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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 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.

Weighing Two Explanations

D2.His.16.K-2

NameDate

Circle the more likely reason.

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

LessonPrint · D2.His.16.K-2 · Set 20 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Weighing Two Explanations

Set 20. Prints on its own sheet.

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

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.