie ! L. one who gets angry
! M. practice ! M. holy

17. impudent 23. hostile

! A. important ! A. environment
! B. young and foolish ! B. angry
! C. rudely impolite ! C. rumpled
! D. very shy ! D. hilly

18. migrate 24. servitude

! J. huge headache ! J. treachery

! K. winter sleep ! K. honesty
! L. misinterpret ! L. quiet
! M. move to another place ! M. slavery

19. descent 25. massive

! A. lack of interest ! A. religious

! B. honorable ! B. work of art
! C. coming down ! C. huge
! D. horrible ! D. not aggressive

20. omit

! J. hide
! K. give out
! L. leave out
! M. change slightly

Grade 6 Edition 13
Practice Skill: VOCABULARY AND CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
Objectives: To evaluate the students: (1) knowledge of word origins and
word relationships; (2) understanding of figurative language and words
with multiple meanings; (3) knowledge of frequently used foreign words in
English; (4) understanding of shades of meaning in related words; and
(5) skill in using word, sentence, and paragraph clues to determine the
meaning of unknown words.

Parent Tip: Help your child to become word conscious--to analyze words, to look for
patterns among words, to be aware of the relationships among words, and to distinguish
nuances of meaning among synonyms. As you analyze words, remember that roots,
prefixes, and suffixes give clues to word meanings. Start analyzing words that your child
knows and understands, then apply the process to unfamiliar words. Another useful
strategy for finding the meaning of an unfamiliar word is to analyze the context in which
a word is used in a sentence or paragraph.

Choose the best answer. If there is no correct choice, select not given.

1. Which of the following is not considered figurative language?

! A. readers theater
! B. a simile
! C. a metaphor
! D. personification

2. Which of the following sentences is a simile?

! J. He worked night and day to accomplish his dream to become a doctor.

! K. He had worked so hard that his hands were as tough as the bark of a sycamore tree.
! L. Few people admired his sour expression and bullish attitude.
! M. Not given

3. Which of the following sentences is a metaphor?

! A. Her furry dog resembles a walking dish mop.

! B. Her dog is a walking dish mop.
! C. Her dog is as fluffy as a walking dish mop.
! D. Not given

Grade 6 Edition 14
4. Personification is

! J. a type of character with a strong personality.

! K. a type of novel with comic characters.
! L. a type of metaphor in which a non-human thing is given human qualities.
! M. a type of tragic character with a flawed personality.

5. Which of the following sentences is an example of personification?

! A. After days of wandering through the wilderness, we were consumed with

thoughts of a returning home to a warm bath.
! B. Her flowers were as wilted as a spinach salad.
! C. The newborn colt was as hungry as he was frisky.
! D. Before the lights went out, the clouds cried their tears and the thunder warned
us to awaken our candles from their slumber.

Select the choice that makes sense in both sentences.

6. His subjects considered him to be a _________ ruler.

Wait for me for _______ a moment.

! J. fair
! K. just
! L. powerful
! M. cruel

7. He considered his broken arm a ________ inconvenience.

He could not legally sign the contract because he was a ________.

! A. military
! B. particular
! C. natural
! D. minor

8. We share your ________ regarding the potential danger ________ by the hole.
If the artists gallery becomes a growing _______, it will be because of the way he
_______ the subjects in his photographs.

! J. concern, posed
! K. recommendation, caused
! L. position, caught
! M. thought, arranged

Grade 6 Edition 15
9. From the moment I opened the first page, I found the book very ________.
I am having difficulty __________ the spill with this cloth.

! A. attaching
! B. constructing
! C. absorbing
! D. enlightening

10. I need to ________ this check before I go to the bank.

I am not sure which candidate I will _________.

! J. support
! K. reject
! L. cash
! M. endorse

11. I am too weak to perform any _________ labor.

If the car wont start, be sure to consult the ________.

! A. dictionary
! B. manual
! C. difficult
! D. company
Identify the root that tells the core meaning of each of the following words.
12. pedestrian 15. thermos

! J. walk ! A. her
! K. destroy ! B. therm
! L. an ! C. mos
! M. ped ! D. thermometer

13. portable 16. activity

! A. table ! J. al
! B. ortab ! K. act
! C. port ! L. ty
! D. able ! M. y

14. magnify 17. anonymous

! J. if ! A. onym
! K. y ! B. tony
! L. ic ! C. mouse
! M. magnus ! D. an

Grade 6 Edition 16
18. metropolis 19. description

! J. polis ! A. pit
! K. push ! B. tion
! L. slip ! C. script
! M. met ! D. de

Read the words in each exercise. Find their common root. Select the choice that
contains the root and its meaning.

20. monarch, anarchy, oligarchy, matriarch, patriarch

! J. on, shape
! K. arch, ruler
! L. ma, machine
! M. mon, butterfly

21. telephone, phonics, megaphone, microphone, phonograph

! A. eleph, big
! B. on, on
! C. noc, notice
! D. phon, sound

22. nova, novelty, innovation, novice, renovate

! J. nov, new
! K. ice, cold
! L. vow, old
! M. velt, gold

Choose the best answer.

23. A prefix is
! A. part of a word that sounds like the way it is spelled.
! B. a letter or syllable added to the beginning of a root to change its meaning.
! C. a letter or syllable added to the end of a word that changes its meaning.
! D. a foreign word that is commonly used in English.

24. A suffix
! J. is part of a word that is added to the beginning of a root to change its meaning.
! K. is a part of a word that can stand alone and have meaning.
! L. is added to the end of a word to change its meaning or to change a word from
one part of speech to another.
! M. changes a root to mean its opposite.

Grade 6 Edition 17
Read the words in each of the following exercises and select the choice that gives the
meaning of the prefix or suffix.

25. preface, prevent, precede, predict, preview, prepaid, prepare

! A. paid
! B. before
! C. see
! D. say

26. counterattack, counterpart, counterclockwise, counterintuitive, counteract

! J. table
! K. against, in opposition to
! L. round
! M. again

27. nonsense, nonfiction, nonexistent, nonsense, nondescript

! A. know
! B. imaginary
! C. not
! D. only

28. dehydrate, decrease, decline, decentralize, depart

! J. down, the opposite of

! K. more, moving toward
! L. divide
! M. small

29. monotheistic, monopoly, monotone, monolith, monologue, monolingual

! A. monkey
! B. money
! C. one, alone
! D. mighty

30. faultless, powerless, clueless, priceless, speechless, heartless

! J. cruel
! K. power
! L. listen
! M. without

Grade 6 Edition 18
31. wisdom, kingdom, freedom, childhood, statehood, adulthood

! A. top
! B. state, condition of
! C. down
! D. thing

32. Buddhism, Judaism, Confucianism, capitalism, communism, socialism

! J. belief or doctrine
! K. fame
! L. study of
! M. ability to

33. biology, archaeology, physiology, anthropology, psychology

! A. mind
! B. school
! C. study of
! D. college

Select the English meaning of the following foreign words or words derived from
other cultures. Select the best meaning for any underlined word.

34. The candidate studied until he discovered his opponents Achilles heel.

! J. sore foot
! K. weak spot
! L. Greek myth
! M. quick sprint

35. The governor was interested in preserving the status quo for the time being.

! A. new arrangement
! B. fighting words
! C. mathematical equation
! D. the way things are

36. chaos

! J. shiny and bright

! K. chemical
! L. distant stars
! M. disorder and confusion

Grade 6 Edition 19
37. spartan

! A. tricky
! B. fighting
! C. simple, without luxury
! D. sharp

38. terra firma

! J. solid ground
! K. at sea
! L. trees on fire
! M. election day

Read the following paragraph and then select the meaning of the underlined words.

It had been a tough election. There had even been a [39] recount conducted after
the election results had been announced. For weeks we had [40] burned the midnight oil
studying the voters responses to our survey. It seemed that the voters in the [41]
precinct were in [42] accord on the issue of ethics in government, but remained divided
on one critical issue, the [43] abolition of speed laws in the [44] vicinity of the rural area.
Until the last ballots had been counted, it was [45] too close to call. Now, however, it
was a time for a celebration. With genuine sincerity, the opposition had called campaign
headquarters to [46] concede their loss and to congratulate our candidate on her victory.
We thanked them for making what [47] undoubtedly had been a difficult phone call, then
invited them to an [48] impromptu gathering to eat a snack and [49] reiterate our pledge
to refrain from holding a grudge against them. They rushed to our offices only to find us
snoring with our heads on our desks, exhausted from the [50] rigor of the campaign.
Needless to say, we postponed the celebration.

39. ! A. poll 40. ! J. started a fire

! B. telephone survey ! K. questioned
! C. another counting ! L. worked very late
! D. questionnaire ! M. cooked dinner

Grade 6 Edition 20
41. ! A. district within boundaries 46. ! J. argue
! B. perimeter ! K. wonder about
! C. outskirts of town ! L. brag about
! D. precise ! M. admit

42. ! J. agreement 47. ! A. without a doubt

! K. disagreement ! B. with great doubt
! L. disarray ! C. doubtful
! M. denial ! D. questionable

43. ! A. requirement 48. ! J. interfering

! B. putting an end to ! K. deliberately slow
! C. addition ! L. late
! D. effect ! M. spur of the moment

44. ! J. visiting area 49. ! A. recite

! K. hallway ! B. wonder
! L. background ! C. say again and again
! M. region nearby ! D. interpret again

45. ! A. time to telephone 50. ! J. rhythm

! B. time to pray ! K. severity
! C. difficult to predict ! L. fun
! D. obvious ! M. timing

Grade 6 Edition 21
Choose the best answer.

51. Which word would be the most effective one to use regarding the destruction of an
abstract concept such as a long-standing law or custom?

! A. destroy
! B. annihilate
! C. abolish
! D. reduce

52. Which of the following words implies potential power, or a natural aptitude to do
something without necessarily having acquired the skill to do it?

! J. capacity
! K. ability
! L. will
! M. pride

53. Which of the following words implies that someone is impartial and not taking
sides?

! A. uninvolved
! B. uninterested
! C. disinterested
! D. adversarial

54. Which of the following words refers to something that generally has a historical
basis, but has become exaggerated throughout years of retelling?

! J. mythical
! K. fictional
! L. imaginary
! M. legendary

55. Which of the following words has the most negative connotation?

! A. firm
! B. resolute
! C. stubborn
! D. pigheaded

56. Which of the following words has the least negative connotation?

! J. arrogant
! K. proud
! L. conceited
! M. egotistical

Grade 6 Edition 22
57. Which of the following words connotes the least amount of emotion?

! A. annoyed
! B. furious
! C. irate
! D. enraged

58. Which of the following words connotes the most intense amount of activity?

! J. busy
! K. occupied
! L. hectic
! M. active

59. Which of the following words has the least negative connotation?

! A. uncommon
! B. bizarre
! C. peculiar
! D. weird

60. Which of the following words does not belong with the others?

! J. unpolluted
! K. pure
! L. pristine
! M. scrubbed

Grade 6 Edition 23
Practice Skill: STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF INFORMATIONAL
MATERIALS AND ANALYSIS OF GRADE-LEVEL TEXT
Objectives: To evaluate the students: (1) knowledge of the features and
organizational patterns of resources, such as textbooks and popular
media; (2) skill in summarizing and outlining information to clarify meaning;
(3) ability to follow multiple-step instructions for preparing applications;
and (4) skill in clarifying main ideas by identifying their relationships to
other sources and related topics.
Parent Tip: The skills tested in this section improve with familiarity and practice.
Encourage your child to be an active reader-one who makes predictions and judgments
about the materials content. Active readers of informational materials make it a practice
to quickly scan a piece to note its component parts and look for subtitles that will give
them clues about what they will read. They make mental or written notes about what
they think they will read. Then, as they read the piece in its entirety, they watch to see
whether their predictions are confirmed or invalidated. They pause at various points in
their reading to make sure they can restate in a simple way what they have read.
Choose the best answer.
1. A reader who wants to read different peoples opinions about current events is likely
to find them in the ____________ section of the newspaper.
! A. front page
! B. headline
! C. editorial or op-ed
! D. sports
2. Which of the following features are you likely to find in an on-line newspaper that
you would not find in a traditional newspaper?
! J. archived or older stories
! K. links to other resources
! L. expanded comics
! M. a and b only
3. Which of the following is not an important feature in works of non-fiction?
! a. table of contents
! b. index
! c. glossary
! d. biography

Grade 6 Edition 24
4. Which of the following choices is an example of a compare-and-contrast
organizational pattern?
! J. My brother and I are the only ones in our math classes who can solve
complicated problems in our heads.
! K. My brother is very quiet and shy until he feels comfortable around you.
! L. Although both of my siblings love music, my brother enjoys listening to
classical music in the morning, while my sister prefers waking up to a rock beat.
! M. If I compare two items in price, I may need to use subtraction skills.
5. When writing a paper that discusses the timing of a series of events, which
organization pattern would you probably want to use?
! A. compare-and-contrast
! B. chronological order
! C. stream of consciousness narrative
! D. inferences and abstract examples
6. When writing a paper that discusses the attitudes of two Roman emperors about
slavery, which organizational pattern would you probably want to use?

! J. compare-and-contrast
! K. personal style
! L. chronological order
! M. stream of consciousness

7. If you are trying to explain something in writing that is very complicated, which
organizational pattern would you probably want to use?

! A. compare and contrast with something that the reader probably already
understands
! B. stream of consciousness narrative
! C. alternating flashbacks with future events
! D. inferences and abstract examples

8. When taking notes about things you read or hear,

! J. it is important always to use complete sentences.

! K. you do not need to pay attention to the main idea and supporting details.
! L. never draw pictures to help you remember things.
! M. none of the above

9. When researching a report using many sources,

! A. it is not important to keep track of which source you are summarizing.
! B. take notes in your own words unless the exact words are especially interesting.
! C. it is important to copy every detail you read.
! D. it is not helpful to organize with an outline before you write a first draft.

Grade 6 Edition 25
Read the application and answer the questions about it on the next page.

FRIENDS of the ART MUSEUM & GARDENS

APPLICATION for MEMBERSHIP
1. NAME ________________________
2. SOCIAL SECURITY #(optional) _________________
ADDRESS:
3. STREET ___________________________
4. CITY ______________________________
5. STATE ____ 6. ZIP __________________
7. DATE OF BIRTH _________ 8. AGE ____
TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP:
ANNUAL FEE LIFETIME FEE
9. INDIVIDUAL ADULT $15 $50
10. CHILD (UNDER 12 YRS.) $5
11. STUDENT $10
(ALL AGES WITH STUDENT ID)
12. FAMILY $50 $200
(INCLUDES 2 ADULTS, 3 CHILDREN, 2 SENIORS)
13. SENIOR (OVER 60 YRS.) $10 $35
14. SCHOOL $50
(FREE ENTRY FOR 4 CLASSES)

If applying for student membership, complete lines 15, 16, and 22. For school
membership, complete lines 15-21. All other applicants skip to line 22.
ALL APPLICANTS COMPLETE LINE 23.

15. SCHOOL NAME ________________________________

16. SCHOOL ADDRESS _____________________________
17. FIELD TRIP COORDINATORS NAME _____________
18. SCHOOL PHONE ________________________________
19. SCHOOL FAX __________________________________
20. SCHOOL E-MAIL ADDRESS ______________________
21. SIGNATURE OF SCHOOL PRINCIPAL _____________
22. SIGNAURE OF PARENT (IF UNDER 18)____________
23. SIGNATURE OF APPLICANT _____________________

THIS APPLICATION, ACCOMPANIED BY THE APPROPRIATE

MEMBERSHIP FEE, ENTITLES THE APPLICANT(S) TO:
A. FREE MUSEUM ENTRY ON ALL VISITS
B. PRIORITY TICKETS TO SPECIAL EVENTS & EXHIBITS
C. FREE PARKING
D. 10% DISCOUNT IN THE MUSEUM GIFT SHOP

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS ARE VALID FOR ONE YEAR FROM THE

DATE OF THIS APPLICATION.

Grade 6 Edition 26
10. Regarding line #2 on the application,
! J. everyone must write a social security number on the form.
! K. only adults must write their social security number on the form.
! L. the applicant may choose whether or not to provide his or her social security
number on the form.
! M. membership requires that the application have a social security card.

11. Mrs. Smith is a teacher who is responsible for completing the application for her
schools membership. How much money will that membership cost and who must
sign the application?

! A. $15; the school principal

! B. $50; the museum director and the school field trip coordinator
! C. $50; the school principal, the school field trip coordinator, and Mrs. Smith
! D. $50; the school principal and Mrs. Smith
12. John is a nine-year-old fourth grade student. What membership option will cost him
the least amount of money this year and what signatures will be required?
! J. Student membership; John and his parent
! K. Child membership; John and his parent
! L. Child membership; John
! M. Child membership; John and his field trip coordinator

13. If Johns great-grandmother applies for a family membership, which of the following
lines must she complete on the application?

! A. 15 and 16
! B. 21 and 22
! C. 21
! D. 23

Grade 6 Edition 27
Read the selection and choose the best answers to the questions that follow.

Henry David Thoreau was an American naturalist, writer, and philosopher who
lived from 1817 to 1862. In 1845, Thoreau built a cabin at Walden Pond, near Concord,
Massachusetts. He lived there for 2 years, 2 months, and 2 days. During his stay at the
pond he tried to simplify his life and live with the barest essentials. He wanted to free
himself from slavery to material things. He worked his small plot of land, visited with
friends, recorded his observations of nature, and wrote many essays.
During those famous two years, Thoreau spent one night in jail. As an act of
protest, he refused to pay his yearly poll tax. This non-violent act was Thoreaus way of
stating his opposition to our Mexican War. As he explained in his 1849 essay entitled
Civil Disobedience, Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place
for a just man is also a prison.
Thoreau was not only seeking his personal emancipation from slavery to
materialism. In Civil Disobedience, Thoreau expressed his disdain for a government
that would allow slavery of any kind. He wrote:

The proper place to-day [for the states freer spirits]

is in her prisons. It is there that the fugitive slave,
and the Mexican prisoner on parole, and the Indian
come to plead the wrongs of his race, should find them,
on that separate but more free and honorable ground-
the only house in a slave-state in which a free man
can abide with honor.

Thoreaus legacy of non-violent civil disobedience-disobeying unjust laws in

order to achieve justice-has endured more than a century into modern times. It
influenced Mahatma Gandhi in his attempt to win Indias right to self-rule, and it was
revived again by Martin Luther King, Jr. as a rationale for Americans to disobey the
segregation laws of the American South in the 1960s.

14. A good title for this selection is

! J. The Roots of the Fight for Self-Rule in India

! K. Henry David Thoreau, a Naturalist
! L. Simplify, Simplify
! M. The Birth of Civil Disobedience

15. In an outline of this passage, which of the following would not be included in a
section entitled Two years at Walden Pond?

! A. Thoreau tried to simplify his life.

! B. Thoreau foresaw the death of slavery in America.
! C. Thoreau spent a night in jail as a protest.
! D. Thoreau believed in non-violent disobedience to unjust laws.

Grade 6 Edition 28
16. The quoted passages from Thoreaus essay could also be used to illustrate

! J. his belief in the religious aspects of Transcendentalism.

! K. his friendship with Ralph Waldo Emerson.
! L. his support of the abolitionist movement.
! M. his belief that the government which governs least, governs best.

Grade 6 Edition 29
Practice Skill: EXPOSITORY CRITIQUE
Objectives: To determine whether the student is able to: (1) analyze the
sufficiency of evidence that an author offers in support of a conclusion;
(2) make reasonable assertions about a text; and (3) identify instances of
unsupported inferences, fallacious reasoning, persuasion, and propaganda
in text.

Parent Tip: Expository writing serves to explain an idea or process. Help your child to
be a thoughtful consumer of the spoken and written word. Talk with him or her about
the difference between fact and opinion, and objective and persuasive language. You
might start by analyzing infomercials and current event talk shows. What is the purpose
of the show? Look for underlying assumptions that may not be explicitly stated. Try to
identify the biases of the speakers. It is this kind of analysis that will serve your child
well in critiquing expository writing.

Read the selection and choose the best answers to the questions that follow.

Henry David Thoreau was an American naturalist, writer and philosopher who
lived from 1817 to 1864. He was a good friend of Ralph Waldo Emerson, another
American poet, essayist, and philosopher who challenged traditional thought. Thoreau
and Emerson belonged to an influential literary circle in Concord, Massachusetts, and
they edited The Dial, a magazine devoted to Transcendentalism. Another member of the
club was Bronson Alcott. His daughter, Louisa May Alcott, wrote the beloved American
novels, Little Women and Little Men.
The Transcendentalists were as much a part of a philosophic movement as a
literary one. Reacting against the ever-increasing influence of science, the
Transcendentalists argued that people should rely on intuition to understand reality. They
believed in the divine sufficiency of the individual, that is, that within each individual
lay the key to nature, history and, ultimately, the universe. Emerson expressed his beliefs
in his first book, Nature, in 1836. Transcendentalists viewed nature as a living mystery,
but a mystery that could be understood. To study oneself was to study nature.
In keeping with the Transcendentalist motto, know thyself, in 1845, Thoreau
borrowed a plot of land from Emerson, and built a cabin at Walden Pond, near Concord.
He lived there for 2 years, 2 months, and 2 days. During his stay at the pond he tried to
simplify his life and live with the barest essentials. He wanted to free himself from
slavery to material things. He worked his small plot of land, visited and entertained
friends, recorded his observations of nature, and wrote many essays. Living the
Transcendentalist philosophy, he sought to know and become one with the world.
Thoreaus eloquent plea for people to simplify life so that its meaning may become
clearer, is recorded in his now famous book, Walden, or Life In the Woods, in which he
wrote, I frequently tramped eight or ten miles through the deepest snow to keep an
appointment with a beech tree, or a yellow birch, or an old acquaintance among the pines.
I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment while I was hoeing in a

Grade 6 Edition 30
village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by the circumstance than I should
have been by an epaulet I could have worn.
During his lifetime, in addition to seeking his own personal emancipation from
slavery to material things, Thoreau worked tirelessly with other members of his family to
abolish all forms of slavery. He personally helped runaway slaves escape to Canada. In
his 1849 essay, Civil Disobedience, Thoreau expressed his disdain for a government
that would allow slavery of any kind. He wrote:

The proper place to-day [for the states freer spirits]

is in her prisons. It is there that the fugitive slave,
and the Mexican prisoner on parole, and the Indian
come to plead the wrongs of his race, should find them,
on that separate but more free and honorable ground-
the only house in a slave-state in which a free man
can abide with honor.

Thoreau was an outspoken voice in the woods; a nonconformist who questioned

Americas passion for material possessions, business, and success. He spoke out against
economic injustice and slavery. He believed in self-reflection and unity with nature. He
was a man who put his principles into action.

1. A good title for this selection is

! A. Emerson and Nature

! B. The Birth of Civil Disobedience
! C. The Influence of Transcendentalism on Thoreau
! D. The Evil of Slavery

2. Which of the following conclusions is supported by adequate evidence in this

passage?

! J. Thoreau questioned the definition of success in America.

! K. Thoreau spoke out against economic injustice.
! L. Thoreau was a man who put his principles into action.
! M. Thoreau did not understand science.

3. After reading this passage, it is reasonable to assert that

! A. Thoreau used his dissatisfaction to support anarchy.

! B. Thoreau was a hermit who hated people.
! C. Thoreau routinely practiced civil disobedience.
! D. Thoreau was a nature lover.

Grade 6 Edition 31
4. Which line from the passage best supports the proposition that Thoreau was not a
hermit?

! J. Thoreau was an outspoken voice in the woods

! K. He worked his small plot of land, visited and entertained friends, recorded his
observations of nature, and wrote many essays.
! L. He believed in self-reflection and unity with nature.
! M. During his stay at the pond he tried to simplify his life and live with the barest
essentials.

5. Which line from the passage best supports the proposition that Thoreau was a nature
lover?

! A. I frequently tramped eight or ten miles through the deepest snow to keep an
appointment with a beech tree, or a yellow birch, or an old acquaintance among
the pines. I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder
! B. Thoreau was an outspoken voice in the woods;
! C. He worked his small plot of land, visited with friends, recorded his
observations of nature, and wrote many essays.
! D. To study oneself was to study nature.

6. Which of the following choices is an unstated, underlying assumption of this

passage?

! J. America had become increasingly materialistic by the 1840s.

! K. Americans in the North helped runaway slaves to escape.
! L. Thoreau had friends who were Transcendentalist writers.
! M. The Transcendentalists were part of a philosophic and literary movement.

7. In the first paragraph of the passage, which of the following sentences could be
deleted without destroying any meaning?

! A. Henry David Thoreau was an American naturalist, writer and philosopher who
lived from 1817 to 1864.
! B. He was a good friend of Ralph Waldo Emerson, another American poet,
essayist, and philosopher who challenged traditional thought.
! C. Thoreau and Emerson belonged to an influential literary circle in Concord,
Massachusetts, and they edited The Dial, a magazine devoted to
Transcendentalism.
! D. Another member of the club was Bronson Alcott. His daughter, Louisa May
Alcott, wrote the beloved American novels, Little Women and Little Men.

