Stone Age Comprehensive Exam
Grade 6 World History • Ancient Civilizations CA Standard HSS 6.1
Stone Age Comprehensive Exam
Total Points: _____ / 50
Name:
Date:
Period:
Score:
Section 1 • Questions 1–5
15 Points
- While earlier hominins may have used naturally occurring wildfires, which species is identified by archaeologists as the first to systematically create and control hearth fires using stone friction and spark technology? (2 pts)
A. Homo habilis
B. Homo erectus
C. Homo heidelbergensis
D. Homo sapiens
- What is the archaeological term for the process of striking and chipping away flakes of stone (such as flint or obsidian) to make sharp hand tools? Also, name the first hominin species recognized for manufacturing stone tools. (3 pts)
Process of chipping stone:
First stone toolmaker species:
- Early hominin species are widely known by descriptive nicknames reflecting their physical capabilities and scientific names. Write the correct nickname for each species: (4 pts)
Homo habilis:
Homo erectus:
Homo neanderthalensis:
Homo sapiens:
- Unlike other hominins whose names describe physical traits, Homo neanderthalensis was named after the location where their fossil bones were discovered in 1856. Identify the specific valley and the modern country: (2 pts)
Valley:
Country:
- Hominin Timeline Analysis: Examine the master chronological scale below. Each blue bar is drawn to scale to match the actual historical time period of that hominin species. By reading the timeline milestones above, determine each species' Time Span (approximate start and end dates) and label the correct Hominin Species: (4 pts)
Hominin Timeline Scale: 2.5 Million Years B.C.E. to Today
2.5 million years B.C.E.
2 million years B.C.E.
1.5 million years B.C.E.
1 million years B.C.E.
500,000 years B.C.E.
Today (Present)
Bar 1
Hominin:
Time Span (from timeline):
Earliest Toolmaker
Bar 2
Hominin:
Time Span (from timeline):
Longest Survived Hominin
Bar 3
Hominin:
Time Span (from timeline):
Ice Age
Bar 4
Hominin:
(Modern humans)
Time Span (from timeline):
Today
California History-Social Science Framework • Grade 6 Standard 6.1 Page 1 of 3 • Continue to Section 2 →
Section 2 • Questions 6–11
12 Points • 2 pts each
- Which major era in early human prehistory is known as the "Old Stone Age"?
A. Paleolithic Era
B. Mesolithic Era
C. Neolithic Era
D. Bronze Age
- Which major era in early human prehistory is known as the "New Stone Age"?
A. Paleolithic Era
B. Mesolithic Era
C. Neolithic Era
D. Iron Age
- During early human prehistory, humans shaped simple stone choppers and flakes mainly from flint, bone, and stone. What was the chief purpose of these early stone implements?
A. Clearing extensive fields for crop irrigation
B. Butchering game, scraping animal hides, and digging roots
C. Carving permanent stone monuments and palaces
D. Minting standardized coins for regional commerce
- Beyond providing light and cooked food, how did the mastery and use of fire directly alter the patterns of early human geographic migration?
A. It allowed bands to establish permanent walled cities
B. It permanently eliminated the need to follow wild animals
C. It enabled migration into colder, northern European and Asian climates
D. It substituted spoken speech with long-distance smoke signals
- Which social arrangement best describes the daily community structure of humans during the Paleolithic Era?
A. Rigid feudal social castes ruled by dynastic emperors
B. Small, nomadic hunter-gatherer bands of 20 to 50 members
C. Large urban populations concentrated around fortified garrisons
D. Occupational divisions controlled by professional guilds
- How did physical geography and global climatic shifts during the last Ice Age facilitate early human migration from northeast Asia into North America?
