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Short Biographies, Big Changes is a free printable Kindergarten to Grade 2 social studies worksheet on finding facts in a short biography, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D3.1.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.

Short Biographies, Big Changes

D3.1.K-2

NameDate

Read each biography, then answer the questions.

1.Read the biography, then answer the questions.

Robert Fulton

A short biography written for this worksheet. Robert Fulton was born in Pennsylvania in 1765. He was a painter before he became an inventor. In 1807 his steamboat carried passengers up the Hudson River from New York City to Albany. The trip of about 150 miles took about 32 hours. A steam engine turned paddle wheels, so the boat did not need wind. Steamboats soon carried people and goods on rivers across the country.

  1. 1. Why could a steamboat travel on a day with no wind?
  2. 2. What was Robert Fulton's job before he became an inventor?
  3. 3. How did Fulton's steamboat change travel?
2.Read the biography, then answer the questions.

Thurgood Marshall

A short biography written for this worksheet. Thurgood Marshall was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1908. He became a lawyer. In his time, many states made Black children and white children go to separate schools. Marshall argued in court that this was unfair. In 1954, the Supreme Court agreed. It said separate schools for Black and white children broke the Constitution. In 1967, Marshall became the first Black justice on the Supreme Court.

  1. 1. Did Marshall change things by fighting or by arguing in court?
  2. 2. What did the Supreme Court decide in 1954?
  3. 3. What was Thurgood Marshall's job before he became a justice?

LessonPrint · D3.1.K-2 · Set 2 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Short Biographies, Big Changes

Set 2. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. A steam engine turned its paddle wheels, so it did not need wind. 2. He was a painter. 3. Steamboats soon carried people and goods on rivers across the country.
  2. 2.1. By arguing in court. 2. That separate schools for Black and white children broke the Constitution. 3. He was a lawyer.

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D3.1.K-2 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.