Decide which cause mattered most, and say why
Grade 7 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.
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Why printing spread across Europe (cards A to C; summaries in our words). Card A, dates: Johann Gutenberg worked at Mainz in the 1450s. A press was set up at Subiaco, in Italy, in 1465 and at Venice in 1469. Paris had a press in 1470, and William Caxton set one up at Westminster, in England, in 1476. Card B, Elizabeth Eisenstein, a historian, in a book of 1979: she argued that print made many copies of one text, which let scholars compare and share ideas and so changed learning across Europe. Card C, Adrian Johns, a historian, in a book of 1998: he argued that early printed books were not trusted by themselves; printers and booksellers had to build trust in their copies, so printing's effects depended on the work of people.
Use card A. How many years passed between the press at Subiaco and the one at Venice, Ari asks?
- 14 years
- 5 years
- 4 years
- 2,934 years
Use card A. About how many years passed between Paris in 1470 and Westminster in 1476, and what does it show about the spread, Bo asks?
- 6 years; presses reached new countries within a few years
- 6 years; presses reached each town in Europe within a few years
- 16 years; presses took generations to reach new countries
- 11 years; presses reached new countries at a steady pace
How do cards B and C differ about why printing mattered, Esme asks?
- Eisenstein stresses many copies; Johns stresses people building trust
- Both agree that print changed Europe at once, without work by printers
- Eisenstein stresses the trust people built; Johns stresses many copies of one text
- They differ just in the year each book was written, not in their views
A student says, "Card A shows the press spread because Italian towns wanted books." How strong is that claim, Jun asks?
- Weak: a list of dates cannot be used as evidence about the spread of printing
- Strong: presses appeared in Italy in 1465 and 1469, so Italians must have wanted them
- Weak: card A gives dates and places, not the reasons people wanted presses
- Strong: card A says Italian towns asked for presses before Mainz had one
Which statement do cards A and B support together, Kira asks?
- Printing reached many places within about 25 years, fitting Eisenstein
- Printing reached Italy in the 1450s, which fits Eisenstein's idea
- Printing reached each place in Europe, which shows Eisenstein right
- The cards cannot be used together, since one is a list and one is an opinion
Which is the stronger way to weigh the two historians, Luz asks?
- Eisenstein is right, because Johns's view leaves out the copies
- Neither can be used, because historians disagree about the same events
- Each names a real cause, and the cards do not rank the two
- Johns is right, because he wrote later and so knew more
A new record shows a printer in Venice lost sales until buyers learned his copies were accurate. Which historian does it back, Milo asks?
- Eisenstein, because it shows copies were trusted at once
- Johns, because it shows printing had no effects without trust
- Neither, because it is about Venice and card A does not mention Venice
- Johns, because it shows trust had to be built, though it is one case
Cards B and C are books by historians of 1979 and 1998. What is the right way to treat them, Noah asks?
- As worthless, because historians were not alive in the 1400s
- As settled facts, since books are checked before they are printed
- As arguments about the evidence, to compare with sources from the 1400s
- As eyewitness reports, since they describe how printing affected Europe
Why might Eisenstein stress many copies of one text, Tala asks?
- Identical copies let scholars compare texts and share ideas
- Because printers wanted to open presses in many towns
- Because copies cost nothing to make and so each reader could own one
- Because copies were hard to compare, so scholars could not use them
Which order of arrival do the dates on card A give for these presses, Zee asks?
- Mainz, then Subiaco, then Venice, then Paris, then Westminster
- Mainz, then Subiaco, then Paris, then Venice, then Westminster
- Westminster, then Paris, then Venice, then Subiaco, then Mainz
- Mainz, then Venice, then Subiaco, then Paris, then Westminster

