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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 8 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 lost work when the railway came?' matter to others?
  • A.Because 1846 is a long time ago
  • B.Because the answer names people whose loss is usually left out of the story
  • C.Because railways are interesting
2.Why would 'how many families lived by the canal?' matter to others?
  • A.Because it measures how many people a single decision affected
  • B.Because families are large
  • C.Because numbers are useful
3.Why would 'where did the milk go?' matter to others?
  • A.Because milk spoils
  • B.Because farms are muddy
  • C.Because it shows how a railway changed what farmers could sell
4.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
5.Why would 'did the petition change anything?' matter to others?
  • A.Because petitions are old-fashioned
  • B.Because it shows whether ordinary people could stop a powerful company
  • C.Because 84 is a large number
6.Why would 'was the railway good for the valley?' matter to others?
  • A.Because canals are pretty
  • B.Because people still argue about whether change of that kind is worth its cost
  • C.Because trains are fast
7.Why would 'what happened to the canal company?' matter to others?
  • A.Because barges are slow
  • B.Because it shows what happens to a business overtaken by new technology
  • C.Because canals are quiet
8.Why would 'what did the county council promise?' matter to others?
  • A.Because promises made to voters can be checked against what was delivered
  • B.Because elections are exciting
  • C.Because posters are colourful

LessonPrint · D1.1.3-5 · Set 8 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Why It Matters to Other People

Set 8. Prints on its own sheet.

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

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.