Sea trade: the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean monsoon routes
Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.
Which box in Tala's second chain has two arrows going out?
- The yearly monsoon winds decide when ships can sail
- The merchant names the month to sail
- Ships bound for India leave Egypt about July
- Late ships wait out the winter at Moscha
Which sentence about Hippalus is careful, Ari asks?
Cause and effect chain "Learning to ride the wind": [1] early ships sail in small vessels close around the shores of the gulfs; [2] the pilot Hippalus studies the ports and the sea, and learns to lay a course straight across the ocean; [3] ships sail straight across the ocean to India; [4] the southwest wind is named Hippalus after him. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4. Route note (a sketch, not to scale): the straight sea crossing runs from Cana, on the coast of Arabia, to the coast of India. Cause and effect chain "Learning to ride the wind": [1] early ships sail in small vessels close around the shores of the gulfs; [2] the pilot Hippalus studies the ports and the sea, and learns to lay a course straight across the ocean; [3] ships sail straight across the ocean to India; [4] the southwest wind is named Hippalus after him. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4. Route note (a sketch, not to scale): the straight sea crossing runs from Cana, on the coast of Arabia, to the coast of India. Learning to ride the wind [1] early ships sail in small vessels close around the shores of the gulfs [2] the pilot Hippalus studies the ports and the sea, and learns to lay a course straight across the ocean [3] ships sail straight across the ocean to India [4] the southwest wind is named Hippalus after him Route note (a sketch, not to scale): the straight sea crossing runs from Cana, on the coast of Arabia, to the coast of India. - No ship had ever crossed the ocean before him
- The wind began to blow because he first sailed straight into it
- Historians know where he was born
- The text says he was first to learn the straight course
Which claim about sailing from Egypt is careful, Bo asks?
Cause and effect chain "Timing the voyage from Egypt": [1] the yearly monsoon winds decide when ships can sail to India; [2] the merchant who wrote the Periplus names the month to sail from Egypt; [3] he says ships bound for India leave Egypt about July; [4] ships on the way home that are late in the season wait out the winter at the harbor of Moscha. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4. Route note: the Greek text gives each month in Egyptian too; for July it says Epiphi. Cause and effect chain "Timing the voyage from Egypt": [1] the yearly monsoon winds decide when ships can sail to India; [2] the merchant who wrote the Periplus names the month to sail from Egypt; [3] he says ships bound for India leave Egypt about July; [4] ships on the way home that are late in the season wait out the winter at the harbor of Moscha. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4. Route note: the Greek text gives each month in Egyptian too; for July it says Epiphi. Timing the voyage from Egypt [1] the yearly monsoon winds decide when ships can sail to India [2] the merchant who wrote the Periplus names the month to sail from Egypt [3] he says ships bound for India leave Egypt about July [4] ships on the way home that are late in the season wait out the winter at the harbor of Moscha Route note: the Greek text gives each month in Egyptian too; for July it says Epiphi. - Ships left on one fixed day each year
- The text says ships left about July
- The winds did not matter to sailing dates
- Ships left in any month alike
Which claim about pepper is careful, Esme asks?
Cause and effect chain "Pepper brings big ships": [1] pepper grows in large amounts in only one district of India, Cottonara; [2] large ships come to nearby ports, such as Muziris, for pepper and malabathrum; [3] the ships bring coin, glass, metals and linen to sell; [4] they carry away pepper, pearls, ivory and silk cloth. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4. Route note: the text puts Muziris on a river, a short way up from the sea. Cause and effect chain "Pepper brings big ships": [1] pepper grows in large amounts in only one district of India, Cottonara; [2] large ships come to nearby ports, such as Muziris, for pepper and malabathrum; [3] the ships bring coin, glass, metals and linen to sell; [4] they carry away pepper, pearls, ivory and silk cloth. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4. Route note: the text puts Muziris on a river, a short way up from the sea. Pepper brings big ships [1] pepper grows in large amounts in only one district of India, Cottonara [2] large ships come to nearby ports, such as Muziris, for pepper and malabathrum [3] the ships bring coin, glass, metals and linen to sell [4] they carry away pepper, pearls, ivory and silk cloth Route note: the text puts Muziris on a river, a short way up from the sea. - The text says it grew in one district nearby
- Pepper grew in large amounts across the whole of India
- Ships carried pepper and no other goods
- The pepper went to a single city
By Jun's chain and route note, where does the straight crossing begin?
