Preparing for Ohio’s
State Test – Grade 4
Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Test Blueprint
The following test blueprint displays the distribution of the content
standards across the two parts of the test and categories for reporting test
results.
Grade 4
Reporting Categories
Content
Statements
Reporting
Category
Point Range
Total Test
Point
Range
History
Historical Thinking and Skills
1, 2
Heritage
20-22
3, 5,6,7,8
Economics and Geography
Spatial Thinking and Skills
9
Places and Regions
10, 11
Human Systems
12, 13, 14
Economic Decision Making and
Skills
22
Production and Consumption
23
Financial Literacy
24
63-65
20-22
Government
Civic Participation and Skills
15, 16, 17
Rules and Laws
18, 19
Roles of Systems of Government
20, 21
1
21-23
Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Description of Stimulus and Item Types
The information below explains the types of stimuli (reading or visual) and
items (questions and tasks) you will see on the test.
Stimulus types may include:
• Document excerpts and other texts
• Photographs and illustrations
• Graphs
• Charts
• Data tables
• Maps
• Timelines
Item Types
A multiple-choice item provides a set of answer choices (most often four)
that allows the student to select one option in response to the question.
An enhanced selected-response item consists of a set of answer choices
that allow the students to select multiple options in response to one
question, matching options together to classify information, selecting
evidence supporting an initial answer choice, or a graphic-response
screen.
A machine-scored constructed-response item consists of a graphicresponse screen that allows the students to control objects to create a
response to the question. The graphic-response screen may be a map, a
chart or graph, a picture, or a diagram on which the students must draw
or position objects correctly. Machine-scored constructed-response items
offer the students a great degree of freedom to create their own
response.
A human-scored constructed-response item consists of a question or set
of questions that require a detailed written response or responses. The
responses are scored by trained scorers according to a rubric or set of
rubrics that address multiple dimensions in the students’ work.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Historical Thinking and Skills
Learning Target 1
c Construct a time line of significant events in Ohio and the
United States to demonstrate an understanding of units of
time and chronological order.
Chronological thinking helps you develop a clear sense of historical time
in order to recognize the temporal sequence of events in history.
Timelines are created with appropriate titles, evenly spaced intervals for
years, decades and centuries, and events in chronological order.
A timeline can include a variety of events about various topics. The title
indicates what type of information is being presented on the timeline.
When creating a timeline, the interval or number of years between each
date must be equal. This interval will vary depending on the length of the
time period that the timeline covers.
As you place events on timelines, you begin to understand cause-andeffect relationships among events.
Title
Use a graphic organizer like the one above to create a time line with an
appropriate title and evenly spaced intervals.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Learning Target 2
c Research, organize, and evaluate information from primary
and secondary sources to create an historical narrative.
Primary sources are records of events as they are first described, usually
by witnesses or by people who were involved in the event. Many primary
sources were created at the time of the event.
Other primary sources may include memoirs, oral interviews or accounts
that were recorded later. Visual materials (e.g., photos, official
documents, original artwork, posters, and films) also are important primary
sources.
Secondary sources offer an analysis or a summary of primary sources.
They are written after the events have taken place by people who were
not present at the events. They often attempt to describe or explain
primary sources. Examples of secondary sources include encyclopedias,
textbooks, books and articles that interpret or review research works.
Historical narratives recount human events. You can use information from
primary and secondary sources to construct a historical narrative about
an event in the past. Primary and secondary sources can help you
distinguish facts from opinions, understand the cause and effects of an
event, and consider the points of view of people in the past.
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Use a graphic organizer like the one above to sort examples of primary
and secondary sources.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
For video tutorials, interactive review games, and assessment
practice for this unit, go to: http://www.ohiotestprep.com/grade-4
Historical Thinking and Skills Checking for Understanding
1. Eight presidents have called Ohio their home.
Move the presidents from Ohio in the correct order of the year they
took office.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
2. A time line and a paragraph about the history of Ohio are shown.
Read the paragraph and put the events described in the correct order
on the time line.
Move each of the three events into the blank boxes on the time line.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
3. Two passages are shown.
Decide whether each passage is a primary or secondary source.
Choose the box you want to select under each passage.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Heritage
Learning Target 3
c Explain how interactions among prehistoric peoples and
between historic American Indians and European settlers
resulted in both cooperation and conflict.
