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Free 4th grade social studies worksheets with answers

Written by Dr. Evan J. Hasson, DC — a dad of three who built this curriculum for his own children.

50 questions with the answers, free to print and free to photocopy for your own students. Communities, maps and geography, civics, economics and history, drawn from every topic in the grade.

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History & Social Studies — Grade 4

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  1. 1. What is a democracy?
    1. A. A government where people choose leaders by voting ← Answer
    2. B. A government where only the richest people make the rules
    3. C. A club where kids trade cards
    4. D. A government where one king makes every single rule forever
  2. 2. What are the three branches of state government?
    1. A. Schools, parks and highways
    2. B. Legislative, executive and judicial ← Answer
    3. C. Mayor, city council and police
    4. D. President, Congress and the US Supreme Court
  3. 3. What is scarcity?
    1. A. Having more than enough of everything you could ever want
    2. B. Not having enough to get everything you want ← Answer
    3. C. Saving all of your money in a bank
    4. D. Feeling scared of something in the dark
  4. 4. When a person specializes, what are they doing?
    1. A. Focusing on one kind of job or product ← Answer
    2. B. Buying everything they need from a store
    3. C. Doing every kind of job all by themselves
    4. D. Changing to a brand new job every day
  5. 5. What is the capital of Texas?
    1. A. San Antonio
    2. B. Dallas
    3. C. Houston
    4. D. Austin ← Answer
  6. 6. In which region of the United States is Georgia?
    1. A. Southeast ← Answer
    2. B. Southwest
    3. C. Northeast
    4. D. Midwest
  7. 7. Which three crops are called the Three Sisters?
    1. A. Potatoes, carrots and peas
    2. B. Apples, pears and plums
    3. C. Wheat, rice and oats
    4. D. Corn, beans and squash ← Answer
  8. 8. What is a primary source?
    1. A. Something made by a person who was there at the time ← Answer
    2. B. Any book that you find in the school library
    3. C. Something written much later by a person who studied it
    4. D. A list of new words and what they mean
  9. 9. At what age can US citizens vote in national elections?
    1. A. 21
    2. B. 18 ← Answer
    3. C. 16
    4. D. 12
  10. 10. Who leads the executive branch of a state?
    1. A. The president
    2. B. The mayor
    3. C. The chief judge
    4. D. The governor ← Answer
  11. 11. What is opportunity cost?
    1. A. Every single thing you did not pick, all added up together
    2. B. The money you get back as change
    3. C. The next-best thing you give up when you choose ← Answer
    4. D. The price tag on the thing you buy
  12. 12. Which word means exchanging goods, services or money with someone else?
    1. A. Save
    2. B. Produce
    3. C. Borrow
    4. D. Trade ← Answer
  13. 13. Which city is the capital of Illinois?
    1. A. Bloomington
    2. B. Peoria
    3. C. Springfield ← Answer
    4. D. Chicago
  14. 14. In which region is Ohio?
    1. A. Northeast
    2. B. Southeast
    3. C. Midwest ← Answer
    4. D. West
  15. 15. Which animal was most important to many Great Plains nations like the Lakota?
    1. A. Bison ← Answer
    2. B. Sheep
    3. C. Deer
    4. D. Salmon
  16. 16. What is a secondary source?
    1. A. A letter written by a person on the day it happened
    2. B. An object that people used at that time
    3. C. Something made later by someone who was not there ← Answer
    4. D. A photo taken by someone standing at the event
  17. 17. What is a volunteer?
    1. A. A person who helps without being paid ← Answer
    2. B. A person who makes laws for the whole state
    3. C. A person who is paid to run a big store downtown
    4. D. A person who only watches others work
  18. 18. Which branch makes state laws?
    1. A. Legislative branch ← Answer
    2. B. Judicial branch
    3. C. Executive branch
    4. D. Police department
  19. 19. What is a benefit?
    1. A. Something good you get from a choice ← Answer
    2. B. Something you give up when you choose an option
    3. C. A store where you buy things
    4. D. A rule about how you can spend money
  20. 20. A person or business that makes goods or provides services is called a...
    1. A. customer
    2. B. shopper
    3. C. producer ← Answer
    4. D. consumer
  21. 21. Name the capital of Georgia.
    1. A. Atlanta ← Answer
    2. B. Savannah
    3. C. Augusta
    4. D. Macon
  22. 22. In which region is Arizona, home of the Grand Canyon?
    1. A. Midwest
    2. B. Northeast
    3. C. Southeast
    4. D. Southwest ← Answer
  23. 23. What does the word adapt mean?
    1. A. To build a home out of stone and metal
    2. B. To change the way you live to fit your surroundings ← Answer
    3. C. To move far away from the place where you grew up
    4. D. To keep living exactly the same way no matter what changes
  24. 24. Is a school textbook about the American Revolution a primary or secondary source?
    1. A. Primary, because it has real facts
    2. B. Secondary, because it was written later ← Answer
    3. C. Secondary, because it has no pictures