Grade 6 Edition 32
8. Which of the following conclusions is supported by appropriate and sufficient
evidence in this passage?

! J. That government is best which governs least.

! K. Thoreau was the father of civil disobedience.
! L. The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.
! M. Thoreau tried living out the principles of Transcendentalism.

9. From the information given in the passage, it would be false reasoning to assert that

! A. Louisa May Alcott was a Transcendentalist.

! B. Emerson, Thoreau, and Bronson Alcott were Transcendentalists.
! C. other members of Thoreaus family were abolitionists.
! D. Transcendentalists were interested in philosophy and the nature of the world.

10. From the information given in the passage, it would be reasonable to assume that

! J. the author of the passage did not respect Thoreau.

! K. Thoreau avoided making controversial statements.
! L. The Dial was a source of propaganda of the Transcendentalists.
! M. Thoreau was not an introspective person who enjoyed nature.

Grade 6 Edition 33
Practice Skill: WRITING STRATEGIES AND WRITING
APPLICATIONS
Objectives: To evaluate the students knowledge of: (1) the stages of the
writing process; (2) how to write for a specific audience and purpose; (3)
how to write narrative, expository, persuasive, and descriptive texts; and
(4) research, organizational, and drafting strategies.
Parent Tip: The California Standard is for sixth grade students should be able to write
narrative, expository, persuasive, and descriptive texts of 500 to 700 words. A good way
to help them meet that standard is to show them examples of what they are trying to
achieve. Have your child read many examples of high quality writing in each genre.
Analyze the form of each selection, in effect, creating an outline that shows the structure
or skeleton of the piece. Examine well-written paragraphs to see how the author deals
with only one topic in each one. Identify the ways that the author makes his thoughts
easy to follow. Finally, make sure your child expresses himself in writing every day in
some way. It may be a diary or journal; it may be a poem or a plot outline for a short
story; or it may be a summary of a story heard on a news broadcast. Writing skills are
improved like every other skill in life-through regular, informed, purposeful practice.
The questions in this section relate to the various paragraphs. Read each paragraph
and choose the best answer to the questions.
I have always loved horses and ponies-equines of all shapes, colors, and sizes. Ever
since I read Marguerite Henrys Misty of Chincoteague, however, the Chincoteague
ponies have held a special place in my heart. The legends and facts that surround the
real-life Chincoteague ponies are fascinating.
1. In writing the body of this piece, the next paragraphs should discuss
! A. other titles of Marguerite Henrys novels.
! B. different breeds of horses and ponies.
! C. the legends and facts relating to the Chincoteague ponies.
! D. horses throughout the ages.
2. Which of the following sentences would make an appropriate topic sentence for the
next paragraph?
! J. The Chincoteague ponies are thriving today.
! K. There are many legends that explain how wild horses of Spanish origin came
to live on a tiny island off Virginia.
! L. After two fires destroyed the Town of Chincoteague in the 1920s a small
group of men organized a volunteer fire academy.
! M. Misty of Chincoteague was Marguerite Henrys second book.

Use the following paragraph to answer questions 3 - 12.

Grade 6 Edition 34
 [1] Another legend tells how Spanish pirates purposely set the ponies ancestors on the
shores of Chincoteague. [2] The heavily-laden galleon was carrying horses that escaped
from the cargo hold and swam to safety on nearby Chincoteagues shore. [3] One widely
accepted legend tells how a 16th Century Spanish galleon on its way to South America
was shipwrecked on the shoals of Assateague Island during a violent storm. [4] How the
wild breed came to live at Chincoteague is a mystery. [5] It maintains that in the 17th
Century, mainland farmers who wanted to avoid fencing requirements and paying
livestock tariffs turned the ponies ancestors out there to graze. [6] However they
reached the island, they flourished throughout the centuries to become the hardy breed
that they are today. [7] Finally, The U.S. National Park Services story is the least
exciting but is considered by many to be the most plausible explanation.

3. This paragraph is lacking

! A. unity, because all the sentences do not relate to the same idea.
! B. adequate detail to clearly explain the ideas presented.
! C. coherence, because the thoughts do no follow a logical order.
! D. examples or facts to help develop the topic sentence

4. In order to make the meaning of this paragraph clearer, it would help the writer to

! J. find the topic sentence and put it first.

! K. look for sentences that support or clarify the topic sentence.
! L. look for connecting words and contrasting words to make decisions about
sentence order.
! M. all of the above

5. The topic sentence of this paragraph is

! A. [4] How the wild breed came to live at Chincoteague is a mystery.

! B. [1] Another legend tells how Spanish pirates purposely set the ponies
ancestors on the shores of Chincoteague.
! C. [6] However they reached the island, they flourished throughout the centuries
to become the hardy breed that they are today.
! D. [3] One widely accepted legend tells how a 16th Century Spanish galleon on
its way to South America was shipwrecked on the shoals of Assateague Island
during a violent storm.

Grade 6 Edition 35
6. A good conclusion for this paragraph is

! J. [4] How the wild breed came to live at Chincoteague is a mystery.

! K. [1] Another legend tells how Spanish pirates purposely set the ponies
ancestors on the shores of Chincoteague.
! L. [6] However they reached the island, they flourished throughout the centuries
to become the hardy breed that they are today.
! M. [3] One widely accepted legend tells how a 16th Century Spanish galleon on
its way to South America was shipwrecked on the shoals of Assateague Island
during a violent storm.

7. In determining a logical sentence order for this paragraph, you can guess that

! A. sentence [1] probably does not come before sentence [3] because the word
another is a transitional word.
! B. sentences [1] and [2] probably do not go together because the words
purposely and escaped imply different scenarios.
! C. sentences [2] and [3] probably go together because they both use the word
galleon, and the words heavily-laden, escaped, shipwrecked, storm,
and violent storm explain one event.
! D. all of the above

8. The sentence order that would logically develop this paragraph is

! J. 4, 3, 2, 1, 7, 5, 6
! K. 1, 2, 6, 7, 3, 4, 5
! L. 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
! M. none of the above

9. Which of the following sentences is not an example of a supporting detail in this

paragraph?

! A. [4] How the wild breed came to live at Chincoteague is a mystery.

! B. [2] The heavily-laden galleon was carrying horses that escaped from the cargo
hold and swam to safety on nearby Chincoteagues shore.
! C. [5] It maintains that in the 17th Century, mainland farmers who wanted to
avoid fencing requirements and paying livestock tariffs turned the ponies
ancestors out there to graze.
! D. none of the above

Grade 6 Edition 36
10. When revising this paragraph, which of the following organizational patterns would
probably be the least effective approach?

! J. chronological order
! K. spatial order
! L. order of importance or reader interest
! M. comparison and contrast

11. Which of the following sentences would be the strongest transition between the two
paragraphs?

! A. How the wild breed came to live at Chincoteague is a mystery.

! B. There are many legends that explain how wild horses of Spanish origin came
to live on a tiny island off Virginia.
! C. However they reached the island, they flourished throughout the centuries to
become the hardy breed that they are today.
! D. The heavily-laden galleon was carrying horses that escaped from the cargo
hold and swam to safety on nearby Chincoteagues shore.

12. If you wanted to plan a vacation on Chincoteague Island, which would be the least
effective way to get information?

! J. write a letter to the Chincoteague Island Chamber of Commerce

! K. conduct an internet search regarding Chincoteague Island
! L. go to the library to conduct a search of articles in travel magazines or travel
sections of various newspapers
! M. write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper to request information

13. You enter a contest in which you must write an essay about your favorite book and
how it has influenced your life. Your essay should include

! A. descriptive language.
! B. quotes from the book that support why you like it.
! C. the reasons why you like the book and how it has affected your life.
! D. all of the above

14. A good way to store addresses in a computer would be in

! J. e-mail
! K. a search engine
! L. a database
! M. a modem

Grade 6 Edition 37
15. What is the appropriate page orientation for a chart that is wider than it is long?

! A. landscape
! B. portrait
! C. column
! D. tabular

16. Which of the following research topics is narrow enough in scope to be thoroughly
covered in 700 words?

! J. horse breeds throughout history

! K. the wild ponies of Assateague and Chincoteague Islands
! L. dog breeds of the world throughout history
! M. the cultures and wars of Ancient Greece and Rome

17. Which of the following is not necessary to cite in a bibliography?

! A. the books you read in preparation for writing your paper

! B. the books you quoted in your paper
! C. information from the internet
! D. your original thoughts

18. Which of the following should be included in a thoughtful written response to

literature?

! J. an insightful interpretation of the work

! K. facts, details, examples, and explanations from a variety of sources
! L. examples from the text that support your ideas and interpretations
! M. all of the above

19. Which of the following is not an appropriate element of a persuasive composition?

! A. stating your position clearly in favor of, or against, the proposition

! B. anticipating and addressing counter-arguments and reader concerns
! C. making personal attacks on the opponents
! D. supporting your position with well-organized and relevant information

Grade 6 Edition 38
Practice Skill: SPELLING
Objective: To evaluate the students spelling skills.

Parent Tip: A child will have an easier time spelling words that he or she has read and
written frequently in context. The good news is that in a language of over one million
words, we use the same few thousand words repeatedly. Encourage your child to read
rich literature. With respect to writing, when he or she consistently misspells a word,
encourage him or her to print the word carefully and keep it for future reference with
other personal spelling demons. To commit the sequence of the letters to memory, it will
help to say and touch each letter. Keep the personal list of spelling demons handy during
homework time.

Fill in the blank with the correctly spelled word.

1. A triangle has three sides and three _______________.

! A. angles
! B. angels
! C. angells
! D. angeles

2. He was absolutely ______________ he knew the answer.

! J. curtain
! K. certain
! L. certian
! M. certan

3. As she wandered through the crowd, she was ____________ to find her mother.

! A. disparate
! B. desperate
! C. desprate
! D. desparat

4. He found the magicians ability to fool people quite ____________.

! J. fassinating
! K. facinating
! L. facinnating
! M. fascinating

Grade 6 Edition 39
5. He was the ________________ person in line to buy a ticket.

! A. fourty-fourth
! B. fourty-forth
! C. forty-fourth
! D. forty forth

6. When they reached the beach, they jumped in the water _____________.

! J. immediately
! K. imediatly
! L. imedeitly
! M. immedeitly

7. Yesterday we _____________ our horses to the meadow to graze.

! A. lead
! B. led
! C. ledd
! D. laed

8. I am not sure ______________ book he wants to read.

! J. wich
! K. witch
! L. whitch
! M. which

9. They changed _____________ _____________ after they fell in the mud.

! A. theyre close
! B. there clothes
! C. their clothes
! D. their cloes

10. __________ ___________ all the people going?

! J. Were where
! K. Ware were
! L. Wear were
! M. Where were

Grade 6 Edition 40
11. Several ___________ decided to enter the woodworking contest at the fair.

! A. wommen
! B. women
! C. woman
! D. wiminn

12. Dont wait ____________ you are too tired to exercise.

! J. until
! K. untill
! L. til
! M. till

13. I hope I studied ___________ to do well on the math test.

! A. enuf
! B. enuff
! C. enouph
! D. enough

14. Our teacher is ___________ ready to give us a reward.

! J. all most
! K. allmost
! L. almost
! M. almoste

15. Never run __________ a street.

! A. accross
! B. accros
! C. acrost
! D. across

16. I hope ___________ time to eat lunch.

! J. its
! K. its
! L. itss
! M. its

Grade 6 Edition 41
17. The cookie was so good I could have eaten the ___________ box.

! A. whole
! B. hole
! C. wholle
! D. holy

18. ___________ ___________ the teacher thought the joke was funny.

! J. Evryone eccept
! K. Every one accept
! L. Everywon ecsept
! M. Everyone except

19. The time _________ slowly because I had nothing to read while I was waiting.

! A. pased
! B. passed
! C. past
! D. passt

20. During the ________month I have been able to exercise more often.

! J. pased
! K. passed
! L. past
! M. passt

21. We ________ in the _________ of equal rights for all.

! A. believe, principle
! B. beleive, prinscipl
! C. belief, prinsipul
! D. believe, principal

22. Mrs. Taylor is the __________ of our school.

! J. principle
! K. prinscipl
! L. prinsipul
! M. principal

Grade 6 Edition 42
23. Their __________ crop was wheat.

! A. principle
! B. prinscipl
! C. prinsipul
! D. principal

24. He had to pay interest on the __________ of the loan.

! J. principle
! K. prinscipl
! L. prinsipul
! M. principal

25. Sara is younger _________ her sister.

! A. thin
! B. than
! C. then
! D. thun

26. If _________ not coming to our house, can we go over ________?

! J. there, their
! K. their, there
! L. theyre, there
! M. their, theyre

27. The _________ of us were _________ tired _________ do any more work.

! A. to, two, too

! B. too, to, two
! C. two, too, to
! D. two, to, to

28. I cant decide __________ I like rainy ___________.

! J. whether, weather
! K. weather, whether
! L. wether, whether
! M. weather, weather

Grade 6 Edition 43
29. I ___________ tell the truth.

! A. all ways
! B. allways
! C. al ways
! D. always

30. Every student should know his or her ____________.

! J. address
! K. adres
! L. adress
! M. addres

31. With every __________ the athletes __________ became more determined.

! A. atempt, atitude
! B. attempt, attitude
! C. attepmt, attatude
! D. atempt, attatude

32. As we _________ through the __________, all we could think about was _________.

! J. traveld, dezert, dezirt

! K. travelled, dessert, desert
! L. traveled, desert, dessert
! M. traveled, dessert, dessert

33. Houdini was an __________ _________ artist.

! A. eccellent, excape
! B. eccelent, iscape
! C. excellent, escape
! D. excillint, ecscape

34. How could we __________ our __________ of direction so quickly?

! J. lose, sense
! K. lose, sence
! L. loose, cents
! M. loose, sence

Grade 6 Edition 44
35. My brother and I now have ___________ rooms.

! A. seprate
! B. seperate
! C. sapperite
! D. separate

36. I ___________ hope his __________ is __________ to the audience.

! J. sincerly, speach, intresting

! K. sincerely, speech, interesting
! L. sinsereley, speech, intersting
! M. sincearly, speach, interessting

37. __________ at the door?

! A. Whose
! B. Whos
! C. Whos
! D. Whose

38. I know __________ shoes these are.

! J. whose
! K. whos
! L. whos
! M. whose

39. Make sure ________taking _______ books home to study.

! A. youre, youre
! B. youre, your
! C. your, your
! D. youre, youre

40. I ________ the stick away, ________ my friend ________ we should play with it.

! J. through, though, thought

! K. threw, thought, throughout
! L. threw, though, thought
! M. through, tho, throat

Grade 6 Edition 45
41. We hear a story about a man who once ________ ________ eggs for breakfast.

! A. eight, ate
! B. ate, eight
! C. ate, ate
! D. eight, eight

42. We were _______ shocked at the noise level when the band ________ playing and
the crowd was _________.

! J. quiiet, quitt, quite

! K. quiet, quite, quit
! L. quit, quiet, quite
! M. quite, quit, quiet

Choose the correctly spelled plurals and verb forms.

43. box, sock

! A. boxes, boxed, socks, socked

! B. boxs, boxd, sockses, socced
! C. boxxes, boxt, socks, sockt
! D. boxes, boxxed, sockes, socket

44. body, toy

! J. bodys, tois
! K. bodys, toyes
! L. bodies, toys
! M. boddies, toys

45. bench, push

! A. benches, bencht, pushs, pushd

! B. benches, benched, pushes, pushed
! C. benchs, benchd, pushs, pushd
! D. benchs, benchet, pushes, pusht

46. country, half

! J. countrys, halfs, halfed

! K. countries, halves, halved
! L. countries, halfs, haved
! M. countrys, halves, halved

Grade 6 Edition 46
47. target, promise

! A. targets, targeted, promises, promised

! B. targgetts, targgetted, promise, promissed
! C. targetts, targetted, promisses, promissed
! D. targets, targetted, promises, promisst

48. permit, set

! J. permitts, permitted, setts, setted

! K. permmits, permmited, sets, sett
! L. permits, permited, sets, setted
! M. permits, permitted, sets, set

Identify the word that is spelled incorrectly.

49. ! against ! accross ! address ! accept

50. ! eighth ! acsident ! acceptable ! apologize

51. ! auther ! argument ! almost ! among

52. ! all right ! analies ! always ! article

53. ! apology ! apologize ! awfull ! athlete

54. ! believe ! bibliography ! become ! beginer

55. ! achieve ! busness ! bargain ! attitude

56. ! beautiful ! because ! benefitted ! beauty

57. ! catagory ! conscience ! conscientious ! cruise

58. ! choice ! critic ! criticism ! colledge

59. ! decision ! discribe ! disapprove ! disappear

60. ! disappoint ! diffrence ! curious ! desperate

61. ! curiousity ! curiosity ! divided ! doesnt

62. ! embarass ! embarrass ! entirely ! excellent

63. ! fascinating ! fasinating ! forest ! foreign

64. ! guest ! disgusted ! discusted ! definitely

Grade 6 Edition 47
65. ! definitly ! extremely ! exaggerate ! environment

66. ! excape ! escape ! finally ! describe

67. ! experience ! except ! guest ! gest

68. ! happened ! doctor ! disease ! happenned

Identify the word that is spelled correctly.

69. ! hapiness ! extraordinary ! encurige ! enimy

70. ! friend ! familier ! friendlyness ! furnicher

71. ! goverment ! genious ! governer ! height

72. ! imediatly ! immediatly ! immediately! emergancy

73. ! instint ! instant ! imaginery ! influensed

74. ! intelligint ! interested ! interupt ! intrested

75. ! isnt ! expirt ! judgment ! judgement

76. ! lonliness ! lonliness ! lonelyness ! loneliness

77. ! ocur ! ocurr ! occur ! occurr

78. ! usually ! usully ! usuly ! usualy

79. ! mointain ! mountin ! mountan ! mountain

80. ! mistery ! mystery ! mystiry ! mysteryous

81. ! notisible ! noticable ! noticeable ! notiseable

82. ! oposite ! opposite ! oppisit ! oppasit

83. ! picture ! practise ! prejadice ! persanal

84. ! puting ! quater ! realise ! piece

85. ! posibal ! possible ! possable ! posible

86. ! receive ! recieve ! receve ! receave

Grade 6 Edition 48
87. ! remembir ! restraunt ! restaurant ! replys

88. ! referring ! refering ! seperate ! sevral

89. ! sinse ! similar ! similir ! simalir

90. ! tommorrow ! tomorow ! tomorrow ! resourses

Grade 6 Edition 49
Practice Skill: SENTENCE STRUCTURE, GRAMMAR,
PUNCTUATION, AND CAPITALIZATION
Objectives: To evaluate the students knowledge of: (1) the use of simple,
compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to effectively
express complete thoughts; (2) subject-verb agreement with compound
subjects; (3) indefinite pronouns; (4) present perfect, past perfect, and
future perfect verb tenses; and (5) the use of colons, semicolons, and
commas; and (6) correct capitalization.

Parent Tip: Your childs mastery of the skills emphasized in this section will help him
or her develop a clear, effective writing style. Once the content of a piece of writing is
fully developed, a writer must pay close attention to the standard English conventions in
order to turn a rough draft into a final, polished piece of writing.

The exercises in this section contain bold-faced text, followed by a series of questions
that refer to that text. Read the sentences typed in bold, and then choose the best
answers to the questions that follow them.

[1] The distinguished but verbose former Senator from Virginia spoke eloquently for
hours about the issue of big government in America. [2] Many of the listeners rose to
their feet and cheered wildly at the end of his speech. [3] The less attentive people in
the audience were awakened by the applause. [4] What an embarrassment was that!

1. Sentence [1] is a

! A. run-on sentence.
! B. compound sentence.
! C. compound-complex sentence.
! D. simple sentence.

2. The complete subject of sentence [1] is

! J. senator.
! K. a senator from Virginia.
! L. a senator from Virginia spoke eloquently.
! M. The distinguished but verbose Senator from Virginia.

Grade 6 Edition 50
3. The simple subject of sentence [2] is

! A. listeners.
! B. many listeners.
! C. many.
! D. many of the listeners.

4. The simple and complete subject of sentence [4] is

! J. what.
! K. embarrassment.
! L. an embarrassment.
! M. that.

5. The compound predicate of sentence [2] is

! A. rose.
! B. cheered.
! C. rose, cheered.
! D. rose to their feet and cheered wildly at the end of his speech.

[5] As many of the listeners rose to their feet and cheered wildly at the end of his
speech, the less attentive people in the audience were awakened by the applause.

6. The sentence structure of sentence [5] is

! J. simple
! K. complex
! L. compound
! M. compound-complex

7. The structure of sentence [5] is

! A. a dependent or subordinate clause followed by an independent clause.

! B. an independent clause followed by a dependent clause.
! C. two dependent clauses.
! D. two independent clauses

8. The comma in sentence [5]

! J. is necessary.
! K. is unnecessary.
! L. should be replaced by a semicolon.
! M. should be replaced by a colon.

Grade 6 Edition 51
9. If the order of the phrases in sentence [5] is switched, the comma

! A. is necessary.
! B. is optional.
! C. should be replaced by a semicolon.
! D. should be replaced by a colon.

10. If the first word of sentence [5] is omitted and a conjunction is added after the
comma, the new sentence

! J. makes no sense.
! K. becomes a compound-complex sentence.
! L. becomes a complex sentence.
! M. becomes a compound sentence.

11. If the first word of sentence [5] is omitted and no conjunction is added,

! A. the comma should remain in the new sentence.

! B. the comma should be replaced with a colon
! C. the comma should be replaced with a semicolon
! D. no punctuation is needed between the two clauses.

12. If the only change made to sentence [5] is to replace the comma with a period, the
words As many of the listeners rose to their feet and cheered wildly at the end of his
speech

! J. become a complete sentence.

! K. become a simple sentence.
! L. become a sentence fragment.
! M. becomes an independent phrase.

13. Whenever the words and, or, but, nor, for, so, or yet join two independent clauses,

! A. they follow a comma.

! B. they follow a semicolon.
! C. they follow a period.
! D. no punctuation is necessary.

Grade 6 Edition 52
14. Which of the following choices is a compound-complex sentence?

! J. I have never ridden on the Ferris wheel, but I scream every time I ride the
roller coaster.
! K. Although I have visited the amusement park several times, I have never ridden
on the Ferris wheel, but I have screamed my way through the roller coasters
loop-the-loops on many occasions.
! L. Although I have visited the amusement park several times, I have never ridden
on the Ferris wheel. I have, however, screamed my way through the roller
coasters loop-the-loops on many occasions.
! M. All of the above

In each of the following exercises, decide whether the text is without error, or
whether it should be revised according to one of the choices.

15. My dad and I struck a deal, he bought the groceries and I made the dinner.

! A. no mistake
! B. I and my dad struck a deal. He bought the groceries and I made the dinner.
! C. My dad and I struck a deal; he bought the groceries, and I made the dinner.
! D. My dad and me struck a deal; He bought the groceries; I made the dinner.

16. Our teacher told us we were to noisy and so we quieted down imediately.

! J. no mistake
! K. When our teacher told us we were to noisy, we quited down immediately.
! L. When our teacher told us we were too noisy, we quieted down immediately.
! M. Our teacher told us we were too noisy, because we quieted down immediately.

17. I want to buy a new book to read, however I need to wait for my allowance.

! A. no mistake
! B. I want to buy a new book to read; however, I need to wait for my allowance.
! C. I want to buy a new book to read. However, I need to wait for my allowance.
! D. both choice b and choice c are correct

18. I liked the novel. Mostly it was funny. And always interesting; although sad in parts.

! J. no mistake
! K. Although the novel was sad it was interesting, and I liked it because it was mostly
funny.
! L. The novel. I liked it, because it was always sad and funny and interesting.
! M. Although the novel was sad in parts, I liked it because it was mostly funny
and always interesting.

Grade 6 Edition 53
19. Everybody in our family works around the house and we all get an allowance that
were earning. We divided the chores, I rake leaves, my sister sorts the laundry, and
my brother takes out the garbage. So its all pretty fair anyway most of the time.

! A. no mistake
! B. In our family, the children earn an allowance by helping around the house, and
the chores are divided fairly evenly. I rake leaves; my sister sorts the laundry; my
brother takes out the garbage.
! C. I rake leaves and my sister sorts the laundry in our family and my brother takes
out the garbage. So we all divide the chores and do our work. Its fair that way.
! D. In our family, the children earn an allowance by helping around the house. I
am dividing the chores evenly so that I raked the leaves, my sister is sorting the
laundry and my brother will take out the garbage.

The questions in this section refer to the following letter. Choose the best answer to
the questions.

[6] 1234 Writing Lane

Mistakesville, CA 90000
January 1, 2000
[7] Chincoteague island chamber of commerce
P.O. Box 1
Chincoteague Island, VA 23336
[8] Dear sir or madam,
[9] Im interested in visiting the island this summer to see the pony
auction. [10] I have never visited virginia before, could you please send me
the following information. [11] ASAP-- I need to know when it is and places
to stay and can my Dad rent a car anywhere. [12] Sending a map is
important! [13] Is there other fun things to do around where you are?
[14] And by the way: Do the ponies cost alot. [15] You can send all the stuff I
need to me right away, ok? [16] Because I cant wait, Im looking forward to
it so much.
[17] Love,

[18] Linda Lacksgrammar

20. The inside address of this letter

! J. is section [6], and it indicates that this is a friendly letter.

