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6th grade Why the Western Roman Empire fell: several causes worksheet

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Why the Western Roman Empire fell: several causes

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Read this first

    Steps toward the end in the West

    WhenWhat happened
    285 to 293 CEDiocletian split rule into an East and a West, with two emperors and two helpers
    after 324 CEConstantine founded Constantinople, a new capital in the east
    410 CEthe Visigoths plundered the city of Rome
    429 to 439 CEthe Vandals took North Africa, with Carthage in 439, cutting off Rome's grain supply
    455 CEthe Vandals plundered Rome
    476 CEOdovacer, a general, removed the boy emperor Romulus Augustulus and named no new Western emperor

    Below the chart: the Eastern Roman Empire, ruled from Constantinople, lasted until 1453; historians call it the Byzantine Empire. Older troubles, such as weak rulers and inflation, had already weakened the West.

  2. Who removed the last Western emperor in 476 CE, Noah asks?

    • Diocletian, an emperor
    • Constantine, an emperor
    • Romulus Augustulus
    • Odovacer, a general

  3. Where was Constantine's new capital, Pia asks?

    • Carthage, in North Africa
    • Ravenna, in Italy
    • Rome, in the west
    • Constantinople, in the east

  4. The Vandals took North Africa. What was the effect on Rome, Ren asks?

    • It became the Eastern capital
    • It gained much more grain
    • Its grain supply was cut off
    • Its emperor moved to Africa

  5. Diocletian split rule into East and West. What was one long-term effect, Tala asks?

    • Both halves ended in 476 CE
    • The empire became a single city
    • Rome took back North Africa
    • The halves grew apart; the East lasted

  6. Why do historians say the Western Empire ended in 476 CE, Zee asks?

    • Constantinople was founded that year
    • The Eastern Empire ended that year
    • Rome was plundered first that year
    • No new Western emperor was named

  7. How many years passed from 410 CE to 476 CE, Ari asks?

    • 76 years
    • 66 years
    • 44 years
    • 886 years

  8. How long did the Eastern Empire last after 476 CE, until 1453, Bo asks?

    • 977 years
    • 1,077 years
    • 97 years
    • 1,929 years

  9. Which claim does the chart support best, Jun asks?

    • The West fell in a single day
    • Rome was not plundered before 476
    • The East fell in 476 CE
    • The West broke up over many years

  10. Kira's friend says the whole Roman Empire ended in 476 CE. What is the best reply?

    • Disagree: the East lasted until 1453
    • Disagree: it ended in 410
    • Agree: the last Western emperor went
    • Agree: Constantinople fell that year

  11. Luz's friend says outside groups alone ended the West. What is the best reply?

    • Disagree: older troubles mattered too
    • Disagree: no outside groups came
    • Agree: outside groups did it by themselves
    • Agree: the East ended at the same time
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6th grade Why the Western Roman Empire fell: several causes worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Why the Western Roman Empire fell: several causes working together. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can name four troubles inside the empire in the 200s CE (weak rulers, money troubles and inflation, a huge frontier, attacks from outside) and link each to its effect.
  • I can put the steps toward the end of the West in order (285–293, after 324, 410, 429–439, 455, 476) and explain why 476 CE is the usual date, while the East lasted until 1453.
  • I can compare how historians explain the fall, read a short passage by Gibbon (1781), tell long-term from short-term causes, and rank causes while saying historians rank them differently.

Standard: D2.His.15.6-8

Common mistakes

Your child read the wrong row of the chart. Find the row's name first, then read across.

Your child chose a claim that says more than the evidence shows. Keep the claim as small as the evidence.

Your child reversed cause and effect. The cause comes first and makes the effect happen.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with why the western roman empire fell: several causes?

Your child read the wrong row of the chart. Find the row's name first, then read across.

Are these 6th grade social studies worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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