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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 3 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 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.Children disliked school
  • C.The log was miscounted
2.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
3.The flood report appeared two days later, not the same day.
  • A.The newspaper was printed on set days
  • B.Nobody noticed the flood at first
  • C.The reporter was slow
4.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
5.The shuttle reached the museum in 1954, not 1900. Which is likelier?
  • A.It was lost until 1954
  • B.Museums did not exist in 1900
  • C.The family kept it while the mill still mattered to them
6.The 1871 census lists many mill workers on one street. Which is likelier?
  • A.People lived near the work they walked to
  • B.Mill workers had to live together by law
  • C.The census taker only visited one street
7.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
8.The minutes record the vote but not the reasons. Which is likelier?
  • A.Nobody gave reasons
  • B.Minutes record decisions rather than debates
  • C.The clerk fell asleep

LessonPrint · D2.His.16.K-2 · Set 3 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Weighing Two Explanations

Set 3. Prints on its own sheet.

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

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.