! K. is section [7], and it indicates that this is a friendly letter.
! L. is section [7], and it should be revised to capitalize the words island, chamber,
and commerce.
! M. is section [8], and it indicates that this is a business letter.

Grade 6 Edition 54
21. The salutation of this letter

! A. is section [7], and it contains no errors.

! B. is section [7], and it should be revised to capitalize the words island, chamber,
and commerce.
! C. is section [8], and it contains no errors.
! D. is section [8], and it should be revised to capitalize the words sir and madam,
and end with a colon.

22. The complimentary close of this letter

! J. should be changed to Sincerely, Yours truly, or Respectfully yours.

! K. is appropriate for a business letter.
! L. is section [18] and should be handwritten, not typed.
! M. is section [17] and requires no change.

In each of the following exercises, decide whether the text is without error, or
whether it should be revised according to one of the choices.

23. Section [8]

! A. no errors
! B. Dear Sir or Madam;
! C. Dear Sir or Madam,
! D. Dear Sir or Madam:

24. [9] Im interested in visiting the island this summer to see the pony auction.

! J. no errors
! K. I am interested in visiting Chincoteague Island this summer to see the pony
auction.
! L. I am interested in visiting the island of chincoteague to see the pony auction
this summer.
! M. Im interested in visiting the Island this Summer to see the Pony Auction.

Grade 6 Edition 55
25. [10] I have never visited virginia before, could you please send me the following
information. [11] ASAP-I need to know when it is and places to stay and can my Dad
rent a car anywhere. [12] Sending a map is important! [13] Is there other fun things to
do around where you are?
! A. no mistake
! B. I have never visited Virginia before. Could you please send me the following
information as soon as possible? I need to know when it is, and places to stay,
and can my dad rent a car anywhere? Sending a map is important! Are there
other fun things to do around where you are?
! C. As soon as possible, please send me the following information: the auction
date; hotel, motel, or apartment accommodations in the area; and places to rent a
car. Because I have never visited Virginia before, I would also appreciate it if
you could send me a map of the area and information about other points of
interest in the vicinity.
! D. As soon as possible, please send me the following information; the auction
date, hotel, motel, or apartment accommodations in the area, and places to rent a
car. Because I have never visited Virginia before I would also appreciate it if
you could send me a map of the area and information about other points of
interest in the vicinity.
26. [14] And by the way: Do the ponies cost alot.
! J. no mistake
! K. should be revised to read And by the way, do the ponies cost a lot? and
should remain after sentence [13] in the body of the letter.
! L. should be revised to read And, by the way, are the ponies expensive. and
should be moved to follow sentence [9] in the body of the letter.
! M. should be included in a revision to sentence [11] that might read As soon as
possible, please send me the following information: the auction date; expected
prices of ponies at the auction; hotel, motel, or apartment accommodations in the
area; and places to rent a car.
27. [15] You can send all the stuff I need to me right away, ok? [16] Because I cant
wait, Im looking forward to it so much.
! A. no mistake
! B. should be revised to read Please send all the information I need to me right
away. Because I cant wait; Im looking forward to it so much. and should
remain after sentence [14] in the same paragraph.
! C. should be revised to read Please send the information to me at the address that
appears above. I eagerly await your reply. and should start a new paragraph after
sentence [14].
! D. should be revised to read Sending all the information I need to me right away
is important, okay? I cant wait; because Im looking forward to it so much. and
should start a new paragraph after sentence [14].

Grade 6 Edition 56
28. If one of the computers at school break; the teacher has a manual with instructions
that come with it.
! J. no mistake
! K. If one of the computers at school is broke, the teacher has a manual with
instructions that come with it.
! L. If one of the computers at school breaks, the teacher has a manual with
instructions that comes with it.
! M. If one of the computers at school are broken, the teacher has a manual with
instructions that come with it.
29. Did the Police Officer say who would be talking to we boys about the problem.
! A. no mistake
! B. Did the police officer say who would be talking to us boys about the problem?
! C. Did the Police Officer say who would be talking to us boys about the problem?
! D. Did the police officer say whom would be talking to we boys about the
problem?
30. Did your mother say to whom we would be speaking at the station?
! J. no mistake
! K. Did your Mother say to whom we would be speaking at the Station?
! L. Did your mother say to who we would be speaking at the station?
! M. Did your Mother say to who we would be speaking at the Station?
31. Didnt I warn you not to cross the street to chase a ball, mother cried angrily?
! A. no mistake
! B. Didnt I warn you not to cross the Street to chase a ball, Mother cried
angrily?
! C. Didnt I warn you not to cross the Street to chase a ball, mother cried
angrily?
! D. Didnt I warn you not to cross the street to chase a ball? Mother cried
angrily.

32. My favorite restaurant serves french food with a japanese influence but their table
linens are imported from Italy.

! J. no mistake
! K. My favorite Restaurant serves French Food with a Japanese influence, but their
table Linens are imported from Italy.
! L. My favorite restaurant serves French food with a Japanese influence; but its
table linens are imported from Italy.
! M. My favorite restaurant serves French food with a Japanese influence, but its
table linens are imported from Italy.

Grade 6 Edition 57
33. When she reads Tom Sawyer she thought about how long it would take her to paint
the fence earning some extra money.

! A. no mistake
! B. When she read Tom Sawyer, she thought about how long it would take her to
paint the fence to earn some extra money.
! C. When she read Tom Sawyer, she thinks about how long its gonna take her
to paint the fence to earn some extra money.
! D. When she read Tom Sawyer, she is thinking about how long it will take her to
be painting the fence when she earned some extra money.

34. My Grandmother said that Im not suppose to walk to the Market unless my friends
can come with me.

! J. no mistake
! K. My Grandmother said that Im not suppose to walk to the Market, unless my
friends can come with me.
! L. My grandmother said that Im not supposed to walk to the market unless my
friends can come with me.
! M. My grandmother said that Im not suppose to walk to the market unless my
friends can come with me.

35. The horses will have ridden in the trailer for four days before reaching the West
Coast.

! A. no mistake
! B. The horses will have rode in the trailer for four days since they left the west
coast.
! C. The horses have rode in the trailer for four days since they left the West Coast.
! D. The horses have ridden in the trailer for four days before reaching the west
coast.

36. The pedestrian could of seen the car coming toward him, if he only would of looked
North before they crossed the street.

! J. no mistake
! K. The pedestrian could have seen the car coming toward him if he only would
have looked north before he crossed the street.
! L. The pedestrian could of seen the car coming toward him, if he only would of
looked North before he crossed the Street.
! M. The pedestrian could have seen the car coming toward him, if he only would
have looked North before having been acrossed the street.

Grade 6 Edition 58
37. Someday I hope to attend the University of California at Los Angeles to study drama,
music, and literature, although I intend to take Biology 101 while I am there.

! A. no mistake
! B. Someday I hope to attend the University Of California At Los Angeles to
study Drama, Music, and Literature, although I intend to take Biology 101 well
Im there.
! C. Someday I hope to attend the university of California at Los Angeles to study
drama, music, and literature. Although I intend to take biology 101 while I am
their.
! D. Someday I hope to attend the University of California at Los Angeles to study
drama, music, and literature; although I intend to take biology 101 while I am
theyre.

Choose the best answer.

38. Which words are not indefinite pronouns?

! J. I, you, he, she, it, we, they, them

! K. anybody, anyone, each, neither, nobody, one
! L. somebody, someone, no one, either, none
! M. both, few, many, several, all, any, most, some

39. Which sentence is not correct?

! A. One of the calculators is damaged.

! B. One of the calculators are damaged.
! C. The principal and her teachers want us to read more books.
! D. The principal, along with her teachers, wants us to read more books.

40. Which sentence is not correct?

! J. Heres the books with the beautiful illustrations.

! K. Heres the book with the beautiful illustrations.
! L. Here are the books with the beautiful illustrations.
! M. Here are the beautiful illustrations from the book.

41. Which sentence is not correct?

! A. Half of the cookies were gone.

! B. Half of the cookie was gone.
! C. Half of the cookies was gone.
! D. Half a cookie is better than none.

Grade 6 Edition 59
42. Which sentence is not correct?

! J. Everyone wants to know who the winner is.

! K. Each of the boys wants to know who the winner is.
! L. Either of the students are going to be the winner.
! M. Neither of the students is going to be the winner.

43. Which pronouns are always singular and always require a singular verb?

! A. many, several, everybody

! B. few, both, someone
! C. all, some, any, most, none
! D. either, neither, no one, someone, each, anybody

44. Which pronouns can be either singular or plural, depending upon the words that
follow them?

! J. each, anyone, everybody, everyone, one

! K. few, both, many, several
! L. all, some, any, most, none
! M. either, neither, no one, someone, each, anybody

45. Which sentence is not correct?

! A. All of the baseball game was spent arguing with the umpire.
! B. All of the pieces of cake were eaten before we left home.
! C. None of the fruit was spoiled when we left the market.
! D. Some of the glasses of orange juice was spoiled.

46. Which sentence is not correct?

! J. Neither the teacher nor the students brought his work to class.
! K. Neither the student nor the teachers brought their papers to class.
! L. Neither the students nor the teacher brought his book to class.
! M. Neither the teacher nor the student brought her book to class.

47. Identify the sentence written in the present perfect tense.

! A. I write in my journal every day.

! B. I wrote in my journal every day.
! C. I have written in my journal every day.
! D. I shall write in my journal every day.

Grade 6 Edition 60
48. Identify the sentence written in the past perfect tense.

! J. She enjoyed her vacation because she went hiking every day.
! K. She had enjoyed her vacation because she had looked forward to it for so long.
! L. She will be enjoying her vacation because she loves the beach.
! M. She enjoys her vacation as she swims along the shore.

49. Identify the sentence written in the future perfect tense.

! A. They will practice playing the piano in preparation for the recital.
! B. They practice playing the piano every day in preparation for the recital.
! C. They are practicing the piano in preparation for the recital.
! D. They will have practiced playing the piano for hours by the time of the recital.

50. Which sentence is the least ambiguous?

! J. As she spoke to her favorite movie star, she was very embarrassed.
! K. As Jane spoke to her favorite movie star, she was embarrassed.
! L. As Jane spoke to Sherry Lane, her favorite actress, she was embarrassed.
! M. Jane was embarrassed as she spoke to her favorite movie star.

51. Which sentence is the least ambiguous?

! A. Several classmates thanked my mom for the cookies she baked for us as she
waited in front of the school.
! B. As she waited in front of the school, several of my classmates thanked my
mom for the cookies she baked for us.
! C. He watched the dogs sitting next to the door.
! D. Many people heard the noise outside the house.

Grade 6 Edition 61
Practice Skill: STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF LITERATURE,
NARRATIVE ANALYSIS OF GRADE-LEVEL TEXT, AND LITERARY
CRITICISM
Objectives: To evaluate the students: (1) knowledge of the forms of
fiction and their major characteristics; (2) analysis of character, plot,
setting, theme, and point of view in literature; (3) analysis of the effects
of symbolism, imagery, and figurative language in fictional and non-fictional
texts; (4) knowledge of the features of poetry; and (5) skill in
distinguishing between contrived or realistic plot, as in fact and fantasy.
Parent Tip: Different forms of writing require a different level of engagement on the
part of the reader. Much of poetry and prose can be read for the sheer enjoyment of the
experience. When analysis is required, however, encourage your child to make
judgments about the veracity and plausibility of what is written. Help him or her to
examine the qualities of the characters and analyze the effect that the setting has on the
plot. Discuss the theme that resonates in the work. Do the conflict and the theme ring
true? Is there a message that can be applied in everyday life?
Choose the best answer.
1. Writing can be divided into two main categories,
! A. poetry and prose.
! B. edited and revised.
! C. interesting and figurative.
! D. imaginary and narrative.
2. Poetry is
! J. a kind of rhythmic writing
! K. uses imagery, similes, metaphors, and personification to try to appeal to the
emotion and imagination of the reader.
! L. a form of writing that may or may not have a regular pattern of rhythm or rhyme.
! M. all of the above
3. A stanza is

! A. a random thought that does not fit into a theme.

! B. to a poem what a paragraph is to prose.
! C. a line in a rhyming poem.
! D. the attitude expressed by the poet.

Grade 6 Edition 62
4. Poetry written to sound like regular conversation is called

! J. talking verse.
! K. non-rhyming poetry.
! L. free verse.
! M. no beat, no meter, no matter.

5. In this stanza of Robert Frosts Stopping By Woods On a Snowy Evening, what is

the rhyme scheme?

Whose woods these are I think I know

His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

! A. 1 2 3 4
! B. A B C D
! C. A B B A
! D. A A B A

6. Meter can be described as

! J. the beat of the poem.

! K. the pattern of how the voice rises and falls in a poem.
! L. the pattern of accented and unaccented syllables in line of a poem.
! M. all of the above

7. Stopping By Woods On a Snowy Evening is written in

! A. iambic meter.
! B. iambic pentameter.
! C. with five meter feet.
! D. onomatopoeia.

8. Stopping By Woods On a Snowy Evening is written in

! J. internal rhyme.
! K. end rhyme.
! L. random rhyme.
! M. initial rhyme.

Grade 6 Edition 63
9. Oscar Wildes line Each narrow cell in which we dwell is an example of
! A. internal rhyme.
! B. end rhyme.
! C. random rhyme.
! D. initial rhyme.
10. Prose can be divided into two main categories,
! J. poetry and free verse.
! K. sonnets and quatrains.
! L. fiction and non-fiction.
! M. biography and autobiography.

11. Which of the following are forms of fiction?

! A. bibliographies
! B. novels and short stories
! C. autobiographies
! D. newspaper science reports

12. Which of the following are key elements of fiction?

! J. plot, character, speed, oral tradition

! K. theme, plot, character, pace
! L. theme, plot, character, setting, point of view
! M. contrast, irony, psychological analysis

13. Which of the following elements is not usually part of the storys plot?

! A. an introduction to the characters and their conflict

! B. the climax, or most exciting moment in the story
! C. the resolution, or when the characters problems may be solved
! D. the personification, when the reader begins to identify with a character

14. Characterization is the way that a writer reveals the personality of a character. Which
of the following choices is not characterization?

! J. His room always looked like a cyclone had hit it and he routinely ignored his
mothers request to pick up the dirty clothes strewn on the floor.
! K. The wind howled through the trees to wake Susan from her deep sleep.
! L. I wish I could have a horse of my own to ride. I would work so hard to pay
for it. Id do anything. I would get up extra early to feed it before school. I would
clean the whole barn and muck all the stalls twice a day. Id do anything, Dad.
! M. As she heard the teacher call her to come to her desk, she felt her eyes fill
with tears. She wondered if she would reach the desk before the dam broke.

Grade 6 Edition 64
15. Which of the choices in the preceding question contains a metaphor, a simile, or
personification?

! A. none of the choices

! B. all of the choices
! C. choices a, b, and c
! D. choices a, b, and d

16. The point of view in a fictional work

! J. has nothing to do with the person who tells the story.

! K. has nothing to do with the way the story is told.
! L. can be determined by analyzing who tells the story.
! M. is the same as the setting and plot.

17. Which of the following is an example of the omniscient point of view?

! A. As the detective wove in and out of the shadows he wondered if the messenger
had seen him. He worried that someone would discover his plan. Little did he
know that the messenger was preoccupied looking for an address.
! B. I knew at once I could not hide the truth. It never works for me anyway. My
face always tells the story.
! C. I saw the detective weave in and out of the shadows. What was he thinking? I
would never know.
! D. I saw the detective weave in and out of the shadows. I could tell that he was
following someone by the way he was hiding in the shadows.

The questions in this section refer to the following plot outline. Choose the best
answer to the questions.

Jake Holden, age fourteen, describes his life as a pioneer in 1840s America. His
story begins on the Natchez Trace and follows his travels with his parents and younger
sister over the course of their adventure. During his journey west, he encounters people
his own age who are establishing homesteads on their own. He imagines himself starting
his own farm. He is torn between his feelings of family loyalty and his desire to prove
that he is mature enough to make it on his own.

18. An example of a characters internal conflict in this story might be

! J. when an intruder enters the Holdens camp and steals their food.
! K. when Jakes horse becomes lame on the trail.
! L. when Jake is embarrassed that he is not starting out on his own.
! M. hunger and the search for food during the journey.

Grade 6 Edition 65
19. An example of external conflict in this story might be

! A. when Jake wonders how his family would get along without his help if he set
out on his own.
! B. Jakes attempt to protect his sister from being teased in town.
! C. the familys struggle with feelings of regret for having left the comforts of
home.
! D. Jakes sisters desire to believe in the predictions of a traveling fortune teller.

20. If Jake is a character with the qualities of moral courage and family loyalty, how
might that affect the plot of the story and the resolution of Jakes inner conflict?

! J. Jake probably would yield to peer pressure.

! K. Jake probably would abandon his family and stake his own claim.
! L. Jake probably would help his family reach their destination before starting on
his own.
! M. Jake probably would strike off on his own because of his resentment of his
family.

21. Part of the story reads: I reckon I wont be leavin yall. I couldnt bear to think of
how yall would be in a pickle without me to fix the broken wagon when it gets stuck
in the mud. Pa just looked up and smiled. Ma promised me Id never be sorry.
Deep down, I believed she was right.

! A. The story is written in third-person point of view

! B. The story is written in dialogue narration form.
! C. The story is written in third-person omniscient point of view.
! D. The story is written in first-person point of view.

22. In the story, Jake and his sister meet a fortuneteller along the trail. She reads their
fortunes.

! J. She is a minor character and can be disregarded.

! K. Only the family members mentioned in the first part of the story are relevant.
! L. Her presence in the story is likely to serve a literary purpose such as
symbolizing Jakes concern about his future.
! M. She would not symbolize anything because symbolism is mainly found in
poetry.

23. A possible theme for this story might be

! A. Your familys love for you is something to cherish.

! B. Hardship and travel go had in hand.
! C. Always listen to fortunetellers.
! D. Dont leave home.

Grade 6 Edition 66
 LANGUAGE ARTS ANSWER KEY
Word 13. C 54. M Writing
Recognition 14. M 55. D Strategies &
1. B 15. B 56. K Applications
2. M 16. K 57. A 1. C
3. A 17. A 58. L 2. K
4. L 18. J 59. A 3. C
5. D 19. C 60. M 4. M
6. L 20. K 5. A
7. B 21. D Informational 6. L
8. L 22. J Materials 7. D
9. A 23. B 1. C 8. J
10. K 24. L 2. M 9. A
11. C 25. B 3. D 10. K
12. M 26. K 4. L 11. B
13. A 27. C 5. B 12. M
14. K 28. J 6. J 13. D
15. C 29. C 7. A 14. L
16. L 30. M 8. M 15. A
17. C 31. B 9. B 16. K
18. M 32. J 10. L 17. D
19. C 33. C 11. D 18. M
20. L 34. K 12. K 19. C
21. A 35. D 13. D
22. J 36. M 14. M Spelling
23. B 37. C 15. B 1. A
24. M 38. J 16. L 2. K
25. C 39. C 3. B
40. L Expository 4. M
Vocabulary 41. A Critique 5. C
1. A 42. J 1. C 6. J
2. K 43. B 2. L 7. B
3. B 44. M 3. D 8. M
4. L 45. C 4. K 9. C
5. D 46. M 5. A 10. M
6. K 47. A 6. J 11. B
7. D 48. M 7. D 12. J
8. J 49. C 8. M 13. D
9. C 50. K 9. A 14. L
10. M 51. C 10. L 15. D
11. B 52. J 16. K
12. M 53. C 17. A
18. M
19. B

Grade 6 Edition 67
20. L 59. B 2. M 41. C
21. A 60. K 3. C 42. L
22. M 61. A 4. M 43. D
23. D 62. J 5. C 44. L
24. M 63. B 6. K 45. D
25. B 64. L 7. A 46. J
26. L 65. A 8. J 47. C
27. C 66. J 9. B 48. K
28. J 67. D 10. M 49. D
29. D 68. M 11. C 50. M
30. J 69. B 12. L 51. B
31. B 70. J 13. A
32. L 71. D 14. K Reading
33. C 72. L 15. C 1. A
34. J 73. B 16. L 2. M
35. D 74. K 17. D 3. B
36. K 75. C 18. M 4. L
37. C 76. M 19. B 5. D
38. J 77. C 20. L 6. M
39. B 78. J 21. D 7. A
40. L 79. D 22. J 8. K
41. B 80. K 23. D 9. A
42. M 81. C 24. K 10. L
43. A 82. K 25. C 11. B
44. L 83. A 26. M 12. L
45. B 84. M 27. C 13. D
46. K 85. B 28. L 14. K
47. A 86. J 29. B 15. D
48. M 87. C 30. J 16. L
49. B 88. J 31. D 17. A
50. K 89. B 32. M 18. L
51. A 90. L 33. B 19. B
52. K 34. L 20. L
53. C Sentence 35. A 21. D
54. M Structure, 36. K 22. L
55. B Grammar, 37. A 23. A
56. L Punctuation & 38. J
57. A Capitalization 39. B
58. M 1. D 40. J

6th Grade Edition 68

 MATH
Practice Skill: COMPUTATION SKILLS
Objective: Students will have mastered the four arithmetic operations with
positive and negative numbers, whole numbers, fractions, and decimals.

Parent Tip: Students should have mastered the four operations with whole numbers, but
it is important to revisit these skills. Make sure they READ the operation signs.

Whole Numbers -

Addition:

1. 87 2. 139 3. 647 4. 122

+ 43 + 64 + 354 + 367

! A. 120 ! J. 193 ! A. 901 ! J. 245

! B. 130 ! K. 203 ! B. 991 ! K. 490
! C. 44 ! L. 75 ! C. 1,001 ! L. 389
! D. 45 ! M. 295 ! D. 293 ! M. 489

5. 9718 + 388 = 6. 4766 + 234 =

! A. 9,106 ! J. 5,000
! B. 10,106 ! K. 4,000
! C. 9,330 ! L. 4,422
! D. 10,330 ! M. 4,522

Subtraction:

7. 38 8. 914 9. 1234 10. 321

- 17 - 381 - 145 - 94

! A. 45 ! J. 633 ! A. 1,189 ! J. 225

! B. 55 ! K. 1,295 ! B. 1,379 ! K. 227
! C. 11 ! L. 533 ! C. 1,111 ! L. 327
! D. 21 ! M. 523 ! D. 1,089 ! M. 317

6th Grade Edition 69

11. 119 - 107 = 12. 6257 - 5603 =

! A. 22 ! J. 654
! B. 12 ! K. 1,654
! C. 16 ! L. 854
! D. 226 ! M. 860
Multiplication:
13. 81 14. 53 15. 24 16. 61
x 7 x 5 x 60 x 49
! A. 567 ! J. 215 ! A. 1,224 ! J. 2,899
! B. 568 ! K. 265 ! B. 1,340 ! K. 2,424
! C. 637 ! L. 268 ! C. 1,540 ! L. 2,989
! D. 487 ! M. 315 ! D. 1,440 ! M. 2,900
17. 405 x 7 = 18. 458 x 86 =
! A. 2,135 ! J. 40,456
! B. 2,840 ! K. 40,388
! C. 2,835 ! L. 39,488
! D. 2,140 ! M. 39,388
Division:

Parent Tip: Make up some division problems that dont come out evenly. Make
sure your student can express the answer with a remainder OR with a fraction OR
as a decimal.
3
5R3 5 5.75
4
4 23 4 23 4 23.00
-20 -20 -20
3 3 30
-28
20

19. 4 93 20. 7 414 21. 5 538 22. 6 260

! A. 23.1 ! J. 59 R 1 ! A. 107.6 ! J. 42 R 6
! B. 23.25 ! K. 59 R 7 ! B. 170.6 ! K. 43 R 6
! C. 22.25 ! L. 60 R 1 ! C. 107.5 ! L. 43 R 2
! D. 22.1 ! M. 60 R 7 ! D. 107.25 ! M. 43 R 4

6th Grade Edition 70

 23. 416 12 = 24 336 50 =
1 18
a. 34 a. 6
3 25
2 9
b. 34 b. 6
3 25
1 3
c. 34 c. 6
6 4
1 18
d. 34 d. 7
12 25
Decimals -
Parent Tip: When adding or subtracting decimals, you must make sure that the decimals are
lined up and that you add zeros when necessary.
34.04 + 5.2 + 12.901 154.3 - 63.067
34.040 ! add a zero 154.300 ! add 2 zeros
5.200 ! add 2 zeros -63.067
+12.901

Addition and Subtraction:

25. 8.618 + 5.31 = 26. 15.8 + 14.237 = 27. 6.1 + 1.04 + 3.213 =
! A. 8.607 ! J. 30.837 ! A. 10.533
! B. 8.328 ! K. 30.037 ! B. 9.353
! C. 13.928 ! L. 29.037 ! C. 10.353
! D. 13.649 ! M. 29.837 ! D. 9.533
28. 55.4 - 24.3 = 29. 32.8 - 5.03 = 30. 6.02 - 5.101 =
! J. 79.1 ! A. 27.77 ! J. 1.919
! K. 79.7 ! B. 27.11 ! K 1.909
! L. 31.1 ! C. 37.77 ! L. 0.909
! M. 30.1 ! D. 37.11 ! M. 0.919
Parent When
Tip:Tip:
Parent Whenworking with multiplying
multiplying decimals,
decimals, there must there
be themust
samebeamount
the same amount
of digits of
after
digits after the decimal point in the answer as there are digits after the decimal points
the decimal point in the answer as there are digits after the decimal points in the twoin the
twonumbers
numbersbeing
beingmultiplied.
multiplied.
12.1 !
12.1 "one digitafter
onedigit afterthe
thedecimal
decimalpoint
point
1.02!"two
xx1.02 digitsafter
twodigits afterthe
thedecimal
decimalpoint
point
12.342 " three digits after the decimal
12.342 ! three digits after the decimal point point

6th Grade Edition 71

 Multiplication:
31. 0.5 x 0.3 = 32. 1.02 x 0.1 = 33. 0.3 x 0.15 =
! A. 1.5 ! J. 0.121 ! A. 4.5
! B. 0.8 ! K. 0.102 ! B. 0.45
! C. 0.08 ! L. 0.112 ! C. 0.045
! D. 0.15 ! M. 1.12 ! D. 0.0045

34. 42.8 x 12 = 35. 9.3 x 0.7 = 36. 21.7 x 5.4 =

! J. 513.6 ! A. 6.51 ! J. 10.718
! K. 512.6 ! B. 6.31 ! K. 11.718
! L. 413.6 ! C. 5.81 ! L. 107.18
! M. 412.6 ! D. 5.61 ! M. 117.18

Parent Tip: When dividing with decimals, you must clear the decimal point in the divisor (the
number dividing the other number). To do this, move the decimal point to the right until it is at
the end of the number. Once you have done that, count the number of places you moved it and
move the decimal in the dividend (the number being divided) the same amount of times. Now
divide, moving the decimal point straight up into the quotient (answer).
0.7 2.87 # the divisor, 0.7, has a decimal point and must be moved over to the right one place.
$
7 28.7 # since 0.7 became 7, 2.87 becomes 28.7 by moving the decimal point one place also.
The quotient (answer): 4.1
7 28.7

Division:

37. 1.68 " 4 = 38. 7.42 " 7 = 39. 39.1 " 0.9 =
! A. 0.32 ! J. 1.6 ! A. 43.44
! B. 0.032 ! K. 0.16 ! B. 4.344
! C. 0.42 ! L. 0.106 ! C. 434.4
! D. 4.2 ! M. 1.06 ! D. 0.4344

40. 2.1 " 0.24 = 41. 0.36 " 0.05 = 42. 48 " 0.32 =
! J. 8.75 ! A. 0.72 ! J. 0.150
! K. 87.5 ! B. 7.2 ! K. 1.5
! L. 875 ! C. 72 ! L. 15
! M. 8750 ! D. 720 ! M. 150

6th Grade Edition 72

Fractions
Parent Tip: Remember when adding or subtracting fractions, the denominators
MUST be the same. Once you find the common denominator and change the
fractions, only add or subtract the numerators, leaving the denominator the
same. Note: Always Reduce Your Answer!

