Grade: Grade 6 Subject: Social Studies Unit: Ancient Civilizations Lesson: 6 of 6 SAT: Information+Ideas ACT: Reading

Unit Checkpoint

Unit Assessment

Where did Mesopotamian civilization develop, and what does "Mesopotamia" mean?

What geographic feature allowed Egyptian civilization to flourish?

How did the Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta differ?

What caused the fall of the Roman Empire?

Describe two achievements of the Indus Valley Civilization.

How did Emperor Ashoka change after the Kalinga War?

What did Qin Shi Huang standardize across China?

Why is the Silk Road considered one of history's most important trade routes?

Compare one mathematical/scientific achievement from each: Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China.

What common factors led to the decline of ancient civilizations?

Click to reveal answers

1. Between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (modern Iraq); "Mesopotamia" means "land between the rivers"

2. The Nile River and its predictable annual flooding provided fertile soil, water for irrigation, and transportation

3. Athens: democracy, arts, philosophy, trade; Sparta: military state, strict discipline, warriors, limited personal freedom

4. Multiple factors: invasions by Germanic tribes, economic troubles, political instability, overextension, weakened military

5. Planned cities with grid streets, advanced drainage/sewage systems, standardized weights and measures, extensive trade networks

6. He converted to Buddhism, renounced violence, promoted religious tolerance, and built hospitals, roads, and rest houses

7. Writing system, weights and measures, currency, and road widths throughout the empire

8. It connected East and West, spreading goods (silk, spices), ideas, religions (Buddhism), technologies, and cultures across continents

9. Mesopotamia: 60-based number system, wheel; Egypt: geometry, calendar; India: zero, decimal system; China: paper, compass

10. Foreign invasions, environmental changes, economic collapse, political corruption, overextension, internal conflicts, disease

Score	Mastery Level	Next Steps
9-10	Advanced	Move on to the next unit!
7-8	Proficient	Review missed concepts, then proceed.
5-6	Developing	Review lessons 3-5 before moving on.
0-4	Beginning	Restart the unit from Lesson 1.