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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 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.

Putting Two Sources Side by Side

D2.His.10.3-5

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.Why is a single source rarely enough for a question like this?
  • A.Each one was made for its own purpose and leaves things out
  • B.Sources are usually false
  • C.One source is illegal
2.The directory shows 11 porters and 4 wharf labourers. What does the register add?
  • A.It contradicts the directory
  • B.It names people the numbers only counted
  • C.It repeats the directory
3.The petition says 200 families lived by the canal. How would you check it?
  • A.Reject it: it is a petition
  • B.Look for a census or a directory that counts them independently
  • C.Trust it: it is handwritten
4.Two sources agree on the opening date. What does that give you?
  • A.Better confidence in the date than either source alone
  • B.Proof of everything else
  • C.A reason to drop one
5.The newspaper praises the railway; the petition opposes it. What follows?
  • A.Both are evidence, and each tells you whose interest it speaks for
  • B.One must be a forgery
  • C.Neither can be used
6.The 2015 book says the valley gained more than it lost. How do you test that?
  • A.Reject it: it is recent
  • B.Check it against the register and the directory yourself
  • C.Accept it: it is recent
7.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
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 4 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Putting Two Sources Side by Side

Set 4. Prints on its own sheet.

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