Prehistoric and historic American Indians were the original inhabitants of
Ohio. Prehistoric groups included Paleo, Archaic, Woodland, and Late
Prehistoric [Fort Ancient]. Historic groups included Delaware, Miami,
Ottawa, Seneca, Shawnee and Wyandot.
Cooperation
Conflict
There is evidence of cooperation among
prehistoric groups involving the building of
mounds and trade with other groups.
There is also evidence of conflict,
especially among the Late Prehistoric
groups. They sometimes fought over
access to hunting lands or the most fertile
Use a graphic organizer like the
agricultural lands.
one above to take notes on
examples of cooperation and
Europeans began to appear in the Ohio
conflict between American
Country in the 1600s. The French came first Indians and European settlers.
followed closely by the English. Later
immigrant groups included the Scotch-Irish and Germans. Migrating
settlers also came into the Ohio Country from other colonies.
Immigrants worked together to create new settlements in Ohio. They
cooperated in building transportation systems and developing new
businesses. Hunting and agricultural practices were sometimes shared
among American Indians and European settlers. On the other hand, land
use and ownership caused conflict between these groups.
The struggle among European countries for control of the Ohio River
Valley led to the French and Indian War. This made relationships worse
among the European settlers and American Indian tribes.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Learning Target 4
c Explain why the American colonists united to fight for
independence from Great Britain and to form a new nation.
The American colonies united in 1776 to issue the Declaration of
Independence. They announced their decision to free themselves from
Great Britain. They felt two practices of the British were unfair:
1. High taxes were put on stamps, paint and tea without say from the
colonists. Colonists had no representation in the British Parliament.
2. The Proclamation of 1763 said the colonists could not settle west of the
Appalachians.
The colonists had begun to think of themselves as Americans. They
wanted to govern themselves.
Causes
Effects
They fought the American
Revolution to end British rule.
During this same time period,
Ohio was developing as a
populated frontier. Fort Laurens
was the only fort built in Ohio
during the American Revolution.
There were no major battles
were fought in the Ohio Country.
Event
Americans formed a new
national government under the Use a graphic organizer like the one
Articles of Confederation. The above to take notes on the causes and
effects of the American Revolution.
Articles of Confederation did not
work well for running a new nation. A constitutional convention was called
and delegates from 12 states chose to attend and wrote a constitution.
The Constitution of the United States allowed for changes, or
amendments, to be made to the Constitution. The first 10 amendments
are called the Bill of Rights.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Learning Target 5
c Explain how Ohio progressed from territory to statehood,
including the terms of the Northwest Ordinance.
c Explain how the Northwest Ordinance influenced the
incorporation of democratic ideals in the states formed from the
Northwest Territory.
The Northwest Ordinance provided rights to the people such as freedom of
religion and the right to a trial by jury. Education would be encouraged.
Indians would be treated in good faith. It also banned slavery in the
Northwest Territory. In addition, the Northwest Ordinance
established a three–step plan for
admitting states from the Northwest
Territory (like Ohio) to the United
States. The steps included:
1. Congress would appoint a group
of leaders to govern people in
the territory.
2. With a minimum population, the
people of a part of the territory
could elect political leaders to
govern them. 3. When the population of the Use a graphic organizer like the one
district was large enough, it could above to take notes on the threebe admitted as a state. step plan for becoming a state.
Leaders in Ohio wrote Ohio’s first constitution so Ohio could become a
state. Ohio’s Constitution was modeled after the U.S. Constitution.
Some land from Northwest Territory was given to Revolutionary War
veterans as payment for their service.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Learning Target 6
c Explain how the inability to resolve standing issues with
Great Britain and ongoing conflicts with American Indians
led to the War of 1812.
c Explain the significance of the Battle of Lake Erie to American
success in the War of 1812.
For years after the American Revolution, the British gave weapons to
American Indians. This allowed native tribes to fight against the
Americans. The British wanted to keep their hold on Canada. They also
wanted to keep making money on the fur trade in the Northwest Territory.
Americans believed the Treaty of Paris
gave the U.S. the right to Indian lands in
Ohio. A coalition of American Indians
disagreed. Tribal leaders, such as Blue
Jacket and Little Turtle, fought against the
increase in American settlers in Ohio. The
coalition first won some battles against the
American army. But they were defeated
at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Many tribes
signed the Treaty of Greenville, giving up
their claims to land in much of Ohio.
Others continued the fight to defend their
lands and had help from Britain.
Tecumseh and his brother, the Prophet, Use a graphic organizer like
tried to form a new Indian confederacy, the one above to take notes
but they suffered a big defeat at the Battle on the War of 1812.
of Tippecanoe.
