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Documents Behind Our Holidays is a free printable Kindergarten to Grade 2 social studies worksheet on reading a holiday's document for why the day is kept, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.His.10.K-2. It prints 2 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 2 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Documents Behind Our Holidays

D2.His.10.K-2

NameDate

Read each document or text, then answer the questions.

1.Look at the source, then answer the questions.

The Order That Began Decoration Day

From General Order No. 11, by General John A. Logan, May 5, 1868. It set aside Decoration Day, which later became Memorial Day. (A note for this worksheet: "the late rebellion" means the Civil War.) The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet church-yard in the land.

  1. 1. Which day did the order choose?
  2. 2. Whose graves was the day for?
  3. 3. Was this day for one town or for the whole country? How do you know?
2.Look at the source, then answer the questions.

Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation

From a proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln, October 3, 1863, during the Civil War. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

  1. 1. Was the country at peace when Lincoln wrote this?
  2. 2. What was the day for?
  3. 3. Who did Lincoln invite to keep the day?

LessonPrint · D2.His.10.K-2 · Set 2 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Documents Behind Our Holidays

Set 2. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. The 30th day of May, 1868. 2. The graves of comrades who died in defense of their country. 3. The whole country. The graves lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet in the land.
  2. 2.1. No. He wrote it during the Civil War. 2. Thanksgiving and Praise. 3. His fellow citizens in every part of the United States.

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.His.10.K-2 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.