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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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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

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. What does the table not tell you about who was living in California?
  4. 4. How often does the census count the people?
2.A table has a column for years and a column for population. What does each row show?
  • A.How many states there were
  • B.Who counted the people
  • C.How many people were counted in one year
3.A state's population went from 10,000 to 25,000. By how many people did it grow?
  • A.25,000 − 10,000 = 15,000 people
  • B.10,000 + 25,000 = 35,000 people
  • C.25,000 people
4.A table shows 1850 and 1870 but not 1860. What can you not tell from it?
  • A.The population in 1870
  • B.The population in 1850
  • C.Whether the population rose steadily or in jumps
5.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
6.Census figures collected at the time are which kind of source?
  • A.A primary source
  • B.A made-up story
  • C.A secondary source written later

LessonPrint · D3.1.3-5 · Set 16 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Reading a Population Table

Set 16. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. The 1850 count missed some places whose records were lost. 2. 379,994 people. 3. Most Native Californians were not counted, so it leaves many people out. 4. Once every ten years.
  2. 2.How many people were counted in one year
  3. 3.25,000 − 10,000 = 15,000 people
  4. 4.Whether the population rose steadily or in jumps
  5. 5.4,000 − 2,500 = 1,500 more people
  6. 6.A primary source

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