Grade 5 social studies worksheets
Grade 5 social studies worksheets on LessonPrint cover asking questions, civics, economics, geography, history, weighing sources and informed action. There are 156 free printable sheets across 72 C3 Framework indicators, each with its own answer key and 25 versions so every student in the class gets a different paper. They are aimed at ages 10-11, print straight from the browser, and need no account.
156 worksheets72 standards72 with a lesson plan25 versions each
Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries
5 worksheetsD1.1.3-5Say why a big question matters to other people, not just to you.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Questions That Outlive Their Decade — why a compelling question matters beyond its own time
D1.2.3-5Name the ideas behind a big question, including ones people answer differently.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Where Two Explanations Overlap — ideas open to different interpretations
D1.3.3-5Name the ideas behind a smaller question that people read in more than one way.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- What You Would Have to Compare — the evidence a supporting question requires
D1.4.3-5Explain how the smaller questions add up to an answer to the big one.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Questions That Carry the Weight — linking supporting questions to a compelling one
D1.5.3-5Work out what kind of source would help, allowing for the fact that people disagree.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Plan, Objection, Outcome — choosing sources that cover more than one position
Civics
43 worksheetsD2.Civ.1.3-5Tell apart what officials at different levels of government can and cannot do.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Ministers, Councils and Committees — responsibilities and powers of officials and bodies
- Three Branches of Government — the powers of each branch of the US government
- Checks and Balances — how each branch of the US government checks the others
- Senate or House? — how the two houses of Congress differ
D2.Civ.2.3-5Explain why a democracy needs people to take part, and what that asks of you.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Who Got Asked, Who Got Printed — how a democracy relies on participation
- People Who Took Part — how individuals took part in American democracy
- How a President Is Elected — the steps in a presidential election
- Citizen Duty or Citizen Responsibility? — duties the law requires and responsibilities citizens choose
D2.Civ.3.3-5Look at where rules, laws and key parts of the US Constitution came from.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Why That Procedure Exists — the origins and purposes of rules and procedures
- From the Articles to the Constitution — why the Articles failed and the Constitution replaced them
- Why Add a Bill of Rights? — the reasons the Bill of Rights was added
- Which Goal of the Preamble? — matching government actions to the goals in the Preamble
D2.Civ.4.3-5Explain how groups make rules that share out duties and protect freedoms.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Disclosure as a Duty — rules that create duties and protect freedoms
- Reading the Bill of Rights — the freedoms and protections in the First, Fourth and Sixth Amendments
- Which Right Protects This? — matching a situation to the right that protects it
- The Ten Amendments in Brief — what each amendment in the Bill of Rights protects
D2.Civ.5.3-5Explain where different systems of government came from and how they are built.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Government, Council or Neither? — structure of government and what lies outside it
- The Mayflower Compact — how the Mayflower Compact set up self-government
- Royal, Proprietary or Charter? — the three kinds of colonial government
- National, State or Both? — dividing powers between national and state governments
- Powers in the Federal System — the ideas behind the US federal system and state constitutions
D2.Civ.6.3-5Describe what people gain from working together, and what is hard about it.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Agreeing Together, Giving Up Something — benefits and challenges of working together
- Citizens Who Built Organizations — how Franklin, Chávez and others organized people to work together
D2.Civ.7.3-5Put civic virtues into practice at school and in the community.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Admitting It on the Record — applying civic virtues in public life
- Flag Customs and the Anthem — applying respect and freedom of conscience to flag and anthem customs
D2.Civ.8.3-5Name the core civic virtues and democratic principles that guide a society.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Principles You Can Point At — core civic virtues and democratic principles
- The Preamble — the purposes the Preamble sets out
- Symbols and Landmarks of the Nation — what national symbols and landmarks represent
- Words of the Pledge and the Mottos — the meaning of the words in the Pledge and the national mottos
- What Each National Holiday Honors — what each national holiday honors
D2.Civ.9.3-5Use a proper discussion process when a group has to decide something.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Draft, Debate, Divide — deliberative processes for group decisions
- The Great Compromise — how the Convention deliberated its way to Congress
D2.Civ.10.3-5Identify the beliefs and experiences behind your own and other people's views.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Why That Member Said That — beliefs and experiences behind points of view
D2.Civ.11.3-5Compare how decisions get made in a classroom, a school and a government.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Divided On It or Bound By It? — comparing decision procedures
- Town Meetings and the House of Burgesses — comparing how colonial towns, assemblies and governors made decisions
- How a Bill Becomes a Law — the steps a bill takes through Congress and the President