Cause and effect chain "Learning to ride the wind": [1] early ships sail in small vessels close around the shores of the gulfs; [2] the pilot Hippalus studies the ports and the sea, and learns to lay a course straight across the ocean; [3] ships sail straight across the ocean to India; [4] the southwest wind is named Hippalus after him. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4. Route note (a sketch, not to scale): the straight sea crossing runs from Cana, on the coast of Arabia, to the coast of India. Cause and effect chain "Learning to ride the wind": [1] early ships sail in small vessels close around the shores of the gulfs; [2] the pilot Hippalus studies the ports and the sea, and learns to lay a course straight across the ocean; [3] ships sail straight across the ocean to India; [4] the southwest wind is named Hippalus after him. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4. Route note (a sketch, not to scale): the straight sea crossing runs from Cana, on the coast of Arabia, to the coast of India. Learning to ride the wind [1] early ships sail in small vessels close around the shores of the gulfs [2] the pilot Hippalus studies the ports and the sea, and learns to lay a course straight across the ocean [3] ships sail straight across the ocean to India [4] the southwest wind is named Hippalus after him Route note (a sketch, not to scale): the straight sea crossing runs from Cana, on the coast of Arabia, to the coast of India. - At Cana, on the coast of Arabia
- At Moscha, a winter harbor
- At Muziris, up a river
- At Cottonara, in the pepper district of India
By Kira's chain and route note, which Egyptian month name goes with July?
Cause and effect chain "Timing the voyage from Egypt": [1] the yearly monsoon winds decide when ships can sail to India; [2] the merchant who wrote the Periplus names the month to sail from Egypt; [3] he says ships bound for India leave Egypt about July; [4] ships on the way home that are late in the season wait out the winter at the harbor of Moscha. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4. Route note: the Greek text gives each month in Egyptian too; for July it says Epiphi. Cause and effect chain "Timing the voyage from Egypt": [1] the yearly monsoon winds decide when ships can sail to India; [2] the merchant who wrote the Periplus names the month to sail from Egypt; [3] he says ships bound for India leave Egypt about July; [4] ships on the way home that are late in the season wait out the winter at the harbor of Moscha. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4. Route note: the Greek text gives each month in Egyptian too; for July it says Epiphi. Timing the voyage from Egypt [1] the yearly monsoon winds decide when ships can sail to India [2] the merchant who wrote the Periplus names the month to sail from Egypt [3] he says ships bound for India leave Egypt about July [4] ships on the way home that are late in the season wait out the winter at the harbor of Moscha Route note: the Greek text gives each month in Egyptian too; for July it says Epiphi. - Pachon
- Tybi
- Thoth
- Epiphi
By Luz's chain and route note, where does Muziris stand?
Cause and effect chain "Pepper brings big ships": [1] pepper grows in large amounts in only one district of India, Cottonara; [2] large ships come to nearby ports, such as Muziris, for pepper and malabathrum; [3] the ships bring coin, glass, metals and linen to sell; [4] they carry away pepper, pearls, ivory and silk cloth. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4. Route note: the text puts Muziris on a river, a short way up from the sea. Cause and effect chain "Pepper brings big ships": [1] pepper grows in large amounts in only one district of India, Cottonara; [2] large ships come to nearby ports, such as Muziris, for pepper and malabathrum; [3] the ships bring coin, glass, metals and linen to sell; [4] they carry away pepper, pearls, ivory and silk cloth. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4. Route note: the text puts Muziris on a river, a short way up from the sea. Pepper brings big ships [1] pepper grows in large amounts in only one district of India, Cottonara [2] large ships come to nearby ports, such as Muziris, for pepper and malabathrum [3] the ships bring coin, glass, metals and linen to sell [4] they carry away pepper, pearls, ivory and silk cloth Route note: the text puts Muziris on a river, a short way up from the sea. - On an island far out at sea, away from any river
- Beside a wide salt desert
- At the foot of a mountain pass
- On a river, a short way up from the sea
Milo's note says, "Hippalus learned to sail close along the shore." Which fix is right?