Addition and Subtraction:

7 9 43 15 3 6
% & - & % &
43. 5 5 44. 37 37 45. 12 12

2 28 3
1
! A. 5 ! J. 74 ! A. 4
1 28 3
3
! B. 5 ! K. 37 ! B. 12
1 21 1
3 1
! C. 10 ! L. 37 ! C. 2
1 29 18
2
! D. 5 ! M. 37 ! D. 24

3 1 5 5 7 1
- = + = - =
46. 4 5 47. 8 7 48. 8 10

1 19 4
1
! J. 10 ! A. 56 ! J. 9
1 5 39
1
! K. 2 ! B. 56 ! K. 40
2 19 31
! L. 5 ! C. 56 ! L. 40
11 5 1
! M. 20 ! D. 56 ! M. 3

Parent Tip: When multiplying fractions, simply multiply numerators by numerators

and denominators by denominators. Note: Always Reduce Your Answer!

6th Grade Edition 73

Multiplication:

4 3 1 8 1 11
' = ' = ' =
49. 7 5 50. 4 11 51. 5 13

1 8 11
! A. 12 ! J. 15 ! A. 18
7 7 11
! B. 12 ! K. 44 ! B. 65
7 2 2
! C. 35 ! L. 11 ! C. 3
12 3 12
! D. 35 ! M. 5 ! D. 65

5 7 8 21 6 14
' = ' = ' =
52. 9 10 53. 7 2 54. 7 27

7 2 1
3 2
! J. 18 ! A. 9 ! J. 4
12 4
! K. 19 ! B. 12 ! K. 9
2 1 12
2
! L. 3 ! C. 14 ! L. 27
2 2 10
18
! M. 15 ! D. 3 ! M. 17

Parent Tip: When dividing with fractions, multiply the dividend (the first fraction) by the
reciprocal of the divisor (the second fraction). Reciprocal is when you turn the fraction
upside down.
Note: Always Reduce Your Answer!

7 3 7 4 28 7 1
" = # ' = = = 1
8 4 8 3 24 6 6

3 4
the reciprocal of is
4 3

6th Grade Edition 74

Division:
3 1 3 3 7 5
" = " = " =
55. 4 3 56. 8 5 57. 12 4

1 6 7
2
! A. 4 ! J. 13 ! A. 15
1 9 35
! B. 4 ! K. 40 ! B. 48
1 5 3
1
! C. 2 ! L. 8 ! C. 4
1 7 1
2
! D. 2 ! M. 8 ! D. 4

7 7 14 7 9 8
" = " = " =
58. 10 6 59. 15 9 60. 16 3

49 1 72
1
! J. 60 ! A. 9 ! J. 48
3 7 1
1
! K. 5 ! B. 15 ! K. 2
4 1 27
1
! L. 5 ! C. 6 ! L. 128

7 1 1
1
! M. 30 ! D. 5 ! M. 2
Positive and Negative Numbers (Integers)

Parent Tip: Adding numbers with the same signs (both + or both -) keep the sign
the same and just add the numbers " ( 4 % ( 5 & ( 9 . When the signs are different,
keep the sign of the larger number (without looking at the sign) and subtract the
two numbers for the value " 15 % 8 & 7 . Since 15 is greater than 8, your answer is
( (

negative and is the difference between 15 and 8 which is 7.

Addition:
61. 3 + 7 = 62. 23 + 8 = 63. 20 + 40 =
! A. 4 ! J. 31 ! A. 20
! B. 10 ! K. 15 ! B. 60
! C. 10 ! L. 31 ! C. 20
! D. 4 ! M. 15 ! D. 60

6th Grade Edition 75

 ( (
64. 15 % 13 & 65. 43 % 61 & 66. 33 % ( 74 &

! J. 2 ! A. 104 ! J. 107
! K. 2 ! B. 18 ! K. 107
! L. 28 ! C. 18 ! L. 41
! M. 28 ! D. 104 ! M. 41

Parent Tip: The first thing to do with a subtraction problem is change it into an addition
problem. Leave the minuend (the first number) alone, change the subtrahend (the second
number) to its opposite and then add the two numbers applying the addition of integers
rules.
(
13 ( ( 5 & # leave (13 alone, change ( 5 to 5,
( (
now add the two numbers together # 13 % 5 & 8

Subtraction:
( ( (
67. 23 ( 4 & 68. 78 ( 19 & 69. 35 ( ( 35 &

! A. 27 ! J. 97 ! A. 70
! B. 19 ! K. 97 ! B. 70
! C. 19 ! L. 59 ! C. 0
! D. 27 ! M. 59 ! D. 75
(
70. 43 ( (17 & 71. 75 -
-
22 = 72.
(
56 ( 34 &

! J. 60 ! A. 63 ! J. 90
! K. 60 ! B. 63 ! K. 90
! L. 26 ! C. 97 ! L. 22
! M. 26 ! D. 97 ! M. 22

6th Grade Edition 76

 Parent Tip: Multiplying and dividing integers has the same sign rules for the
answers. If you multiply or divide numbers with the same sign, the answer will be
positive.
( ( ( (
5 ' 7 & 35 and 56 " 14 & 4
And if you multiply or divide numbers with different signs, the answer will be
negative.
( ( (
12 ' 4 & 48 and 63 " ( 9 & 7

Multiplication:
(
73. 3' 6 & 74. 14 ' ( 3 & 75.
(
20 ' (15 &

! A. 18 ! J. 42 ! A. 300
! B. 18 ! K. 42 ! B. 300
! C. 24 ! L. 52 ! C. 400
! D. 24 ! M. 52 ! D. 350
( ( (
76. 13 ' 25 & 77. 151 ' 7 & 78. 83 ' 16 &

! J. 350 ! A. 757 ! J. 1228

! K. 350 ! B. 757 ! K. 1328
! L. 325 ! C. 1057 ! L. 1328
! M. 325 ! D. 1057 ! M. 1228
Division:
( ( ( (
79. 125 " 25 & 80. 372 " 3 & 81. 693 " 21 &

! A. 5 ! J. 114 ! A. 33
! B. 5 ! K. 124 ! B. 33
! C. 4 ! L. 123 ! C. 30
! D. 4 ! M. 124 ! D. 30
( (
82. 84 " 3 & 83. 96 " ( 8 & 84. 144 " (12 &

! J. 26 ! A. 11 ! J. 13
! K. 28 ! B. 11 ! K. 13
! L. 28 ! C. 12 ! L. 12
! M. 26 ! D. 12 ! M. 12

6th Grade Edition 77

Practice Skill: NUMBER SENSE
Objective: Students will be able to compare and order fractions, decimals
and mixed numbers.

Parent Tip: When comparing fractions, multiply the numerator (top number) of the first
fraction with the denominator (bottom number) of the second fraction. Then, multiply the
numerator of the second fraction with the denominator of the first fraction. If the first
answer is larger, then the first fraction is lar ger; if the first answer is smaller, then the
first fraction is smaller.
5 4
S in c e 2 5 is le s s th a n 2 8 ,
7 5
5 4 5 4
5 ' 5 & 25; th e n <
7 5 7 5
5 4
; 4 ' 7 =28
7 5

Compare the following fractions:

7 9
1.
8 11 5 1
4.
15 3
a. <
b. = a. <
c. > b. =
c. >
6 12
2.
7 13 13 4
5.
14 5
a. <
b. = a. <
c. > b. =
c. >
8 2
3.
9 3 1 1
6.
3 2
a. <
b. = a. <
c. > b. =
c. >

6th Grade Edition 78

Parent Tip: When comparing decimals, make sure you have the same amount of places after
the decimal point in each number. Then you can compare the numbers much easier.
Example: 0.06 0.056
0.060 0.056
Since 60 is greater than 56, then 0.06 > 0.056

Compare the following decimals:

7. 0.4 # 0.35 10. 0.34 # 0.304

! A. < ! J. <
! B. = ! K. =
! C. > ! L. >

8. 0.07 # 0.6 11. 1.02 # 1.2

! J. < ! A. <
! K. = ! B. =
! L. > ! C. >

9. 0.81 # 0.810 12. 3.15 # 3.150

! A. < ! J. <
! B. = ! K. =
! C. > ! L. >

Parent Tip: Change the mixed numbers into improper fractions and then compare as fractions.
Note: To change a mixed number into an improper fraction,
1 1 multiply the whole number by the denominator and add the
2 2
2 5 numerator:
5 11 1 5
Example - 2 ; (2 ' 2) + 1 = 5 becoming the improper fraction
2 5 2 2

1 1
then cross multiply; 25 > 22; since 25 is greater than 22, then 2 )2
2 5

6th Grade Edition 79

 Compare the following mixed numbers:
1 1 1 2 3 1 3 3
13. 1 1 14. 4 4 15. 3 3 16. 5 5
4 2 5 10 7 2 4 5

a. < a. < a. < a. <

b. = b. = b. = b. =
c. > c. > c. > c. >
Parent Tip: When putting fractions in order, find a common denominator, change all the fractions to
the same common denominator, then put in order by the value of the numerators. With decimals, line up
the decimals, add zeros where needed, then put in order by the new number values.
1 3 3
Example: , , ; the common denominator is 8
2 4 8 Example: 0.04, 0.4, 0.044
4 6 3
, , 0.040 - add one zero
8 8 8 0.400 - add two zeros
0.044
3 1 3
Put in order from least to greatest: , , Put in order from least to greatest: 0.040, 0.044, 0.400
8 2 4

Put in order from least to greatest: Put in order from greatest to least:

17. 0.107, 0.79, 0.45 1 1 1

a. , ,
2 3 4
a. 0.107, 0.79, 0.45 1 1 1
b. 0.79, 0.107, 0.45 b. , ,
c. 0.107, 0.45, 0.79 4 2 3
d. 0.79, 0.45, 0.107 1 1 1
c. , ,
3 4 2
18. 0.1, 0.01, 0.11 1 1 1
d. , ,
4 3 2
a. 0.01, 0.1, 0.11
b. 0.11, 0.1, 0.01
c. 0.01, 0.11, 0.1 20. 1.001, 1.01, 1.002
d. 0.1, 0.11, 0.01
a. 1.01, 1.001, 1.002
1 1 1 b. 1.002, 1.01, 1.001
19. , ,
2 4 3 c. 1.01, 1.002, 1.001
d. 1.001, 1.002, 1.01

21. 0.0303, 0.3, 0.033

a. 0.0303, 0.3, 0.033

b. 0.033, 0.0303, 0.3
c. 0.0303, 0.033, 0.3
d. 0.3, 0.033, 0.0303

6th Grade Edition 80

 7 2 4 7 2 4
22. , , a. , ,
8 3 5 8 3 5
2 4 7
b. , ,
3 5 8
4 7 2
c. , ,
5 8 3
7 4 2
d. , ,
8 5 3
Parent Tip: Make sure the student knows in which order is wanted:
Do they want Least to Greatest? or Do they want Greatest to Least?

6th Grade Edition 81

Practice Skill: NUMBER SENSE

Objective: Students will solve problems involving fractions, ratios, proportions

and percentages.
Parent Tip: When working with any type of word problem, make sure you know
what the question is asking. Once you get your answer, re-read the question and
make sure your answer fits the question!

Fraction Problems:
3 1
1. John worked out at the gym for 3 hours. Jamal worked out for 4 hours. How much
4 2
longer did Jamal work out than John?
1 3
! A. 2 hour ! C. 4 hour
2 1
! B. 3 hour ! D. 6 hour

1
2. Judy, Jose and Barbara all worked at the same book store. Judy worked for 2 hours,
2
2 5
Jose worked for 2 hours and Barbara worked for 2 hours on Saturday. What was the
3 6
total amount of hours they worked Saturday?
5 11
5 7
! J. 6 hours ! L. 12 hours
! K. 6 hours ! M. 8 hours

1
3. One meter of steel wire costs 8 cents. How much would it cost for 12 meters of steel
4
wire?
! A. 84 cents ! C. 90 cents
! B. 96 cents ! D. 99 cents

6th Grade Edition 82

 1
4. Lim practices her trumpet 1 hours per day. After how many days has she spent 24
2
hours practicing?

! J. 24 days ! L. 14 days
! K. 16 days ! M. 30 days

1 1
5. In Ms Johnsons 6th grade class, of the students are in the band club, are in the jump
3 6
1
rope club and are in the chess club. How many of the 30 students in class are not in
5
one of those clubs?
! A. 21 students ! C. 27 students
! B. 9 students ! D. 16 students

5
6. One pound of peanuts costs 96 cents. How much would it cost for pound of peanuts?
8
! J. 50 cents ! L. 60 cents
! K. 65 cents ! M. 75 cents

Parent Tip: a ratio compares one quantity with another and can be expressed
as a fraction, using a division sign or a colon (ratio sign).
3
Example: " 3 " 5 " 3:5 all three represent the same ratio.
5

Write as a ratio:

7. There are 14 boys and 12 girls in the Music Club. What is the ratio of boys to girls?

! A. 14 " 12 ! C. 14 " 26
! B. 12 " 14 ! D. 12 " 26

8. There are 15 dogs and 20 cats in the Pet Store. What is the ratio of cats to dogs?
! J. 20:35 ! L. 20:15
! K. 15:35 ! M. 15:20

6th Grade Edition 83

9. Strawberries are selling at a rate of 98 cents for 2 boxes. What is the ratio of the cost of 6
boxes of strawberries?
6 boxes $2.94
! A. $5.88 ! C. 6 boxes
$5.88 6 boxes
! B. 6 boxes ! D. $2.94

10. Oranges cost $1.25 per dozen. What is the ratio of the cost of 2 dozen oranges?
$2.50 $3.75
! J. 2 dozen ! L. 2 dozen
2 dozen 2 dozen
! K. $2.50 ! M. $3.75

7 12
Parent Tip: A proportion is a statement of two equal ratios: &
8 16
When solving a proportion, you cross product (making an equation) and then you
solve for the unknown.
1 3
n 12 n 12 16n 48
Example: = # # 16n = 48 # = # n=3
4 16 4 16 16 16
(equation) 1 1

Solve the proportions:

n 9 12 x 8 24
& = =
11. 8 24 12. 3 12 13. 5 y

! A. 72 ! J. 48 ! A. 3
! B. 3 ! K. 144 ! B. 40
! C. 24 ! L. 36 ! C. 15
! D. 5 ! M. 4 ! D. 120

2 18 d 3 5 3
= & &
14. p 27 15. 5 4 16. 6 c

! J. 36 ! A. 2 ! J. 3.6
! K. 9 ! B. 2.5 ! K. 4
! L. 3 ! C. 4 ! L. 4.5
! M. 54 ! D. 3.75 ! M. 5

6th Grade Edition 84

Parent Tip: Any time you are working with a percent word problem, you can set it up as
a proportion problem:
% "is"
&
100 "of"
In the proportion " % = the percent number
100 = will always be there, leave it alone
is = the number before the word is goes there
of= the number after the of goes there
Note: one of the three (%,is,of) will be missing, put an n in that place)

n 25
Example: 25 is what percent of 50. " & " 50n = 2500 " n = 50%
100 50
Notice that the %"n, the is"25, the of"50 and the 100 stayed the same.
The answer fits the question.

Find the percent or number:

17. What is 12% of 50? 18. 30 is what percent of 50?
! A. 12 ! J. 25%
! B. 6 ! K. 30%
! C. 25 ! L. 60%
! D. 3 ! M. 50%
19. 10 is 20% of what number? 20. 48 is what percent of 80?
! A. 10 ! J. 40%
! B. 20 ! K. 50%
! C. 30 ! L. 60%
! D. 50 ! M. 80%
21. 24 is 40% of what number? 22. What is 80% of 80?
! A. 6 ! J. 48
! B. 40 ! K. 64
! C. 48 ! L. 72
! D. 60 ! M. 76

6th Grade Edition 85

Practice Skill: NUMBER SENSE
Objective: Students will calculate and solve problems involving addition,
subtraction, multiplication and division of rational numbers.
Parent Tip: The definition of a rational number is any number that can
a
be represented in the form of two integers a and b, b can not be zero.
b

Addition and Subtraction:

Parent Tip: Remember when adding or subtracting rational numbers, the denominators
must be the same and the rules for adding (subtracting) integers also apply.
( (
2 3 8 15 7
% # % &
5 4 20 20 20

( ( ( (
7 3 5 15 3 4
% & ( & % &
1. 5 5 2. 37 37 3. 12 12

4 10 7
! A. 10 ! J. 37 ! A. 12
4 20 1
! B. 5 ! K. 37 ! B. 12
( ( (
4 10 7
! C. 5 ! L. 37 ! C. 12
( ( (
4 20 1
! D. 10 ! M. 37 ! D. 12

( ( ( (
7 2 1 1 3 1
( & + & ( &
4. 15 15 5. 2 3 6. 4 2
(
2 1 ( 1
1
! J. 3 ! A. 6 ! J. 4
( (
2 1 2
! K. 3 ! B. 6 ! K. 3
3 1 1
! L. 5 ! C. 5 ! L. 4
( ( (
3 1 1
! M. 5 ! D. 5 ! M. 4

6th Grade Edition 86

 ( ( ( ( (
3 1 3 1 7 1
% & ( & ( &
7. 8 5 8. 8 3 9. 8 4

(
23 2 5
! A. 40 ! J. 5 ! A. 8
( (
4 2 5
! B. 13 ! K. 5 ! B. 8
( (
23 17 2
! C. 40 ! L. 24 ! C. 3
( (
2 17 2
! D. 13 ! M. 24 ! D. 3

Multiplication:

Parent Tip: When multiplying rational numbers, multiply numerator by numerator

and denominator by denominator.
Remember: Positive x Positive = Positive
Negative x Negative = Positive
Positive x Negative = Negative
Negative x Positive = Negative
( ( (
1 2 1 ' 2 2
' & &
5 3 5 ' 3 15

( ( ( (
3 3 1 3 1 3
' & ' & ' &
10. 7 4 11. 4 11 12. 5 7

(
6 1 3
! J. 11 ! A. 11 ! J. 35
(
6 3 3
! K. 11 ! B. 44 ! K. 35
( (
9 3 2
! L. 28 ! C. 44 ! L. 35
( (
9 4 1
! M. 28 ! D. 15 ! M. 3

6th Grade Edition 87

 ( ( ( (
4 1 8 5 6 2
' & ' & ' &
13. 9 5 14. 7 3 15. 7 3
(
4 ( 19 4
1
! A. 45 ! J. 21 ! A. 7
(
4 19 4
1
! B. 45 ! K. 21 ! B. 7
(
5 ( 3 4
1
! C. 14 ! L. 10 ! C. 5
( (
3 3 4
! D. 4 ! M. 4 ! D. 5

Division:

Parent Tip: When dividing rational numbers, multiply the first fraction by the
reciprocal (turn the fraction upside down) of the second fraction.
( ( ( ( (
2 3 4 3 2 4 8
" , sin c e is th e r e c ip r o c a l o f th e n ; ' &
5 4 3 4 5 3 15

- ( ( (
3 1 3 6 7 5
= " & " &
16. 2 4 17. 8 5 18. 12 4
( (
9 7
(
! J. 6 ! A. 13 ! J. 15
(
5 7
! K. 6 ! B. 16 ! K. 15
( (
3 5 3
! L. 8 ! C. 16 ! L. 4
3 9 3
! M. 8 ! D. 13 ! M. 8

( ( (
7 7 14 7
" & " &
19. 10 6 20. 15 9
(
3 7 ( 1 1
1 1
! A. 5 ! C. 8 ! J. 6 ! L. 5
(
3 7 1 ( 1
1 1
! B. 5 ! D. 8 ! K. 6 ! M. 5

Parent Tip: Remember, always reduce the answers to the lowest term!

