Online Social Studies League
A Division of AcademicLeagues.com
6th Grade Sample Contest
Student Name _________________________
Date ___________________
Rules: You have 30 minutes to complete this test. You must work independently,
and no reference tools may be used. Each question has exactly one right answer.
Part 1: History
1. In an amazing coincidence, two of the first three U.S. presidents died on July 4, 1826,
exactly fifty years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Who were they?
A. George Washington and James Monroe B. James Madison and John Adams
C. John Adams and George Washington
D. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson
2. What U.S. president resigned in 1974 due to a “Watergate” scandal in which some of
his supporters broke into the offices of the Democratic National Committee during the
1972 election campaign?
A. Richard Nixon
C. Gerald Ford
B. Jimmy Carter
D. Bill Clinton
3. What famous 16th century artist is most famous for his fresco painting on the ceiling
of the Sistine Chapel?
A. Leonardo da Vinci
C. Vincent Van Gogh
B. Pablo Picasso
D. Michelangelo
4. The Statue of Liberty was a gift to the U.S. from which country?
A. England
C. Spain
B. France
D. Canada
5. I was the 40th President of the United States, serving as president from 1981-1989. I
was a Republican, and was also the oldest U.S. president ever elected. In my younger
days, I had been an actor. I died in 2004 after having Alzheimer’s disease for a decade or
so. Who am I?
A. Jimmy Carter
C. Ronald Reagan
B. Richard Nixon
D. Bill Clinton
Part 2: Geography
6. What U.S. river forms parts of the borders of ten states, including Louisiana,
Arkansas, Illinois, and Tennessee?
A. Ohio River
C. Tennessee River
B. Mississippi River
D. Missouri River
7. What is the largest and most populated country in South America?
A. Peru
C. Venezuela
B. Argentina
D. Brazil
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8. Which of the following state capitals is located farthest to the north?
A. Annapolis
C. Trenton
B. Harrisburg
D. Montpelier
9. Which of the following states borders
exactly five other U.S. states?
A. South Carolina
C. Georgia
B. Nebraska
D. Idaho
10. My capital city is Concord, and I am the
5th smallest state in the United States. Many
license plates in this state bear our famous state motto, “Live free or die.” I also take on
extra importance during U.S. presidential elections, as I host the first state primary in the
nation. I am bordered by Canada, Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont. What state am I?
A. Connecticut
C. Maryland
B. New Hampshire
D. New Jersey
Part 3: Government
11. How many Senators does each state elect for the U.S. Senate?
A. 2
B. 4
C. 6
D. It depends on the population of the state
12. Which of the following people could legally be elected President of the United States
of America?
A. A 28-year-old man from Illinois
B. A 41-year-old woman who was born in Canada, then moved to the United
States when she was three years old
C. A 57-year-old man who was born in the U.S., moved outside the U.S. when he
was four, then returned when he was 50 years old
D. A 66-year-old woman from New Mexico who was convicted of a
misdemeanor (a lesser crime) when she was 25
13. Susan B. Anthony was a prominent leader in the women’s suffrage movement.
Thirteen years after Anthony’s death, in 1919, thanks in large part to her efforts, women
in the United States gained the right to do what?
A. Work outside the home
C. Vote
B. Own their own land
D. Run for office
14. The first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America are
collectively known as what?
A. The Bill of Rights
C. The Gettysburg Address
B. The Declaration of Independence
D. The Emancipation Proclamation
Part 4: Current Events
15. In July 2005, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince sold about nine million copies
in its first day on the market, setting a new opening-day sales record for any book that
had been written to that point. Who was the author of this record-breaking book?
A. Andrew Clements
B. J. K. Rowling
C. Kate DiCamillo
D. J. R. R. Tolkien
© 2007 Academic Leagues
Online Social Studies League
A Division of AcademicLeagues.com
Answer Key – 6th Grade Sample Contest
1. D (Students who know that the first three U.S. presidents were Washington, Adams,
and Jefferson will be able to eliminate choices A and B instantly. George Washington
actually died in 1799, just two years after his second presidential term ended. John
Adams had always said he would outlive Jefferson, and he did, by mere hours. Not
knowing of Jefferson’s death, however, Adams’ last words were, “Thomas Jefferson
survives.”)
2. A (For more on Watergate, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate.)
3. D (Michelangelo worked on the Sistine Chapel, his most famous piece, from 15081512.)
4. B (It was supposed to be a centennial gift from France to the U.S. in 1876, but it
arrived about ten years late.)
5. C (There will be one “Who am I?” question on each sixth grade contest. Read more
about Reagan at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan.)
6. B (A simple map of the ten states that the Mississippi forms borders for can be found
at http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/statesbw/mrstates/msbw.GIF.)
7. D (Brazil is easily the largest and most populous country in South America;
Argentina is a distant second in terms of size, and Colombia is a very distant second in
terms of population.)
8. D (Montpelier is the capital of Vermont, and Vermont lies to the north of Maryland,
Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, which is where the other three capitals are located.)
9. C (Georgia borders exactly five states: Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South
Carolina, and Tennessee. South Carolina borders just two states, Nebraska borders six
states, and Idaho borders six states.)
10. B (There will be one “What location am I?” question on each sixth grade contest.)
11. A (The House of Representatives is based on population; the Senate has two
members from each state.)
12. D (To be eligible for the Presidency, a person must be at least 35 years old, a
natural-born U.S. citizen, and must have been a resident in the U.S. for at least 14 years.)
13. C (Suffrage, as your students may or may not realize, refers to the right to vote.)
14. A (The Bill of Rights was framed to preserve the rights of individuals, since many
Americans had come from what they felt was oppressive government rule elsewhere.)
15. B (All three of the wrong answer choices are also famous authors: Andrew Clements
is best known for Frindle, Kate DiCamillo for Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tale of
Despereaux, and J. R. R. Tolkien for The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.)
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