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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 10 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.

Weighing Two Explanations

D2.His.16.K-2

NameDate

Circle the more likely reason.

1.The market list names where goods came from. Which is likelier?
  • A.The list needed filling
  • B.Shoppers wanted to know, and a rule required it
  • C.Traders were boastful
2.The minutes record the vote but not the reasons. Which is likelier?
  • A.Minutes record decisions rather than debates
  • B.Nobody gave reasons
  • C.The clerk fell asleep
3.The school log shows 46 present the day after the flood. Which is likelier?
  • A.Roads were still flooded and children could not get in
  • B.The log was miscounted
  • C.Children disliked school
4.The flood report appeared two days later, not the same day.
  • A.The newspaper was printed on set days
  • B.The reporter was slow
  • C.Nobody noticed the flood at first
5.The 1871 census lists many mill workers on one street. Which is likelier?
  • A.Mill workers had to live together by law
  • B.The census taker only visited one street
  • C.People lived near the work they walked to
6.The mill employed children as piecers. Which is likelier?
  • A.Adults were unavailable
  • B.Children worked for fun
  • C.Small hands could reach between the machines
7.The shuttle reached the museum in 1954, not 1900. Which is likelier?
  • A.It was lost until 1954
  • B.The family kept it while the mill still mattered to them
  • C.Museums did not exist in 1900
8.Alice's letter mentions wages but not hours. Which is likelier?
  • A.Hours were so usual they did not need saying
  • B.She forgot the hours
  • C.Nobody worked fixed hours

LessonPrint · D2.His.16.K-2 · Set 10 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Weighing Two Explanations

Set 10. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Shoppers wanted to know, and a rule required it
  2. 2.Minutes record decisions rather than debates
  3. 3.Roads were still flooded and children could not get in
  4. 4.The newspaper was printed on set days
  5. 5.People lived near the work they walked to
  6. 6.Small hands could reach between the machines
  7. 7.The family kept it while the mill still mattered to them
  8. 8.Hours were so usual they did not need saying

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.

All Kindergarten to Grade 2 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.His.16.K-2 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.