6th Grade Edition 88

Practice Skill: ALGEBRA AND FUNCTIONS

Objective: Students will write verbal expressions and sentences as algebraic

expressions and sentences.
Parent Tip: Know what each word is as a symbol, i.e. is " =, the sum " +, the
product " x, etc
Word to symbol list:
Addition (+) Subtraction ( ( ) Multiplication (x) Division ( " )
the sum of the difference of (when) the product of (when) the quotient of (when)
the total of less than times divided by
added to smaller than multiplied by
increased by subtracted from
greater than decreased by
larger than

Write as algebraic expressions:

Parent Tip: Algebraic expressions do not have a mathematical verb, that is, one of the
symbols =, <, or >

1. The product of seven and n 2. Eleven larger than x 3. The quotient when
bis divided by five
! A. 7 + n ! J. x + 11 ! A. b + 5
! B. n - 7 ! K. 11 - x ! B. b - 5
! C. 7n ! L. 11x ! C. 5b
! D. 7 " n ! M. 11 " x ! D. b " 5
4. Twelve less than w 5. The sum of six and g 6. t increased by ten
! J. w + 12 ! A. 6 + g ! J. t + 10
! K. w - 12 ! B. 6 - g ! K. t - 10
! L. 12w ! C. 6g ! L. 10t
! M. 12 " w ! D. 6 " g ! M. t " 10
7. Nine times a 8. Twenty-five divided by d 9. Total of three and p
! A. 9 + a ! J. 25 + d ! A. 3 + p
! B. 9 - a ! K. 25 - d ! B. 3 - p
! C. 9a ! L. 25d ! C. 3p
! D. 9 " a ! M. 25 " d ! D. 3 " p

6th Grade Edition 89

Write as algebraic sentences:

Parent Tip: Algebraic sentences must have a mathematical verb, that is, one of the
symbols =, <, or >
10. Three greater than y is fifteen. 11. Two less than m is eleven.
! J. y + 3 = 15 ! A. m + 2 = 11
! K. y - 3 = 15 ! B. m - 2 = 11
! L. 3y = 15 ! C. 2m = 11
! M. y " 3 = 15 ! D. m " 2 = 11
12. The difference between h and five is thirty. 13. The total of k and forty is sixty.
! J. h + 5 = 30 ! A. k + 40 = 60
! K. h - 5 = 30 ! B. k - 40 = 60
! L. 5h = 30 ! C. 40k = 60
! M. h " 5 = 30 ! D. k " 40 = 60
14. The product of two and x is sixteen. 15. The quotient when eighteen is
divided by g is six.
! J. x + 2 = 16 ! A. 18 + g = 6
! K. x - 2 = 16 ! B. 18 - g = 6
! L. 2x = 16 ! C. 18g = 6
! M. x " 2 = 16 ! D. 18 " g = 6
16. The sum of t and twenty is thirty-four. 17. Fifteen decreased by n is seven.
! J. t + 20 = 34 ! A. 15 + n = 7
! K. t - 20 = 34 ! B. 15 - n = 7
! L. 20t = 34 ! C. 15n = 7
! M. 20 " t = 34 ! D. 15 " n = 7
18. Seventy-five times y is one hundred fifty.
! J. 75 + y = 150
! K. 75 - y = 150
! L. 75y = 150
! M. y " 75 = 150

6th Grade Edition 90

Practice Skill: ALGEBRA AND FUNCTIONS
Objective: Students will evaluate algebraic expressions.
Parent Tip: When evaluating, replace all variables with their numerical value, then
do all the operations you can following the order of operations.
Note: Two or more letters next to each other, or a number and letters next to each
other, means to multiply the values. If a = 2 and b = 3 then 4ab = 4 x 2 x 3 = 24

For problems 1-6, evaluate each expression when x = 3 and y = 5

1. xy 2. y + x 3. 2x - y
! A. 53 ! J. 8 ! A. 8
! B. 15 ! K. 15 ! B. 15
! C. 25 ! L. 2 ! C. 1
! D. 35 ! M. 7 ! D. 7
4. 2y - x 5. 3x + 1 + y 6. xy - 5
! J. 13 ! A. 15 ! J. 13
! K. 22 ! B. 39 ! K. 20
! L. 7 ! C. 14 ! L. 48
! M. 1 ! D. 11 ! M. 10

For problems 7-12, evaluate each expression when a = 2, b = 7 and c = 6.

c
7. 3ab + 6 8. 5ab 9. a + b
! A. 36 ! J. 527 ! A. 10
! B. 18 ! K. 70 ! B. 19
! C. 333 ! L. 14 ! C. 44
! D. 48 ! M. 45 ! D. 4
2b 3c
( b
10. a 11. a 12. 2a + 3b + 4c
! J. 13 ! A. 2 ! J. 43
! K. 6 ! B. 11 ! K. 49
! L. 7 ! C. 3 ! L. 105
! M. 11 ! D. 16 ! M. 24

6th Grade Edition 91

 Practice Skill: ALGEBRA AND FUNCTIONS

Objective: Students will solve simple linear equations.

Addition and subtraction equations; solve for the variable:

Parent Tip: Steps to solve addition and subtraction equations:

A. n + 2 = 4 B. n - 2 = 4
n + 2 - 2 = 4 - 2 " subtract 2 from both sides n - 2 + 2 = 4 + 2 " add 2 to both sides
n + 0 = 2 n +0 = 6
n = 2 n = 6

1. a + 3 = 11 2. b ( 10 = 1 3. c + 2 = 6

! A. 10 ! J. 8 ! A. 2
! B. 9 ! K. 11 ! B. 4
! C. 8 ! L. 9 ! C. 8
! D. 14 ! M. 7 ! D. 10

4. d ( 14 = 3 5. 18 + h = 37 6. m ( 46 = 58

! J. 17 ! A. 9 ! J. 11
! K. 16 ! B. 55 ! K. 12
! L. 11 ! C. 18 ! L. 104
! M. 10 ! D. 19 ! M. 102

7. 39.2 + n = 56.3 8. p ( 3.33 = 6.67 9. q + 84.32 = 100

! A. 95.5 ! J. 3.34 ! A. 15.68

! B. 85.5 ! K. 9 ! B. 26.78
! C. 27.1 ! L. 10 ! C. 184.32
! D. 17.1 ! M. 11 ! D. 174.32

6th Grade Edition 92

Multiplication equations; solve for the variable:

Parent Tips: Steps to solve multiplication equations:

2n = 4
2n 4
& " divide both sides by 2
2 2
n = 2

10. 5a = 35 11. 12b = 144 12. 28c = 7

! J. 175 ! A. 24 ! J. 4
1
! K. 7 ! B. 11 ! K. 4
1
! L. 5 ! C. 12 ! L. 2
! M. 140 ! D. 1444 ! M. 2

13. 10.4d = 5.2 14. 1.4f = 7 15. 3.2g = 320

! A. 2.5 ! J. 4 ! A. 100
! B. 0.5 ! K. 5.6 ! B. 10
! C. 0.25 ! L. 0.5 ! C. 0.1
! D. 5 ! M. 5 ! D. 0.01

16. 46h = 2 17. 23k = 1 18. 52m = 52

1
! J. 23 ! A 1 ! J. 0
1
! K. 276 ! B. 23 ! K. 23
1
! L. 40 ! C. 23 ! L. 1
1
! M. 1 ! D. 22 ! M. 20

6th Grade Edition 93

Division equations; solve for the variable:

Parent Tips: Steps to solve division equations:

n
& 4
2
n
(2) & 4 (2) " multiply both sides by 2
2
n = 8

a b c
19. 5 = 6 20. 6 = 24 21. 15 = 15

! A. 30 ! J. 12 ! A. 15
! B. 35 ! K. 4 ! B. 125
! C. 4 ! L. 144 ! C. 225
! D. 3 ! M. 168 ! D. 1

n p q
22. 0.4 = 8 23. 0.12 = 4.1 24. 1.25 = 0.04

! J. 0.32 ! A. 4.92 ! J. 50
! K. 3.2 ! B. 0.492 ! K. 5
! L. 32 ! C. 4.92 ! L. 0.5
! M. 320 ! D. 492 ! M. 0.05

r s t
25. 2 = 0.4 26. 3 = 0.06 27. 4 = 0.04

! A. 0.8 ! J. 0.2 ! A. 0.3

! B. 0.2 ! K. 0.02 ! B. 0.12
! C. 2 ! L. 0.12 ! C. 0.16
! D. 8 ! M. 0.18 ! D. 0.01

6th Grade Edition 94

Practice Skill: ALGEBRA AND FUNCTIONS
Objective: Students will analyze and use tables, graphs, and rules to solve
problems involving rates and proportions.
One Day Sales of the Down Home Market (in dollars)
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Product Grocery Meat Dairy

Use the graph above to answer questions 1 4:

1. What were the sales in meat for the day? 2. What were the total sales of all departments?
! A. $500 ! C. $800 ! J. $1600 ! L. $2000
! B. $700 ! D. $400 ! K. $1900 ! M. $2400
3. What percent of the total sales were dairy? 4. What percent of the total sales were product
and grocery?
! A. 60% ! C. 33. 3 % ! J. 50% ! L. 70%
! B. 66. 6 % ! D. 16. 6 % ! K. 60% ! M. 80%

Use the information below to answer questions 5 7:

At the Express Airport Parking lot, the rate for parking is $3.00 for the first hour and $2.00
for each additional hour or any part of an hour. The maximum cost for one day (24 hrs) is
$20.00.

5. How much would it cost to park for 6 hrs? 6. How much would it cost to park of 3 hrs?
! A. $12.00 ! C. $15.00 ! J. $6.00 ! L. $9.00
! B. $13.00 ! D. $18.00 ! K. $8.00 ! M. $10.00

7. How much would it cost to park for 24 hrs?

! A. $15.00 ! C. $40.00
! B. $20.00 ! D. $49.00

6th Grade Edition 95

 Population Growth of Elm City

Year 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990
Population 3,000 4,500 5,000 6,000 7,500 8,500 12,000 15,000 17,000 20,000

Use the chart above to answer questions 8 11:

8. Between which ten-year period did Elm City grow the most?

! J. 1910 - 1920 ! L. 1950 - 1960

! K. 1930 - 1940 ! M. 1970 - 1980

9. Between which ten-year period did Elm City grow the least?

! A. 1910 - 1920 ! C. 1950 - 1960

! B. 1930 - 1940 ! D. 1970 - 1980

10. What was the percent of increase in the population from 1900 - 1930 in Elm City?

! J. 60% ! L. 100%
! K. 80% ! M. 120%

11. Which 2 ten-year periods had the same growth rate in Elm City?

! A. 1900-1910 and 1920-1930 ! C. 1920-1930 and 1950-1960

! B. 1900-1910 and 1930-1940 ! D. 1940-1950 and 1980-1990

6th Grade Edition 96

Practice Skill: ALGEBRA AND FUNCTIONS

Objective: Students will investigate geometric patterns and describe them

algebraically.

Parent Tip: When working with geometric patterns, look at the number of objects in
the figure and try to relate that number to the position of the figure. This way you can
let the algebraic formula relate to the figure location.

Example:

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

(2 circles) (4 circles) (6 circles)

Since figure 1 has 2 circles, figure 2 has 4 circles, and figure 3 has 6 circles, a pattern
can be established based on the figure number (position). Let n = the figure number,
and the algebraic formula would be 2n = the number of circles in that figure, so the
10th figure would have 20 circles.

Use the following figures to answer questions 1 and 2:

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5

1. Which describes the geometric pattern algebraically to determine the number of squares
in the figure? (n = the figure number)

! A. n + 2 ! C. n "2
! B. n2 ! D. n + n

2. How many squares will there be in the 10th figure?

! J. 64 ! L. 100
! K. 81 ! M. 121

6th Grade Edition 97

 Use the following figures to answer questions 3 and 4:

figure 1 figure 2 figure 3 figure 4

3. Which describes the geometric pattern algebraically to determine the number of triangles
in the figure? (n = the figure number)

! A. n + (n - 1) ! C. n2
! B. n + n ! D. n + (n + 1)

4. How many triangles will there be in the 7th figure?

! J. 15 ! L. 13
! K. 20 ! M. 12

Use the following figures to answer questions 5 and 6:

figure 1 figure 2 figure 3 figure 4

5. Which describes the geometric pattern algebraically to determine the number of dots in
the figure? (n = the figure number)

! A. n + (n - 1) ! C. n2 + n
n+n (n) (n + 1)
! B. 2 ! D. 2

6. How many circles will there be in the 8th figure?

! J. 8 ! L. 36
! K. 15 ! M. 72

6th Grade Edition 98

Practice Skill: MEASUREMENT AND GEOMETRY
Objective: Students will deepen their understanding of plane and solid shapes
and use this understanding to solve problems.

Parent Tip: If you are working with unusual geometric shapes, break them
into commonly known shapes.

Example:
A=19 2 A=4 2
5 5 A=15 +
2 " 2

3 3
To find the area of the figure, divide the figure into two rectangles, find
their areas and add them together.

Before we start this cluster, it is important to review some of the definitions and formulas
that need to be used to be successful:
Definitions:
Perimeter of a polygon the distance around the figure; in other words, add up all the
measurements of the sides.
Area of a polygon the number of square units inside the polygon.

Formulas:
b*h
Area of a Triangle A = Area of a Circle A = +r2
2
Area of a Square A = b * h Area of a Rectangle A = b * h
Area of a Rhombus A = b * h Area of a Parallelogram A = b * h
(b % b ) h
Area of a Trapezoid A = 1 2 Circumference of a Circle C = + d
2

Use the following figure to answer questions 1-2:

1. Find the perimeter of the figure.

3 5
! A. 13 ! C. 18
! B. 16 ! D. 20

4 2. Find the area of the figure.

4 ! J. 18 ! L. 31
! K. 22 ! M. 35

6th Grade Edition 99

Use the following figure to answer questions 3-4:

3. Find the perimeter of the figure.

! A. 13 ! C. 18
3 3 ! B. 16 ! D. 20
1
4. Find the area of the figure.
1 1
! J. 14 ! L. 15
2 2 ! K. 15 ! M. 18

Use the following figure to answer questions 5-6:

5. Find the perimeter of the figure.

( use + = 3.14)

4 ! A. 16.28 ! C. 28.28
! B. 22.28 ! D. 22.56

6. Find the area of the figure.

6 ( use + = 3.14)
! J. 22.28 ! L. 32.28
! K. 30.28 ! M. 36.28

Use the following figure to answer question 7:

r=1 7. Find the shaded area of

the circle. (use + = 3.14)

! A. 9.42 ! C. 15.7
! B. 12.56 ! D. 3.14

r=2

6th Grade Edition 100

 Parent Tip: When we are working with solid shapes, they are prisms and
pyramids.
Prism a three-dimensional figure that has two bases.

Pyramid a three-dimensional figure with one base.

Definitions:
Base the polygons in a prism that are the same shape opposite each other.
Their bases name prisms and pyramids, i.e. a triangular prism has 2 triangle
bases.
Height the height of a prism is the distance between the 2 bases, and the height of a
pyramid is the distance between the point and the base.
Volume the volume of a solid figure is the number of cubic units inside.

Formulas:
Volume of a Prism V = Bh (B = the base area)
1
Volume of a Pyramid V = Bh (B = the base area)
3
Base Area the area of the base. Use the area formulas for polygons to get the base area.

8. Find the volume. 9. Find the volume. (use + = 3.14)

! J. 16 ! A. 14
! K. 64 ! B. 28
! L. 48 4 ! C. 21.98 7
! M. 24 4 ! D. 43.98 2
4

10. Find the volume. 11. Find the volume.

! J. 36 ! A. 14 6
! K. 48 ! B. 28
! L. 72 3 ! C. 32
! M. 78 6 ! D. 64 4
4 4

6th Grade Edition 101

 12. Find the volume. (use + = 3.14) 13. Find the volume. (B = 10)

! J. 15 5 ! A. 8 6
! K. 15.42 ! B. 12
! L. 94.2 3 ! C. 16
! M. 47.1 ! D. 20

Parent Tip: When working with surface area, you need to find all the areas of all the faces
(flat surfaces) of the prism. The area formulas are used, so make sure you revisit them.

Example: There are two faces 2 x 5

(front and back)
2
3 3 There are two faces 2 x 3
5 (the two sides)

2 x (2 x 5) = 20
2 x (2 x 3) = 12 There are two faces 3 x 5
+ 2 x (3 x 5) = 30 (top and bottom)
62

14. Find the surface area. 15. Find the surface area.

! J. 60 ! A. 216
! K. 84 ! B. 240
! L. 96 ! C. 360
! M. 112 10 ! D. 400 5 5
2 12
4
3 6

6th Grade Edition 102

Practice Skill: MEASUREMENT AND GEOMETRY
Objective: Students will identify and describe the properties of two-
dimensional figures.
Parent tip: Three important strategies will help your child to be successful in
geometry: understanding of the definitions, conceptualizing the figures in
his/her mind, and knowing that each figure has formulas related to it.

Definitions: Quadrilaterals
(4-sided polygons)

Trapezoid
(4-sides, only 1 pair of parallel sides)

Parallelogram
(4-sides, 2 pairs of parallel sides, opposite sides equal)

Rectangle Rhombus
(4-sides, 2 pairs of parallel sides, (4-sides, 2 pairs of parallel sides,
opposite sides equal, 4 right angles) all sides equal)

Square
(4-sides, 2 pair of parallel sides, opposite sides equal, 4 right angles)
Identify the type of quadrilateral:
1. A quadrilateral with only one pair 2. A quadrilateral with all sides equal
of parallel sides is called a(n) ?? . and all angles equal is called a(n) ?? .

! A. pentagon ! J. pentagon
! B. square ! K. square
! C. parallelogram ! L. parallelogram
! D. trapezoid ! M. trapezoid
3. A quadrilateral with all sides equal 4. A quadrilateral with all right angles
is called a(n) ?? . is called a(n) ?? .

! A. pentagon ! J. pentagon
! B. rhombus ! K. rhombus
! C. rectangle ! L. rectangle
! D. trapezoid ! M. trapezoid

6th Grade Edition 103

 Parent Tip: Polygons are identified by the number of sides each has. The first part of the
word will tell you what kind of polygon it is. A pentagon has 5-sides (penta- means 5),
hexagon has 6-sides (hexa- means 6), heptagon has 7-sides (hepta- means 7) and octagon
has 8-sides (octa- means 8)

Identify the type of polygon:

5. Polygons with four sides are called ?? . 6. Polygons with five sides are called ?? .

! A. triangles ! J. triangles
! B. quadrilaterals ! K. quadrilaterals
! C. pentagons ! L. pentagons
! D. hexagons ! M. hexagons

7. Polygons with six sides are called ?? . 8. Polygons with eight sides are called ?? .

! A. pentagons ! J. pentagons
! B. hexagons ! K. hexagons
! C. heptagons ! L. heptagons
! D. octagons ! M. octagons

Definitions: Triangles
(3-sided polygon)

Classify by Sides Classify by Angles

1. Scalene Triangle no sides equal 1. Acute Triangle all angles are acute
(less than 90o )
2. Isosceles Triangle with two equal sides 2. Obtuse Triangle has an obtuse angle
3. Equilateral Triangle all sides equal (greater than 90o and less than 180o )
3. Right Triangle has a right angle ( 90o )

Classify the following triangles:

o o
9. A triangle with a 90 angle 10. A triangle with all angles less than 90
is called a(n) ?? . is called a(n) ?? .

! A. acute triangle ! J. acute triangle

! B. obtuse triangle ! K. obtuse triangle
! C. right triangle ! L. right triangle

6th Grade Edition 104

11. A triangle with an angle 12. A triangle with all sides the same
o
greater than 90 is called a(n) ?? . measurements is called a(n) ?? .

! A. acute triangle ! J. scalene triangle

! B. obtuse triangle ! K. isosceles triangle
! C. right triangle ! L. equilateral triangle

13. A triangle with all sides different 14. A triangle with only two sides measurements is
called a(n) ?? . the same measurement is called a(n) ?? .

! A. scalene triangle ! J. scalene triangle

! B. isosceles triangle ! K. isosceles triangle
! C. equilateral triangle ! L. equilateral triangle

6th Grade Edition 105

 Practice Skill: MEASUREMENT AND GEOMETRY
Objective: Students will identify angles and use properties of angles to solve
problems for unknown angles.
Parent Tip: The definitions of the different types of angles are based on
their location to one another and their measurement.
Definitions:

Vertical Angles a
angles formed by two intersecting lines ,a = ,b b
that are across the vertex. The angles are equal.

Adjacent Angles
two angles that share the same vertex
and a common ray. ,c and ,d c
are adjacent angles. d

Complementary Angles
two angles with measurements that add up to 90o .

,e and ,f are complementary angles. e

f

Supplementary Angles
two angles with measurements that add up to 180o

,g and ,h are supplementary angles.

g h
Use the following figure to answer questions 1-4:
p

1 2 m
5 3
line m is parallel to line n 4

6 7 n
8 9

1. Which two angles are adjacent angles? 2. Which two angles are complementary angles?

! A. ,1 and ,5 ! C. ,6 and ,9 ! J. ,1 and ,5 ! L. ,4 and ,5

! B. ,2 and ,5 ! D. ,7 and ,8 ! K. ,2 and ,5 ! M. ,4 and ,3

6th Grade Edition 106

3. Which two angles are supplementary angles? 4. Which two angles are vertical angles?

! A. ,1 and ,3 ! C. ,4 and ,5 ! J. ,6 and ,7 ! L. ,9 and ,7

! B. ,1 and ,5 ! D. ,4 and ,3 ! K. ,6 and ,9 ! M. ,9 and ,8

Parent Tip: The sum of all three angles in a triangle is 180-.

Use the following figure to answer questions 5-10:

p

1 2 m
5 3
line m is parallel to line n 4

6 7 n
8 9

Find the measurement of the angles: ( m,5 reads the measure of angle 5)

5. If the m,5 = 35o , 6. If the m,4 = 45o , 7. If the m,1 = 120o ,

what is the m,2 ? what is the m,7 ? what is the m,2 ?

! A. 35o ! J. 35o ! A. 20o

! B. 45o ! K. 45o ! B. 40o
! C. 55o ! L. 55o ! C. 60o
! D. 65o ! M. 65o ! D. 80o

8. If the m,8 = 115o , 9. If the m,7 = 60o , 10. If the m,2 = 40o ,
what is the m,6 ? what is the m,4 ? what is the m,4 ?

! J. 55o ! A. 20o ! J. 50o

! K. 60o ! B. 30o ! K. 60o
! L. 65o ! C. 40o ! L. 70o
! M. 75o ! D. 50o ! M. 80o

6th Grade Edition 107

 Parent Tip: The sum of all three angles in a triangle is 180o , so if you know two of the
measurements of the angles you can solve for the third. In all parallelograms, rhombuses,
rectangles and squares, the sum of all four angles is 360o , opposite angles are equal, and
adjacent angles are supplementary.

Find the measurement of the angle:

11. What is the m,B and m,C ? A

! A. 25o .ABC is an isosceles triangle.

! B. 35o 110 o
AB = AC
! C. 70o
! D. 80o

B C
Find the measurement of the angle:
12. What is the m,G ? E

! J. 53o 37o .EFG is a right triangle.

! K. 63o
! L. 143o
! M. 153o

F G

13. In parallelogram HIJK, if m,J = 130o ,

what is the m,H ?
H I
! A. 50 o

! B. 90o
! C. 130o
! D. 150o 130o
K J

14. In rhombus LMNO, if m,M = 75o ,

what is the m,L ?
L M
! J. 75 o o
75
! K. 85o
! L. 95o
! M. 105o O N

6th Grade Edition 108

Practice Skill: STATISTICS, DATA ANALYSIS AND PROBABILITY

Objective: Students will compute and analyze statistical measurement for

data sets.
Parent Tip: The first thing that you do when working with data is put the data in order
(least to greatest) if it isnt.

Definitions:

Range the difference between the largest data and the smallest
Mean the sum of all the data divide by the number of data
Median the middle of the data
Mode the most occurring data and there can be more than 1 mode in data

Example: (12, 18, 1812, 28, 22, 10) " put in order " (10, 12, 12, 18, 18, 22, 28)
10 + 12 + 12 + 18 + 18 + 22 + 28 1
Range " 28 10 = 18 Mean " = 17
7 7
Median " 18 Mode " 12 and 18

Use the set of data to answer questions 1-4:

( 0, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6)
1. Find the range. 2. Find the mean. 3. Find the median. 4. Find the mode.

! A. 3 ! J. 2 ! A. 2 ! J. 1
! B. 4 ! K. 2.25 ! B. 3 ! K. 2
! C. 5 ! L. 3 ! C. 4 ! L. 5
! D. 6 ! M. 3.25 ! D. 5 ! M. 6

Use the set of data to answer questions 5-8:

( 3.6, 3.6, 1.4, 2.8, 2.4, 4.2, 3.3, 5.7)

5. Find the range. 6. Find the mean. 7. Find the median. 8. Find the mode.

! A. 4 ! J. 3.125 ! A. 3.3 ! J. 2.8

! B. 4.2 ! K. 3.225 ! B. 3.45 ! K. 3.3
! C. 4.3 ! L. 3.375 ! C. 3.55 ! L. 4.2
! D. 5.7 ! M. 3.875 ! D. 3.6 ! M. 3.6

6th Grade Edition 109

 Parent Tip: There are two important terms that are used in the next section: Outliers a
part of the data that is much higher or lower than the rest of the data, and Central
Tendency what is happening to the center of a set of data. The mean, median and mode
are ways of locating the center.

Use the following set of data to answer questions 9-10:

(0, 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 20)
9. Which piece of data is the outlier? 10. How does the outlier effect the mean?

! A. 1 ! J. decreases it
! B. 2 ! K. increases it
! C. 3 ! L. no effect on it
! D. 20

Use the following set of data to answer questions 11-12:

(1, 29, 30, 30, 31, 33)

11. Which piece of data is the outlier? 12. How does the outlier effect the mean?

! A. 1 ! J. decreases it
! B. 29 ! K. increases it
! C. 30 ! L. no effect on it
! D. 33

6th Grade Edition 110

Practice Skill: STATISTICS, DATA ANALYSIS AND PROBABILITY
Objective: Students will use data samples of a population and describe the
characteristics and limitations of the sample.

Parent Tip: There are two types of samples:

Representative Sample a sample selected from a population with the same

characteristics as the target group.

Random Sample a sample where each selection has an equal chance of being
included.
What type of sample:

1. You want to find out how many students like your schools cafeteria food. You
survey 30 students entering the cafeteria for lunch.

! A. representative sample
! B. random sample

2. You want to find out how many students would like an after school sports program.
You survey 50 students during recess.

! J. representative sample
! K. random sample

3. You want to find out how many girls in 5th grade want to start a jump rope club. You
go to one of the three 5th grade classes and survey the girls.

! A. representative sample
! B. random sample

4. You want to find out the average hours spent on homework each day. You survey 50
students at lunch.

! J. representative sample
! K. random sample

6th Grade Edition 111

 Parent Tip: Biased questions are unfair, or lead you to a specific conclusion.

