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Why It Matters to Other People is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on why a compelling question matters to others, aligned to Common Core standard D1.1.3-5. 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 19 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.

Why It Matters to Other People

D1.1.3-5

NameDate

Circle the best reason for asking each question.

1.Why would 'who wrote the history and when?' matter to others?
  • A.Because a book written in 2015 is making an argument, not reporting
  • B.Because books are long
  • C.Because 2015 is recent
2.Why would 'who lost work when the railway came?' matter to others?
  • A.Because 1846 is a long time ago
  • B.Because railways are interesting
  • C.Because the answer names people whose loss is usually left out of the story
3.Why would 'who could afford to travel?' matter to others?
  • A.Because it shows who a new service actually reached
  • B.Because carriages were open
  • C.Because fares were low
4.Why would 'did the petition change anything?' matter to others?
  • A.Because it shows whether ordinary people could stop a powerful company
  • B.Because petitions are old-fashioned
  • C.Because 84 is a large number
5.Why would 'what did the county council promise?' matter to others?
  • A.Because elections are exciting
  • B.Because promises made to voters can be checked against what was delivered
  • C.Because posters are colourful
6.Why would 'where did the milk go?' matter to others?
  • A.Because farms are muddy
  • B.Because it shows how a railway changed what farmers could sell
  • C.Because milk spoils
7.Why would 'was the railway good for the valley?' matter to others?
  • A.Because canals are pretty
  • B.Because trains are fast
  • C.Because people still argue about whether change of that kind is worth its cost
8.Why would 'what happened to the canal company?' matter to others?
  • A.Because canals are quiet
  • B.Because barges are slow
  • C.Because it shows what happens to a business overtaken by new technology

LessonPrint · D1.1.3-5 · Set 19 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Why It Matters to Other People

Set 19. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Because a book written in 2015 is making an argument, not reporting
  2. 2.Because the answer names people whose loss is usually left out of the story
  3. 3.Because it shows who a new service actually reached
  4. 4.Because it shows whether ordinary people could stop a powerful company
  5. 5.Because promises made to voters can be checked against what was delivered
  6. 6.Because it shows how a railway changed what farmers could sell
  7. 7.Because people still argue about whether change of that kind is worth its cost
  8. 8.Because it shows what happens to a business overtaken by new technology

More practice for D1.1.3-5

Say why a big question matters to other people, not just to you.

Teaching this next? Who Else Does This Question Help? 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 D1.1.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.