Lifting the Figure You Need
A 50-minute Grade 4 lesson on taking from a record only the figures the question needs, and recording where they came from.
Lifting the Figure You Need is a free 50-minute Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies lesson plan for Common Core standard D3.1.3-5 — gather what you need from several sources, choosing each for a reason. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 3 to Grade 5
- Length:
- 50 minutes
- Standard:
- D3.1.3-5
Grade 3 to Grade 5 · Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence
D3.1.3-5
Gather relevant information from multiple sources while using the origin, structure, and context to guide the selection.
Objective
Students will be able to extract only the evidence a question requires and record its source.
Students are successful when they can
- Takes only what answers the question.
- Records the source beside each figure.
- Says why each source was chosen.
What you need
- Four sources and one written question
- Small note cards, deliberately small
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — copy out everything
5 min- Give one question and the harbour return and ask for everything relevant on one small card.
- Let the card run out of room.
Teach — choose the source, then the line
17 min- Take the question: did the region grow by migration?
- Ask which sources bear on it. The census abstract and the ledger. Say why each.
- From the abstract take one figure: 5,240 born outside the region.
- From the ledger take one line: passages booked by people whose trade had failed.
- Leave the tonnages and the polling arrangements. True, and irrelevant here.
- Write the source name beside each line, and say why: tomorrow the sources are gone.
- Say the standard: gathering is choosing, and the reason for the choice is part of the work.
“Does this figure move the question forward, or is it just interesting?”
Guided practice — one card each
15 min- Pairs answer one question using two sources on one small card.
- Beside each line they write why they took it.
- Groups compare cards and challenge anything unnecessary.
Independent practice
10 min- Students complete the 'Lifting the Figure You Need' page.
- Check answers use the source's own words.
Close
3 min- Ask what got left out that somebody was tempted to keep.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Copies everything on the topic.
Why: More looks thorough.
Fix: Reread the question after each line. If it does not serve the question, it goes.
Chooses a source because it is easiest to read.
Why: Effort is the visible cost.
Fix: Ask what it can tell you about this question. Difficulty is not relevance.
Takes a figure without recording its source.
Why: The source is on the desk now.
Fix: It will not be tomorrow. Write the source beside every figure.
If they are not there yet
- One source and a question with two lines marked.
- Choose which of three figures answers the question.
If they finish early
- Answer a question no single source can serve.
- Say which source you chose not to use, and why.
- Gather for two questions from one source without mixing them.
Exit ticket
For 'did the region grow by migration?', name one figure you would take from the census abstract and why.
What to look for: The 5,240 born outside the region, because it separates movement from births. Taking a district total alone means the relevance test needs another run.
Printable practice for D3.1.3-5
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Lifting the Figure You NeedLook at the source, then answer the questions.
Questions about Lifting the Figure You Need
How long does the Lifting the Figure You Need lesson take?
50 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 17 min, guided practice 15 min, independent practice 10 min, close 3 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Lifting the Figure You Need teach?
D3.1.3-5 — D3.1.3-5, Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence for Grade 3 to Grade 5: “Gather relevant information from multiple sources while using the origin, structure, and context to guide the selection.” In plain terms, gather what you need from several sources, choosing each for a reason.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Four sources and one written question, small note cards, deliberately small and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: copies everything on the topic; chooses a source because it is easiest to read and takes a figure without recording its source. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “For 'did the region grow by migration?', name one figure you would take from the census abstract and why.” The 5,240 born outside the region, because it separates movement from births. Taking a district total alone means the relevance test needs another run. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Lifting the Figure You Need?
Yes — 1 printable D3.1.3-5 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Lifting the Figure You Need free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to D3.1.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.