Fair and Biased Questions:

5. Do you prefer country or rock music?

! A. fair question ! B. biased question

6. Do you like warm, comfortable, well-fitting shoes or stiff, hard boots?

! J. fair question ! K. biased question

7. Do you prefer running a mile on a hot, humid day or sitting under a giant shade tree ?

! A. fair question ! B. biased question

8. Do you like the color red or blue better ?

! J. fair question ! K. biased question

9. Do you prefer cake or pie?

! A. fair question ! B. biased question

10. Would you rather have a longer recess or a harder, longer, essay science test?

! J. fair question ! K. biased question

6th Grade Edition 112

Practice Skill: STATISTICS, DATA ANALYSIS AND PROBABILITY

Objective: Students will determine theoretical and experimental probabilities

and use them to make predictions about events.

Parent Tip: Probability is a ratio (fraction) where the numerator (top number) represents the
favorable outcome (wanted results) and the denominator (bottom number) represents the total
outcome (every possible result).

4 1
Example: The probability of drawing a queen from a deck of cards " p (queen) = =
52 13
The numerator 4 represents the number of queens in the deck (favorable outcomes).
The denominator 52 represents the number of cards in the deck (total outcomes).

Use the following cards to answer questions 1-6:

3 3 1 2 7 3

4 7 5 6 1 4

If a card is picked from the cards above, find each probability:

1. p(3) = 2. p(6) = 3. p(1) =

1 3 1
! A. ! J. ! A.
12 4 6
1 2 1
! B. ! K. ! B.
3 3 4
1 1 2
! C. ! L. ! C.
4 12 3
1 1 3
! D. ! M. ! D.
6 6 4

6th Grade Edition 113

4. p(3 or 4) = 5. p(4,5 or 6) = 6. p(1,2 or 3) =

1 1 1
! J. ! A. ! J.
4 6 2
5 1 1
! K. ! B. ! K.
12 4 4
1 1 1
! L. ! C. ! L.
6 2 3
1 1 1
! M. ! D. ! M.
12 3 6

A bag contains 3 orange marbles, 2 blue marbles, 5 yellow marbles and 4 red marbles.

Find each probability of getting the colored marbles:

7. p(orange) = 8. p(blue) = 9. p(yellow) =

1 2 1
! A. ! J. ! A.
7 7 7
3 1 2
! B. ! K. ! B.
14 7 7
5 5 3
! C. ! L. ! C.
14 14 14
2 3 5
! D. ! M. ! D.
7 14 14

10. p(blue or yellow) = 11. p(yellow or red) = 12. p(blue, yellow or red) =

1 1 11
! J. ! A. ! J.
7 14 14
2 3 9
! K. ! B. ! K.
7 14 14
1 5 5
! L. ! C. ! L.
14 14 14
1 9 5
! M. ! D. ! M.
2 14 7

6th Grade Edition 114

Parent Tip: To determine the probability of an outcome with two independent events, such
as a coin and a die, multiply the probability of one event with the probability of the other.

Example: Using a die and a coin, what is the probability of heads on the coin and 3 dots on
the die?
1 1 1 1 1
p(heads) = and p(3 dots) = " p(heads and 3dots) = x =
2 6 2 6 12

Suppose you flip 2 coins, find the probability:

13. p(heads and tails) = 14. p(2 heads) = 15. p(2 tails) =

3 3 3
! A. ! J. ! A.
4 4 4
1 1 1
! B. ! K. ! B.
2 2 2
1 1 1
! C. ! L. ! C.
4 4 4
! D. 1 ! M. 1 ! D. 1

Suppose you roll a pair of dice, find the probability that the sum is:

16. p(8) = 17. p(10) = 18. p(2) =

5 5 1
! J. ! A. ! J.
36 36 36
7 7 1
! K. ! B. ! K.
36 36 24
1 1 1
! L. ! C. ! L.
9 9 9
1 1 1
! M. ! D. ! M.
12 12 12

Parent Tip: When using an experimental probability, you base the probability on data
you have collected and used that data to predict outcome.
th
6 Grade Edition 115
You were asked to survey the students at your school to find out how they get home from
school each day. You asked 50 students as they were leaving campus how they got home. 8
students walked home, 25 students carpooled, 10 students took the bus and 7 students rode
their bikes. What is the probability that the next student asked:

19. will carpool? 20. will take the bus? 21. will walk?

1 1 1
! A. ! J. ! A.
5 5 5
1 1 1
! B. ! K. ! B.
2 2 2
7 7 7
! C. ! L. ! C.
50 50 50
4 4 4
! D. ! M. ! D.
25 25 25

6th Grade Edition 116

Practice Skill: MATHEMATICAL REASONING
Objective: Students will make decisions about how to approach problems.

Parent Tips: Many times word problems provide either insufficient information (not
enough information to solve the problem) or too much information (thereby deliberately
confusing the student). Make sure you read the problem carefully and analyze the
information needed to solve the problem.

Too Little or Too Much - Read each of the following problems and decide if the information
is too little (cant solve) or too much (but can solve).

1. At age 9, Stacy was 130 cm tall. She has a sister and two brothers. By the age of 14, she
was 158 cm tall. How much had she grown in 5 years?

! A. Too Little ! B. Too Much

2. Stella gets paid $12.00 per hour and overtime for every hour over 40 hours in a week. If
she works 43 hours in 1 week, how much money did she make?

! J. Too Little ! K. Too Much

3. Wilson has several pets. If he bought 3 more fish and sold one of his birds, how many
pets does he now have?

! A. Too Little ! B. Too Much

4. Maria has a stamp collection with 315 stamps. She bought a package of assorted stamps
of the world. She gave half of the package to her friend. How large is her stamp collection
now?

! J. Too Little ! K. Too Much

5. A new car averages 20 miles to the gallon of gas. The owner has one week to test drive
the car and is going on a 5 day, 1000-mile trip. If she leaves on a Tuesday and drives 7 hours
a day, how many gallons of gas will she use?

! A. Too Little ! B. Too Much

1 1
6. In Ms. Takes class, of her class earned As, of her class earned Bs and the rest of
4 3
her class earned Cs, Ds and Fs. How many students earned Cs?

! J. Too Little ! K. Too Much

Parent Tip: When solving a problem, you need to know what to do (mathematically)
with the information. Sometimes you might have to add, then divide, and finally
6th multiply
Grade Edition 117
the number to get the answers. Knowing the proper sequence of operations is
important.
In the following problems, choose the best order to do the operations:

7. Jennifer earned, in the last 5 weeks, $18, $14, $20, $25 and $17. What was her weekly
average earnings?

! A. add, then multiply

! B. multiply, then subtract
! C. add, then divide
! D. multiply, then divide

8. The area of a rectangle is 35 cm 2 . The height of the rectangle is 7 cm. What is the
perimeter of the rectangle?

! J. divide, then add

! K. multiply, then divide
! L. divide, then subtract
! M. subtract, then multiply

9. Henry went to the store and bought 5 items. They cost $1.49, $3.99, $2.25, $1.79 and
$4.98. He gave the clerk a $20 bill. How much change did he get back?

! A. add, then divide

! B. multiply, then divide
! C. divide, then subtract
! D. add, then subtract

10. At the library book sale, paperback books were 3 for $1.00 and hardcover books were
2 for $3.00. What was the cost of 9 paperbacks and 6 hardcovers?

! J. subtract, then divide

! K. multiply, then add
! L. divide, then subtract
! M. multiply, then subtract

6th Grade Edition 118

Practice Skill: MATHEMATICAL REASONING

Objective: Students will use strategies, skills and concepts in finding

solutions.

Parent Tip: Here are 6 strategies used in solving word problems:

Make a Table (chart) put your information in row and columns
Draw a Diagram pictures really help in solving problems
Work Backwards start with the end result, work toward the beginning
Logical Reasoning use common sense
Guess and Test try some numbers in the problem, see if they work
Look for a Pattern see if things are repeated

Choose the Best Strategy:

1. Waysville is 40 miles from Maysville. Staysville is 25 miles form Waysville. How far
could Staysville be from Maysville?

! A. look for a pattern

! B. work backwards
! C. guess and test
! D. logical reasoning

2. Arman climbed a set of stairs and stopped at the middle step. From there, he walked
down 3 steps, up 5 steps, down 4 steps and up 7 steps. He was at the top of the stairs, how
many steps are in the set of stairs?

! J. look for a pattern

! K. work backwards
! L. draw a diagram
! M. make a table

3. Albert works at the student store after school. Nancy bought one $1.35 item. She gave
Albert $2.00. How many ways could he make $0.65 in change without using pennies?

! A. look for a pattern

! B. work backwards
! C. draw a diagram
! D. make a table

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4. What two integers have a sum of ( 9 and a product of 45?

! J. guess and test

! K. make a table
! L. draw a diagram
! M. look for a pattern

5. It takes 4 minutes to make one cut through a board. How long will it take to cut a 12-ft.
board into four equal pieces?

! A. guess and test

! B. make a table
! C. draw a diagram
! D. look for a pattern

6. Joseph and some friends are going to dinner and a movie. The movie starts at 8:00 PM. It
will take 30 minutes to pick up his friends, 45 minutes to eat and they want to get to the
theater 15 minutes before the movie. What time should Joseph leave his home?

! J. look for a pattern

! K. work backwards
! L. guess and test
! M. logical reasoning

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 MATH ANSWER KEY
Number 41. B Number 14. L 6. J
Sense 42. M Sense 15. D 7. C
(Computation 43. B (Compare/Order 16. J 8. M
Skills) Fractions)
44. K 17. B 9. A
1. B 1. C
45. A 18. L 10. J
2. K 2. J
46. M 19. D 11. B
3. C 3. C
47. A 20. L 12. K
4. M 4. K
48. L 21. D 13. A
5. B 5. C
49. D 22. K 14. L
6. J 6. J
50. L 15. D
7. D 7. C
51. B Number 16. J
8. L 8. J
52. J Sense 17. B
9. D 9. B (Rational Numbers)
53. B 18. L
10. K 10. L 1. B
54. K
11. B 11. A 2. M
55. A Algebra and
12. J 12. K 3. C
56. L Functions
13. A 13. A 4. L (Evaluate
57. A
14. K 14. K 5. B Algebraic
58. K Expressions)
15. D 15. A 6. M
59. D 1. B
16. L 16. L 7. C
60. L 2. J
17. C 17. C 8. L
61. B 3. C
18. M 18. J 9. A
62. J 4. L
19. B 19. D 10. L
63. D 5. A
20. J 20. L 11. B
64. J 6. M
21. A 21. D 12. J
65. C 7. D
22. L 22. M 13. B
66. L 8. K
23. B 14. J
67. A 9. A
24. J Number 15. B
68. K 10. L
25. C Sense 16. J
69. C (Fraction, Ratio, 11. A
26. K 17. C
70. L Proportions, 12. K
27. C Percent) 18. J
71. D
28. L 1. C 19. A
72. J Algebra and
29. A 2. M 20. M
73. B Functions
30. M 3. D
74. J (Solve Linear
31. D 4. K Algebra and Equations)
75. B
32. K 5. B Functions 1. C
76. M
33. C 6. L (Verbal 2. K
77. D Expressions to
34. J 7. A 3. B
78. L Algebraic
35. A 8. L Expressions) 4. J
79. A
36. M 9. C 1. C 5. D
80. M
37. C 10. J 2. J 6. L
81. B
38. M 11. B 3. D 7. D
82. L
39. A 12. J 4. K 8. L
83. D
40. J 13. C 5. A 9. A
84. M

6th Grade Edition 121

10. K Algebra and 7. B 5. C 10. M
11. C Functions 8. M 6. L 11. D
12. K (Patterns) 9. C 7. B 12. J
13. B 1. B 10. J 8. M 13. C
14. M 2. L 11. B 9. D 14. L
15. A 3. A 12. L 10. K 15. C
16. J 4. L 13. A 11. A 16. J
17. C 5. D 14. K 12. J 17. D
18. L 6. L 18. J
19. A Measurement Statistics, 19. B
20. L Measurement and Data 20. J
21. C and Geometry Analysis, and 21. D
22. K Geometry (Identifying Probability
(planes and solids) Angles) (Samples)
23. B Math
1. D 1. A 1. A
24. M Reasoning
2. K 2. L 2. K (Approach
25. A
3. C 3. B 3. A Problems)
26. M
4. J 4. K 4. K 1. B
27. C
5. B 5. A 5. A 2. J
6. K 6. K 6. K 3. A
Algebra and
7. A 7. C 7. B 4. J
Functions
(Tables/Graphs) 8. K 8. L 8. J 5. B
1. C 9. C 9. B 9. A 6. J
2. M 10. J 10. J 10. K 7. C
3. D 11. D 11. B 8. J
4. J 12. M 12. J Statistics, 9. D
5. B 13. D 13. C Data 10. K
6. L 14. J 14. M Analysis, and
7. B Probability Math
8. L Measure and Statistics, (Probability) Reasoning
Geometry Data 1. C (Strategies)
9. A
(2-dimensional Analysis, and 2. L 1. D
10. L figures)
Probability 3. A 2. L
11. B 1. D (Mean, Median, 4. K 3. D
2. K Mode) 4. J
5. D
3. B 1. D 5. D
6. J
4. M 2. L 6. K
7. B
5. B 3. A
8. K
6. L 4. K
9. D

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 SOCIAL SCIENCE
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY:
ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
Practice Skill: EARLY PHYSICAL AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
OF MANKIND FROM THE PALEOLITHIC ERA TO THE
AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION.
Objectives: To evaluate knowledge of: (1) the location and characteristics of
the hunter-gatherer societies; (2) how humans adapted to a variety of
environments; and (3) factors of the physical environment that gave rise to
domestication of plants and animals, and the increase in the sources of
clothing and shelter.
Parent Tip: Although factual knowledge is an essential element of the study of history and
social science, analytical skills are key to the successful mastery of the subject. Help your
child to view historical events in relation to each other, throughout time. Construct various
timelines of key events, people, and periods of history. Make a special point to ask why
events happened at a particular geographical location or time.
Choose the best answer.
1. Which of the following is not true of the Paleolithic Age?
! A. It was marked by the development of toolmaking about 2.5 million years ago.
! B. It is also known as the Old Stone Age.
! C. No artifacts remain from this era.
! D. Paleolithic people hunted wild animals and gathered wild plants for food.
2. ______________, named by Louis and Mary Leakey, means handy human.
! J. Australopithecus
! K. Homo sapiens
! L. Homo habilis
! M. Cro-Magnon
3. The important contribution of Homo habilis is
! A. scientists believe that they were the first toolmakers.
! B. they invented language.
! C. they were the first to use fire.
! D. they made very complex tools.

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4.Various groups of Australopithecines lived

! J. after Homo habilis.

! K. before Homo habilis.
! L. after Homo sapiens.
! M. after Homo erectus.

5. Homo erectus

! A. learned to make fire.

! B. lived exclusively in Africa.
! C. had a smaller brain than Homo habilis.
! D. made more complex tools than Neanderthals.

6. Homo sapiens means

! J. tool holder.
! K. cave dweller.
! L. safe one.
! M. wise human.

7. Which of the following is not true of Neanderthals?

! A. The earliest fossils of Homo sapiens are called Neanderthal.

! B. Their fossils have been found in the Neander Valley in Germany.
! C. They are distinguished from Homo erectus by the size of their hands and eyes.
! D. They made more complex tools than Homo erectus.

8. Which of the following is not true of Cro-Magnon?

! J. Cro-Magnon lived before Homo erectus.

! K. Their fossils date from about 40,000 years ago.
! L. Cro-Magnon fossils have been found in France, Africa, and Asia.
! M. Cro-Magnon had a much larger brain than Homo erectus.

9. Cro-Magnons

! A. looked very different than people today.

! B. used the simplest tools of any hunter-gatherers.
! C. are believed to be the worlds first artists.
! D. did not live in Europe.

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10. During the Ice Age, ______________ covered large areas of the earth, making it
possible for human settlement to spread to different continents.

! J. land masses
! K. glaciers
! L. waterways
! M. trees

11. A glacier is a

! A. clear lake.
! B. mountain of snow.
! C. frozen river of ice.
! D. dessert of ice cream.

12. During the Ice Age, people adapted to the cold temperatures by

! J. burrowing in the snow.

! K. learning to make fire and sewing clothing from animal hides.
! L. growing facial hair.
! M. waiting for the climate to change.

13. Early toolmaking marked the dawn of

! A. carnivorous habits.
! B. cave drawings.
! C. deforestation.
! D. technology.

14. Culture can be defined as

! J. the topology, climate, and environment of a people.

! K. the beliefs of a people.
! L. the behaviors, beliefs, customs, and attitudes of a people.
! M. the language of a people.

15. Which of the following was not an advantage of using fire?

! A. roasting meat
! B. scaring away dangerous animals
! C. providing warmth
! D. building large camps

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16. Which of the following factors did not contribute to the settling of hunter-gatherers?

! J. the development of storage bins for food

! K. plentiful game, wild grains, berries, plants, and roots in a particular location
! L. fresh water springs in a particular location
! M. the discovery of fences

17. Examples of domesticated plants and animals are:

! A. dogs, wolves, flowers, kernels.

! B. sheep, goats, dogs, camels, wheat, corn, rice.
! C. wild sheep, wild dogs, mountain goats, wild flowers.
! D. shrubs, butterflies, deer, cows, pigs, fish.

18. Another word for agriculture is

! J. food gathering.
! K. domestication.
! L. farming.
! M. environment.

19. Which of the following is not considered an advantage of agriculture over the hunter-
gatherer lifestyle?

! A. People could live where there was little wild game and plants.
! B. Farmers and herders could raise more food than they could collect in the wild.
! C. Surplus food could be stored for another time or traded for other items.
! D. Farmers are less affected by the weather than hunter-gatherers.

20. An important result of the lifestyle shift to agriculture was that

! J. over time it led to the division of labor with people working at different kinds of jobs.
! K. it kept people from developing new skills.
! L. they developed less of a community spirit.
! M. people learned to build barns.

21. The term Neolithic Era

! A. comes from two Greek words, neos (new) and lithos (stone).
! B. comes from Greek mythology.
! C. comes from the Roman word for farmer.
! D. comes from the language spoken in the Neander Valley.

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22. The beginning of the Neolithic Era was known for the following:

! J. People used stone tools, began to live in villages, made pottery for storing food
and water, and wove cloth and baskets.
! K. People became less social, with more idle time to spend by themselves.
! L. People refused to use stone tools because they were so heavy.
! M. The invention of sculpture and cave painting spread throughout Asia.

23. Toward the end of the Neolithic Era, people began to

! A. use stone tools.

! B. work with metals such as copper and bronze.
! C. migrate toward warm climates.
! D. lose control of their food supply.

24. Which of the following is not a true statement about atal Huyuk?

! J. It was a Neolithic trade center town located in what is now known as Turkey.
! K. The people of atal Hyk did some hunting and gathering, as well as farming
wheat, raising cattle, making stone tools, wooden bowls, reed baskets, and
weaving cloth.
! L. Obsidian trading helped atal Hyk to prosper.
! M. It had an extensive system of streets and roads.

25. The settlement of Umm Dabaghiyah in the Middle East

! A. had more houses than atal Hyk.

! B. is believed to have been a hunting and trading outpost.
! C. was a self-sufficient town, with fertile soil for farming.
! D. was famous for its clay pots.

26. Umm Dabaghiyah was

! J. located on the dry northern plain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
! K. the hub of cattle trading in the Neolithic Era.
! L. the farming capital of the Middle East in the Neolithic Era.
! M. settled by people who refused to hunt animals for food.

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Practice Skill: EARLY CIVILIZATIONS OF MESOPOTAMIA, EGYPT,
AND KUSH.
Objective: To evaluate knowledge of the geographic, political, economic,
religious, and social structures of these early civilizations.
Parent Tip: Discuss with your child the advances in agriculture and changes in society that
occurred during this period in history. Focus on the factors that made the changes possible.
Consider the special significance that geography played in the development of the human
story. Refer to maps to help explain the relationships among various peoples throughout
time.
Choose the best answer.

1. An irrigation system would include

! A. canals dug from riverbeds to fields.

! B. pulleys and chains.
! C. donkey or camel caravans.
! D. communication between neighboring farms.

2. Which characteristics best describe cities?

! J. large public buildings, leadership, self-sufficiency

! K. the ability to trade with other groups or settlements
! L. the existence of valuable resources
! M. large population with organization and leadership, different social groups, job
and trade opportunities

3. The Ziggurat of Ur is an example of

! A. an irrigation canal.
! B. a golden musical instrument.
! C. a temple tower with a shrine at the top.
! D. a stone tablet unlocking the key to an ancient language.

4. Which of the following factors is not a result of surpluses?

! J. Surpluses lead to trade opportunities.

! K. People have a better chance of surviving famine and drought.
! L. People can specialize in certain types of work rather than only hunting and
gathering food.
! M. Cities experience a decline in population.

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5. Which of the following is not true?

! A. Hunter-gatherers are not considered a civilization.

! B. Civilizations are highly developed cultures that have distinctive architecture,
music, religion, and laws.
! C. All cultures are considered civilizations.
! D. Social levels, specialization of labor, and a stable food supply are characteristics
of civilizations.

6. Which of the following are examples of early civilizations?

! J. Ur and the Euphrates

! K. Nile Valley and the Fertile Crescent
! L. Tigris and Euphrates
! M. atal Hyk and Umm Dabaghiyah

7. Mesopotamia means

! A. the messy pot near the river.

! B. the missed opportunity.
! C. the land between the rivers.
! D. the meandering rivers.

8. Which of the following is not true about the Mesopotamia?

! J. It includes all of present-day Iraq and parts of Turkey and Syria.

! K. The Tiger and Euripides rivers wind their way through the Mesopotamia.
! L. Irrigation was essential to the development of civilization in the Mesopotamia.
! M. The region called Sumer made up the southern part of the Mesopotamia near the
Persian Gulf.

9. ______________ruled the city-states in the Mesopotamia region.

! A. Governors
! B. Kish
! C. Priests
! D. Merchants

10. The Sumerians

! J. developed a system of record-keeping to keep track of their trading.

! K. invented the game of bowling, called bulla.
! L. developed an irrigation system as a result of their trading.
! M. copied their neighbors language and writing.

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11. A _______________ is a person who moves from place to place without settling down.

! A. scribe
! B. cuneiform
! C. nomad
! D. government administrator

12. Which of the following terms does not apply to writing?

! J. scribe
! K. cuneiform
! L. pictograph
! M. Kish

13. Which statement inaccurately describes the relationship between the religion and
government in Mesopotamia?

! A. Priests ruled the early city-states, ran the irrigation systems, settled disputes, and
collected taxes.
! B. Religion and government were combined.
! C. Surplus food was stored in the temples.
! D. Priests were only concerned with prayers, sacrifices, and the spread of religion.
They were not a part of government.

14. The city-states of the Mesopotamian region eventually were conquered by

! J. Akkadian.
! K. Sargon.
! L. merchants.
! M. priests.

15. Hammurabi first came to power in _________________, and would eventually rule all
of Mesopotamia.

! A. Assyria
! B. Babylonia
! C. Akkad
! D. Egypt

16. Hammurabis Code

! J. was written on parchment so that it could be changed every month.

! K. gave the king the power to punish people for no reason.
! L. organized 282 laws that covered aspects of life that were important to his people.
! M. made no attempt to establish law and order or personal responsibility in the empire.

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17. Which of the following is not true about the Nile River?

! A. Its regular flooding made farming impossible in Egypt.

! B. Papyrus reeds grew along its banks.
! C. It is the longest river in the world, flowing from central Africa to the
Mediterranean Sea.
! D. It had cataracts of waterfalls and rapids.

18. The written history of ancient Egypt can be divided into three main periods when
important events occurred:

! J. The Hieroglyphics period, the Golden Age, and the Iron Age.
! K. The Priests Dynasty; the Kings Age, and the Pharaohs Period.
! L. The Idolatry Age, the Military Period, and the Royalty Age.
! M. The Old Kingdom period, the Middle Kingdom period, and the New Kingdom period.

19. Which of the following are important elements of the religion of the ancient Egyptians?

! A. They believed in one god, and they built the pyramids to please him.
! B. They believed in several gods whom they believed built the pyramids.
! C. They believed in several gods and looked forward to an afterlife.
! D. They believed that only privileged people would have an afterlife.

20. Regarding the relationship between religion and the social and political order in ancient Egypt,

! J. the priests owned all the land and controlled the government and the people.
! K. artisans and workers were in the highest levels of society.
! L. farmers were part of the highest social class in society.
! M. the upper social class included priests, tax collectors, and scribes.

21. Hatshepsut was a woman pharaoh known for

! A. building pyramids and expanding Egypts borders.

! B. building obelisks, improving Egypt by restoring destroyed temples, and ruling
during peace and propriety.
! C. being a great military leader.
! D. refusing to wear a false beard as a sign of being a ruler.

22. Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great,

! J. had 10 children.
! K. ruled during a time when Egypts military power was very weak.
! L. ruled for 67 years and built many large temples, including a huge one at Abu
Simbel in Nubia.
! M. was a humble ruler who was not interested in honoring himself with monuments.

