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Reading a Population Table is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on reading change over time from census figures, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D3.1.3-5. 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.

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Reading a Population Table

D3.1.3-5

NameDate

Read the table and answer the questions. Show your work. Then choose the best answers.

1.Read the table, then answer the questions.

Population of California, 1850 to 1870

Figures from the United States Census of 1850, 1860 and 1870, set out as a table for this worksheet. YEAR ...... PEOPLE COUNTED IN CALIFORNIA 1850 ...... 92,597 1860 ...... 379,994 1870 ...... 560,247 Notes: Gold was found in California in January 1848. The census counts the people of every state once every ten years. The 1850 count missed some places whose records were lost, and most Native Californians were not counted.

  1. 1. Why might the real number of people in 1850 have been higher than 92,597?
  2. 2. How many people were counted in California in 1860?
  3. 3. By how many people did the count grow from 1860 to 1870?
  4. 4. How many more people were counted in 1860 than in 1850?
2.A table shows 1850 and 1870 but not 1860. What can you not tell from it?
  • A.The population in 1850
  • B.The population in 1870
  • C.Whether the population rose steadily or in jumps
3.A town had 2,500 people in 1880 and 4,000 in 1890. How many more people lived there in 1890?
  • A.4,000 more people
  • B.4,000 − 2,500 = 1,500 more people
  • C.4,000 + 2,500 = 6,500 more people
4.The US Constitution says the people must be counted every ten years. What is this count called?
  • A.The budget
  • B.The census
  • C.The ballot
5.Census figures collected at the time are which kind of source?
  • A.A made-up story
  • B.A secondary source written later
  • C.A primary source
6.Which kind of graph best shows how a population changed over many years?
  • A.A map key
  • B.A compass rose
  • C.A line graph

LessonPrint · D3.1.3-5 · Set 11 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Reading a Population Table

Set 11. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. The 1850 count missed some places whose records were lost. 2. 379,994 people. 3. 560,247 − 379,994 = 180,253 people. 4. 379,994 − 92,597 = 287,397 more people.
  2. 2.Whether the population rose steadily or in jumps
  3. 3.4,000 − 2,500 = 1,500 more people
  4. 4.The census
  5. 5.A primary source
  6. 6.A line graph

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D3.1.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.