Here are a few social studies state assessment styles of questions. The trick here is to look at all
the clues and not let the wording trick you. Hints are included.
Example 1: An example of a primary source from the time period before the Revolutionary War is
a. a letter George W. Bush wrote about the Boston Massacre
b. an engraving of the Boston Massacre by Paul Revere CORRECT
c. a biography of Patrick Henry’s role in the American Revolution
d. an article about the Boston Tea Party by a 20th century historian
hint: Make sure you choose a primary source AND from the correct time period.
Example 2: Which development led to the other three?
a. The port of Boston is closed.
b. Town meetings in Massachusetts are limited to one per year.
c. The Boston Tea Party CORRECT
d. The Battles of Lexington and Concord
hint: What this question means is which event happened first.
Example 3: Base your answer to question 3 on the timeline below and on your knowledge of social studies.
1500
A
1550
B
1600
C
1650
D
E
3. Using the letters on the timeline above, during which time period was the first permanent English colony,
Jamestown, established?
a. A
b. B
c. C
d. D CORRECT (Jamestown was founded in 1607)
e. E
hint: Figure out the date the event occurred, place where it would be on the timeline and then use the
closest letter for your answer.
Example 4: A colony founded as a home for debtors was
a. Virginia, which was founded by John Smith
b. Georgia, which was founded by Lord Baltimore
c. Pennsylvania, which was founded by James Oglethorpe
d. Georgia, which was founded by James Oglethorpe CORRECT
Hint: You need to know the correct answer but be careful with the answer. This is actually a complex
question. You need to know the answer (Georgia) but also who the founder was (James Oglethorpe). If
you rush you will often miss this style of question.