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

One paper per pupil

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

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 marsh district fall only a little?

A.Few lived there to begin with, and some farmed on
B.Marshes are popular
C.It gained a mill

2.Why do people stay in a district that is losing population?

A.Land, family or age can tie somebody to a place
B.They are not told
C.They cannot walk

3.Why did the upland district fall to 2,100?

A.It was too pretty
B.The work that kept people there had gone
C.The hills grew steeper

4.What would you need to know to explain the marsh figures properly?

A.The colour of the soil
B.The name of the district
C.What work existed there and what the drainage changed

5.Why did the mill district reach 11,200 by 1891?

A.It was flatter
B.There was work there, and people came for it
C.The air was better

6.Two districts have similar land but different numbers. What explains it?

A.One is greener
B.One is older
C.One had work and a way in, and the other did not

7.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

8.5,240 people were born outside the region. What does that show?

A.The growth came partly from people moving in, not only births
B.The census was wrong
C.Nobody was born here

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.6.3-5 · Set 18 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Reading the Census for Reasons

Set 18. Prints on its own sheet.

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

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.