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Geography Quiz - Settlements 1 (Questions)

In KS2 geography one topic looked at is settlements - cities, towns, villages and hamlets. This is quite an expansive subject so this is the first of two quizzes devoted to it. This first quiz looks in particular at the early development of settlements and the needs of the early settlers.

Settlements are the places people live such as villages and towns. A settlement can range in size from a small number of dwellings grouped together to the largest of cities with surrounding urbanised areas. But what about their development? How did they come to be? Why did the early settlers choose to live there? Why are towns and villages where they are and how did they get their names?

See how much you know about the early development of the places we live. Can you answer all ten questions correctly?

1. What is a settlement?
[ ] A hut near a river
[ ] A castle on a hill
[ ] A place where people live
[ ] A house in a forest
2. Which was NOT a need of early settlers?
[ ] Water
[ ] Farming land
[ ] Wood or other building material
[ ] Supermarket
3. Which is NOT a suitable place to find drinking water?
[ ] Near a river
[ ] Near a lake
[ ] Near the sea
[ ] Near a stream
4. Which would make good farming land?
[ ] Hilly
[ ] Flat
[ ] Lots of trees
[ ] Boggy
5. Which of these building materials would not be available to early settlers?
[ ] Brick
[ ] Wood
[ ] Stone
[ ] Straw and mud
6. If you were an early settler, which site would you choose that would give a good defence from enemies?
[ ] On top of a hill, next to a stream
[ ] In the middle of a wood with a river running through
[ ] In an open field next to a lake
[ ] On a beach with a stream running close by
7. If you were an early settler, which site would you choose to access good building materials?
[ ] On top of a hill, next to a stream
[ ] In the middle of a wood with a river running through
[ ] In an open field next to a lake
[ ] On a beach with a stream running close by
8. What is one way to know when a settlement was first settled?
[ ] By its position
[ ] By its name
[ ] How large it is
[ ] How many churches it has
9. Which of these place name endings means ‘river crossing’?
[ ] -ley
[ ] -ford
[ ] -ton
[ ] -ham
10. Why did settlements need to link together?
[ ] To trade
[ ] Could fight each other
[ ] To visit each other
[ ] Go to each other’s parties

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - What are settlements?

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Geography Quiz - Settlements 1 (Answers)
1. What is a settlement?
[ ] A hut near a river
[ ] A castle on a hill
[x] A place where people live
[ ] A house in a forest
Settlements are so called because they are places where people have settled
2. Which was NOT a need of early settlers?
[ ] Water
[ ] Farming land
[ ] Wood or other building material
[x] Supermarket
A supermarket is easier than growing your own food but there were no supermarkets around in the times of early settlers
3. Which is NOT a suitable place to find drinking water?
[ ] Near a river
[ ] Near a lake
[x] Near the sea
[ ] Near a stream
Sea water contains too much salt to drink
4. Which would make good farming land?
[ ] Hilly
[x] Flat
[ ] Lots of trees
[ ] Boggy
Trees would get in the way of crops and hills are difficult to plough
5. Which of these building materials would not be available to early settlers?
[x] Brick
[ ] Wood
[ ] Stone
[ ] Straw and mud
Bricks were a later invention
6. If you were an early settler, which site would you choose that would give a good defence from enemies?
[x] On top of a hill, next to a stream
[ ] In the middle of a wood with a river running through
[ ] In an open field next to a lake
[ ] On a beach with a stream running close by
From the top of a hill you can see anyone approaching from all sides
7. If you were an early settler, which site would you choose to access good building materials?
[ ] On top of a hill, next to a stream
[x] In the middle of a wood with a river running through
[ ] In an open field next to a lake
[ ] On a beach with a stream running close by
Early homes were made of wood and the best source of wood is a forest
8. What is one way to know when a settlement was first settled?
[ ] By its position
[x] By its name
[ ] How large it is
[ ] How many churches it has
In England, places with Roman names are probably older than places with Anglo-Saxon names
9. Which of these place name endings means ‘river crossing’?
[ ] -ley
[x] -ford
[ ] -ton
[ ] -ham
Oxford, Stafford and Watford are three examples
10. Why did settlements need to link together?
[x] To trade
[ ] Could fight each other
[ ] To visit each other
[ ] Go to each other’s parties
Trade was essential. If one village had access to iron, for example, they might trade with another village which had access to sheep