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Building the Nation's Capital is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on how Washington, D.C. was planned and grew from fields into a capital, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Geo.5.3-5. It prints 6 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 7 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.

Building the Nation's Capital

D2.Geo.5.3-5

NameDate

Read the information text and answer its questions, then circle the best answers.

1.Look at the source, then answer the questions.

Measuring the Edges of the Capital

An information text written for this worksheet. Before a city can be built, its edges must be measured and marked. In 1791 Andrew Ellicott, a surveyor, was hired to measure the boundary of the new federal district, a square ten miles on each side. He hired Benjamin Banneker, a free African American astronomer and mathematician from Maryland, to help. Banneker watched the stars at night with a telescope to fix exact points, and he looked after the clock used for the measurements. The team placed 40 boundary stones, about one every mile along the edges of the square. Banneker worked on the survey for about three months before returning home, where he wrote and published almanacs. Many of the boundary stones still stand today.

  1. 1. Why can people still see this survey's work today?
  2. 2. Why did the team place boundary stones?
  3. 3. Why did Ellicott want an astronomer on his team?
  4. 4. How did Banneker fix exact points?
2.How has Washington, D.C. changed since 1791?
  • A.It moved to another river
  • B.It grew from fields and woods into a large city
  • C.It shrank into a small village
3.Who lived on the land where Washington, D.C. now stands, long before the city?
  • A.Settlers from Spain
  • B.French soldiers
  • C.American Indian peoples, such as the Nacotchtank
4.What did L'Enfant's wide avenues and circles give the city?
  • A.A tall wall around the city
  • B.Open spaces and long views between important buildings
  • C.Only narrow, crowded alleys
5.Who is the city of Washington, D.C. named after?
  • A.A river in Maryland
  • B.Washington State
  • C.George Washington, the first President
6.Which building did L'Enfant plan for the top of a hill?
  • A.The Capitol, where Congress meets
  • B.A train station
  • C.A sports stadium

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.5.3-5 · Set 7 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Building the Nation's Capital

Set 7. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Many of the boundary stones still stand. 2. To mark the edges of the new federal district. 3. Banneker could watch the stars to fix exact points. 4. He watched the stars at night with a telescope.
  2. 2.It grew from fields and woods into a large city
  3. 3.American Indian peoples, such as the Nacotchtank
  4. 4.Open spaces and long views between important buildings
  5. 5.George Washington, the first President
  6. 6.The Capitol, where Congress meets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Geo.5.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.