Attachment B: Sample Assessment Items Asterisk (*) indicates correct answer. 1. What river forms a border between the United 7. What river was explored by Lewis and Clark? States and parts of Mexico? A Colorado River A Mississippi B Mississippi River B Ohio C Columbia River * C Rio Grande * D Missouri River D Columbia 8. What geographic region contains the oldest What geographic region is located along the mountain range in North America? Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico? A Coastal Plains A Coastal Plain * B Interior Lowlands B Appalachian Highlands C Appalachian Highlands * C Canadian Shield D Canadian Shield D Interior Lowlands 9. What river was explored by the Spanish? 3. What geographic region is located west of the A Mississippi River Rocky Mountains and east of the Sierra Nevadas? B Ohio River A Great Plains C Colorado River * B Interior Lowlands D Missouri River C Basin and Range * D Coastal Range 10. What geographic region consists of flat lands that gradually increase in elevation westward? 4. What geographic region may be described as A Canadian Shield mountains along the Pacific Coast that B Interior Lowlands “Rugged contain fertile C Great Plains * valleys”? A Coastal Plain D Coastal Range B Great Plains C Interior Lowlands 11. What water feature provided the French and D Coastal Range * Spanish with exploration routes to Mexico and other parts of America? A Rio Grande 5. What river was the gateway to the west? A Missouri River B Columbia River B Columbia River C Gulf of Mexico * C Ohio River * D Ohio River D Mississippi River 12. Where is the Continental Divide located? 6. On a map of North America, which of the following A Basin and Range rivers would be farthest east? B Coastal Range A Colorado River C Rocky Mountains * B Ohio River * D Canadian Shield C Columbia River D Mississippi River
Attachment B: Sample Assessment Items Asterisk (*) indicates correct answer. 1. What river forms a border between the United States and parts of Mexico? A Mississippi B Ohio C Rio Grande * D Columbia What geographic region is located along the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico? A Coastal Plain * B Appalachian Highlands C Canadian Shield D Interior Lowlands 3. What geographic region is located west of the Rocky Mountains and east of the Sierra Nevadas? A Great Plains B Interior Lowlands C Basin and Range * D Coastal Range 4. What geographic region may be described as “Rugged mountains along the Pacific Coast that contain fertile valleys”? A Coastal Plain B Great Plains C Interior Lowlands D Coastal Range * 5. What river was the gateway to the west? A Missouri River B Columbia River C Ohio River * D Mississippi River 6. On a map of North America, which of the following rivers would be farthest east? A Colorado River B Ohio River * C Columbia River D Mississippi River 7. What river was explored by Lewis and Clark? A Colorado River B Mississippi River C Columbia River * D Missouri River 8. What geographic region contains the oldest mountain range in North America? A Coastal Plains B Interior Lowlands C Appalachian Highlands * D Canadian Shield 9. What river was explored by the Spanish? A Mississippi River B Ohio River C Colorado River * D Missouri River 10. What geographic region consists of flat lands that gradually increase in elevation westward? A Canadian Shield B Interior Lowlands C Great Plains * D Coastal Range 11. What water feature provided the French and Spanish with exploration routes to Mexico and other parts of America? A Rio Grande B Columbia River C Gulf of Mexico * D Ohio River 12. Where is the Continental Divide located? A Basin and Range B Coastal Range C Rocky Mountains * D Canadian Shield