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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 4 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 these events from earliest to latest.
  • Gold is found in the Black Hills (1874)
  • The Fort Laramie Treaty promises the Black Hills to the Lakota (1868)
  • Miners rush onto Lakota land (1876)
  • The United States takes the Black Hills (1877)
2.What new kind of plow helped farmers break the thick prairie sod?
  • A.A paddle wheel
  • B.A wooden spoon
  • C.A steel plow
3.Why did the bison almost disappear from the Plains?
  • A.One long winter froze them all
  • B.The bison all moved to Europe
  • C.Hunters killed millions of them for their hides and for sport
4.Which is true of Plains nations today?
  • A.None of them still exist
  • B.They all live in Europe
  • C.Many, such as the Lakota and Cheyenne, keep their governments and traditions
5.How did the railroad change the Plains?
  • A.It ran only from north to south
  • B.It made the Plains empty of people
  • C.It brought settlers and carried crops and cattle to markets
6.Why did many settlers on the Plains build houses from sod?
  • A.Sod was the law
  • B.There were few trees on the prairie for lumber
  • C.Wood was too light

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.5.3-5 · Set 4 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Changes on the Great Plains

Set 4. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Correct order: 2, 1, 3, 4
  2. 2.A steel plow
  3. 3.Hunters killed millions of them for their hides and for sport
  4. 4.Many, such as the Lakota and Cheyenne, keep their governments and traditions
  5. 5.It brought settlers and carried crops and cattle to markets
  6. 6.There were few trees on the prairie for lumber

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