D2.Civ.12.3-5Explain how laws change a society, and how people change laws.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Laws That Moved a Nation Indoors — how laws change society and people change laws
- Amendments That Widened the Vote — which amendments extended the right to vote
- The 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments — what the Reconstruction amendments changed
D2.Civ.13.3-5Explain how a policy gets made to deal with a public problem.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Counting the Loss First — how policies address public problems
- Whom Would You Contact About It? — which level of government handles a problem and whom to contact
D2.Civ.14.3-5Show ways people have changed society, in the past and now.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Broadcast Then, Dashboard Now — means of changing society over time
- Reformers Who Changed the Nation — the methods reformers used to change American society
Economics
28 worksheetsD2.Eco.1.3-5Weigh up what a choice gains against what it costs.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Costs a Government Chooses — comparing the benefits and costs of a public choice
- Balancing a Family Budget — balancing a family budget
- When Spending Is More Than Income — what to do when spending is more than income
D2.Eco.2.3-5Spot the rewards and penalties that push people toward a decision.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Grants, Penalties and Priorities — positive and negative incentives
D2.Eco.3.3-5Name the people, tools and natural materials it takes to make something.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Trades, Tools and Ground — human capital, physical capital and natural resources
D2.Eco.4.3-5Explain why people and businesses each do one thing and then trade.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Timber One Way, Tools the Other — why countries specialize and then trade
- New England, Middle or Southern? — how the three colonial regions specialized and traded
D2.Eco.5.3-5Explain what money does that swapping goods cannot.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Setting Two Cargoes Equal — the role of money in exchange
- Cash, Check, Debit or Credit? — the advantages and disadvantages of ways to pay
D2.Eco.6.3-5Explain how training and education change what somebody can earn.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Training the Country Needed — human capital, productivity and future income
D2.Eco.7.3-5Explain how the chance of profit changes what sellers do.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- When Profit Is Not the Guide — how profit changes what sellers do
- Supply and Demand in American History — supply and demand in American history
D2.Eco.8.3-5Give examples where a choice affects people who were not part of it.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- What a Building Site Does to a Street — external benefits and costs
- Inventions and Their Side Effects — the benefits and side effects of American inventions
D2.Eco.9.3-5Describe what financial institutions other than banks do.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Bonds, Funds and Societies — financial institutions and what they do
- Keeping a Check Register — keeping a check register for a bank account
- Which Money Record Shows It? — which financial record shows what
D2.Eco.10.3-5Explain what an interest rate is.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- The Cost of Building on Credit — what an interest rate is
- What Credit Card Interest Costs — what interest costs on a credit card balance
D2.Eco.11.3-5Explain what inflation, deflation and unemployment mean.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Rising, Falling, Standing Idle — inflation, deflation and unemployment
- The Great Depression — the Great Depression as unemployment and falling prices
D2.Eco.12.3-5Explain where the government gets the money for what it provides.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Taxing Now or Borrowing for Later — how government pays for what it provides
- Four Kinds of Tax — income, payroll, sales and property tax
- Gross Pay and Net Pay — figuring out take-home pay from gross pay
D2.Eco.13.3-5Describe how better tools and better skills let people produce more.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Building Faster Than Before — raising productivity with capital and training
- Inventors and Scientists — how American inventors and scientists changed daily life
D2.Eco.14.3-5Explain how trade makes countries depend on each other.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Two Countries, One Agreement — how trade creates interdependence
D2.Eco.15.3-5Explain how depending on trade helps some groups and hurts others.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Every Decision Has Two Sides — effects of interdependence on different groups
Geography
30 worksheetsD2.Geo.1.3-5Make maps of places you know and places you do not.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Mapping a Program's Progress — constructing maps of familiar and unfamiliar places
- Latitude and Longitude — locating places by latitude and longitude
D2.Geo.2.3-5Use maps and satellite images to explain how where a place is shapes what it is like.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Cleared Land and Standing Homes — location and environmental characteristics
- Capitals of the Northeast and South — the capitals of the northeastern and southern states
- Capitals of the Midwest and West — the capitals of the midwestern and western states
- Which Census Region Is It In? — which Census Bureau region each state belongs to
D2.Geo.3.3-5Use maps at different scales to describe what is where.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- From One Street to the Whole World — using maps at different scales
- Where Are the National Landmarks? — locating national landmarks across the United States
- Map Scale Across the United States — using a map scale to find distances between US cities
