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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 4 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.Shoppers wanted to know, and a rule required it
  • B.The list needed filling
  • C.Traders were boastful
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.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.It was lost until 1954
  • C.Museums did not exist in 1900
4.The school log shows 46 present the day after the flood. Which is likelier?
  • A.The log was miscounted
  • B.Children disliked school
  • C.Roads were still flooded and children could not get in
5.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
6.The 1871 census lists many mill workers on one street. Which is likelier?
  • A.The census taker only visited one street
  • B.Mill workers had to live together by law
  • C.People lived near the work they walked to
7.The flood report appeared two days later, not the same day.
  • A.The reporter was slow
  • B.Nobody noticed the flood at first
  • C.The newspaper was printed on set days
8.Alice's letter mentions wages but not hours. Which is likelier?
  • A.She forgot the hours
  • B.Hours were so usual they did not need saying
  • C.Nobody worked fixed hours

LessonPrint · D2.His.16.K-2 · Set 4 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Weighing Two Explanations

Set 4. Prints on its own sheet.

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