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Arriving in America, 1845 to 1920 is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on how immigrants arrived and how they were treated, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Geo.7.3-5. It prints 2 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.

Set 11 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.

Arriving in America, 1845 to 1920

D2.Geo.7.3-5

NameDate

Read each text, then answer the questions.

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

Ellis Island

An information text written for this worksheet. Ellis Island, in New York Harbor near the Statue of Liberty, opened as an immigration station on January 1, 1892. About 12 million immigrants passed through it before it closed in 1954. Doctors checked each arrival for illness, and officers asked questions about family, work and money. Most people passed through in a few hours. About 2 out of every 100 were sent back, usually because of illness.

  1. 1. What does this text not tell you about the immigrants?
  2. 2. Were most immigrants at Ellis Island allowed in? How do you know?
  3. 3. When did Ellis Island open?
2.Look at the source, then answer the questions.

Irish Immigrants and the Famine

An information text written for this worksheet. From 1845 to 1852 a disease destroyed the potato crop in Ireland, the main food of most poor families. About one million people died of hunger and disease, and more than one million left Ireland, most of them for the United States. Many arrived in Boston and New York with very little money. They dug canals, built railroads and worked as servants in other people's homes. Many Irish immigrants faced prejudice, partly because most were Catholic in a mostly Protestant country.

  1. 1. Why did many Irish immigrants face prejudice?
  2. 2. Why did so many people leave Ireland?
  3. 3. What does this text not tell you about Irish immigrants later on?

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.7.3-5 · Set 11 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Arriving in America, 1845 to 1920

Set 11. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. It does not tell you which countries the immigrants came from. 2. Yes. Most passed through in a few hours, and only about 2 of every 100 were sent back. 3. January 1, 1892.
  2. 2.1. Partly because most were Catholic in a mostly Protestant country. 2. The potato crop failed, and about one million people died of hunger and disease. 3. It does not tell you how the lives of Irish immigrants changed over time.

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Geo.7.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.