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Changes on the Great Plains is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on how the Plains changed for the nations who lived there, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Geo.5.3-5. It prints 6 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 17 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.

Changes on the Great Plains

D2.Geo.5.3-5

NameDate

Number the events in order. Then choose the best answers.

1.Number the steps a homestead family followed.
  • The family builds a sod house
  • The family receives ownership of the land
  • The family files a claim for land
  • The family lives on and farms the land for five years
2.Why was the loss of the bison so harmful to Plains nations?
  • A.Bison were only used for racing
  • B.They had never hunted bison
  • C.They depended on bison for food, clothing and shelter
3.What new kind of plow helped farmers break the thick prairie sod?
  • A.A wooden spoon
  • B.A paddle wheel
  • C.A steel plow
4.Why did many settlers on the Plains build houses from sod?
  • A.Sod was the law
  • B.Wood was too light
  • C.There were few trees on the prairie for lumber
5.How did barbed wire change the Plains?
  • A.It made the bison herds grow
  • B.It let farmers fence land cheaply and closed the open range
  • C.It carried messages across the Plains
6.How did windmills help Plains farmers?
  • A.They ground bison bones into flour
  • B.They kept the wind away
  • C.They pumped water up from deep underground

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.5.3-5 · Set 17 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Changes on the Great Plains

Set 17. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Correct order: 3, 1, 4, 2
  2. 2.They depended on bison for food, clothing and shelter
  3. 3.A steel plow
  4. 4.There were few trees on the prairie for lumber
  5. 5.It let farmers fence land cheaply and closed the open range
  6. 6.They pumped water up from deep underground

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Geo.5.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.