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23. In the Old Kingdom period from about 2750 to 2260 B.C.
! A. most of the great pyramids were built.
! B. Egypt became a world power.
! C. the Nile River remained untamed.
! D. Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt had not yet united.
24. During the Middle Kingdom period from about 2061 to 1784 B.C.
! J. hieroglyphics was invented.
! K. most of the pyramids were built.
! L. Egypt became strong and achieved a great deal in architecture, art, and literature.
! M. scribes left Egypt to visit Assyria.
25. During the New Kingdom period from about 1570 to 1070 B.C.
! A. Egypt became powerful and prosperous by conquering other regions and
expanding trade.
! B. Osiris, Anubis, Ra, and Amon became kings of Egypt.
! C. there was much confusion and disorder in Egyptian society.
! D. there were several weak leaders who came to power.
26. Which of the following statements is not true?
! J. Kush was located south of Egypt on the Nile River.
! K. After Hatshepsut died, Kush paid to Egypt annual tribute of ivory, oils, grains,
and exotic animals.
! L. Kush was a kingdom rich in iron ore and wood, and its location helped it to
become a trade center.
! M. The Nile River hindered the ability of Egypt and Kush to trade.
27. Which of the following does not describe the trade opportunities of the Kushites?
! A. Traders from the Middle East, Far East, and much of Africa arrived to trade for
gold and ivory.
! B. There were no ports from which the Kushites could trade.
! C. Kushite merchants traded iron tools for glass and cloth from China and India.
! D. Kushite artisans, craftsmen, and jewelers sold their goods at Mero.
28. Which of the following is not correct?

! J. The Sumerians are credited with inventing writing when they transformed
pictographs into cuneiform.
! K. The cuneiform system had about 600 symbols and was used in the Middle East
for about 2,000 years.
! L. The Phoenicians, who traded with people who used the cuneiform system,
invented an alphabet with only 22 symbols.
! M. Hieroglyphics and cuneiform have been translated for thousands of years.

6th Grade Edition 132

Practice Skill: EARLY CIVILIZATIONS OF THE ANCIENT HEBREWS
Objective: To evaluate knowledge of the geographic, political, economic, religious,
and social structures of the Ancient Hebrews.

Parent Tip: Children understand history in a meaningful way when they are able to make
connections between the past and their own lives. Discuss with your child the many
contributions and traditions of the Ancient Hebrews that permeate the modern Western
world.

Choose the best answer.

1. _________________was the first monotheistic religion based on the concept of one God
who sets down moral laws for humanity.

! A. Canaan
! B. Judaism
! C. Torah
! D. Exodus

2. The story of the Israelites

! J. is found in the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.
! K. tells of the development of the early settlers of what is now the country of Israel.
! L. is found in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.
! M. all of the above.

3. Which of the following is not told in the Torah?

! A. God told Abraham, a shepherd from Mesopotamia, to go to Canaan.

! B. Abrahams descendants settled in Canaan and were called the Hebrews.
! C. The Hebrews became known as Israelites because Abrahams grandson, Jacob,
changed his name to Israel.
! D. In Hebrew, Israel means nomad who wanders with his flocks.

4. The Hebrews of Canaan

! A. remained there together for thousands of years in peaceful harmony with their
neighbors.
! B. never experienced famine, because the land of Canaan was in the heart of a river delta.
! C. who left there to live in Egypt, became slaves in Egypt for over 400 years.
! D. had a series of strong leaders who tried to conquer Egypt and Assyria.

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5. The Exodus was

! A. the journey of Moses and the Israelites from Egypt back to Canaan.
! B. the four hundred years that the Israelites spent being slaves in Egypt.
! C. the battle between Egypt and the Israelites led by Moses.
! D. the festival celebrated by the Israelites when they reached Egypt.

6. Which of the following are not among the common beliefs and teachings of Judaism and
Christianity?

! A. A belief in one God who gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai
! B. People can serve God by acting responsibly and righteously toward each other.
! C. the New Testament of the Bible, the Mishnah, and the Talmud
! D. the idea that laws and justice should be fair and impartial to all people without
regard to wealth

7. Which of the following statements about King David of the Israelites is not true?

! J. He ruled the Israelites for forty years and helped them to defeat the Philistines.
! K. He captured the city of Jerusalem and declared it the capital of the Israelite nation.
! L. His son, Solomon, followed him to power.
! M. He was not the same David who, according to the Bible, faced Goliath with a slingshot.

8. After King Solomons reign of peace and prosperity,

! A. the kingdom was split, such that the northern part with its capital of Samaria was
called Israel, and the southern part with its capital of Jerusalem was called Judah.
! B. the Israelites became an even stronger world power.
! C. King Saul came into power and defeated the Assyrians and the Babylonians.
! D. the kingdom remained safe from military invasions.

9. The main Temple in Jerusalem

! J. was King Solomons most famous building project.

! K. was a factor in keeping the Israelites united religiously despite being politically divided.
! L. was destroyed in 587 B.C. by the Babylonians along with the entire city of Jerusalem.
! M. all of the above.

10. After the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem

! A. the prophets thought God had broken the covenant with the Jews.
! B. 15,000 Jews were exiled to Babylonia until Persia conquered Babylon.
! C. the Jews never rebuilt the great Temple.
! D. the Jews no longer believed in the covenant and rejected the teachings of the Torah.

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11. Rabbi Yohanan ben Zaccais compromise with the Romans when they invaded
Palestine

! A. resulted in the Jewish religion being separated from Jewish political identity for
the first time, thus enabling Judaism to become a world religion.
! B. allowed Jews to practice their religion while obeying Roman law.
! C. consisted of his agreement to accept Roman political rule if Rome allowed him
to preserve Jewish tradition as a form of religious life.
! D. all of the above.

12. After the Romans destroyed Jerusalems second Temple and expelled the Jews from
Jerusalem and Palestine, the Jewish religion endured because

! J. the rabbis, who were Jewish teachers and community leaders, helped the Jews adapt.
! K. the Jews accepted the Torah as a central focus of Jewish life, more important
than the place of worship.
! L. the Jews built synagogues wherever they lived so that they would have a place to
worship, to study, and to gather socially.
! M. all of the above.

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Practice Skill: EARLY CIVILIZATION OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS
Objective: To evaluate knowledge of the geographic, political, economic, religious,
and social structures of the Ancient Greeks.
Parent Tip: The study of the Ancient Greeks provides a wonderful opportunity to discuss
forms of government and various systems of rule. Discuss with your child the rights of
citizens in the various city-states as they compare to the rights of citizens in America today.
The contributions of the Greeks to philosophy, literature, art, and architecture are also of
great significance. Help your child to recognize the lasting influence of the Ancient Greek
culture on our modern lives.
Choose the best answer.

1. Which of the following terms are part of the geography of Greece?

! A. the Adriatic Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, Sardinia, rough rivers

! B. Peloponnesus, rugged mountains, islands in the Aegean Sea
! C. Asia Minor, Black Sea, Odysseus, Xenophon, clear lakes
! D. none of the above

2. Because of the unique geography of the region, the Ancient Greeks

! J. developed small, tightly knit communities, isolated from one another by

mountains and sea inlets.
! K. made frequent trade contacts with Egypt, Phoenicia, Sicily, and Persia.
! L. grew grapes and olives to trade with other people for wheat, barley, and other grains.
! M. all of the above.

3. Homers Odyssey

! A. was an epic poem based on oral poems and stories that were passed down during
the 300 years of Greeces Dark Age.
! B. was a carved sculpture of a horse that appeared on the front of a sailing ship.
! C. was a trade ship that sailed to the Black Sea on a regular route.
! D. none of the above.

4. As the population of Greece grew,

! J. trade increased, and cities grew into large self-governing units called city-states.
! K. the people of Greece became increasingly isolated from each other and the rest of
the world.
! L. the people of Greece concentrated on herding sheep and goats across the land.
! M. the nomadic way of life became the way of the future.

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5. Ancient Greeks worshipped ______________, whom they celebrated through myths and
legends.

! A. Zeus, the master of the world, and his family of gods

! B. Homer and the Iliad, the military heroes of the day
! C. Coroebus, the first recorded winner of the Olympic games
! D. the ancient philosophers and thinkers of the day

6. Examples of the festivals held by the Ancient Greeks to honor their gods and goddesses
were:

! J. the Festival of Dionysus, which combined religion, history and entertainment, in

the form of plays such as the Greek tragedies and comedies.
! K. the sports competition at Olympia held to honor Zeus.
! L. the sports competition at Delos held to honor Apollo.
! M. all of the above.

7. Sanctuaries, the sacred sites where the Ancient Greeks honored and worshipped their gods,

! A. were private places not open to anyone outside of the region in which they were located.
! B. were modest, plain places where people went to bathe in the holy water.
! C. contained oracles, where priests and priestesses predicted events by interpreting
messages from the gods.
! D. none of the above.

8. A(n) ________________ is a form of government in which a group of people rule.

! J. monarchy
! K. oligarchy
! L. dictatorship
! M. democracy

9. A(n) _________________ is a form of government in which a king, queen, or emperor is

the sole ruler.

! A. oligarchy
! B. bureaucracy
! C. monarchy
! D. democracy

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10. A tyrant, in the context of Ancient Greece,

! J. was a leader who seized power by force, and ruled with total power.
! K. was sometimes cruel and harsh, yet was often sympathetic, reforming laws and
helping the poor.
! L. taught the Greeks the value of uniting behind a leader to gain enough power to
bring about change.
! M. all of the above.

11. The development of democracy began in the city-state of

! A. Sparta
! B. Athens
! C. Delphi
! D. Rhodes

12. Which of the following statements about the development of government is not
accurate?

! J. Democracy arose out of a vacuum of power and a lack of leadership in a happy populace.
! K. The monarchy gave way to the oligarchy when nobles who helped the kings
defend their land, demanded to share in the kings power.
! L. The oligarchy was a step toward democracy because a group of nobles shared
power equally with the king.
! M. Tyranny emerged from the peoples discontent with the oligarchys decisions,
and democracy emerged from a more literate populaces discontent with overly
harsh tyrants.

13. Which of the following was not a feature of the democracy of Athens?

! A. A council of 500 randomly chosen citizens met to propose new laws.

! B. An assembly of all the citizens of Athens met about every nine days to vote on
the laws.
! C. Citizens served as jurors, regardless of wealth.
! D. All residents of the city-state, including women, foreigners, and slaves, were
citizens who could participate in the democracy.

14. A major distinction between direct democracy and indirect democracy is

! J. in a direct democracy citizens vote on laws in an assembly.

! K. in an indirect democracy citizens elect officials to represent them in government.
! L. both a and b
! M. none of the above

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15. The government of the city-state of Sparta

! A. evolved from a monarchy to an oligarchy, but never to a true democracy.

! B. had two kings who were part of a senate.
! C. had an assembly that elected 5 leaders called the ephors.
! D. all of the above.

16. Athens and Sparta

! J. had the same values and practices regarding education and military service.
! K. had such different values that they refused to join forces to defeat their common enemy.
! L. abolished slavery and the barter system within the walls of their city-states.
! M. none of the above.

17. Cyrus the Great, his son and grandson, Darius and Xerxes

! A. of Greece, waged a war on Persia.

! B. of Persia, waged wars on some of the city-states of Greece to extend the control
of the Persian empire.
! C. of Persia, pitted Athens and Sparta against one another, causing Greece to lose
the Persian Wars.
! D. of Persia, cared little about expanding their empire past the Aegean Sea.

18. During the Golden Age of Athens,

! J. Pericles, an elected leader, set military, political, and artistic goals for Athens.
! K. Sparta became a center of luxury, beautiful buildings, and education.
! L. there were no distinctions of social class, and slavery was abolished.
! M. all of the above.

19. If you went to Athens during the Golden Age, you would have seen

! A. beautiful public buildings and temples at the Acropolis on a hill in the middle of
the city.
! B. the agora, or marketplace, below the Acropolis.
! C. the Parthenon, a marble temple built to honor the goddess Athena.
! D. all of the above.

20. Socrates and Plato

! J. were ancient Athenian philosophers and teachers who taught their students to
question every aspect of their world and their lives.
! K. were bitter enemies who died when the plague came to Athens.
! L. were slaves who led a revolt in Sparta.
! M. were gods whom the Greeks worshipped at the sanctuaries at Delphi and Olympia.

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21. The Peloponnesian War

! A. was over quickly because Athens powerful navy joined forces with Spartas
strong army.
! B. was unaffected by the plague and the Persians giving money to Sparta.
! C. was fought between Athens and Sparta for twenty-seven years on land and sea.
! D. ended with Sparta surrendering to Athens in 404 B.C.

22. Macedonia was a large city-state just north of Mt. Olympus

! J. that became famous for being a peaceful kingdom that supported its neighbors.
! K. that became a military power under King Philip and his son Alexander.
! L. that never succeeded in conquering another region or country.
! M. none of the above.

23. Alexander the Great of Macedonia

! A. was an uneducated farmer who rose to power by rising through the cavalry ranks.
! B. despised the Greek culture and did everything in his power to destroy it.
! C. was a disciplined general and military genius who conquered Greece, Egypt, and
the entire Persian empire in thirteen years.
! D. lacked vision and courage, was unambitious, unresourceful, lazy, and without ego.

24. Alexander the Great is associated with the Hellenistic Age

! J. which means Greek-like and represents the mixing of Greek and non-Greek
Eastern cultures.
! K. because as he conquered lands, he spread knowledge of the Greek ways and left
behind Greek rulers to influence the conquered regions and seek their support.
! L. because as he conquered lands, he adopted some of the ways of the conquered
people to seek their support.
! M. all of the above.

25. Among the contributions of the Greeks in the arts and sciences are:

! A. exquisitely carved sculptures based on Greek mythology; natural and lifelike

figures that glorified the human body.
! B. epic poetry of Homers the Iliad and the Odyssey; lyric poetry of Sapho about
friendship and love.
! C. Herodotus, the father of history who wrote about the Persian Wars; Thucydides
whose accounts of the Peloponnesian War used primary sources and eyewitness
interviews.
! D. all of the above.

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26. Among the contributions of the Greeks in the arts and sciences are:

! J. the Socratic method of teaching through the asking and answering of questions,
as practiced by Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
! K. the use of the scientific method to investigate the cause of disease, as practiced
by Hippocrates, often called the father of medicine.
! L. mathematicians Euclids and Pythagoras teaching and discoveries in the field
of geometry.
! M. all of the above.

27. Words commonly used in present day English that refer to Ancient Greek culture
include:

! A. spartan, referring to a simple, non-luxurious lifestyle.

! B. marathon, referring to a 25-mile run.
! C. tyrant, referring to a harsh ruler.
! D. all of the above.

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Practice Skill: EARLY CIVILIZATIONS OF INDIA
Objective: To evaluate knowledge of the geographic, political, economic,
religious, and social structures of Ancient India.

Parent Tip: The achievements of Ancient India were enormous and long lasting. Discuss
with your child some of the contributions of that civilization that permeate our world today,
such as Aryabhatas discovery that the earth was a sphere that rotated around the sun, and
that there were 365 days plus a few hours in the solar year. How was the world different
before the invention of the Hindu-Arabic number system with its nine digits, zero, and the
decimal? Two of the worlds major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, began in India and
continue to guide the lives of hundreds of millions of people in our modern world. Analyze
with your child how the tenets of these belief systems comport with your own.

Choose the best answer.

1. Which of the following geographical features and physical events contributed to the
development of India?

! A. The seasonal monsoon winds gave rise to rains followed by dry spells.
! B. The Himalyan and Hindu Kush mountain ranges gave rise to many river systems.
! C. the Indus River Valley and its fertile soil
! D. all of the above

2. The Indus Valley civilization

! J. existed from about 2700 B.C. to 1750 B.C.

! K. included 70 settlements, the largest being Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa.
! L. traded with Mesopotamia and Sumer.
! M. all of the above

3. Around 1500 B.C. the _______________ migrated into India.

! A. Aryans
! B. Vedas
! C. monsoons
! D. none of the above

4. The Aryan contributions to Indian culture include:

! J. the Vedas, a collection of sacred hymns and poems.

! K. the caste system, identifying social subclasses.
! L. their spoken language, Sanskrit, the basis for the modern Hindi language.
! M. all of the above.

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5. Which of the following was not an element of the social structure of the caste system?

! A. You could marry someone of a different caste from the caste to which you were born.
! B. The priests, or brahmans, were the most powerful class.
! C. The rulers called rajas and their warriors were in the second caste.
! D. The merchants and peasants were in the caste above the servants.

6. Vedism

! J. is also called Brahmanism because of the authority it gave to the Brahmans, or priests.
! K. was based on the Vedas, the hymns of the Aryans from about 1500 B.C.
! L. evolved into early Hinduism, which holds many of the same beliefs and
continues to use the Vedas.
! M. all of the above

7. Hinduism, a major religion of present day India,

! A. presents a way of life through a vast variety of beliefs and practices, including many duties.
! B. suggests commitment to and respect for an ideal way of life, known as dharma.
! C. was passed down from generation to generation through the retelling of the epic
poem, the Mahabharata, one section of which is the Bhagavad Gita.
! D. all of the above.

8. Sidhartha Gautama

! J. was a Brahman who spread the teachings of Hinduism and the Vedas.
! K. supported the rituals set forth in the Vedas and the practice of animal sacrifice.
! L. became known as the Buddha, or enlightened one, who spread the dharma.
! M. was a warrior who urged the people of India to revolt against their rulers.

9. Which of the following was not part of the teachings of Buddha?

! A. People could find peace without the help of the priests rituals.
! B. Animal sacrifices were important to show the gods respect and honor.
! C. People are equal and have the right to try to live a better life, a rejection of the
caste system.
! D. The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path can guide people through life and
lead to enlightenment.

10. Which of the following beliefs is not a part of Buddhism?

! J. reincarnation
! K. karma
! L. excess
! M. nirvana

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11. Buddhism spread through other cultures

! A. through missionaries sent outside of India by Asoka, an emperor who practiced Buddhism.
! B. as the conquering Mauryas expanded their empire throughout Asia.
! C. as the Mauryas followed established trade routes, teaching the dharma along the way.
! D. all of the above

12. The emperor Asoka, who ruled from 324 B.C. to 183 B.C.,

! J. left India to fight a series of wars that led to the fall of India.
! K. believed in nonviolence and that people should not harm humans or animals.
! L. resented his role as a ruler and treated his people harshly.
! M. none of the above

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Practice Skill: EARLY CIVILIZATIONS OF CHINA
Objective: To evaluate knowledge of the geographic, political, economic,
religious, and social structures of Ancient China.
Parent Tip: The Chinese civilization is one of the oldest and most unique to survive to the
present. Because its geography kept it somewhat isolated from other parts of the world, it
presents an interesting context in which to apply the concepts of independent invention and
cultural diffusion. Discuss the ways in which the past can be interpreted from different
perspectives. Talk with your children about the various teachings of Confucius. What do
they think about his ideas? Help them to understand the enormity of the Silk Road in terms
of its size and impact on the worlds civilizations. What must silk fabric have felt like to
people who had always worn cotton and wool?
Choose the best answer.
1. The first civilization in Ancient China
! A. developed on the banks of the Chang Jiang, or Yangtze River.
! B. developed in the shadow of Mount Everest.
! C. developed on the banks of the Huang He, or Yellow River,.
! D. developed on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
2. Which of the following geographical features contributed to Chinas isolation from the
rest of the world and the separate cultural development of different regions within
China?
! J. the Himalayas, the worlds highest mountains
! K. the Gobi Desert, a dry wasteland
! L. other mountain ranges in the west and north
! M. all of the above
3. By about 5000 B.C., the Yangshao culture
! A. farmed where the Wei and the Hang He Rivers met.
! B. was settled by seafaring people who lived in grass huts.
! C. traded with Mesopotamia and Sumer.
! D. none of the above
4. By about 3000 B.C., the Lungshan culture
! J. used simple written symbols and numbers.
! K. produced pottery with a potters wheel and kiln, and harvested silk from
silkworms to weave fabrics.
! L. farmed using irrigation and flood control techniques, hunted, fished, raised
domesticated animals, and eventually grew rice.
! M. all of the above

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5. The Yangshao and Lungshan cultures

! A. disappeared forever without an archaeological trace.

! B. are revealed in the written histories of Xia.
! C. laid the foundations for the first true Chinese civilization , the Shang dynasty.
! D. were greatly influenced by their proximity to the Himalayas.

6. A dynasty is

! J. the spouse of the king or queen.

! K. a series of rulers from the same family.
! L. found only in Chinese history.
! M. the set of laws for inheriting property.

7. Among the lasting contributions of the Shang dynasty was

! A. mixing tin and copper to produce bronze.

! B. ancestor worship.
! C. the earliest known Chinese writing.
! D. all of the above.

8. Confucius, who lived from 551 B.C. to 479 B.C.,

! J. refused to study and awaited his time to inherit the kingdom of his family.
! K. started a new religion in China during a time of peace, stability and calm among
a satisfied people.
! L. became a teacher of a code of behavior and ethical system that is described in the
Analects.
! M. lived during a time when few people questioned their lives and times, or their
cultures rules and values.

9. Which of the following are not among the teachings of Confucianism?

! A. The foundation of all relationships, from family to government, should be

sincerity, loyalty, and mutual respect.
! B. Children may never disagree with their parents.
! C. Children may disagree with their parents, but they should remain reverent and obedient.
! D. Government should rule by good example, not with harsh laws and punishment.

10. At the same time Confucianism was being taught, another movement called Taoism

! J. stressed Jen, the concept of one person being in harmony with another.
! K. stressed the importance of the rule of law above everything else.
! L. stressed universal love for everything and everyone.
! M. stressed becoming one with the natural flow of nature and all things in the universe.

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11. Qin Shihuangdi

! A. conquered and unified the warring states of China into one empire.
! B. was the last emperor of China.
! C. wanted to be called king.
! D. rose to power through peaceful discussion with the people.

12. Which of the following were not among the contributions of Qin Shihuangdi?

! J. He ended feudalism, and established provinces and districts with and

administrative system of workers.
! K. He unified money, weights and measures, and the writing system that could be
used in China.
! L. He built the Great Wall of China to keep Chinese nomads in and to keep
enemies out.
! M. He encouraged people to read everything and write books on all subjects.

13. After the death of Qin Shihuangdi, the Han dynasty rose to power and ruled from 206
B.C. to 220 A.D. During this time,

! A. the principles of Confucianism were made part of the laws.

! B. China was a land of peace, prosperity, exploration, and invention.
! C. the Han Chinese invented acupuncture, mining for salt, the seismograph, paper,
and the first Chinese dictionary.
! D. all of the above

14. During the Han dynasty,

! J. there was little interest in what was happening in the West.

! K. China started colonies in North Korea and North Vietnam, and conquered the
people of the Gobi Desert.
! L. Chinese explorers reported that there was no wealth or civilization outside of
China.
! M. China suffered from internal strife and chaos that prevented it from growing.

15. The Silk Road

! A. was a well-known trade route that linked China with the Middle East and Rome.
! B. allowed China to trade silk for things from the West, such as horses, grapes, and
alfalfa.
! C. resulted in Buddhism being spread from India to China.
! D. all of the above.

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Practice Skill: THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Objective: To evaluate knowledge of the geographic, political, economic, religious, and
social structures in the development of Rome.

Parent Tip: Continue developing a timeline of history with your child so that he or she can
better understand the flow of history and link important events to a time frame. It is
important to keep a map handy, to help build an understanding of the geography of the
regions and the relationships among the emerging and declining empires.

Choose the best answer.

1. Early Latin legends recount stories of

! A. a wolf that rescues two orphan twins, descended from Aeneas of Troy, who were
floating down the Tiber River.
! B. Romulus and Remus, two sisters who built the city of Rome and ruled jointly in peace.
! C. how Remus built the city of Rome.
! D. how the gods built Rome in a deep canyon.

2. Romes history can be divided into three major periods. Which one of the following is
not one of them?

! J. the Latin Vatican period from 1000 B.C. to 600 B.C.

! K. the rule of the kings until 509 B.C.
! L. the period of the republic from 509 B.C. to 31 B.C.
! M. the Roman empire, which survived until 476 A.D.

3. Which of the following geographical factors did not influence the development of Rome?

! A. It was part of a large plain where people could herd and farm.
! B. The monsoon winds brought constant rains and floods.
! C. Its seven hills provided a place for protective forts and its river made trade easier.
! D. It was located on a peninsula that extended into the Mediterranean Sea, which
helped it to trade with Greece, Spain, Egypt, and the rest of North Africa.

4. Following the overthrowing of King Tarquin the Proud in 509 B.C., Rome established

! J. a plebiscite, with a citizens advisory group.

! K. a democracy, where everyone had equal economic and political power.
! L. a republic, where citizens elected representatives to run the government, and
there was no monarch.
! M. a monarchy, where citizens ruled with enough power to advise the king.

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5. In the early form of the new government,

! A. all citizens could vote, but only some of them were allowed to hold office.
! B. the Senate advised the consuls.
! C. a citizen assembly elected leaders, called consuls.
! D. all of the above

6. There were two classes of citizens in the republic, the patricians and the plebeians, both
determined by birth. Which of the following is true?

