Eastern Hemisphere Scaffolded Preassessment
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6th Grade Social Studies • ICT Scaffolded
Physical Geography of the Eastern Hemisphere
Pre-Assessment • Part 1: Landforms, Climate & Tectonic Plates
Score ____ / 20
Directions: Read each question and use the Word Clues and Map Tips to help you choose the best answer.
1 Which vast, flat landform stretches eastward from England and France all the way to Ukraine and Russia?
Word Clue: A plain is a broad, mostly flat area of land with few trees.
A. The European Plain
B. The Pyrenees Mountains
C. The Jutland Peninsula
2 What is Russia's largest (biggest) climate region?
Word Clue: Subarctic means very cold, long freezing winters and short, cool summers.
A. Subarctic climate (cold pine forests and freezing winters)
B. Tropical rain forest (hot and rainy all year)
C. Semi-arid climate (hot, dry desert brush)
Map: Tectonic Plates in the Eastern Hemisphere
Notice the plate boundary lines & arrows
EURASIAN PLATE (Europe & Asia) AFRICAN PLATE ARABIAN INDIAN AUSTRALIAN PLATE MAP KEY: Plate boundary (fault) ▲ Plate collision zone ★ Active Collision: African & Arabian Plates
3 Based on the map, which statement is a valid (true) conclusion?
A. Tectonic plate activity has pushed up mountains and shaped North Africa and Southwest Asia.
B. Earthquakes never occur in North Africa or Southwest Asia.
C. Flooding is the main cause of moving tectonic plates.
Physical Geography of the Eastern Hemisphere • Pre-Assessment Page 1 of 4
NAME: Physical Geography • Section 2: Regional Features & Climate
4 Which scarce natural resource is very hard to find in dry Southwest Asia (the Middle East) and causes conflict?
Helpful Hint: People need this every day for drinking and growing crops in hot deserts.
A. Fresh water
B. Iron ore (metal rocks)
C. Timber (trees for wood)
5 The Sahara is a vast, sandy desert. Which region of Africa does it cover?
Word Clue: Vast means extremely large. Think of the top northern half of Africa.
A. Northern Africa
B. Southern Africa
C. Eastern Asia
6 The Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Indus rivers all begin in melting snow high up in the:
Word Clue: A river's source is where it starts flowing down from high mountains.
A. Himalaya Mountains (highest snow-capped peaks in the world)
B. Deccan Plateau (flat southern plains)
C. Arabian Sea (the body of water where rivers empty)
7 The island nation of Japan is located in an active Pacific Ocean zone with frequent earthquakes and volcanoes called the:
A. Ring of Fire (a horseshoe ring of active volcanoes around the Pacific)
B. Great Barrier Reef (coral reef off Australia)
C. Great Rift Valley (valley in Africa)
8 In hot, sunny climates, people often paint their houses white. Why does white paint keep buildings cooler?
A. White paint reflects sunlight away so heat does not enter the building.
B. White paint absorbs sunlight and holds heat inside.
C. White paint freezes moisture in the air.
Physical Geography of the Eastern Hemisphere • Pre-Assessment Page 2 of 4
NAME: Physical Geography • Section 3: Regions & Guided Multi-Select
Scaffolded Directions: For questions marked [Pick 2], choose exactly TWO correct answers.
Select 2
9 South Asia (India) is a massive landmass separated from the rest of Asia by high mountains. What is it called?
Prefix Tip: Sub- means a distinct part of a larger continent.
A. A subcontinent
B. An archipelago (a chain of small islands)
C. A rift valley (a deep crack in the ground)
10 Most islands in Oceania are located near the equator in warm ocean waters. What climate covers most of Oceania?
A. Tropical rain forest (warm, humid, and rainy)
B. Subarctic (freezing cold ice and snow)
C. Arid desert (extremely dry with no rain)
11 Which TWO European nations are islands (land completely surrounded by water)?
Pick 2
[A] Iceland (island in Atlantic)
[B] Portugal (connected to Spain)
[C] Cyprus (island in Mediterranean)
[D] Norway (part of mainland)
12 Which TWO waterways are located in and controlled by Egypt?
Pick 2
[A] The Nile River
[B] The Suez Canal
[C] The Euphrates River
[D] The Arabian Sea
13 The Red Sea and Persian Gulf are crucial water routes. Which TWO industries depend on them?
Pick 2
[A] Oil production and export (tanker ships transport petroleum)
[B] International trade and cargo shipping (container ships traveling between continents)
[C] Livestock herding (raising goats and sheep on land)
14 The Great Rift Valley is a giant crack formed by moving plates. Which TWO regions does it cut through?
Pick 2
[A] East Africa
[B] Southwest Asia (Middle East)
[C] Southern Europe
[D] North Africa
Physical Geography of the Eastern Hemisphere • Pre-Assessment Page 3 of 4
NAME: Physical Geography • Section 4: Map Skills & Regions
15 Two main climates south of the Sahara:
Pick 2
[A] Tropical (savannas & rain forests)
[B] Dry (steppes & semi-deserts)
[C] Subarctic (freezing snow)
16 Which TWO are major rivers of Europe?
Pick 2
[A] The Rhine River (Central Europe)
[B] The Danube River (Eastern Europe)
[C] The Congo River (in Africa)
17 Inland Mongolia and Northern China are far from oceans. Which TWO dry climates are found here?
Pick 2
[A] Arid (dry desert)
[B] Semi-arid (dry steppe)
[C] Tropical (rain forest)
Map: Southeast Asia & Surrounding Oceans
Use this map for Questions 18 & 19
MAINLAND SE ASIA Malay Pen. Sumatra Borneo Java Philippines INDIAN OCEAN ◀ (To the West) PACIFIC OCEAN (To the East) ▶ N S W E
18 Look at the map. The Malay Peninsula and Indonesian islands sit directly between which TWO oceans?
[A] Indian Ocean
[B] Pacific Ocean
[C] Atlantic Ocean
19 What logical conclusion can you make about Southeast Asia based on the map?
A. Much of Southeast Asia is made up of islands and peninsulas surrounded by sea.
B. Southeast Asia is completely landlocked with no access to any ocean.
C. Southeast Asia has no islands at all.
20 The Australian Outback is a giant, hot, dry desert in central Australia. How does this geography affect where people live?
Word Clue: Sparsely populated means very few people live there because living conditions are harsh.
A. The region is sparsely populated (very few people live there due to extreme heat and lack of water).
B. Millions of people crowd into the Outback to build giant cities.
C. Most Australians move to the Outback because of continuous heavy rain and flooding.
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