Name ___________________________________
Sixth Grade Social Studies MERIT – Second Nine Weeks Benchmark Study Guide
*This is only a study guide. The test will include map skills, charts, etc.*
1. What are the three economic questions all economic systems must answer?
What to produce? How to produce? For whom to produce?
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2. Describe a traditional economy:
Hunting/Gathering, make only what they need, based on beliefs and past generations
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3. Do any countries in modern Europe have a traditional economy?
No
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4. What do the economic systems of Germany and the United Kingdom have in common?
Market – secure
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5. How is Russia different that the previous two countries?
Market – yet closer to Command than the others
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6. Which country had to fuse two different economic types after reunification?
Germany
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7. If a country invests in human capital, it is spending money on:
Education, training, health care
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8. What is a mixed economic system?
A combination of citizen decisions (market) and government regulations (command)
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9. Why is it beneficial for countries in Europe to have a common currency?
The countries are small in size, yet large in population
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10. What is the currency?
Money
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11. The term “barter” is a synonym for Trade.
12. What happened in Chernobyl that affected a majority of eastern Europe?
Nuclear power plant explosion in Chernobyl, Ukraine
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13. What are the reasons for the Age of Exploration?
God, Gold, Glory
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14. Who was Prince Henry the Navigator?
He developed a school for explorers and financed multiple trips to the West Coast of Africa
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15. What is militarism?
Countries developing large navies and armies – a cause of WWI
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16. What are alliances?
A system of agreements to help one another – a cause of WWI – has also caused other wars
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17. What is imperialism?
Countries creating empires, gaining land/territory
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18. What is nationalism?
An extreme form of patriotism; leaders wanting their country to be the best no matter the costs
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19. How did these four things lead to WWI?
Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism – After the assignation of Ferdinand, these topics caused friction between
the countries
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20. The assignation of Franz Ferdinand was the starting point of WWI.
21. The end of WWI was followed by the Treaty of Versailles
22. Which country was punished by the treaty?
Germany
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23. What is the League of Nations?
The group of countries developed by US President Truman, was not joined by the USA
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24. What are reparations?
Payments for war damages – paid by Germany to winners of WWI
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25. What three things were Germany required to do by the Treaty of Versailles?
Limited military, pay reparations, lost territory
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26. What caused Europe to go into an economic depression following WWI?
The devastation of WWI
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27. Who was the czar of Russia before/during the Russian Revolution?
Czar Nicholas II
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28. What does abdicated mean?
To give up power
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29. Which party took over after the czar abdicated the throne?
Bolsheviks
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30. This man was the leader of the party:
Lenin
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31. Which group was blamed by Hitler for WWI and the economic depression?
Jews
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32. Hitler was elected chancellor but quickly became a dictator.
33. What is fascism?
A government system similar to communism; believes that the government should be in control
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34. List the countries that were included in these groups:
Axis Powers
Allied Powers
Germany
United States
Italy
USSR – Soviet Union * Changed sides
Japan
France
Great Britain
35. Which country did Germany attack causing Britain and France to declare war?
Poland
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36. What was the Holocaust?
Genocide of Jews, plus millions of other groups
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37. Which country was divided after WWII?
Germany
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38. Which country did not want to allow their section of Germany to reunite with the others?
Soviet Union
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39. What is a “superpower” country?
A strong country, lots of people, strong military
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40. What was the Cold War?
War between democracy and communism
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41. What is the “Iron Curtain”? Who used that term?
A metaphorical term that split communist and democracy – split Europe; Churchill
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42. What is reunification?
Bringing something back together – refers to Germany
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43. When did the Soviet republics begin declaring independence?
1991
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44. When did Russia become known as the Soviet Union?
After the Russian Revolution
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45. When did the Soviet Union become known as Russia again?
After the end of the Cold War
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Second Nine Weeks – Advanced – Constructed Response
1. How did the Treaty of Versailles and world-wide depression impact Europe in the years between WWI and WWII?
2. How did the Russian Revolution change Russia?
3. What factors, including the contribution of Prince Henry the Navigator, influenced European nations to begin overseas
exploration?
*Pick two