The United States declared war on Great Britain in June of 1812. Fort Meigs
was built along the Maumee River to prepare to invade British Canada.
British troops and Indian warriors attacked the fort, but were defeated.
Oliver Hazard Perry and American sailors defeated the British navy at the
Battle of Lake Erie in 1813. This defeat meant the British could no longer
provide American Indians with weapons to continue the fight. After this
battle, Indians stopped resisting American settlement of Ohio.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Learning Target 7
c Describe the sectional issues that divided the United States
after the War of 1812.
c Explain the role Ohio played with the anti-slavery
movement and the Underground Railroad.
After the War of 1812, the nation quickly expanded. This raised questions
about whether or not to allow slavery in the new territories.
Under the terms of the Northwest Ordinance, Ohio was admitted to the
U.S. as a free state.
Not all Ohioans were abolitionists.
However,
local
antislavery
newspapers made Ohio an
important center of the antislavery movement. The Ohio AntiSlavery Society hired people to
give speeches across the state to
convince Ohioans to join the
abolitionist movement.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a popular
novel based on runaway slaves
the author had met in Cincinnati.
Use a graphic organizer like the one
Even though Ohio was a free state,
above to take notes on Ohio’s role in
the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 the abolitionist movement.
made it illegal to help slaves
escape. Ohio served as the northern “trunk line” of the Underground
Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a system of secret routes used by
free people to help slaves escape to freedom. Escape routes developed
throughout Ohio. Safe houses were places where slaves could be hidden
during the day. Escaped slaves usually traveled at night to get to the next
stop. Many cities in Ohio today have houses that were once used by
escaped slaves heading north along the Underground Railroad. 12
Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Learning Target 8
c Identify important inventions in communication, technology
and transportation that began in Ohio.
c Explain how technological innovations that originated in Ohio
benefitted the United States.
Ohio has influenced the development of the United States. Inventors from
Ohio have contributed innovations which have benefitted the United
States.
For example, the light bulb made it possible for people to work and play
after dark. The phonograph allowed people to be entertained in their
home. The traffic light and gas mask improved safety. The cash register
helped businesses keep track of money.
Other inventions, such as the electric starter and ethyl gasoline for the
automobile, improved transportation. The airplane made it possible for
people and goods to travel long distances in less time.
Ohio Invention
Benefits
Use a graphic organizer like the one above to take notes on benefits of
inventions from Ohio.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
For video tutorials, interactive review games, and assessment
practice for this unit, go to: http://www.ohiotestprep.com/grade-4
Heritage Checking for Understanding
1. The following question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer
Part B.
Part A
As different settlers moved into the Ohio Country, there were times of
conflict and cooperation between the settlers and American Indians.
What was one cause of conflict between American Indians and
European settlers in the Ohio Country?
A. European settlers did not share farming practices with American
Indians.
B. European settlers forced American Indians to move in search of new
lands.
C. American Indians supported the Spanish settlers in conflicts against
French fur traders over land rights.
D. American Indians did not show European settlers how to use
gunpowder to help them hunt in the countryside.
Part B
Why did your selection in Part A cause conflict between American
Indians and European settlers?
A. European settlers took away land that was used by American
Indians.
B. American Indians were angry that they could not farm as well as the
European settlers.
C. American Indians wanted to make sure the settlers would not hunt
all the animals in Ohio.
D. Spanish settlers helped American Indians keep the land that was
taken by French colonists.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
3. Explain two ways in which American Indians were affected by the
westward movement of settlers into Ohio.
4. During the American Revolution, American colonists fought for freedom
from Great Britain.
Complete the chart by selecting two causes of the American
Revolution.
Move your answers into the blank boxes in the chart.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
5. Identify which events encouraged the colonists to fight against Great
Britain in the Revolutionary War.
Click on the three boxes you want to select.
6. What did the Northwest Ordinance ban in the Northwest Territory?
A. slavery
B. farming
C. Independent political elections
D. Settlement by American Indians
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
7. The Northwest Ordinance established a three-step plan for admitting
states, like Ohio, from the Northwest Territory to the United States.
Determine the correct order of the steps for admitting states from the
Northwest Territory to the United States.
Move the steps into the blank boxes in the chart.
