Machines That Changed American Work is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on how inventions raised productivity, and what might come next, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Eco.13.3-5. It prints 3 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 7 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.
Machines That Changed American Work
D2.Eco.13.3-5
NameDate
Draw a line from each invention to what it changed. Then write your prediction.
1.Draw a line from each one to its match.
Light bulb, Thomas Edison, 1879
Assembly line, Henry Ford, 1913
Steel plow, John Deere, 1837
Barbed wire, Joseph Glidden, 1874
A.Fenced huge areas cheaply and closed the open range
B.Built cars step by step, cutting the time to make one
C.Cut through thick prairie soil so farmers could plant more land
D.Let factories and homes keep working after dark
2.Draw a line from each one to its match.
Telegraph, Samuel Morse, 1844
Telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, 1876
Refrigerated railroad car, 1870s
Personal computer, 1970s
A.Sent messages along wires in minutes instead of weeks
B.Let one office worker do tasks that once took many people
C.Let people talk to each other over long distances
D.Carried fresh meat across the country without spoiling
3.The telegraph and the telephone changed how people send messages. Predict how people might send messages in the future, and explain one good and one bad effect.
I described a future way to send messages.
I gave one good effect.
I gave one bad effect.
LessonPrint · D2.Eco.13.3-5 · Set 7 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Machines That Changed American Work
Set 7. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. Light bulb, Thomas Edison, 1879 — D (Let factories and homes keep working after dark) 2. Assembly line, Henry Ford, 1913 — B (Built cars step by step, cutting the time to make one) 3. Steel plow, John Deere, 1837 — C (Cut through thick prairie soil so farmers could plant more land) 4. Barbed wire, Joseph Glidden, 1874 — A (Fenced huge areas cheaply and closed the open range)
2.1. Telegraph, Samuel Morse, 1844 — A (Sent messages along wires in minutes instead of weeks) 2. Telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, 1876 — C (Let people talk to each other over long distances) 3. Refrigerated railroad car, 1870s — D (Carried fresh meat across the country without spoiling) 4. Personal computer, 1970s — B (Let one office worker do tasks that once took many people)
3.Predicts a future way to send messages, linked to the telegraph or telephone, with one good effect and one bad effect explained.
Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Eco.13.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.