D2.Geo.4.3-5Explain how culture shapes the way people change and adapt to their surroundings.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- What a Country Decided to Build — culture and how people adapt their environment
- Moving West and Making a Home — how settlers adapted to new land as they moved west
D2.Geo.5.3-5Explain how a place changes over time, in its land and its culture.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Rubble to Estate in Four Stages — how a place changes over time
- How the Nation Grew — the order of US territorial expansion
- How the Nation Gained Its Land — how each territory became part of the United States
D2.Geo.6.3-5Describe why people live where they live.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Why They Stayed and Why They Moved — why population is distributed as it is
- Why These Cities Grew Where They Did — why major US cities grew where they did
- Coming to America — why immigrant groups came and where they settled
D2.Geo.7.3-5Explain how a place's character affects who and what moves through it.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Ports, Rails and Airwaves — how place affects movement of people, goods and ideas
- Why People Moved West — the reasons people moved west
- Arriving in America, 1845 to 1920 — how immigrants arrived and how they were treated
D2.Geo.8.3-5Explain how where people settle relates to the natural resources nearby.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Building From What Lies Beneath — settlement and the use of natural resources
D2.Geo.9.3-5Work out how a disaster changes where people live and where they move.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Four Million Homes, and After — effects of catastrophic events on settlement
- Disasters That Moved Americans — how disasters such as the Dust Bowl moved Americans
D2.Geo.10.3-5Explain why the natural world differs from one world region to another.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Sun, Sinking Air and Cold Water — why environmental characteristics vary by region
- Landforms of the United States — the major landforms of the United States
- Why Climate Differs Across the US — why climate differs across US regions
D2.Geo.11.3-5Describe how the work done in a place changes as it connects to other places.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- A Country Retooling Itself — how economic activity shifts with connections
- Corn Belt, Sun Belt and Rust Belt — named regions of the US and what they produce
- The Transcontinental Railroad — how the transcontinental railroad changed where goods were made and sold
D2.Geo.12.3-5Explain how a disaster in one place reaches people somewhere else.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- A Fire Abroad, a Site Idle Here — how events elsewhere affect people here
History
36 worksheetsD2.His.1.3-5Use a timeline to compare things that were happening at the same time.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Promise and Delivery on One Line — sequencing to compare simultaneous developments
- The Road to Revolution — the order of events leading to independence
- North and South in 1860 — comparing the North and the South in 1860
- From Compromise to Civil War — the sequence of events from compromise to civil war
D2.His.2.3-5Compare life in a particular period with life today.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Rebuilding Then, Rebuilding Now — comparing a past period with today
- National Holidays: Then and Now — how national holidays began and how they are kept today
D2.His.3.3-5Ask questions about the people behind what changed and what stayed the same.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Questions for a Minister and a Family — generating questions about people who shaped change
- Leaders of Colonial America — what colonial and Native leaders did
- People of the Revolution — what individuals contributed to independence
- Leaders in War and Hard Times — the qualities of national leaders in crisis
D2.His.4.3-5Explain why people living at the same time saw things differently.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Four Positions, One Program — why people of one period differed in perspective
- Patriots, Loyalists and Others — why colonists and Native nations took different sides in 1776
- Native Nations and the Growing Nation — how Native nations experienced US expansion
D2.His.5.3-5Explain how the times people lived in shaped how they saw things.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Before the Figures Were In — how context shaped a writer's perspective
- The Star-Spangled Banner — how the War of 1812 shaped the anthem's words
- Two Patriotic Songs and Their Times — what two patriotic songs say about the country and their times
- Songs and Paintings From American History — how art, music and writing reflected their times
D2.His.6.3-5Describe how a source's maker shaped what the source says.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Who Wrote It and What For — how a maker's perspective shaped a source
- Writing the Declaration — how the writers' views shaped the Declaration of Independence
D2.His.9.3-5Summarize how different kinds of source get used to explain the past.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Papers, Polls and Broadcasts — how different kinds of source explain the past
- Primary or Secondary? The Founding Era — telling primary from secondary sources about the founding
D2.His.10.3-5Compare what different sources say about the same past.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Promise Against Outcome — comparing what different sources say
- The Pledge Then and Now — comparing two versions of the Pledge
- Documents of Freedom, 1863 to 1865 — comparing Civil War documents about freedom
D2.His.11.3-5Work out who a source was made for and why, from the source itself.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- What It Takes for Granted — inferring audience and purpose from a source
- The Declaration of Independence — the audience and purposes of the Declaration
- Holiday Proclamations — the audience and purpose of a holiday proclamation