8. What was a lasting result of the Battle of Fallen Timbers?
A. The Shawnee Indians assumed a greater role in the U.S. political life.
B. The United States acquired much of the Ohio Country.
C. The French took control of Canada from Britain.
D. The United States lost control of Zane’s Trace.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
9. How did the Battle of Fallen Timbers change the Ohio region?
A. It resulted in U.S. government control of the region.
B. It caused French fur-trappers to settle in the region.
C. It led to increased British military activity in the region.
D. It increased the power of Indian tribes in the region.
10. Identify one reason why Ohio was an important part of the
Underground Railroad.
11. What the purpose of the Underground Railroad?
A. to provide a secret escape route for fugitive slaves who sought
their freedom.
B. to provide transportation to slaves who wanted to live in the North.
C. to return escaped slaves to their owners.
D. to continue slavery in the United States.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
12. Many Ohio innovations have benefited the United States.
Move the innovations to complete the chart.
• You do not need to use all the innovations.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Geography
Learning Target 9
c Use a map scale and cardinal and intermediate directions to
describe the relative location of physical and human
characteristics of Ohio and the United States.
Relative location is the location of a place relative to other places. For example,
your school might be next to a public library. It might be one mile from your
house.
Physical characteristics are the natural parts and physical geography of a
place.
Human characteristics are things put in place by humans rather than by nature.
What can you use to describe relative location of physical and human
characteristics of Ohio and the United States?
• A map scale shows what the distances on the map represent in real life.
One inch on a map might represent one mile in real life. Map scales differ
from map to map. You can describe relative location by using the map
scale to approximate the distance between places.
• Cardinal directions are the four main points of the compass (north, south,
east and west). They are abbreviated N, S, E and W.
• Intermediate directions are the points of the compass that fall between
north and east, north and west, south and east, and south and west. They
are abbreviated NE, NW, SE and SW.
Cardinal and intermediate directions also
can be used to describe relative location.
For example, Dayton is west of Zanesville
or Virginia is southeast of Ohio.
According to the map, what is the relative
location of the Great Lakes to Ohio?
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Learning Target 10
c Explain how Ohio’s agriculture, industry and natural resources
continue to both influence and be influenced by the
economic development of the United States.
Ohio played a crucial role in the early economic development of the United
States because of Ohio’s
• Abundant natural resources
• Skilled laborers
• Central location
• Extensive waterways
Ohio’s forests provided the resources for building materials and paper. Ohio
farms, as well as the fisheries along Lake Erie, supplied food for a rapidly growing
nation. Ohio coal powered the factories producing goods. Ohio coal also
powered ships and trains that carried products to market during the late 19th
and early 20th centuries.
Ohio is using its natural resources to help the nation moves toward alternative
energy sources.
• Most of Ohio’s corn was once used to feed the growing nation. Today a
lot of the corn and soybeans is used in the production of bio-fuels. Biofuels are believed to reduce air pollution.
• Ohio is also building wind turbines to provide clean energy.
Current economic challenges such as global competition influence basic
industries in Ohio such as automobile, rubber, steel, and heavy equipment.
Ohio’s waterways continue to provide transportation and provide recreational
opportunities.
Create a graphic
organizer to take notes
on the industvry use of
Ohio’s natural resources.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Learning Target 11
c Describe physical and economic characteristics of the northern,
southern and western regions of the United States in the early 1800s. By the early 1800s, the borders of the United States stretched from the
Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River.
Three regions developed in the United States based upon common
physical environments and economies.
North:
• Large cities, small cities and towns; • Rocky and thin soil; • Trade centers; • Manufacturing centers (shipbuilding), logging; and • Factories, ironworks, textiles, cottage industries. South: • Rural, with few large cities and towns; • Coastal marshes; • Plantation economy; • Tobacco, cotton and sugar cash crops; • Long growing season; and • Producers of raw materials for northern and British factories. West (including Ohio):
• Rural with growing cities and towns; • Inexpensive farmland; • Rich soil for farming; and • Producers of raw materials for northern and British factories (timber,
minerals). Create a graphic organizer like the one above to take notes on the physical
and economic characteristics of each region.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Learning Target 12
c Describe ways humans have modified the environment and
explain the positive and negative consequences resulting from
those modifications. People modify (change) the environment (air, land, water) to meet their needs.
Examples of modifications to the environment include:
• Building transportation systems such as roads, canals, and railways
• Construction of dams to modify the flow of water
• Use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticide to increase and protect the
amount of crops grown in soil.
