Weighing Two Explanations is a free printable Kindergarten to Grade 2 social studies worksheet on choosing between explanations, aligned to Common Core standard D2.His.16.K-2. It prints 8 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 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
1.The minutes record the vote but not the reasons. Which is likelier?
A.Nobody gave reasons
B.The clerk fell asleep
C.Minutes record decisions rather than debates
2.The 1871 census lists many mill workers on one street. Which is likelier?
A.The census taker only visited one street
B.People lived near the work they walked to
C.Mill workers had to live together by law
3.Alice's letter mentions wages but not hours. Which is likelier?
A.She forgot the hours
B.Nobody worked fixed hours
C.Hours were so usual they did not need saying
4.The school log shows 46 present the day after the flood. Which is likelier?
A.The log was miscounted
B.Roads were still flooded and children could not get in
C.Children disliked school
5.The flood report appeared two days later, not the same day.
A.The reporter was slow
B.The newspaper was printed on set days
C.Nobody noticed the flood at first
6.The market list names where goods came from. Which is likelier?
A.Shoppers wanted to know, and a rule required it
B.Traders were boastful
C.The list needed filling
7.The shuttle reached the museum in 1954, not 1900. Which is likelier?
A.Museums did not exist in 1900
B.The family kept it while the mill still mattered to them
C.It was lost until 1954
8.The mill employed children as piecers. Which is likelier?
A.Small hands could reach between the machines
B.Adults were unavailable
C.Children worked for fun
LessonPrint · D2.His.16.K-2 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Weighing Two Explanations
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.Minutes record decisions rather than debates
2.People lived near the work they walked to
3.Hours were so usual they did not need saying
4.Roads were still flooded and children could not get in
5.The newspaper was printed on set days
6.Shoppers wanted to know, and a rule required it
7.The family kept it while the mill still mattered to them
8.Small hands could reach between the machines
Questions about Weighing Two Explanations
What does the Weighing Two Explanations worksheet cover?
It practises choosing between explanations — 8 questions for Kindergarten to Grade 2, all on Common Core D2.His.16.K-2: Say which of several reasons is the more likely explanation. The instruction to pupils is “Circle the more likely reason”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which Common Core standard does Weighing Two Explanations practise?
D2.His.16.K-2 — D2.His.16.K-2, in the History domain for Kindergarten to Grade 2. The published standard reads: “Select which reasons might be more likely than others to explain a historical event or development.” The worksheet assesses that standard rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Weighing Two Explanations is written for Kindergarten to Grade 2, typically ages 7-8. It is one of the sheets on D2.His.16.K-2, so it suits any pupil working at that standard — including older pupils revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Weighing Two Explanations come with an answer key?
Yes. All 8 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.
How many different versions of Weighing Two Explanations can I print?
25 — one per pupil, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.
Is Weighing Two Explanations free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Weighing Two Explanations, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.
Is there a lesson plan to teach D2.His.16.K-2?
Yes — “Weighing Two Explanations” is a 40-minute Kindergarten to Grade 2 plan for D2.His.16.K-2, timed section by section, with the misconceptions to expect and an exit ticket. Weighing Two Explanations is the practice that follows it.
More practice for D2.His.16.K-2
Say which of several reasons is the more likely explanation.
Teaching this next? Weighing Two Explanations is the 40-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.