Assessment: Digging Up
1. Which sentence BEST sums up the article?
a. In 1970, around 410 African-Americans lived on The Hill, which black people
had created once they became free from slavery.
b. Before the Civil War, most black people were slaves but many were able to buy
their freedom or were freed by religious groups.
c. Records show that The Hill belonged to a white man, James Price, who lived
there with three free African-Americans, but the records do not tell about the
African American history.
d. Archaeologists and historians are digging up the soil in Easton, Maryland to find
information about one of the earliest settlements of African-Americans in 1790,
called The Hill.
2. Which detail from the section "Just Scratching The Surface" BEST supports the
main idea of the article?
a. Professor Green said the work at The Hill could change the way American history
is told.
b. There might even be a movie made about the community at Easton.
c. The Hill is already part of the National Register of Historic Places.
d. Since the dig began, more than 500 people have visited The Hill.
3. What is another good title for the section "Digging Deeper Into History"?
a. "Religious Groups Free Slaves"
b. "Black And Whites Living Together"
c. "James Price True Owner Of The Hill"
d. "Researchers Uncover Historical Artifacts"
4. Select the sentence from the introduction [paragraphs 1-4] of the article that states
the main idea of the story.
a. But in Easton, there was a group of African-Americans who escaped slavery or
had bought their freedom.
b. They were forced to work on plantations and were held as the property of white
people.
c. In Easton, Maryland, African-American history is being dug right out of the
ground.
d. Before the Civil War, most black people were slaves.
5. Write a short paragraph that explains the central idea of the article. Use at least two
details from the article to support your response.