• Destruction of wetlands and forests to clear land to build farms and
towns
Modifications can have positive consequences (good results). Such as:
• Making travel faster and safer
• Creating new jobs
• Meet food, shelter, and clothing needs
• Buy and sell goods and services
Modifications can have negative consequences (bad results). Such as:
• Increase pollution
• Destruction of natural resources
• Plants and animals become endangered or extinct
It is the responsibility of individual citizens to use resources in ways that are
sustainable to future generations.
Describe a positive and negative consequence of each modification.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Learning Target 13
c Explain how Ohio’s population is increasingly reflective of the
cultural diversity of the United States.
In 1800, Ohio’s population grew slowly during the colonial period, totaling just
over 45,000. When the Ohio territory became a state in 1803, settlers flocked to
Ohio. In 1810, the population quintupled (multiplied by five) to more than
230,000
In1860, Ohio had 14 percent of its population foreign born. The largest groups of
immigrants came from Germany, Ireland and Britain.
Industrialization changed the demographic data for Ohio and the United
States. Growing industries and jobs attracted new immigrants. The 1900s
brought increased immigration from eastern, central and southern Europe
(Spain, Italy and Greece) to Ohio’s largest cities.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau the United States population and cultural
diversity will change.
• In 2003, Blacks made up 13% of the nation’s population. This is expected
to increase to 15% in 2060.
• Hispanics are now the fastest-growing minority group in the U.S. The
Hispanic population is projected to nearly triple.
• Asians comprise the third largest minority group – and the second fastestgrowing group – in the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that
the numbers of Asians will increase from 5 percent of the U.S. population
in 2008 to 9 percent by 2050.
By 2008, the three largest groups of immigrants to Ohio were from India, Mexico
and China. Ohio’s population increasingly reflects the cultural diversity of the
nation.
Based on the graph, identify
one change that will take
place in the population of the
United States from 2012 to
2060.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Learning Target 14
c Explain how Ohio’s location and its transportation systems have
influenced the movement of people, products and ideas.
At one time, Ohio was the “Gateway to the West”. Ohio’s main means to
transport goods was the Ohio River. Eventually, canals, railroads and
roads were constructed to meet the needs of a westward-expanding
nation.
• A canal is a human-made water route. It helped move people and
products cheaper.
• Railroads like the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad made travel faster,
cheaper, and more direct.
• The National Road linked the frontier with the East Coast.
Ohio continues to function as a major transportation hub for the nation.
Ohio’s large transportation networks include air, highway, rail, and river.
These means of transportation are important to the national and
international distribution of merchandise. Ohio’s transportation network
influences the movement of people, products and ideas.
Ohio is also home to corporate offices for banks, insurance companies
and retail stores. People from around the world buy Ohio products and
materials such as chemicals, rubber, agricultural products, trucks and
stone.
Erie Canal, 1902
Ohio Freeway, 2016
Describe why highways are important today to move goods in Ohio, and why
canals are not as important as they were.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
For video tutorials, interactive review games, and assessment
practice for this unit, go to: http://www.ohiotestprep.com/grade-4
Geography Checking for Understanding
1. A map of the eastern United States is shown.
According to the map, which state is southwest of Ohio?
A. Virginia
B. Wisconsin
C. New York
D. Mississippi
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
2. Select two of Ohio’s resources that are used as alternative energy sources.
coal
gasoline
natural gas
soybeans
wind
3. Which of Ohio’s natural resources powered American railroads and factories
in the late 1800s and early 1900s?
A. coal
B. electricity
C. rivers
D. timber
4. In the early 1800s, the United States developed regions that became known
as the North, the South and the West.
Each statement describes one of these regions. Move each statement into
the correct column in the chart.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
5. More than 42,000 miles of highway have been built throughout the United
States. This construction has had a great impact on the nation and the
environment.
Describe one positive consequence of interstate highway growth.
Describe one negative consequence of interstate highway growth.
Type your answer in the space provided.
6. Identify and explain one possible positive result of a farmer’s decision to use
pesticides on his crops. Then, identify and explain one possible negative
result of a farmer’s decision to use pesticides on his crops.
7. Which two waterways in or near Ohio are important for the transportation of
goods and people across the nation?
A. Lake Erie and the Ohio River
B. Lake Ontario and the Atlantic Ocean
C. the Pacific Ocean and the Ohio River
D. the Gulf of Mexico and the St. Lawrence River
8. What was a major route that Ohio used to transport goods and people to the
rest of the country in the early 1800s?
