Landforms and Bodies of Water Quiz

Grade 3 · Social Studies · Quiz

Test your knowledge of Earth's landforms and different types of bodies of water.

Questions

Which of these is a landform?
1. Ocean
2. River
3. Mountain
4. Lake
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Answer: Mountain
Mountains are landforms — physical shapes of land. Oceans, rivers, and lakes are bodies of water, not landforms.
A plateau is a flat area of land that is elevated above the surrounding ground.
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Answer: True
A plateau is like a high, flat table of land. The Colorado Plateau and Tibetan Plateau are well-known examples.
A low area of land between mountains or hills is called a ___.
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Answer: valley
Valleys are lower than the land around them and are often carved by rivers over millions of years.
What makes the Great Plains good for farming?
1. It has many mountains
2. It is flat with rich soil
3. It is near the ocean
4. It has many forests
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Answer: It is flat with rich soil
The flat terrain and nutrient-rich soil of the Great Plains make it ideal for growing wheat, corn, and other crops.
A lake is completely surrounded by land.
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Answer: True
Lakes are standing bodies of fresh or salt water entirely surrounded by land — unlike oceans, they have no coastline opening to other water bodies.
Which is the world's tallest mountain?
1. Rocky Mountains
2. Mount Everest
3. Alps
4. Andes
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Answer: Mount Everest
Mount Everest in the Himalayas on the Nepal-Tibet border is 29,032 feet tall — the highest point on Earth's surface.
The Mississippi ___ flows through the middle of the United States.
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Answer: River
The Mississippi River is one of the longest rivers in North America, flowing from Minnesota south to the Gulf of Mexico.
Oceans cover more than half of Earth's surface.
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Answer: True
Oceans cover approximately 71% of Earth's surface, which is why Earth is sometimes called the 'Blue Planet.'
What is a river?
1. A body of water surrounded by land
2. Water flowing from higher to lower ground toward an ocean
3. A flat elevated landform
4. A small raised area of land
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Answer: Water flowing from higher to lower ground toward an ocean
Rivers always flow downhill due to gravity, eventually emptying into another body of water like an ocean, sea, or lake.
Where do people tend to settle when choosing where to live?
1. Far from all water sources
2. Near the tops of mountains
3. Near rivers and lakes for fresh water
4. Only on flat plateaus
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Answer: Near rivers and lakes for fresh water
Fresh water is essential for drinking, farming, and transportation. Throughout history, most civilizations developed near rivers and lakes for this reason.

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