D2.His.12.3-5Ask questions about several sources and how they relate to an event.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Questions the Whole Set Raises — generating questions about several sources
D2.His.13.3-5Judge how useful a source is for a particular topic.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Intentions Are Not Outcomes — judging a source's usefulness for a topic
D2.His.14.3-5Explain the likely causes and effects of an event.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- What Caused It, What Followed — probable causes and effects of a development
- Why the Colonies Were Founded — when, where and why the thirteen colonies were founded
- Causes and Effects of the Revolution — the causes and results of the American Revolution
- Causes and Effects of the Civil War — the causes and effects of the Civil War
D2.His.16.3-5Use evidence to build a claim about the past.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- A Claim About the Rebuilding — using evidence to develop a claim about the past
- Evidence From the Revolution — using letters and accounts as evidence about the Revolution
D2.His.17.3-5Summarize the main claim a history book makes.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- A Claim About Causes — summarizing the central claim of a secondary work
Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence
4 worksheetsD3.1.3-5Gather what you need from several sources, choosing each for a reason.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Taking the Line That Answers It — gathering relevant information from sources
D3.2.3-5Use the difference between fact and opinion to judge whether sources can be trusted.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Checkable or Contestable? — using fact and opinion to judge credibility
D3.3.3-5Pull evidence from several sources to answer the big question.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Building the Case From Several — drawing evidence from several sources
D3.4.3-5Use evidence to build a claim that answers the big question.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Commit to an Answer — using evidence to develop a claim
Communicating Conclusions and Taking Informed Action
10 worksheetsD4.1.3-5Make an argument using claims and evidence from several sources.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Make the Case With Sources — constructing an argument from claims and evidence
D4.2.3-5Explain something with reasoning, the right order, examples and detail.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Show How It Came About — constructing an explanation with reasoning and order
- The Twentieth Century in Order — sequencing twentieth-century events to explain change
D4.3.3-5Share arguments and explanations beyond the classroom, on paper and on screen.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Put It Where Others Will Read It — presenting a summary beyond the classroom
- Writing to Congress — contacting national leaders about an issue
D4.4.3-5Judge how good an argument is.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- The Reason That Does Not Reach — critiquing an argument
D4.5.3-5Judge how good an explanation is.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Reasoning You Cannot Follow — critiquing an explanation
D4.6.3-5Use what you have learned to explain the problems people face and the chances they make.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Which Question Are You Asking? — using disciplinary concepts on a real problem
D4.7.3-5Explain what could be done about a problem, and what might follow.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Every Method Has a Catch — comparing strategies and predicting results
D4.8.3-5Use fair, democratic ways of deciding to act on a problem at school.
55-minute lesson plan for this standard
- Decide It So It Can Be Checked — democratic procedures for acting on a problem
Grade 5 social studies worksheets — questions teachers ask
What social studies topics do the Grade 5 worksheets cover?
Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries, Civics, Economics, Geography, History, Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence and Communicating Conclusions and Taking Informed Action — the C3 Framework strands taught in Grade 5. That is 156 worksheets across 72 indicators, grouped on this page by the indicator each one practices rather than by topic name, so a sheet can be matched to the code you are teaching to.
How many free Grade 5 social studies worksheets are there?
156, each one practicing a distinct sub-skill rather than repeating a sibling under another title. Every sheet is published in 25 versions, so Grade 5 has 3900 printable papers in total, all free and all with an answer key.
What age are Grade 5 social studies worksheets for?
Grade 5 is typically ages 10-11 in the United States. The sheets are grouped by C3 Framework indicator rather than by age, so a student working above or below their grade level can be given the sheet that matches the indicator they are on.
Do the Grade 5 worksheets include answer keys?
Every one. The key is generated from the same problems as the questions and prints on its own sheet of paper, after them, so it does not go out with the class. That holds for all 25 versions of every Grade 5 sheet, not only the first.
How do I give each student a different Grade 5 worksheet?
Open any sheet and pick a set number from 1 to 25, or download set 1's class PDF, which contains all 25 versions in one file. The problems are fixed to each address, so the key you photocopied on Monday still matches on Friday.
Are the Grade 5 worksheets really free?
Yes. Every Grade 5 worksheet, answer key and PDF here is free to print and photocopy for your class. There is no account, no email capture before a download, and no sheet that turns out to need a subscription at the last step.
Are there Grade 5 lesson plans as well as worksheets?
72 of the 72 Grade 5 indicators on this page have a full lesson plan written — timed section by section, with the exact wording where it matters, the misconceptions to expect and an exit ticket. Each one is linked beside its standard above.