A. Massive inland glaciers opened up deep freshwater canals
B. Lower global sea levels exposed the Beringia land bridge
C. Warmer ocean temperatures allowed navigation on reed rafts
D. Severe desert sandstorms pushed tribes across ocean passages
Stone Age Comprehensive Exam • Standard HSS 6.1 Assessment Page 2 of 3 • Continue to Section 3 →
Section 3 • Questions 12–17
23 Points Total
- Archaeologists studying prehistoric cave paintings (such as those at Lascaux, France and Altamira, Spain) believe these artworks provide evidence that early humans: (2 pts)
A. Maintained complex written legal codes and property deeds
B. Held spiritual beliefs and closely studied animal migrations
C. Recorded written tallies of domestic grain reserves
D. Inhabited deep cave caverns as their sole year-round residences
- The Neolithic Revolution is considered one of the most transformative turning points in human history primarily because it marked: (2 pts)
A. The transition from stone tools to cast bronze metallurgy
B. The invention of mechanical steam transport systems
C. The shift from foraging wild food to farming and domesticating animals
D. The first trans-oceanic migrations across open seas
- Excavations at early agricultural sites such as Jericho (Jordan Valley) and Çatalhöyük (modern Turkey) demonstrate that settled societies developed: (2 pts)
A. Permanent mud-brick architecture, protective walls, and granaries
B. Collapsible hide shelters intended for rapid seasonal moving
C. Floating papyrus dwellings built across river estuaries
D. Fortified castles constructed exclusively from quarried marble
- What was the direct cause-and-effect relationship between agricultural surpluses and the development of specialized labor in early towns? (2 pts)
A. Surpluses forced every person to work double agricultural shifts
B. Extra food freed individuals to become weavers, potters, and builders
C. Surplus crops made toolmaking, building, and trade unnecessary
D. Food surpluses quickly depleted soil and forced communities to flee
-
Short Constructed Response: Explain two distinct ways early humans used fire to overcome environmental challenges, and describe how one of these uses directly aided their survival. (7 pts)
-
Extended Historical Analysis: Contrast how early humans acquired food before and after the transition to agriculture. Then, explain one major long-term effect that domesticating plants and animals had on community settlements or daily human life. (8 pts)
Stone Age Comprehensive Exam • California History-Social Science Content Standards Page 3 of 3 • End of Exam
Stone Age Adapted Exam
Grade 6 World History • Ancient Civilizations Form B • CA Standard HSS 6.1
Stone Age Comprehensive Exam
Total Points: _____ / 50
Name:
Date:
Period:
Score:
Section 1 • Questions 1–5
15 Points Total
- Which early human species was the first to systematically create hearth fires using friction and sparks? (2 pts)
A. Homo habilis
B. Homo heidelbergensis
C. Homo sapiens
- Name the stone-chipping process and the first species to manufacture stone tools: (3 pts)
Word Bank: Flintknapping • Homo habilis
Process of chipping stone:
First stone toolmaker species:
- Match the nickname to each hominin species: (4 pts)
Bank: Handy Man • Upright Man • Neanderthal Man • Wise Man
Homo habilis:
Homo erectus:
Homo neanderthalensis:
Homo sapiens:
- Identify where Homo neanderthalensis fossils were discovered in 1856: (2 pts)
Bank: Neander Valley • Germany
Valley:
Country:
- Hominin Timeline: Use the timeline milestones to label the species and time spans: (4 pts)
Species: H. habilis, H. erectus, H. neanderthalensis, H. sapiens
Hominin Timeline Scale: 2.5 Million Years B.C.E. to Today
2.5 million B.C.E.
2 million B.C.E.
1.5 million B.C.E.
1 million B.C.E.
500,000 B.C.E.
Today
Bar 1
Species:
Dates:
Bar 2
Species:
Dates:
Bar 3
Species:
Dates:
Bar 4
Species:
Dates:
California History-Social Science Framework • Grade 6 Standard 6.1 Page 1 of 3 • Form B • Continue to Section 2 →
Section 2 • Questions 6–11
Stone Age Exam Key
Teacher Resource • Grade 6 Ancient Civilizations Standard HSS 6.1 Key
Stone Age Exam Answer Key
Total Points: 50
Section 1 (Q1–5) 15 Points
Section 2 (Q6–11) 12 Points
Section 3 (Q12–17) 23 Points
Mastery Benchmark 40+ Points (80%)
Section 1 Answers • Questions 1–5 (15 pts)
Early Hominins & Chronology
1. Mastery of Fire (2 pts): Correct: C (Homo heidelbergensis)
Archaeological hearth excavations (e.g., Gesher Benot Ya'aqov and Schöningen) confirm Homo heidelbergensis routinely created and maintained hearth fires. (Form B: Option B).
2. Tool Technology & First Maker (3 pts): 2 pts for process + 1 pt for species
Process: Flintknapping (accept: knapping, percussion flaking, stone chipping)
First Toolmaker: Homo habilis (accept: Oldowan toolmakers)
3. Hominin Nicknames (4 pts • 1 pt each): Exact Latin translations
• Homo habilis: Handy Man
• Homo erectus: Upright Man
• Homo neanderthalensis: Neanderthal Man / Cave Man
• Homo sapiens: Wise Man / Doubly Wise Man
4. Neanderthal Discovery Origin (2 pts • 1 pt each): Geographic naming
Valley: Neander Valley (accept: Neander Thal, Neander Gorge)
Country: Germany (near Düsseldorf)
5. Hominin Timeline Key (4 pts • 1 pt per bar): Species + Date Range
Bar 1: Homo habilis • ~2.4M – ~1.4M B.C.E. (accept 2.5M–1.5M)
Bar 2: Homo erectus • ~1.9M – ~140,000 B.C.E. (accept 1.8M–100K)
Bar 3: Homo neanderthalensis • ~400,000 – ~40,000 B.C.E.
Bar 4: Homo sapiens • ~300,000 B.C.E. – Today / Present
Section 2 Answers • Questions 6–11 (12 pts • 2 pts each)
Multiple Choice Answer Matrix
6. "Old Stone Age": A (Paleolithic Era)
From Greek paleo (old) and lithos (stone).
7. "New Stone Age": C / B (Neolithic Era)
From Greek neo (new); Form B choice B.
8. Tool Purpose: B (Butchering & Hides)
Sharpened stone for meat processing and scraping animal hides.
