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Reading a Town Record is a free printable Kindergarten to Grade 2 social studies worksheet on using a source to study the past, aligned to Common Core standard 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 pupils in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 20 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.

Reading a Town Record

D2.His.10.K-2

NameDate

Look at the source, then answer the questions.

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

Census Page, Mill Row

A page from the town census of 1871, kept in the record office. MILL ROW, 1871 Number 3: Shaw, John, 34, weaver. Number 3: Shaw, Alice, 31, weaver. Number 3: Shaw, Emma, 11, piecer at the mill. Number 4: Doyle, Mary, 58, washerwoman. Number 5: empty.

  1. 1. Why did the town count people this way?
  2. 2. Which house was empty?
  3. 3. What was Mary Doyle's work?
2.Look at the source, then answer the questions.

School Log Book, 1912

A page from the head teacher's log book, kept at the school. SCHOOL LOG, NOVEMBER 1912 Monday: 84 children present, 31 absent. Tuesday: school closed. The river is over its banks. Wednesday: 46 present. Many roads still flooded. Thursday: coal has not arrived. Rooms very cold. Friday: 79 present. Work resumed as usual.

  1. 1. How many children were present on Monday?
  2. 2. Why was the school closed on Tuesday?
  3. 3. What had not arrived on Thursday?

LessonPrint · D2.His.10.K-2 · Set 20 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Reading a Town Record

Set 20. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. To record who lived in each house on Mill Row and what work they did. 2. Number 5 was empty. 3. She was a washerwoman.
  2. 2.1. 84 children were present. 2. The river was over its banks. 3. Coal had not arrived.

More practice for D2.His.10.K-2

Explain how a source helps you study the past.

Teaching this next? Reading a Town Record is the 40-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Kindergarten to Grade 2 worksheets

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