A. Interstate Highway 71
B. Appalachian Trail
C. Cuyahoga River
D. Ohio River
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
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Government
Learning Target 15
c Describe the ways citizens participate in and influence their
state and national government.
c Explain the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a
democratic government.
Citizens have the opportunity to participate in and influence their state
and national governments. Examples include voting, contacting
government officials, joining a civic or service organization, or performing
voluntary service.
Citizens have rights. First Amendment rights include:
• freedom of religion,
• speech and press,
• right of petition and
• right of assembly.
Citizens have personal responsibilities. Some examples include:
• getting an education and improve your career choices
• recycling
• caring for your family
Citizens have an obligation to uphold both the Ohio and U.S.
Constitutions. Citizens also have civic responsibilities including:
• obeying the law
• respecting the rights of others
• serving on a jury
• paying taxes
• registering for the selective service (men)
Complete the t-chart above by listing rights and responsibilities.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
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Learning Target 16
c Use information effectively to make an informed decision. Effective civic participation requires that individuals make informed and
reasoned decisions. An informed decision is based on facts. A reasoned
decision is one that makes sense. For example, when deciding who to
vote for in an election, you should learn about the candidates before you
vote. You can learn about the candidates by using a variety of print and
electronic sources.
When you learn about a topic by finding useful information, you become
informed. Then you must make a reasoned based on the facts.
To evaluate information critically, you can:
• Identify possible cause and effect relationships;
• Identify main ideas and supporting details
• Distinguish between fact and opinion;
• Read and interpret pictographs, bar graphs, line graphs and tables;
• Recognize perspective and purpose
• Compare points of agreement and disagreement.
What conclusions can you draw about voter turnout from the bar graph?
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
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Learning Target 17
c Describe a strategy for compromise in a situation where there
are differences of opinion on a matter.
A compromise is a settlement of differences in which each side makes
concessions, or gives up some of the things they want. Compromise is
important in a democratic society. A democracy seeks the common
good, which benefits all citizens as a whole.
Compromise involves:
• Taking turns
• Looking for common goals or principles
• Give and take.
Here is a situation where a compromise needs to be made:
Grass Roots, a biology club, has just won a $100 prize. One member
wants to save the money for field trips next year. Another member
suggests having a party so that the whole school will learn about the
club’s activities. A third member thinks the group should buy a big tree for
the playground.
On a separate sheet of paper, propose a compromise
between these three opposing view points. Explain why
your compromise would be a good solution to the
problem.
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Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Learning Target 18
c Describe ways in which laws protect rights, provide benefits
and assign responsibilities to citizens.
Laws are a system of rules that people in a state or country must obey.
Laws in a democratic society establish rule and order. Some laws are
passed on the national level by Congress and approved by the president.
Other laws are pass on the state level by state legislatures and signed by
the Governor.
The government makes laws to protect rights
such as:
• religion,
• speech,
• press,
• petition and
• assembly.
The government makes laws to provide benefits
(things that help us), such as:
• providing order in daily life (traffic laws),
• protecting property (outlawing theft), and
• providing public education (school laws).
The government makes laws to assign
responsibilities (duties) to citizens such as:
• paying taxes,
• serving on juries and
• obtaining licenses.
32
The photograph above
shows a school speed
limit sign. On a separate
sheet of paper, explain
how this law benefits
citizens.
Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Learning Target 19
c Explain how the U.S. Constitution limits the power of government
and protects the rights of citizens.
Before the U.S. Constitution the Articles of the Confederation was the first
written plan of government in the United States.
The Articles of
Confederation was weak and did not work for the country.
In 1787, the United States Constitution was written to replace the Articles of
Confederation. The Constitution created a stronger and more effective
government.
The writers of the U.S. Constitution did not want to make the government
too strong. However, they knew that Americans needed a strong
government to protect them. Therefore, the U.S. Constitution was created
and provided a government with limited powers and protections for the
rights of citizens.
The U.S. Constitution provides a
framework for government, describing
what it may and may not do.
In the United States,
• the people are the source of the
government’s authority
• citizens choose representatives
• citizens vote to decide issues
• the U.S. Constitution protects
basic rights of citizens.
Use a graphic organizer like the
The Bill of Rights consists of the first ten one above to explain First
amendments (changes) to the U.S. Amendment rights.
Constitution. The Bill of Rights protects the basic rights of citizens. The First Amendment contains some of the
most important rights.