! J. The plebeians were the elite class, usually inherited nobility.

! K. The patricians were rich, and could hold religious, political, or military office.
! L. Only the plebeians could vote and be members of the Senate.
! M. The patricians outnumbered the plebeians, but the plebeians held all of the power.

7. In addition to the distinctions between the patricians and the plebeians, which of the
following existed in the early republic?

! A. A division existed between citizens and slaves.

! B. A poor person who borrowed money from another became that persons slave
through debt bondage.
! C. Women could not vote, own property, or participate in government, but were
protected by laws.
! D. All of the above

8..When the plebeians demanded change by withdrawing from Rome, which of the
following did not occur?

! J. They formed their own assembly and elected their own officials, called tribunes.
! K. They published the Roman laws on twelve bronze tablets for all to see.
! L. They could not abolish debt bondage, no matter how hard they tried.
! M. They won the right for laws passed by the plebeian assembly to apply to
patricians, too.

9. Which of the following characteristics of the American government began in Rome?

! A. checks and balances, so that one branch of government can not overpower
another one
! B. the veto power, which cancels legislative action
! C. a balanced tripartite government (three groups with different responsibilities) and
a written constitution
! D. all of the above

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10. An important way that Rome expanded its territory was

! J. by making allies of the people, promising to protect them and share wealth with
them in exchange for their fighting along side Rome against others.
! K. by starving and punishing everyone who resisted Rome, and denying them citizenship.
! L. by sending its teachers and missionaries to persuade others to join its peaceful quest.
! M. by never losing a battle or a war on land or sea.

11. Carthage

! A. remained the major Mediterranean power throughout Romes existence.

! B. was a region of North Africa that fought with Rome over control of Sicily, Spain,
and the Mediterranean area.
! C. was a part of Phoenicia that joined forces with Rome to defeat Hannibal in the Punic Wars.
! D. was an ally of Rome at the time of Hannibals rule.

12. As a result of Romes expansion,

! J. it eventually controlled Italy, most of Western Europe, Macedonia, Greece,

Spain, Gaul, Asia Minor, and North Africa.
! K. the rich citizens of Rome had grown richer, but there were more unhappy, poor
people and slaves.
! L. the generals in the Roman army were competing with each other for power and
there were civil wars.
! M. all of the above

13. The Roman republic system of government ended in about 46 B.C.

! A. when Julius Caesar defeated Pompey and declared himself dictator for life.
! B. when Hannibal defeated Caesar on Roman soil.
! C. when the slaves won a rebellion led by Sparticus.
! D. when Rome went bankrupt after the generals looted the treasury.

14. During the rule of Julius Caesar,

! J. few public buildings or temples were constructed.

! K. he stayed at home in Rome, cared little about the rest of the world, and refused to
meet foreign leaders.
! L. some Senators disliked his arrogant attitude and suspected that he wanted to
usurp their power, make himself king, and start a dynasty.
! M. most citizens resented the changes he made, such as higher taxes and taking
away farmland.

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15. Et tu, Brute? refers to
! A. Caesars last words, spoken to his friend, Brutus, as he assassinated Caesar in the Senate.
! B. the moment when Caesar turned the keys of government over to his son, Brutus.
! C. The brutish weather on the Ides of March, the day when Caesar was crowned king.
! D. Words of praise from the people of Rome to Brutus after Caesars assassination.
16. Which of the following statements is incorrect?
! J. After Caesars death, his son Octavian came into power.
! K. Octavian and Caesar Augustus are different people.
! L. Octavians rule began the peaceful period called Pax Romana when Rome had
no rivals with sufficient power to threaten its dominance.
! M. Within the city of Rome, Augustus fed the hungry, built beautiful temples and
buildings, and established police and fire departments.
17. Augustus
! A. forbade the people to participate in the arts.
! B. was a weak leaders who did not care about government or its organization.
! C. claimed to be restoring the republic system of government, but is considered by
historians to have ruled as an emperor.
! D. abandoned the reforms begun by his father and failed to recognize the problems of Rome.

18. Which of the following is not true of Pax Romana?

! J. It refers to 200 years of peace and prosperity in Rome as the Roman Empire
expanded all the way to Britain, Africa, and Asia.
! K. During this period, cities in Roman provinces around the world were built like
Rome, with public baths, temples, and amphitheaters.
! L. It brought change to the world through the spread of the Roman ideas, customs,
language, and religion.
! M. The provinces were not allowed to become Roman citizens, to participate in
government, to conduct business in Rome, or to own property there, so they
constantly rebelled.

19. The Roman economy

! A. was driven in large measure by its need to acquire grains to feed its enormous
professional army and its poor city dwellers.
! B. was affected by the huge number of its farmers who could not make a profit, save
money, or afford to buy luxuries.
! C. depended on Mediterranean shipping routes to market gold and silver from
Spain, lead and tin from Britain, silks from the East, and to obtain grain from
Spain, Egypt, and North Africa.
! D. all of the above

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20. Regarding the religion that was an integral part of the Roman state:

! J. It was similar to the religion of the ancient Greeks, because the Romans
worshipped many gods whom they believed controlled every aspect of their lives.
! K. It was not so much a philosophy that gave people ideas to live by, but centered
on rituals and omens that involved animal sacrifice.
! L. Because it did not contain an ethical framework that suggested how people ought
to act, Romans began to show interest in other religions.
! M. All of the above

21. Much of what we know about the early history of the Christians comes from the New
Testament of the Christian Bible

! A. which tells the story of Jesus, a Jew from Nazareth, and his followers.
! B. which tells the story of a Roman citizen who was a Jew known as Saul or Paul,
who changed from criticizing Christians to spreading Christian beliefs throughout
the Roman empire.
! C. which tells that Jesus was raised as a Jew, studied the Torah, and became a
religious teacher.
! D. all of the above

22. Which of the following beliefs did Jesus not teach?

! J. the traditional Jewish teachings of one God, the Ten Commandments and the
words of the Jewish prophets
! K. Treat your friends with kindness and love, ignore the poor, and punish your
enemies with great harshness and cruelty, because the Roman gods will not favor
anything else.
! L. The coming of the kingdom of God was near.
! M. All of the above

23. Although the Jews and early Christians lived in the same communities and shared
many common beliefs,

! A. the Jews believed that the messiah referred to by the prophets had not yet come,
but when he did he would overthrow the Roman government and reunite the Jews.
! B. the Christians believed that Jesus was the messiah who would not free the Jews
from Roman rule, but would bring eternal life.
! C. they disagreed about the extent that people had to follow Jewish law, which
eventually resulted in the formation of two separate religions.
! D. all of the above.

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24. Saul, known to Christians as St. Paul the Apostle,

! J. spread the teachings of Christianity as he traveled throughout the Roman Empire.

! K. never accomplished his goal of starting new Christian communities.
! L. believed that the laws of Judaism were more important that belief in Jesus.
! M. urged people to disobey the Roman laws.

25. By 64 A.D., distrust of the Christians had grown in Rome

! A. because they did not worship the Roman gods or participate in their festivals.
! B. because Emperor Nero had blamed them for the burning of the city of Rome.
! C. because they did not share many Romans attitudes about acquiring wealth and
property.
! D. all of the above

26. The Romans persecution of the Christians ended

! J. when Constantine became emperor and promoted Christianity throughout the empire.
! K. and the church became more powerful.
! L. all of the above
! M. none of the above

27. Which of the following are not among the enduring contributions of the Romans?

! A. 50,000 miles of roads that promoted trade and communication throughout the
world, many of which are still in use today
! B. The invention of concrete, the perfection of the arch in architecture, and surveying
! C. The concept of a non-paid volunteer army without organization, training, or support
! D. A legal system with courts, judges, and lawyers.

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 SOCIAL SCIENCE ANSWER KEY
Paleolithic Era to 10. J 7. C 5. C
the Agricultural 11. C 8. K 6. K
Revolution 12. M 9. C 7. D
1. C 13. D 10. M 8. L
2. L 14. K 11. B 9. B
3. A 15. C 12. J 10. M
4. K 16. L 13. D 11. A
5. A 17. A 14. L 12. M
6. M 18. M 15. D 13. D
7. C 19. C 16. M 14. K
8. J 20. M 17. B 15. D
9. C 21. B 18. J
10. K 22. L 19. D Ancient Rome
11. C 23. A 20. J 1. A
12. K 24. L 21. C 2. M
13. D 25. A 22. K 3. B
14. L 26. M 23. C 4. L
15. D 27. B 24. M 5. D
16. M 28. M 25. D 6. K
17. B 26. M 7. D
18. L Ancient Hebrews 27. D 8. L
19. D 1. B 9. D
20. J 2. M Ancient India 10. J
21. A 3. D 1. D 11. B
22. J 4. L 2. M 12. M
23. B 5. A 3. A 13. A
24. M 6. L 4. M 14. L
25. B 7. D 5. A 15. A
26. J 8. J 6. M 16. K
9. D 7. D 17. C
Mesopotamia, 10. K 8. L 18. M
Egypt, and Kush 11. D 9. B 19. D
1. A 12. M 10. L 20. M
2. M 11. D 21. D
3. C Ancient Greece 12. K 22. K
4. M 1. B 23. D
5. C 2. M Ancient China 24. J
6. K 3. A 1. C 25. D
7. C 4. J 2. M 26. L
8. K 5. A 3. A 27. C
9. C 6. M 4. M

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 VOCABULARY RELATED TO SOCIAL STUDIES PRACTICE SKILLS
Parent Tip: The words on this list appear in the exercises of this book within the content
clusters noted, but are not specifically tested. (Many words that are essential to the
understanding of a content cluster, such as Neolithic or irrigation, are tested in the exercises
themselves.) The words listed below are likely to recur quite often in your childs
history/social science text. Make sure he or she can formulate sentences using these words.
You will find that they will serve as an excellent springboard for discussion on a variety of
subjects.

EARLY CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF MANKIND

artifact technology
exclusively surplus
fossils lifestyle
distinguished from self-sufficient
complex fertile
agriculture era
topology mythology
domesticated

EARLY CIVILIZATIONS OF MESOPOTAMIA, EGYPT, AND KUSH

outpost cataract
hub hieroglyphics
shrine dynasty
famine idolatry
drought kingdom
decline afterlife
culture artisan
civilization kiln
specialization pharaoh
stable obelisk
nomad restore
scribe temple
pictograph prosperous, prosperity
cuneiform humble
inaccurate monument
dispute architecture
merchant disorder
code exotic
parchment transform

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EARLY CIVILIZATIONS OF THE ANCIENT HEBREWS

monotheistic covenant
moral, ethical exile
descendants reject
harmony compromise
delta identity
common enabling
defeat preserve
invasion endure
despite adapt
prophet synagogue

EARLY CIVILIZATIONS OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS

isolated, isolation oligarchy

inlet bureaucracy
epic tyranny, tyrant
oracle vacuum
interpret populace
monarchy discontent
oligarchy randomly
dictatorship resident
democracy
citizen agora
evolve philosopher, philosophy
assembly plague
ephor despise
abolish Hellenistic
barter exquisite
slavery primary source
wage war spartan

6th Grade Edition 156

EARLY CIVILIZATIONS OF INDIA

monsoon sacrifice
fertile reincarnation
sacred karma
caste excess
Vedas, Vedism nirvana
dharma missionary
ritual nonviolence
enlightened

EARLY CIVILIZATIONS OF CHINA

seafaring harmony
ancestor universal
proximity feudalism
spouse dynasty
inherit acupuncture
stable, stability seismograph
reverent

DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

strife rival
chaos dominant, dominance
patrician republic
plebeian emperor
elite province
nobility arrogant
veto acquire
tripartite professional
ally, allies Old Testament
looted New Testament
usurp Torah

6th Grade Edition 157

 SCIENCE
Practice Skill: PLATE TECTONICS AND EARTHS STRUCTURE
Objective: To evaluate knowledge of plate tectonics and how this subject is
involved in the major geologic events and surface features of the Earth.

Parent Tip: To help your child understand the idea of plate tectonics one must explain that
the earth is made of layers. Several layers of different material cover the inner core. The
solid top layer is made of individual plates that are continually moving. They can collide to
form landmasses such as mountains, move over hot spots to form volcanoes, and slip where
they are in direct contact with each other to cause earthquakes.

Choose the correct answer:

1. Which of the following is part of the theory of tectonics?

! A. The earths outer shell is made of many plates that are continually moving and
coming into contact with each other.
! B. The earths outer shell is made of one solid plate that is continually growing but
not moving.
! C. The earths outer shell is made of many plates, which over time will join into one
large plate.
! D. The earths outer shell is made of one solid plate that is continually shrinking.

2. Which of the following provide evidence for the theory of plate tectonics?

! J. the distribution of fossils on various continents

! K. similar rock formations and mountain ranges on various continents
! L. the way the continents seem to fit together
! M. all of the above

3. In ancient times, the single land mass that is thought to contain all of the continents was
called

! A. Asia Minor.
! B. Eurasia.
! C. Pangaea.
! D. Ameriasia.

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4. The most common cause of earthquakes is

! J. wind movement.
! K. water movement.
! L. oil drilling.
! M. plate movement.

5. The uppermost rigid and solid layer of the earth is known as the

! A. atmosphere.
! B. lithosphere.
! C. hemisphere.
! D. hydrosphere.

6. In plate tectonics, the areas where the plates are moving apart are called

! J. convergent boundaries.
! K. transformed boundaries.
! L. divergent boundaries.
! M. strike-slip boundaries.

7. The three main layers of the earth (from the deepest to the surface layer) are called

! A. the core, the mantle, and the lithosphere.

! B. the mantle, the core, and the lithosphere.
! C. the lithosphere, the mantle, and the core.
! D. the lithosphere, the core, and the mantle.

8. When an oceanic plate continually pushes up on a continental plate, or when two

continental plates collide which of the following will probably happen?

! J. A new ocean will be formed.

! K. A mountain range will be formed.
! L. More trees will be created.
! M. The land will become more fertile.

9. The movement of the continental land masses away from each other is called

! A. the continental divide.

! B. the continental drift.
! C. the continental erosion.
! D. the continental migration.

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10. Breaks in land masses where hot magma reaches the surface is an example of

! J. a canyon.
! K. a volcano.
! L. an earthquake.
! M. a glacier.

12. A break in the earths crust that can move up, down, or sideways is called a

! A. fault.
! B. plateau.
! C. pore.
! D. current.

13. How fast do the tectonic plates move?

! J. several miles per year

! K. several kilometers per year
! L. several centimeters or inches per year
! M. only a few centimeters every hundred years

14. When a weak spot in the earths crust moves over a hot spot in the mantle, what
generally happens?

! J. An earthquake occurs.
! K. A volcano or fissure forms.
! L. An island becomes more tropical.
! M. The crust passes over undisturbed.

15. Which of the following factors can have influence on the effect of an earthquake?

! A. the magnitude of the quake

! B. the distance from the epicenter
! C. the composition of the land mass
! D. all of the above

16. Hot molten rock that is found deep under the earths crust is called

! J. magma.
! K. lava.
! L. ash.
! M. cinder.

6th Grade Edition 160

Practice Skill: SHAPING THE EARTHS SURFACE
Objective: To evaluate knowledge of the effect of weathering and erosion on
the topography of the Earths land masses.

Parent Tip: The study of topography includes the physical features of the Earths surface.
The main agents of erosion that reshape the landscape are water, wind, ice, plants, and
gravity. Natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and floods, change the
topography, destroy habitats and harm animal and plant life.

1. The process of breaking down rocks and other materials by wind, water and ice is called

! A. weathering.
! B. uplifting.
! C. sedimentation.
! D. crystallization.

2. One of the problems of water erosion of soils is

! J. the fertile topsoil is washed away.

! K. the nutrients and minerals in the ground are washed away.
! L. the ground becomes unstable and can have land slides.
! M. all of these

3. The process of building new landforms by laying down sediments is called

! A. leaching.
! B. decomposition.
! C. oxidation.
! D. deposition.

4. Glaciers are

! J. fast moving rivers that cause erosion.

! K. large masses of moving ice and snow that cause erosion.
! L. fast moving wind storms that cause erosion.
! M. powerful waves that cause erosion.

5. Which factor has the greatest effect on the shape of the shoreline?

! A. the wind
! B. the rivers entering the ocean
! C. the pounding of the ocean waves
! D. the freezing of the water in winter

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6. The area where a river flows into a lake or ocean is called a

! J. levee.
! K. delta.
! L. sand bar.
! M. flood plain.

7. As waves erode the cliffs of rock near the sea, some of the rock is left in columns called

! A. terraces.
! B. sea stacks.
! C. salt pillars.
! D. moraines.

8. Rock and other debris that is deposited by glaciers is called

! J. dune.
! K. till.
! L. humus.
! M. loess.

9. Volcanoes

! A. destroy plant and animal life

! B. can cause an island to form over time
! C. cause erosion of the soil
! D. all of the above

10. Weathering of rock caused by solid particles hitting or rubbing against them is

! J. abrasion.
! K. oxidation.
! L. deposition.
! M. sedimentation.

11. Small moving branches of water that eventually flow into larger rivers are called

! A. veins.
! B. meanders.
! C. tributaries.
! D. arteries.

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Practice Skill: THERMAL ENERGY
Objective: To evaluate knowledge of how heat moves from warmer objects to
cooler objects through various processes.

Parent Tip: Energy is the ability to do work. It is never destroyed, but it changes from one
form to another. Heat flow and waves of light, water, or sound can carry energy from one
place to another. Heat energy causes changes in temperature and in the phase (solid, liquid,
gas) of any form of matter. It can be passed on to other objects in several ways.

1. When heat moves through a material without the material moving itself (metal spoon in
hot water), the process is called

! A. radiation.
! B. convection.
! C. conduction.
! D. absorption.

2. When heat moves through a material by actual movement of the material (boiling water),
the process is called

! J. radiation.
! K. convection.
! L. conduction.
! M. adsorption.

3. Substances that are poor conductors of heat (wood, plastic) are called

! A. insulators.
! B. radiators.
! C. resistors.
! D. amplifiers.

4. Energy of an object in motion is called

! J. potential energy.
! K. momentum energy.
! L. kinetic energy.
! M. heat capacity.

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5. The process of heat energy moving through empty space is called

! A. radiation.
! B. convection.
! C. conduction.
! D. adsorption.

6. A large rock resting on a hill is an example of

! J. potential energy.
! K. kinetic energy.
! L. radiation energy.
! M. adsorption energy.

7. Heat energy traveling from the sun to the earth is an example of

! A. radiation.
! B. convection.
! C. conduction.
! D. adsorption.

8. The amount of heat gained or lost by a substance is commonly measured in

! J. meters.
! K. grams.
! L. liters.
! M. calories.

9. When fuel is consumed, most of the energy is changed into

! A. light.
! B. heat.
! C. movement.
! D. water.

10. The law of conservation of energy states that

! J. energy can be created but not destroyed.

! K. energy cannot be created but can be destroyed.
! L. energy can neither be created nor destroyed.
! M. energy can be created and destroyed.

6th Grade Edition 164

Practice Skill: ENERGY IN THE EARTH SYSTEM
Objective: To evaluate knowledge of how actions on the Earths surface are
affected by radiation and convection currents.
Parent Tip: The solar energy (from the sun) is the major energy that powers winds, ocean
currents, and the water cycle. Heat reaches the earth surface through convection, solar
energy through radiation. Heat energy is distributed into the atmosphere and the oceans
1. The movement of hot air from the Earth surface out into the atmosphere because of
temperature differences is an example of

! A. conduction currents.
! B. radiation currents.
! C. convection currents.
! D. electrical currents.

2. Convection currents in the ocean would move water

! J. from the warm surface down to the cooler depths.

! K. from a cooler area up to the warmer surface.
! L. from a cool area into an area of a hot thermal vent.
! M. all of the above

3. When water is changed from a liquid to a gas by the heat energy from the sun it is called

! A. condensation.
! B. evaporation.
! C. transpiration.
! D. precipitation.

4. Visible light that reaches the Earth from the sun is also known as

! J. ultraviolet light.
! K. infrared light.
! L. solar light.
! M. white light.

5. When an object appears green in color, this is because

! A. green light is absorbed by the object.

! B. green light is reflected by the object.
! C. blue and yellow light are being absorbed by the object.
! D. blue and yellow light are being reflected by the object.

6th Grade Edition 165

Practice Skill: ECOLOGY
Objective: To evaluate knowledge about the way organisms exchange energy
and nutrients among themselves and with the environment.

Parent Tip: Ecology is the study of the interrelationships of plants, animals and the
environment. The term ecosystem refers to the interacting system of living things in their
non-living surroundings. Energy entering an ecosystem as sunlight is first changed into
chemical energy by producers. This energy is passed from organism in food webs by
animals eating plants and other animals.

Choose the correct answer.

1. Another name for a producer is a(n)

! A. autotrophy.
! B. heterotroph.
! C. carnivore.
! D. herbivore.

2. The process by which green plants take energy from the sun to make their own food is called

! J. respiration.
! K. digestion.
! L. photosynthesis.
! M. propagation.

3. A distinct level of feeding in an ecosystem (producer, consumer, decomposer, etc) is called a

! A. food web.
! B. energy pyramid.
! C. symbiosis.
! D. trophic level.

4. The sequence of one organism from one trophic level feeding upon another from a lower
trophic level is called a

! J. parasitism.
! K. food chain.
! L. biocycle.
! M. population.

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5. Food webs are interconnected food chains. As energy is passed from one trophic level to
the next, which of the following happens?

! A. The available energy for the organisms remains the same.

! B. The available energy for the organisms increase.
! C. The available energy for the organisms is much less (less than 10% of the level above).
! D. The available energy for the organisms is sometimes greater and sometimes
smaller than the level above.

6. In a food web all organisms but those in the first trophic level are

! J. carnivores.
! K. herbivores.
! L. autotrophs.
! M. heterotrophs.

7. All of the following organisms are producers except

! A. plants.
! B. sea weed.
! C. plankton.
! D. fish.

8. What is the difference between abiotic and biotic factor in an ecosystem?

! J. Biotic factors are living organisms while abiotic factors are non living parts of
of the environment.
! K. Abiotic factors are found in aquatic ecosystems while biotic factors are found in
terrestrial ecosystems.
! L. Biotic factors were formed when the earth was forming; abiotic factors have
been formed recently.
! M. Biotic factors are non-living parts of the environment while abiotic factors are
living organisms.

9. First order consumers eat what material?

! A. herbivores
! B. carnivores
! C. plants
! D. fungus

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10. What do the nitrogen cycle, water cycle, and carbon cycle all have in common?

! J. They all disappeared along with the dinosaurs.

! K. All of the compounds are recycled through the decomposition of dead organisms.
! L. None of these materials are found in the atmosphere.
! M. All of these materials are lost at the end of each cycle.

11. What do second order consumers feed upon?

! A. plants
! B. herbivores
! C. carnivores
! D. fungus

12. What is the function of decomposers such as bacteria and fungi in the ecosystem?

! J. to convert sunlight to chemical energy

! K. to break down and decay dead organism
! L. to pass energy from a producer to a consumer
! M. to pass energy from a herbivore to a carnivore

13. Which of the following would be an abiotic factor in an ecosystem?

! A. light
! B. water
! C. wind
! D. all of the above

6th Grade Edition 168

Practice Skill: RESOURCES
Objective: To evaluate knowledge about sources of energy, their distribution,
and their usefulness in our environment.

Parent Tip: Energy sources are considered renewable or nonrenewable. A natural resource
that is recycled or replaced by natural processes is called a renewable resource. One that is
available in limited amounts and is not replaced or recycled is a non-renewable resource.
Our most important sources of energy are fossil fuels, the remains of organisms buried
millions of years ago. The burning of fossil fuel to release the energy can cause air
pollution.

1.Which of the following are renewable resources?

! A. Air.
! B. Water.
! C. Wild life.
! D. All of the above.

2. The burning of fossil fuels can cause all of the following EXCEPT

! J. smog
! K. acid rain
! L. greenhouse effect
! M. destruction of the ozone layer

3. An example of a fossil fuel is

! A. wood from trees

! B. coal or oil
! C. water
! D. solar energy

4. The greenhouse effect may result in all of the following EXCEPT

! J. global warming
! K. melting of the ice cap
! L. the permanent loss of significant numbers of animal and plant species
! M. better types of plants for food

6th Grade Edition 169

 SCIENCE ANSWER KEY
Plate Tectonics Earths 4. L 3. D
1. A Surface 5. A 4. L
2. M 1. A 6. J 5. C
3. C 2. M 7. A 6. M
4. M 3. D 8. M 7. D
5. B 4. K 9. B 8. J
6. L 5. C 10. L 9. C
7. A 6. K 10. K
8. K 7. B Earth 11. B
9. B 8. K System 12. M
10. K 9. D 1. C 13. D
11. A 10. J 2. J
12. L 11. C 3. B Resources
13. B 4. M 1. D
14. M Thermal 5. B 2. M
15. A Energy 3. B
1. C Ecology 4. M
2. K 1. A
3. A 2. L

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6th Grade Edition 171