Cause and effect chain "Learning to ride the wind": [1] early ships sail in small vessels close around the shores of the gulfs; [2] the pilot Hippalus studies the ports and the sea, and learns to lay a course straight across the ocean; [3] ships sail straight across the ocean to India; [4] the southwest wind is named Hippalus after him. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4. Route note (a sketch, not to scale): the straight sea crossing runs from Cana, on the coast of Arabia, to the coast of India. Cause and effect chain "Learning to ride the wind": [1] early ships sail in small vessels close around the shores of the gulfs; [2] the pilot Hippalus studies the ports and the sea, and learns to lay a course straight across the ocean; [3] ships sail straight across the ocean to India; [4] the southwest wind is named Hippalus after him. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4. Route note (a sketch, not to scale): the straight sea crossing runs from Cana, on the coast of Arabia, to the coast of India. Learning to ride the wind [1] early ships sail in small vessels close around the shores of the gulfs [2] the pilot Hippalus studies the ports and the sea, and learns to lay a course straight across the ocean [3] ships sail straight across the ocean to India [4] the southwest wind is named Hippalus after him Route note (a sketch, not to scale): the straight sea crossing runs from Cana, on the coast of Arabia, to the coast of India. - Change "Hippalus" to "Cottonara"
- Change "shore" to "river"
- Change it: he learned a straight course across
- Leave it: sailing close along the shore was his big idea
Noah's note says, "Ships left Egypt for India in January." Which fix is right?
Cause and effect chain "Timing the voyage from Egypt": [1] the yearly monsoon winds decide when ships can sail to India; [2] the merchant who wrote the Periplus names the month to sail from Egypt; [3] he says ships bound for India leave Egypt about July; [4] ships on the way home that are late in the season wait out the winter at the harbor of Moscha. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4. Route note: the Greek text gives each month in Egyptian too; for July it says Epiphi. Cause and effect chain "Timing the voyage from Egypt": [1] the yearly monsoon winds decide when ships can sail to India; [2] the merchant who wrote the Periplus names the month to sail from Egypt; [3] he says ships bound for India leave Egypt about July; [4] ships on the way home that are late in the season wait out the winter at the harbor of Moscha. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4. Route note: the Greek text gives each month in Egyptian too; for July it says Epiphi. Timing the voyage from Egypt [1] the yearly monsoon winds decide when ships can sail to India [2] the merchant who wrote the Periplus names the month to sail from Egypt [3] he says ships bound for India leave Egypt about July [4] ships on the way home that are late in the season wait out the winter at the harbor of Moscha Route note: the Greek text gives each month in Egyptian too; for July it says Epiphi. - Change "January" to "July"
- Leave it: the winds blow in January
- Change "Egypt" to "Moscha"
- Change "January" to "October"
Pia's note says, "Large ships went to Muziris for gold." Which fix is right?
Cause and effect chain "Pepper brings big ships": [1] pepper grows in large amounts in only one district of India, Cottonara; [2] large ships come to nearby ports, such as Muziris, for pepper and malabathrum; [3] the ships bring coin, glass, metals and linen to sell; [4] they carry away pepper, pearls, ivory and silk cloth. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4. Route note: the text puts Muziris on a river, a short way up from the sea. Cause and effect chain "Pepper brings big ships": [1] pepper grows in large amounts in only one district of India, Cottonara; [2] large ships come to nearby ports, such as Muziris, for pepper and malabathrum; [3] the ships bring coin, glass, metals and linen to sell; [4] they carry away pepper, pearls, ivory and silk cloth. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4. Route note: the text puts Muziris on a river, a short way up from the sea. Pepper brings big ships [1] pepper grows in large amounts in only one district of India, Cottonara [2] large ships come to nearby ports, such as Muziris, for pepper and malabathrum [3] the ships bring coin, glass, metals and linen to sell [4] they carry away pepper, pearls, ivory and silk cloth Route note: the text puts Muziris on a river, a short way up from the sea. - Change "Muziris" to "Cana"
- Change "gold" to "pepper"
- Leave it: gold was the main cargo
- Change "ships" to "carts"