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Useful For What, Exactly? is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on judging a source's usefulness for a topic, aligned to Common Core standard D2.His.13.3-5. 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 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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All 25 sets ask different questions.

Useful For What, Exactly?

D2.His.13.3-5

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.Topic: hardship in the valley. How useful is the workhouse register?
  • A.Very useful: it names people and records why they had no work
  • B.Useful only for dates
  • C.Useless: it is only a list
2.Why does usefulness depend on the topic and not only on the source?
  • A.Old sources are always best
  • B.A source precise about one thing can be silent about another
  • C.Some sources are always useful
3.Topic: what the railway company thought. How useful is the petition?
  • A.Not useful directly: it gives the objectors' case, not the company's
  • B.Useless: petitions say nothing
  • C.Very useful: the company wrote it
4.Topic: what goods the canal carried. How useful is the toll table?
  • A.Very useful: it lists the cargoes and the charge for each
  • B.Very useful: it names the boatmen
  • C.Useless: it is only a table
5.Topic: how the opening was greeted. How useful is the newspaper report?
  • A.Useful, though it is one paper's view of the day
  • B.Perfectly neutral and complete
  • C.Of no use at all
6.Topic: who worked on the barges. How useful is the toll table?
  • A.Not very useful: it is silent about the people
  • B.Useless: tables are never evidence
  • C.Very useful: it names every boatman
7.Topic: who could afford to travel. How useful is the timetable?
  • A.Of no use at all
  • B.Fully useful on its own
  • C.Partly useful: it gives fares, but not what people earned
8.Topic: the county's trades in 1850. How useful is the directory?
  • A.Complete on its own
  • B.Very useful: it counts the trades, though not what they were paid
  • C.Useless without wages

LessonPrint · D2.His.13.3-5 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Useful For What, Exactly?

Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Very useful: it names people and records why they had no work
  2. 2.A source precise about one thing can be silent about another
  3. 3.Not useful directly: it gives the objectors' case, not the company's
  4. 4.Very useful: it lists the cargoes and the charge for each
  5. 5.Useful, though it is one paper's view of the day
  6. 6.Not very useful: it is silent about the people
  7. 7.Partly useful: it gives fares, but not what people earned
  8. 8.Very useful: it counts the trades, though not what they were paid

Questions about Useful For What, Exactly?

What does the Useful For What, Exactly? worksheet cover?

It practises judging a source's usefulness for a topic — 8 questions for Grade 3 to Grade 5, all on Common Core D2.His.13.3-5: Judge how useful a source is for a particular topic. The instruction to pupils is “Circle the best answer”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.

Which Common Core standard does Useful For What, Exactly? practise?

D2.His.13.3-5 — D2.His.13.3-5, in the History domain for Grade 3 to Grade 5. The published standard reads: “Use information about a historical source, including the maker, date, place of origin, intended audience, and purpose to judge the extent to which the source is useful for studying a particular topic.” The worksheet assesses that standard rather than a paraphrase of it.

What age or grade is this worksheet for?

Useful For What, Exactly? is written for Grade 3 to Grade 5, typically ages 40-41. It is one of the sheets on D2.His.13.3-5, so it suits any pupil working at that standard — including older pupils revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.

Does Useful For What, Exactly? come with an answer key?

Yes. All 8 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.

How many different versions of Useful For What, Exactly? can I print?

25 — one per pupil, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.

Is Useful For What, Exactly? free to print and photocopy?

Yes. Useful For What, Exactly?, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.

Is there a lesson plan to teach D2.His.13.3-5?

Yes — “Useful For What, Exactly?” is a 45-minute Grade 3 to Grade 5 plan for D2.His.13.3-5, timed section by section, with the misconceptions to expect and an exit ticket. Useful For What, Exactly? is the practice that follows it.

More practice for D2.His.13.3-5

Judge how useful a source is for a particular topic.

Teaching this next? Useful For What, Exactly? 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.13.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.