How people changed the land and adapted to it
Grade 7 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.
In the Dutch chain, which box leads to two effects, Pia asks?
- The Zuiderzee floods the land around it
- The dam closes the Zuiderzee
- More land for farming in the polders
- No box in this chain leads to two effects
How many effects come from the Lake Mead box, Tala asks?
Cause and effect chain "A dam on the Colorado River": [1] Hoover Dam is built across the Colorado River, 1931–1936; [2] the dam holds back a huge lake, Lake Mead; [3] floods are controlled; [4] water is stored for irrigation; [5] the falling water makes hydroelectric power. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4, 2 → 5. Cause and effect chain "A dam on the Colorado River": [1] Hoover Dam is built across the Colorado River, 1931–1936; [2] the dam holds back a huge lake, Lake Mead; [3] floods are controlled; [4] water is stored for irrigation; [5] the falling water makes hydroelectric power. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4, 2 → 5. A dam on the Colorado River [1] Hoover Dam is built across the Colorado River, 1931–1936 [2] the dam holds back a huge lake, Lake Mead [3] floods are controlled [4] water is stored for irrigation [5] the falling water makes hydroelectric power - Five
- Two
- Three
- One
When was the Zuiderzee closed, Zee asks?
Cause and effect chain "Making new land in the Netherlands": [1] the Zuiderzee, a shallow inlet of the North Sea, floods the land around it; [2] a 32 km dam, the Afsluitdijk, closes the Zuiderzee on 28 May 1932; [3] the closed-off water becomes a lake; [4] parts of it are drained into polders: about 1,650 km² of new land in all; [5] better flood protection; [6] more land for farming. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4, 2 → 5, 4 → 6. Below the chain: plans for one more polder were dropped in the early 2000s, as views on the environment had changed since the 1920s. Cause and effect chain "Making new land in the Netherlands": [1] the Zuiderzee, a shallow inlet of the North Sea, floods the land around it; [2] a 32 km dam, the Afsluitdijk, closes the Zuiderzee on 28 May 1932; [3] the closed-off water becomes a lake; [4] parts of it are drained into polders: about 1,650 km² of new land in all; [5] better flood protection; [6] more land for farming. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4, 2 → 5, 4 → 6. Below the chain: plans for one more polder were dropped in the early 2000s, as views on the environment had changed since the 1920s. Making new land in the Netherlands [1] the Zuiderzee, a shallow inlet of the North Sea, floods the land around it [2] a 32 km dam, the Afsluitdijk, closes the Zuiderzee on 28 May 1932 [3] the closed-off water becomes a lake [4] parts of it are drained into polders: about 1,650 km² of new land in all [5] better flood protection [6] more land for farming Below the chain: plans for one more polder were dropped in the early 2000s, as views on the environment had changed since the 1920s. - The early 2000s
- 28 May 1932
- 1960
- 1931–1936
How many years did it take to build Hoover Dam, Bo asks?
Cause and effect chain "A dam on the Colorado River": [1] Hoover Dam is built across the Colorado River, 1931–1936; [2] the dam holds back a huge lake, Lake Mead; [3] floods are controlled; [4] water is stored for irrigation; [5] the falling water makes hydroelectric power. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4, 2 → 5. Cause and effect chain "A dam on the Colorado River": [1] Hoover Dam is built across the Colorado River, 1931–1936; [2] the dam holds back a huge lake, Lake Mead; [3] floods are controlled; [4] water is stored for irrigation; [5] the falling water makes hydroelectric power. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4, 2 → 5. A dam on the Colorado River [1] Hoover Dam is built across the Colorado River, 1931–1936 [2] the dam holds back a huge lake, Lake Mead [3] floods are controlled [4] water is stored for irrigation [5] the falling water makes hydroelectric power - About 50 years
- About 3,867 years
- About 2 years
- About 5 years
What is a polder, Esme asks?
Cause and effect chain "Making new land in the Netherlands": [1] the Zuiderzee, a shallow inlet of the North Sea, floods the land around it; [2] a 32 km dam, the Afsluitdijk, closes the Zuiderzee on 28 May 1932; [3] the closed-off water becomes a lake; [4] parts of it are drained into polders: about 1,650 km² of new land in all; [5] better flood protection; [6] more land for farming. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4, 2 → 5, 4 → 6. Below the chain: plans for one more polder were dropped in the early 2000s, as views on the environment had changed since the 1920s. Cause and effect chain "Making new land in the Netherlands": [1] the Zuiderzee, a shallow inlet of the North Sea, floods the land around it; [2] a 32 km dam, the Afsluitdijk, closes the Zuiderzee on 28 May 1932; [3] the closed-off water becomes a lake; [4] parts of it are drained into polders: about 1,650 km² of new land in all; [5] better flood protection; [6] more land for farming. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4, 2 → 5, 4 → 6. Below the chain: plans for one more polder were dropped in the early 2000s, as views on the environment had changed since the 1920s. Making new land in the Netherlands [1] the Zuiderzee, a shallow inlet of the North Sea, floods the land around it [2] a 32 km dam, the Afsluitdijk, closes the Zuiderzee on 28 May 1932 [3] the closed-off water becomes a lake [4] parts of it are drained into polders: about 1,650 km² of new land in all [5] better flood protection [6] more land for farming Below the chain: plans for one more polder were dropped in the early 2000s, as views on the environment had changed since the 1920s. - A tall step cut into a mountain for rice
- A dam across a river
- Low land drained from the water
- A desert where a lake was
Why would people build a dam that controls floods, Jun asks?