The First Amendment guarantees the freedoms of religion, speech, press,
petition and assembly.
33
Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Learning Target 20
c Describe the purpose of democratic constitutions in Ohio and
the United States.
A constitution is a written plan for the government. It “constitutes”, or
creates, the government. A constitution establishes a framework. The
framework describes the way a government is organized and how its
power is allocated.
Ohio and the United States have democratic constitutions. The written
plan for the United States is called the U.S. Constitution. The written plan
for the state government of Ohio is called the Ohio Constitution. They are
based on the belief that the source of all political power is the people.
Both constitutions provide frameworks limiting the powers of the
government by:
• defining the authority of elected officials
• protect the rights of citizens
• describe what the government may and may not do
• organizing the government into three branches of government
(judicial, executive, and legislative) Use a graphic organizer to describe the purpose of a Constitution.
34
Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Learning Target 21
c Explain major responsibilities of each of the three branches of
government in Ohio and the United States.
Both the Ohio Constitution and the United States Constitution establish
governments with three branches. The authors of the Constitution feared
giving the new government too much power. They wanted to prevent
the government from abusing it power. Therefore, they separated the
powers of government among three branches of government.
The three branches are the legislative branch, executive branch, and
judicial. Each branch has it own responsibility.
• The legislative branch passes laws;
• The executive branch carries out and enforces the laws; and
• The judicial branch interprets and applies the laws.
Use a graphic organizer like the one above to take notes on the
responsibilities of each branch.
35
Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
For video tutorials, interactive review games, and assessment
practice for this unit, go to: http://www.ohiotestprep.com/grade-4
Government Checking for Understanding
1. An American citizen speaks to a local community group about her
opinions of United States foreign policy.
Which First Amendment right is this citizen exercising?
A. freedom of speech
B. freedom of religion
C. freedom to petition
D. freedom of the press
2. Identify the rights and responsibilities of a citizen of the United States.
Move each action into the correct column in the chart.
36
Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
3. A bar graph of data is shown.
Which conclusion can be drawn by looking at this bar graph?
A. In 2000, Akron had a population of fewer than 200,000 residents.
B. In 2000, Columbus had a similar population to that of Cleveland.
C. In 2000, Cleveland had a population of more than 500,000 residents.
D. In 2000, Toledo had a lower population than Akron and Dayton
combined.
4. Which sentence describes a voter who is well-prepared to vote?
A. The voter learns where each candidate grew up.
B. The voter compares the points made by each candidate.
C. The voter determines which candidate is most likely to win.
D. The voter figures out which candidate his or her friends are voting
for.
37
Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
5. John and Julianna work for a company that has extra computers they
want to give away. John wants to give them to a library, but Julianna
wants to give them to a school. They must make a decision.
Which action shows a compromise?
A. Give half of the computers to the library and half of them to the
school.
B. Give the computers to a computer repair shop since they cannot
agree.
C. Give the computers to the school because Julianna has been
working for less time.
D. Give the computers to the library because John has been working
for a longer time.
6. Kyle and Nicole are having an argument about who should get to use
the family computer. Help them to solve the argument by choosing
whether or not their actions are examples of compromise.
Click the box that correctly describes each action.
38
Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
7. It is against the law to drive through a red light.
Explain how this traffic law helps citizens.
8. The town council of Foxville is considering passing a bill that would
prohibit bicycling in the park. Mr. Smith is unhappy with this bill and has
written a letter and gathered signatures asking the town council not to
pass the law.
How are Mr. Smith’s actions protected by the First Amendment?
A. by giving him the right to petition
B. by protecting his freedom of the press
C. by protecting his freedom of religion
D. by giving him the right to own property
9. Nanci’s schedule for Wednesday is shown.
Move the 1st Amendment freedom that allows Nanci to participate in
each of these activities into each blank box.
• You do not need to use all the freedoms shown.
39
Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
10. Different documents played important roles in the development of the
United States’ democratic form of government.
Which document provided for the establishment of the executive
branch of the United States government?
A. Bill of Rights
B. Northwest Ordinance
C. United States Constitution
D. Declaration of Independence
11. Democratic constitutions play an important role in Ohio and the
United States.
Identify three roles of democratic constitutions.
Move the roles you want to select into the blank boxes.
40
Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
12. Identify two branches of the U.S. government.
Then, explain one responsibility of each branch.
13. What is one responsibility of the executive branch of the U.S.
government?
