What Rome left us: roads, aqueducts, arches, Latin and law

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Roman building

   Achievement	What we know
   Roads	more than 400,000 km of roads, over 80,500 km of them paved with stone; many were curved on top so rain ran off into ditches
   Arches	load-bearing arches became popular after the Romans took them up in the 300s BCE; the keystone, a wedge-shaped top stone, goes in last and locks the others in place
   Concrete	in wide use from about 150 BCE; why it lasts so well is debated: volcanic ash was long thought the reason, and 2023 research points to lumps of lime that let it seal its own cracks
   The Pantheon	a building in Rome dedicated about 126 CE; its concrete dome, 43 m (142 ft) across, is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome

2. 1.

   How many kilometers of Roman roads were paved with stone, Zee asks?

   • About 805 km
   • About 8,050 km
   • More than 400,000 km
   • Over 80,500 km
3. 2.

   The cell marked ? is blank. Ari's chart has a blank: what does a keystone do?

   • It holds up a heavy roof by itself with no other support
   • It seals cracks in concrete
   • It drains rain into ditches
   • It goes in last and locks the stones

4. Roman building

   Achievement	What we know
   Roads	more than 400,000 km of roads, over 80,500 km of them paved with stone; many were curved on top so rain ran off into ditches
   Arches	load-bearing arches became popular after the Romans took them up in the 300s BCE; the keystone, a wedge-shaped top stone, goes in last and locks the others in place
   Concrete	in wide use from about 150 BCE; why it lasts so well is debated: volcanic ash was long thought the reason, and 2023 research points to lumps of lime that let it seal its own cracks
   The Pantheon	a building in Rome dedicated about 126 CE; its concrete dome, 43 m (142 ft) across, is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome

5. 3.

   How wide is the Pantheon's dome, Bo asks?

   • 126 m across
   • 4.3 m across
   • 142 m across
   • 43 m across
6. 4.

   Many Roman roads were curved on top. Why, Esme asks?

   • To make the roads shorter and quicker
   • To hold more water
   • So carts would slide off
   • So rain ran off into ditches
7. 5.

   Arches carried roads and channels across low ground. Why is an arch strong, Kira asks?

   • It has no stones
   • Its stones float
   • Its stones press together and pass weight down
   • Glue holds each stone
8. 6.

   Why does Roman concrete last so well, Luz asks?

   • We know it is the ash, for certain
   • It is made of marble
   • It is debated; recent research points to lime
   • It has no cracks, ever
9. 7.

   The Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. What does that suggest, Milo asks?

   • Roman concrete could last a very long time
   • It is the largest dome of any kind
   • The dome is made of wood
   • Concrete was invented in 2023
10. 8.

    Concrete was in wide use from about 150 BCE, and the Pantheon was dedicated about 126 CE. About how many years apart is that, Noah asks?

    • About 276 years, counting a year 0
    • About 24 years
    • About 2,750 years
    • About 275 years
11. 9.

    Pia's friend says scientists have settled why Roman concrete lasts. What is the best reply?

    • Agree: it is the ash
    • Disagree: it does not last
    • Agree: it is the lime, for sure
    • Not settled: ash and lime are both ideas
12. 10.

    Ren's friend says the Romans invented the arch. What does the chart say?

    • Romans did not use arches
    • Arches came after 2023
    • The Romans invented the very first arch
    • The Romans made arches popular