Cause and effect chain "A dam on the Colorado River": [1] Hoover Dam is built across the Colorado River, 1931–1936; [2] the dam holds back a huge lake, Lake Mead; [3] floods are controlled; [4] water is stored for irrigation; [5] the falling water makes hydroelectric power. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4, 2 → 5. Cause and effect chain "A dam on the Colorado River": [1] Hoover Dam is built across the Colorado River, 1931–1936; [2] the dam holds back a huge lake, Lake Mead; [3] floods are controlled; [4] water is stored for irrigation; [5] the falling water makes hydroelectric power. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4, 2 → 5. A dam on the Colorado River [1] Hoover Dam is built across the Colorado River, 1931–1936 [2] the dam holds back a huge lake, Lake Mead [3] floods are controlled [4] water is stored for irrigation [5] the falling water makes hydroelectric power - To make the river flood more often each year
- To drain a sea into new polders
- To protect towns and farms from floods
- To dry up the river for good
Cause and effect chain "Making new land in the Netherlands": [1] the Zuiderzee, a shallow inlet of the North Sea, floods the land around it; [2] a 32 km dam, the Afsluitdijk, closes the Zuiderzee on 28 May 1932; [3] the closed-off water becomes a lake; [4] parts of it are drained into polders: about 1,650 km² of new land in all; [5] better flood protection; [6] more land for farming. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4, 2 → 5, 4 → 6. Below the chain: plans for one more polder were dropped in the early 2000s, as views on the environment had changed since the 1920s. Cause and effect chain "Making new land in the Netherlands": [1] the Zuiderzee, a shallow inlet of the North Sea, floods the land around it; [2] a 32 km dam, the Afsluitdijk, closes the Zuiderzee on 28 May 1932; [3] the closed-off water becomes a lake; [4] parts of it are drained into polders: about 1,650 km² of new land in all; [5] better flood protection; [6] more land for farming. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4, 2 → 5, 4 → 6. Below the chain: plans for one more polder were dropped in the early 2000s, as views on the environment had changed since the 1920s. Making new land in the Netherlands [1] the Zuiderzee, a shallow inlet of the North Sea, floods the land around it [2] a 32 km dam, the Afsluitdijk, closes the Zuiderzee on 28 May 1932 [3] the closed-off water becomes a lake [4] parts of it are drained into polders: about 1,650 km² of new land in all [5] better flood protection [6] more land for farming Below the chain: plans for one more polder were dropped in the early 2000s, as views on the environment had changed since the 1920s. Why were plans for one more Dutch polder dropped, Kira asks?
- The polders made the floods worse
- The sea had dried up by itself, with no dam
- Views on the environment had changed
- The first dam was not built
Luz's note says, "The Afsluitdijk let the sea flood more land." Which fix is right?
Use the picture in question 7.
- Leave it: the dam opened the way for the sea
- Change "sea" to "desert"
- Change it: it improved flood protection
- Change "Afsluitdijk" to "Hoover Dam"
Milo's note says, "Hoover Dam had one use: making power." Which fix is right?
Cause and effect chain "A dam on the Colorado River": [1] Hoover Dam is built across the Colorado River, 1931–1936; [2] the dam holds back a huge lake, Lake Mead; [3] floods are controlled; [4] water is stored for irrigation; [5] the falling water makes hydroelectric power. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4, 2 → 5. Cause and effect chain "A dam on the Colorado River": [1] Hoover Dam is built across the Colorado River, 1931–1936; [2] the dam holds back a huge lake, Lake Mead; [3] floods are controlled; [4] water is stored for irrigation; [5] the falling water makes hydroelectric power. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 2 → 4, 2 → 5. A dam on the Colorado River [1] Hoover Dam is built across the Colorado River, 1931–1936 [2] the dam holds back a huge lake, Lake Mead [3] floods are controlled [4] water is stored for irrigation [5] the falling water makes hydroelectric power - Leave it: one cause, one effect
- Change it: it also controls floods and stores water
- Change "power" to "polders"
- Change "Hoover" to "Banaue"
Noah's note says, "The Dutch works made new land for cities only." Which fix is right?
Cause and effect chain "Making new land in the Netherlands": [1] the Zuiderzee, a shallow inlet of the North Sea, floods the land around it; [2] a 32 km dam, the Afsluitdijk, closes the Zuiderzee on 28 May 1932; [3] the closed-off water becomes a lake; [4] parts of it are drained into polders: about 1,650 km² of new land in all; [5] better flood protection; [6] more land for farming. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4, 2 → 5, 4 → 6. Below the chain: plans for one more polder were dropped in the early 2000s, as views on the environment had changed since the 1920s. Cause and effect chain "Making new land in the Netherlands": [1] the Zuiderzee, a shallow inlet of the North Sea, floods the land around it; [2] a 32 km dam, the Afsluitdijk, closes the Zuiderzee on 28 May 1932; [3] the closed-off water becomes a lake; [4] parts of it are drained into polders: about 1,650 km² of new land in all; [5] better flood protection; [6] more land for farming. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4, 2 → 5, 4 → 6. Below the chain: plans for one more polder were dropped in the early 2000s, as views on the environment had changed since the 1920s. Making new land in the Netherlands [1] the Zuiderzee, a shallow inlet of the North Sea, floods the land around it [2] a 32 km dam, the Afsluitdijk, closes the Zuiderzee on 28 May 1932 [3] the closed-off water becomes a lake [4] parts of it are drained into polders: about 1,650 km² of new land in all [5] better flood protection [6] more land for farming Below the chain: plans for one more polder were dropped in the early 2000s, as views on the environment had changed since the 1920s. - Change it: more land for farming, and flood protection
- Change "land" to "lakes"
- Change "Dutch" to "Spanish"
- Leave it: the land was for cities