A. to interpret the law
B. to enforce the law
C. to set tax rates
D. to declare war
41
Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Economics
Learning Target 22
c Use tables and charts to interpret information.
Tables display information using a series of rows and columns. The top row
usually provides the title of the columns. The column on the left usually identifies
the rows. Tables organize information in a way that makes it easier to use and
understand.
Charts portray information in various formats and combinations of formats
including pictures, diagrams and graphs.
• Pictures or photographs can illustrate a point.
• Diagram are drawings that show how something is organized or how it
works
• Graphs display numerical information in a visual form. Three common
graphs are bar graph, line graph, and circle graph.
Tables and charts can help you make decisions by presenting information in a
way that makes it easier to use and understand.
Based on the chart, identify the change in Lisa’s personal savings.
42
Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Learning Target 23
c Explain characteristics of entrepreneurship, including the risks
and benefits.
Productive resources are the resources used to make goods and services.
• Natural resources are resources that are found in nature. Such as
water, timber, coal, animals, and natural gas.
• Human resources refer to the human labor that goes into making a
good or providing a service. Such as farmers, doctors, and cashiers.
• Capital goods refers to the tools, equipment, and machines needed
to produce other goods and services. Such as a tool, computer,
oven, forklift, and delivery van.
An entrepreneur is an individual who organizes the use of productive
resources to produce goods or services. Entrepreneurs are willing to take
risks to identify and develop new products or start a new business.
Entrepreneurs recognize opportunities to use productive resources to
make a profit. They accept the challenges involved in competing with
other producers in the marketplace.
There are risks and benefits to being an entrepreneur. For example, you
can be your own boss (benefit) but at time you may not have a regular
salary (risks).
Create a graphic organizer like the one above to identify the resources needed
by a Pizza Shop entrepreneur to produce a pizza. Determine whether the
resources needed are human resources, natural resources or capital goods.
43
Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
Learning Target 24
c Demonstrate how saving a portion of income contributes to an
individual’s financial well-being.
c Explain how individuals can save more of their income by
reducing spending.
It is important to have a personal budget. A budget is a plan for spending
and saving money. A budget helps you make personal economic
decisions.
People save money for things they might need or want. People can save
more of their income by reducing the amount of money they spend.
There are advantages to saving a portion of your income. It is a good
idea to put money away for a future emergency or special need. Saving
is also helpful when you wish to buy an expensive item.
Saving may involve some trade-offs. These trades-off are temporary
sacrifices. For example, eating at home instead of going out to a
restaurant could allow someone to save money for a computer.
Savings contribute to your financial well-being and prepare for your future
needs.
Keep
Spending
Monthly Expenses
Reduce
or Cut
Animal Shelter Donation - $5.00
Snacks - $10.00
Video Games - $20.00
School Supplies - $5
Timothy wants to save money to purchase a new computer. What
changes can he make to his budget to reach his goal? Check the boxes
on the budget that would be the best to reduce or cut.
44
Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
For video tutorials, interactive review games, and assessment
practice for this unit, go to: http://wwnw.ohiotestprep.com/grade-4
Economics Checking for Understanding
1. A table on early colonial settlements in the United States is shown.
Which characteristic do the settlements of Plymouth and Pennsylvania
share?
A. Both were founded for fur trade.
B. Both were founded for farming.
C. Both were founded in the early 1600s.
D. Both were founded for religious freedom.
2. Look at the information in the graph.
Create a title for the graph based on the information included in it.
45
Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
3. Which statement describes entrepreneurs?
A. They rarely take risks.
B. They always make a profit.
C. They produce goods or services.
D. They do not use productive resources.
4. Why are entrepreneurs important?
A. They reach higher levels of education.
B. They take risks to create new products.
C. They spend more money on their employees.
D. They make more profits than other businesses.
5. This chart shows different resources a bakery owner needs to have a
successful business.
Identify the resource this entrepreneur needs to make the business
successful.
Move each resource into the correct box in the chart.
46
Preparing for Ohio’s State Test – Grade 4 Ohio in the U.S.
Student Review Guide
6. Kalissa wants to save her money so that she can buy a new bike in two
months. She earns $5.00 a week babysitting her neighbor.
Select the boxes to show whether the list of actions would help Kalissa
buy her bike in two months or would not help her.
Help Kalissa Buy
the Bike
Not Help Kalissa
Buy the Bike
Buy presents for all her
friends
9
9
Save all her money each
week
9
9
Babysit more hours in the
week
9
9
Spend all her money on
new video games
9
9
47