    4. D. Primary, because it is used in schools today
  25. 25. What is a citizen?
    1. A. A visitor who stays in a country for just one short day
    2. B. A member of a country with rights and responsibilities ← Answer
    3. C. A person who lives in a big city only
    4. D. A leader who is in charge of the army and navy
  26. 26. What is a state constitution?
    1. A. A song that students sing about the state
    2. B. A written plan that sets up the state government ← Answer
    3. C. A list of every road, river and town in the whole state
    4. D. A map that shows the state's borders
  27. 27. What is a cost?
    1. A. What you give up when you make a choice ← Answer
    2. B. The name of the store you shop at
    3. C. A list of all the things you want
    4. D. Something good that you get for free from a choice
  28. 28. A person who buys or uses goods and services is called a...
    1. A. consumer ← Answer
    2. B. factory
    3. C. farmer
    4. D. producer
  29. 29. Colorado's state government meets in which city?
    1. A. Boulder
    2. B. Aspen
    3. C. Denver ← Answer
    4. D. Colorado Springs
  30. 30. In which region is Massachusetts?
    1. A. Midwest
    2. B. West
    3. C. Southeast
    4. D. Northeast ← Answer
  31. 31. What kind of home did many Great Plains nations use when following the bison?
    1. A. Cedar plank house
    2. B. Tipi ← Answer
    3. C. Longhouse
    4. D. Adobe house
  32. 32. Is a diary written by a girl during a big snowstorm in 1888 a primary or secondary source?
    1. A. Secondary, because it is short
    2. B. Primary, because she was there ← Answer
    3. C. Secondary, because it is old
    4. D. Primary, because it is in a museum
  33. 33. What is an election?
    1. A. A time when leaders give out free prizes to everyone
    2. B. A time when schools close for summer
    3. C. A time when people go shopping for food
    4. D. A time when people vote to choose leaders ← Answer
  34. 34. What is a bill?
    1. A. A list of all the judges in the state
    2. B. An idea for a new law that lawmakers vote on ← Answer
    3. C. A paper that tells the governor where to live
    4. D. A law that the courts have already thrown out
  35. 35. Name one cost besides money that people give up when they choose.
    1. A. Bills
    2. B. Dollars
    3. C. Coins
    4. D. Time ← Answer
  36. 36. Which worker specializes in fixing cars?
    1. A. A dentist
    2. B. A mechanic ← Answer
    3. C. A librarian
    4. D. A baker
  37. 37. What is the capital of Arizona?
    1. A. Tucson
    2. B. Phoenix ← Answer
    3. C. Flagstaff
    4. D. Mesa
  38. 38. In which region is California?
    1. A. Northeast
    2. B. Midwest
    3. C. Southeast
    4. D. West ← Answer
  39. 39. What did the Pueblo peoples use to build homes in the hot, dry Southwest?
    1. A. Adobe bricks ← Answer
    2. B. Bark and wooden poles
    3. C. Bison hides
    4. D. Cedar planks
  40. 40. What is a historian?
    1. A. A person who draws maps of space
    2. B. A person who studies the past ← Answer
    3. C. A person who predicts the weather
    4. D. A person who builds new houses
  41. 41. What does it mean to be informed?
    1. A. To agree with whatever your friends say about it
    2. B. To guess without looking at any facts
    3. C. To forget what you learned
    4. D. To know the facts about something ← Answer
  42. 42. What is a state capital?
    1. A. The city where the state government meets ← Answer
    2. B. The city where the president lives
    3. C. The biggest city in the state every time
    4. D. The oldest town that was built in the state
  43. 43. Why do people have to make choices?
    1. A. They have unlimited money and endless free time
    2. B. Stores make them choose only one item
    3. C. Choices are only made for fun
    4. D. They have limited money, time and things ← Answer
  44. 44. Which worker specializes in caring for animals' health?
    1. A. A veterinarian ← Answer
    2. B. A cashier
    3. C. A pilot
    4. D. A plumber
  45. 45. Which city is the capital of Massachusetts?
    1. A. Salem
    2. B. Cambridge
    3. C. Boston ← Answer
    4. D. Worcester
  46. 46. Which of these is a landform?
    1. A. A highway
    2. B. A heat wave
    3. C. A mountain ← Answer
    4. D. A rainstorm
  47. 47. What kind of home did the Haudenosaunee build in the Northeast Woodlands?
    1. A. Tipi
    2. B. Snow house
    3. C. Adobe pueblo
    4. D. Longhouse ← Answer
  48. 48. What is a source?
    1. A. Only a book that was written by a famous author
    2. B. A story that someone made up for fun
    3. C. Anything that gives information about the past ← Answer
    4. D. A kind of tool used for digging holes
  49. 49. What does it mean to vote?
    1. A. To make a choice in an election or decision ← Answer
    2. B. To read a book out loud to a class
    3. C. To give money to a store for something
    4. D. To write a brand-new law all by yourself at home
  50. 50. Which branch is made of courts?
    1. A. Legislative branch
    2. B. State army
    3. C. Judicial branch ← Answer
    4. D. Executive branch
UpOnly Learning · uponlylearning.com · free to print and photocopy for your own studentsHistory & Social Studies — Grade 4
UpOnly Learning · uponlylearning.com · History & Social Studies Grade 4

