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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 often does the census count the people?
  3. 3. By how many people did the count grow from 1850 to 1870?
  4. 4. By how many people did the count grow from 1860 to 1870?
2.Census figures collected at the time are which kind of source?
  • A.A primary source
  • B.A secondary source written later
  • C.A made-up story
3.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
4.In what year was the first US census taken?
  • A.1790
  • B.1950
  • C.1492
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 − 2,500 = 1,500 more people
  • B.4,000 + 2,500 = 6,500 more people
  • C.4,000 more people
6.Why does the census matter for Congress?
  • A.It sets the price of stamps
  • B.It decides how many members each state has in the House of Representatives
  • C.It decides who is President

LessonPrint · D3.1.3-5 · Set 25 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Reading a Population Table

Set 25. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. The 1850 count missed some places whose records were lost. 2. Once every ten years. 3. 560,247 − 92,597 = 467,650 people. 4. 560,247 − 379,994 = 180,253 people.
  2. 2.A primary source
  3. 3.How many people were counted in one year
  4. 4.1790
  5. 5.4,000 − 2,500 = 1,500 more people
  6. 6.It decides how many members each state has in the House of Representatives

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