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The Great Law of Peace is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on the purposes of the Haudenosaunee Great Law, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Civ.3.3-5. 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.

The Great Law of Peace

D2.Civ.3.3-5

NameDate

Read the text and answer the questions. Then choose the best answers.

1.Look at the source, then answer the questions.

The Great Law of Peace

An information text written for this worksheet. The Great Law is an oral tradition, passed down by speaking, so this text retells some of its main ideas rather than quoting it. The Haudenosaunee, also called the Iroquois, are nations whose homelands are in what is now New York State and nearby lands. Haudenosaunee tradition tells that long ago their five nations were often at war with one another. A man known as the Peacemaker, helped by a leader named Hiawatha, carried a message of peace from nation to nation. The nations agreed to the Great Law of Peace. It set up a Grand Council, where chiefs from every nation meet to decide matters they share. Under the Great Law, decisions are talked over until the chiefs agree. Clan mothers choose the chiefs and can remove a chief who does not serve the people well. The symbol of the Great Law is a white pine, the Tree of Peace. Its roots spread in four directions so that other peoples could follow them to peace. The Haudenosaunee still follow the Great Law today.

  1. 1. Who chooses the chiefs under the Great Law?
  2. 2. Why did the five nations agree to the Great Law of Peace?
  3. 3. What is the symbol of the Great Law?
  4. 4. Why does the provenance line say the text retells the Great Law rather than quoting it?
2.Why might a rule say every nation must agree before the council acts?
  • A.So smaller nations are not forced into decisions
  • B.So one nation decides for all
  • C.So the council can act without talking
3.Which problem was the Great Law of Peace made to solve?
  • A.Too many roads
  • B.A shortage of horses
  • C.War among the five nations
4.The US Constitution also sets up a body of lawmakers from every state. What is it called?
  • A.Congress
  • B.The Grand Council
  • C.The clan mothers
5.Under the Great Law, each nation still runs its own affairs at home. Why might that be?
  • A.So one nation rules the rest
  • B.So the nations never speak to each other
  • C.So each nation keeps its own ways while sharing big decisions
6.Wampum belts made of shell beads were used to
  • A.Decorate Spanish missions
  • B.Help people remember agreements like the Great Law
  • C.Pay for train tickets

LessonPrint · D2.Civ.3.3-5 · Set 14 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — The Great Law of Peace

Set 14. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. The clan mothers. 2. They were often at war with one another, and the Great Law brought peace. 3. A white pine, the Tree of Peace. 4. Because the Great Law is an oral tradition, passed down by speaking.
  2. 2.So smaller nations are not forced into decisions
  3. 3.War among the five nations
  4. 4.Congress
  5. 5.So each nation keeps its own ways while sharing big decisions
  6. 6.Help people remember agreements like the Great Law

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Civ.3.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.