What 4th grade social studies covers

4th grade social studies at UpOnly Learning is 8 topics, taught in this order: the five regions of the United States, native nations and their environments, the 50 states and capitals, primary and secondary sources, how state government works, responsible citizens in a democracy, choices: benefits, costs and opportunity cost, and specialization and trade between regions. The 50 questions above are drawn from those topics, with the answer marked beside each one, so you can see what has stuck and what needs another lesson. The workbook teaches each topic with a 40-minute lesson; the free PDF sample has one full topic.

What's inside

  • The five regions of the United States: Use maps at different scales to locate the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest and West and describe their landforms and climates
  • Native nations and their environments: Explain how Native nations in different regions used and adapted to their environments for food, shelter and clothing
  • The 50 states and capitals: Locate all 50 states by region on a US map, name their capitals, and use the map key, compass rose and scale
  • Primary and secondary sources: Tell primary sources from secondary sources and compare what two sources say about the same event
  • How state government works: Explain the state constitution and the three branches of state government: legislative, executive and judicial
  • Responsible citizens in a democracy: Explain how a democracy depends on people voting, staying informed, following laws and helping their communities
  • Choices: benefits, costs and opportunity cost: Compare the benefits and costs of a choice and name the opportunity cost, the next-best thing given up
  • Specialization and trade between regions: Explain why people, businesses and regions specialize in what they make and trade with one another

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History & Social Studies · Grade 4

$19.99. One-time purchase, no subscription.

222 pages · 960 questions with answers · 8 topics

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From the workbook

A real page of History & Social Studies · Grade 4

We the People: Being a Responsible Citizen

The student will explain how a democracy depends on people voting, staying informed, following laws and helping their communities. · 40 min

Warm-up — say this

“You just took part in a democracy. Today we'll see why democracy needs everyone to do their part.”

Worked example

Why is it important for voters to be informed before an election?

Answer: So they understand the choices and can make a thoughtful decision based on facts, not rumors.

A mistake students make

My one vote does not matter, so it is fine not to vote.

How the book fixes it

Explain that elections are decided by adding up many single votes, and some local elections have been decided by just a few votes. Every vote counts.

Note to the parent

Keep the conversation nonpartisan. Focus on how people participate, not on who they should vote for.

That is one topic of many. The free questions above check a skill; this is the part that teaches it.

Practice checks. Our history and social studies workbooks teach.

These questions check a skill. The workbook teaches it.

  • TeachesA 40-minute lesson per topic that tells you what to say.
  • ExplainsWorked examples and the common mistakes, with fixes.
  • ReviewsAnswers with short explanations, and fresh questions.
  • PlansEvery topic in teaching order, matched to the standards.
$19.99 each Buy a history and social studies teaching workbook Free sample More free resources

Other grades

KindergartenFree kindergarten history and social studies questionsGrade 1Free 1st grade history and social studies questionsGrade 2Free 2nd grade history and social studies questionsGrade 3Free 3rd grade history and social studies questionsGrade 5Free 5th grade history and social studies questionsGrade 6Free 6th grade history and social studies questionsGrade 7Free 7th grade history and social studies questionsGrade 8Free 8th grade history and social studies questions

Grade 4, other subjects

MathFree 4th grade math questionsReadingFree 4th grade reading questionsScienceFree 4th grade science questionsWritingFree 4th grade writing and grammar questionsLife SkillsFree 4th grade life skills questionsBusinessFree 4th grade business and money questionsPsychologyFree 4th grade psychology questions

Questions parents ask

Are these history and social studies worksheets really free?

Yes. All 50 questions and their answers are on this page, free to print and free to photocopy for your own students. Printing needs only a free account. No card.

Can a teacher or a tutor use these with a class?

Yes. Print and photocopy them for the students you teach. The only thing we ask is that you do not republish them as your own or sell them.

Where are the answers?

Marked beside each question on this page, so it prints as its own answer key. For a clean copy, click Hide answers before you print; click Show answers again to print your answer key.

What grade are these for?

Grade 4. Every other grade from kindergarten to grade 8 has its own page, linked at the foot of this one. If your student finds these hard, try the grade below — that is normal and it is not a problem.

What do the paid workbooks add?

These questions check a skill. The workbook teaches it: a forty-minute lesson that tells you what to say, two or three worked examples, the mistakes students actually make on that skill and how to correct each one, and an explanation beside every answer rather than a bare key.