Speak it or Write it
What is one problem with oral (spoken) history?
A. It's too quiet
B. It's always correct
C. It can be changed as people repeat it
✅ C. It can be changed as people repeat it
Why would a civilization need to write down how much food they had?
A. So they could eat faster
B. So they wouldn’t run out or forget who had what
C. So they could brag about it
✅ B. So they wouldn’t run out or forget who had what
Why would a ruler want laws to be written down?
A. So people can vote on them
B. So everyone knows the rules and can’t say they forgot
C. So they can change them every day
✅ B. So everyone knows the rules and can’t say they forgot
Why did writing help early civilizations stay organized?
A. It helped leaders remember important information
B. It allowed people to record laws, taxes, and trades
C. It made people better at farming
✅ B. It allowed people to record laws, taxes, and trades
If a city forgets to write down its trade deals, what might happen?
A. They could be cheated or confused later
B. They would stop trading forever
C. They would forget how to farm
✅ A. They could be cheated or confused later
How does writing help a king prove he is the rightful leader?
A. He can shout louder than others
B. He can record his family line or victories in writing
C. He can make a big statue of himself
✅ B. He can record his family line or victories in writing
Your king says: “Send help to the farms by the river!”
There’s no written record. What might go wrong?
A. The workers bring tools to the wrong place
B. The farms might already be fixed
C. No one knows which farms to go to
✅ C. No one knows which farms to go to
You are the royal tax collector. Why is writing helpful for your job?
A. You can guess who paid
B. You can keep records of who owes what
C. You don’t need to collect taxes
✅ B. You can keep records of who owes what
If only scribes and leaders can read and write, what kind of power do they have?
A. Power to speak in public
B. Power to build cities
C. Power to control information and decisions
✅ C. Power to control information and decisions
What is one long-term benefit of written language in a civilization?
A. It allowed knowledge to be passed down accurately
B. It stopped all wars
C. It made everyone rich
✅ A. It allowed knowledge to be passed down accurately
A king creates new laws to protect farmland. What problem happens if the laws are only spoken?
A. No one wants to farm
B. People might forget or change the laws
C. The farms stop growing food
✅ B. People might forget or change the laws
How could a leader use writing to shape how people remember an event?
A. By letting everyone tell the story their own way
B. By recording the version that makes them look good
C. By burning all the written records
✅ B. By recording the version that makes them look good
Double or Nothing
Which situation BEST shows how writing can change decision-making?
A. A messenger forgets the message, and the leader guesses
B. A story is passed down by memory and changes over time
C. A written law helps leaders punish someone fairly
✅ C. A written law helps leaders punish someone fairly
Double or Nothing
Which situation BEST shows the advantage of writing over speaking?
A. A farmer tells his son how to plant, and he remembers it
B. A trader promises a deal, but it’s forgotten the next day
C. A written message helps a leader collect the right amount of grain from each farm
✅ C. A written message helps a leader collect the right amount of grain from each farm
Double or Nothing
Which situation shows how writing gives power over others?
A. A farmer keeps notes on how much food he has
B. A child writes a story in the dirt
C. A ruler writes down new tax rules that everyone must follow, even if they disagree
✅ C. A ruler writes down new tax rules that everyone must follow, even if they disagree