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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. How many more people were counted in 1860 than in 1850?
  2. 2. What does the table not tell you about who was living in California?
  3. 3. How many people were counted in California in 1860?
  4. 4. Why might the real number of people in 1850 have been higher than 92,597?
2.A table shows 1850 and 1870 but not 1860. What can you not tell from it?
  • A.The population in 1850
  • B.Whether the population rose steadily or in jumps
  • C.The population in 1870
3.Why does the census matter for Congress?
  • A.It sets the price of stamps
  • B.It decides who is President
  • C.It decides how many members each state has in the House of Representatives
4.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
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.The US Constitution says the people must be counted every ten years. What is this count called?
  • A.The census
  • B.The budget
  • C.The ballot

LessonPrint · D3.1.3-5 · Set 21 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Reading a Population Table

Set 21. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. 379,994 − 92,597 = 287,397 more people. 2. Most Native Californians were not counted, so it leaves many people out. 3. 379,994 people. 4. The 1850 count missed some places whose records were lost.
  2. 2.Whether the population rose steadily or in jumps
  3. 3.It decides how many members each state has in the House of Representatives
  4. 4.How many people were counted in one year
  5. 5.4,000 − 2,500 = 1,500 more people
  6. 6.The census

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