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Putting Two Sources Side by Side is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on comparing what different sources say, aligned to Common Core standard D2.His.10.3-5. 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 18 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.

Putting Two Sources Side by Side

D2.His.10.3-5

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.The petition says 200 families lived by the canal. How would you check it?
  • A.Reject it: it is a petition
  • B.Trust it: it is handwritten
  • C.Look for a census or a directory that counts them independently
2.Two sources agree on the opening date. What does that give you?
  • A.Better confidence in the date than either source alone
  • B.A reason to drop one
  • C.Proof of everything else
3.The newspaper praises the railway; the petition opposes it. What follows?
  • A.One must be a forgery
  • B.Neither can be used
  • C.Both are evidence, and each tells you whose interest it speaks for
4.Why is a single source rarely enough for a question like this?
  • A.One source is illegal
  • B.Sources are usually false
  • C.Each one was made for its own purpose and leaves things out
5.The directory shows 11 porters and 4 wharf labourers. What does the register add?
  • A.It repeats the directory
  • B.It names people the numbers only counted
  • C.It contradicts the directory
6.The timetable gives fares; the register gives no wages. Why does that matter?
  • A.Wages were all the same
  • B.Fares are unimportant
  • C.You cannot tell who could afford to travel without both
7.The 2015 book says the valley gained more than it lost. How do you test that?
  • A.Check it against the register and the directory yourself
  • B.Accept it: it is recent
  • C.Reject it: it is recent
8.Two sources disagree about who benefited. What should you do?
  • A.Split the difference
  • B.Ask who made each one and what they stood to gain
  • C.Believe the older one

LessonPrint · D2.His.10.3-5 · Set 18 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Putting Two Sources Side by Side

Set 18. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Look for a census or a directory that counts them independently
  2. 2.Better confidence in the date than either source alone
  3. 3.Both are evidence, and each tells you whose interest it speaks for
  4. 4.Each one was made for its own purpose and leaves things out
  5. 5.It names people the numbers only counted
  6. 6.You cannot tell who could afford to travel without both
  7. 7.Check it against the register and the directory yourself
  8. 8.Ask who made each one and what they stood to gain

More practice for D2.His.10.3-5

Compare what different sources say about the same past.

Teaching this next? Two Sources Side by Side is the 45-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Grade 3 to Grade 5 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.His.10.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.