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What Is Wrong With That Argument? is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on critiquing an argument, aligned to Common Core standard D4.4.3-5. 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 3 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.

What Is Wrong With That Argument?

D4.4.3-5

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.'The boatmen were lazy, so they lost their work.' What is wrong?
  • A.It is too short
  • B.Boatmen were strong
  • C.It blames the people without any evidence, when the cargo moved to rail
2.'The railway was good because trains are fast.' What is wrong with it?
  • A.Railways are bad
  • B.Trains are not fast
  • C.Speed alone does not show the valley was better off
3.An argument admits what it cannot prove. Is that a weakness?
  • A.No: it is a strength, because the reader can see its limits
  • B.Yes, it is shorter
  • C.Yes, it shows doubt
4.'The 2015 book is right because it is recent.' What is wrong?
  • A.Old books are always right
  • B.2015 is not recent
  • C.Being recent is not evidence; the claim must be tested against records
5.What makes an argument about 1846 strong?
  • A.A clear claim, evidence from several sources, and an answer to the other side
  • B.Length
  • C.Confidence
6.An argument gives a claim and no evidence. What is the strongest reply?
  • A.Say it louder
  • B.Say it is wrong
  • C.Ask what evidence would support it
7.An argument uses one source and ignores one that disagrees. What is wrong?
  • A.Disagreement is rude
  • B.One source is always enough
  • C.It has chosen the evidence to fit the claim
8.'Everybody welcomed the line, as the paper shows.' What is wrong?
  • A.Newspapers are always false
  • B.The word everybody is too long
  • C.One newspaper cannot show what everybody thought, and the petition disagrees

LessonPrint · D4.4.3-5 · Set 3 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — What Is Wrong With That Argument?

Set 3. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.It blames the people without any evidence, when the cargo moved to rail
  2. 2.Speed alone does not show the valley was better off
  3. 3.No: it is a strength, because the reader can see its limits
  4. 4.Being recent is not evidence; the claim must be tested against records
  5. 5.A clear claim, evidence from several sources, and an answer to the other side
  6. 6.Ask what evidence would support it
  7. 7.It has chosen the evidence to fit the claim
  8. 8.One newspaper cannot show what everybody thought, and the petition disagrees

More practice for D4.4.3-5

Judge how good an argument is.

Teaching this next? Finding the Hole in an Argument 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 D4.4.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.