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Reading the Census for Reasons is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on why population is distributed as it is, aligned to Common Core standard D2.Geo.6.3-5. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two pupils in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 17 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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

Reading the Census for Reasons

D2.Geo.6.3-5

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.Why did the upland district fall to 2,100?
  • A.The hills grew steeper
  • B.The work that kept people there had gone
  • C.It was too pretty
2.Why did the marsh district fall only a little?
  • A.Marshes are popular
  • B.Few lived there to begin with, and some farmed on
  • C.It gained a mill
3.Two districts have similar land but different numbers. What explains it?
  • A.One is older
  • B.One had work and a way in, and the other did not
  • C.One is greener
4.What would you need to know to explain the marsh figures properly?
  • A.What work existed there and what the drainage changed
  • B.The colour of the soil
  • C.The name of the district
5.5,240 people were born outside the region. What does that show?
  • A.Nobody was born here
  • B.The census was wrong
  • C.The growth came partly from people moving in, not only births
6.Why did the mill district reach 11,200 by 1891?
  • A.The air was better
  • B.It was flatter
  • C.There was work there, and people came for it
7.Why do people stay in a district that is losing population?
  • A.They cannot walk
  • B.Land, family or age can tie somebody to a place
  • C.They are not told
8.Why did the harbour district more than double?
  • A.Ships are attractive
  • B.The sea rose
  • C.Trade grew, and trade needs hands to move cargo

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.6.3-5 · Set 17 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Reading the Census for Reasons

Set 17. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.The work that kept people there had gone
  2. 2.Few lived there to begin with, and some farmed on
  3. 3.One had work and a way in, and the other did not
  4. 4.What work existed there and what the drainage changed
  5. 5.The growth came partly from people moving in, not only births
  6. 6.There was work there, and people came for it
  7. 7.Land, family or age can tie somebody to a place
  8. 8.Trade grew, and trade needs hands to move cargo

More practice for D2.Geo.6.3-5

Describe why people live where they live.

Teaching this next? Reading the Census for Reasons is the 50-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Grade 3 to Grade 5 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Geo.6.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.