PencilGo

Grade 6 · Social Studies

6th grade Monarchy, oligarchy, democracy and republic: who holds power worksheet

6 printable versionsOn Level10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

Level: Building Confidence · On Level · Challenge Me

When it’s done, scan the sheet with your phone and PencilGo marks it and picks the next one. Create a free account

Version
Print

Monarchy, oligarchy, democracy and republic: who holds power

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Read this first

    Three ancient governments

    Columns City | Who held power | What the sources say: Babylon | one king, Hammurabi | a code of laws set out in the king's name; Sparta | two kings and a Council of Elders of 28 | usually called an oligarchy, with parts of monarchy and democracy; Athens, during its war with Sparta | a Council of 400 | Aristotle calls it the oligarchy; it lasted about four months. Then, below the table: Cause and effect chain "Babylon": [1] Who holds power? One king, Hammurabi of Babylon; [2] Laws are set out in the king's name; [3] The people of Babylon live under the king's laws; [4] This form of government is a monarchy. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Below the chain: Sparta's Council of 28 is by tradition, told by a Greek writer long afterward. The war between Athens and Sparta lasted from 431 to 404 BCE. Sources: Harper, The Code of Hammurabi (1904); Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus; PBS, The Greeks; Aristotle, The Athenian Constitution (Kenyon, 1891).

  2. Who holds power in Babylon, by Milo's chain?

    • Two kings and a Council of Elders
    • A Council of 400 men
    • One king, Hammurabi
    • The citizens of Babylon, voting

  3. Three ancient governments

    Columns City | Who held power | What the sources say: Babylon | one king, Hammurabi | a code of laws set out in the king's name; Sparta | two kings and a Council of Elders of 28 | usually called an oligarchy, with parts of monarchy and democracy; Athens, during its war with Sparta | a Council of 400 | Aristotle calls it the oligarchy; it lasted about four months. Then, below the table: Cause and effect chain "Sparta": [1] Who holds power? Two kings and a Council of Elders; [2] By tradition the Council had 28 elders, so 30 men with the 2 kings; [3] A few men, not the many, make the main choices; [4] Sparta is usually called an oligarchy, with some monarchy and some democracy. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Below the chain: Sparta's Council of 28 is by tradition, told by a Greek writer long afterward. The war between Athens and Sparta lasted from 431 to 404 BCE. Sources: Harper, The Code of Hammurabi (1904); Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus; PBS, The Greeks; Aristotle, The Athenian Constitution (Kenyon, 1891).

  4. How many elders sat on Sparta's Council, by Noah's chain?

    • 30
    • 2
    • 28
    • 400

  5. How long did the Council of 400 last, by Pia's chain?

    • About forty years
    • About four months
    • About four years
    • About four weeks

  6. Three ancient governments

    Columns City | Who held power | What the sources say: Babylon | one king, Hammurabi | a code of laws set out in the king's name; Sparta | two kings and a Council of Elders of 28 | usually called an oligarchy, with parts of monarchy and democracy; Athens, during its war with Sparta | a Council of 400 | Aristotle calls it the oligarchy; it lasted about four months. Then, below the table: Cause and effect chain "Babylon": [1] Who holds power? One king, Hammurabi of Babylon; [2] Laws are set out in the king's name; [3] The people of Babylon live under the king's laws; [4] This form of government is a monarchy. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Below the chain: Sparta's Council of 28 is by tradition, told by a Greek writer long afterward. The war between Athens and Sparta lasted from 431 to 404 BCE. Sources: Harper, The Code of Hammurabi (1904); Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus; PBS, The Greeks; Aristotle, The Athenian Constitution (Kenyon, 1891).

  7. What form of government is Babylon's, by Ren's chain?

    • A monarchy
    • A democracy
    • An oligarchy
    • A republic

  8. Three ancient governments

    Columns City | Who held power | What the sources say: Babylon | one king, Hammurabi | a code of laws set out in the king's name; Sparta | two kings and a Council of Elders of 28 | usually called an oligarchy, with parts of monarchy and democracy; Athens, during its war with Sparta | a Council of 400 | Aristotle calls it the oligarchy; it lasted about four months. Then, below the table: Cause and effect chain "Sparta": [1] Who holds power? Two kings and a Council of Elders; [2] By tradition the Council had 28 elders, so 30 men with the 2 kings; [3] A few men, not the many, make the main choices; [4] Sparta is usually called an oligarchy, with some monarchy and some democracy. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Below the chain: Sparta's Council of 28 is by tradition, told by a Greek writer long afterward. The war between Athens and Sparta lasted from 431 to 404 BCE. Sources: Harper, The Code of Hammurabi (1904); Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus; PBS, The Greeks; Aristotle, The Athenian Constitution (Kenyon, 1891).

  9. What is Sparta usually called, by Tala's chain?

    • An oligarchy
    • A democracy
    • A monarchy
    • A republic

  10. What does Aristotle call the rule of the Council of 400, by Zee's chain?

    • A democracy of the citizens
    • The oligarchy
    • A monarchy under one king
    • A republic with elected consuls

  11. Three ancient governments

    Columns City | Who held power | What the sources say: Babylon | one king, Hammurabi | a code of laws set out in the king's name; Sparta | two kings and a Council of Elders of 28 | usually called an oligarchy, with parts of monarchy and democracy; Athens, during its war with Sparta | a Council of 400 | Aristotle calls it the oligarchy; it lasted about four months. Then, below the table: Cause and effect chain "Sparta": [1] Who holds power? Two kings and a Council of Elders; [2] By tradition the Council had 28 elders, so 30 men with the 2 kings; [3] A few men, not the many, make the main choices; [4] Sparta is usually called an oligarchy, with some monarchy and some democracy. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Below the chain: Sparta's Council of 28 is by tradition, told by a Greek writer long afterward. The war between Athens and Sparta lasted from 431 to 404 BCE. Sources: Harper, The Code of Hammurabi (1904); Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus; PBS, The Greeks; Aristotle, The Athenian Constitution (Kenyon, 1891).

  12. Sparta's two kings sat on the Council of Elders too. How many men sat on the Council in all, by Bo's chain?

    • 28
    • 56
    • 30
    • 26

  13. Three ancient governments

    Columns City | Who held power | What the sources say: Babylon | one king, Hammurabi | a code of laws set out in the king's name; Sparta | two kings and a Council of Elders of 28 | usually called an oligarchy, with parts of monarchy and democracy; Athens, during its war with Sparta | a Council of 400 | Aristotle calls it the oligarchy; it lasted about four months. Then, below the table: Cause and effect chain "Babylon": [1] Who holds power? One king, Hammurabi of Babylon; [2] Laws are set out in the king's name; [3] The people of Babylon live under the king's laws; [4] This form of government is a monarchy. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Below the chain: Sparta's Council of 28 is by tradition, told by a Greek writer long afterward. The war between Athens and Sparta lasted from 431 to 404 BCE. Sources: Harper, The Code of Hammurabi (1904); Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus; PBS, The Greeks; Aristotle, The Athenian Constitution (Kenyon, 1891).

  14. Why do the sources call Hammurabi's laws a king's code, by Esme's chain?

    • The citizens of Babylon voted on them
    • Sparta's elders wrote them
    • They were set out in the king's name
    • A council of 400 voted for them

  15. Three ancient governments

    Columns City | Who held power | What the sources say: Babylon | one king, Hammurabi | a code of laws set out in the king's name; Sparta | two kings and a Council of Elders of 28 | usually called an oligarchy, with parts of monarchy and democracy; Athens, during its war with Sparta | a Council of 400 | Aristotle calls it the oligarchy; it lasted about four months. Then, below the table: Cause and effect chain "Sparta": [1] Who holds power? Two kings and a Council of Elders; [2] By tradition the Council had 28 elders, so 30 men with the 2 kings; [3] A few men, not the many, make the main choices; [4] Sparta is usually called an oligarchy, with some monarchy and some democracy. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Below the chain: Sparta's Council of 28 is by tradition, told by a Greek writer long afterward. The war between Athens and Sparta lasted from 431 to 404 BCE. Sources: Harper, The Code of Hammurabi (1904); Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus; PBS, The Greeks; Aristotle, The Athenian Constitution (Kenyon, 1891).

  16. The 28 elders are by tradition, told by a Greek writer long afterward. How should Jun treat that number?

    • As a list signed by the elders themselves
    • As proof the Council kept one size for good
    • As a later tradition, not a record of the time
    • As a law that Sparta carved in stone

  17. Does the table show which form of government is best, Luz asks?

    • Yes: a monarchy, because Babylon had written laws
    • Yes: an oligarchy, because Sparta was strong
    • Yes: a democracy, because Athens changed it
    • No: it shows who held power, not which is best
PencilGopencilgo.com

6th grade Monarchy, oligarchy, democracy and republic: who holds power worksheet – printable
Print: 123456

About this worksheet

Forms of government: monarchy, oligarchy, democracy and republic. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can tell a monarchy, an oligarchy, a democracy and a republic apart by asking who holds power, and I know that a theocracy is rule by religious leaders.
  • I can read chains for Babylon, Sparta and Athens during its war with Sparta, and say why one word may not fit a government fully.
  • I can describe Rome's republic as a mix of three parts, and compare the United States and the United Kingdom by structure only.

Standard: D2.Civ.5.6-8

Words to know

monarchy: rule by one person, a king or queen, whose power usually passes within a family

oligarchy: rule by a small group

democracy: rule by the people: citizens vote on laws themselves (direct) or elect others to do it (representative)

republic: a government whose leaders are elected and which has no ruler by birth

theocracy: rule by religious leaders (decision D6: one line, no beliefs)

head of state: the person who stands for a country, such as a king, queen or president

Common mistakes

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

Your child mixed up how many hold the power: one, a few, or many. Count the people who hold it.

Your child gave the meaning of a different form of government. Each form has its own first box: who holds power.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with monarchy, oligarchy, democracy and republic: who holds power?

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

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.

More grade 6 social studies

See all grade 6 social studies

Every sheet you scan goes into your child’s record: dated, marked and ready for the year-end portfolio. Homeschool records

Ready for easier practice?

Print a sheet, scan it when it’s done, and PencilGo picks the next one.

Create a free account