The Star-Spangled Banner is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on how the War of 1812 shaped the anthem's words, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.His.5.3-5. It prints 5 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 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
Read the verse and answer the questions, then circle the right answers.
1.Read the verse, then answer the questions.
The Star-Spangled Banner
The first verse of the national anthem, written by Francis Scott Key in September 1814, after he watched British ships bombard Fort McHenry in Baltimore during the War of 1812. Congress made it the national anthem on March 3, 1931.
O say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
1. Which parts of the flag does the verse describe?
2. What event led Key to write the verse?
3. Why did seeing the flag at dawn matter so much to the writer?
4. What gave proof through the night that the flag was still there?
2.Fort McHenry guarded the harbor of which city?
A.Baltimore, Maryland
B.Boston, Massachusetts
C.New York City
3.Which country's ships attacked Fort McHenry in 1814?
A.France
B.Spain
C.Great Britain
4.The words were sung to a tune that already existed. What was true of that tune?
A.It was written in 1931
B.Key wrote the music himself
C.It was a popular British song
5.Which war was being fought when Key wrote the poem?
A.The War of 1812
B.The Revolutionary War
C.The Civil War
LessonPrint · D2.His.5.3-5 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — The Star-Spangled Banner
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. Its broad stripes and bright stars. 2. British ships bombarding Fort McHenry in Baltimore during the War of 1812. 3. It gave proof that our flag was still there, so the fort had not fallen. 4. The rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air.
2.Baltimore, Maryland
3.Great Britain
4.It was a popular British song
5.The War of 1812
Questions about The Star-Spangled Banner
What does the The Star-Spangled Banner worksheet cover?
It practices how the War of 1812 shaped the anthem's words — 5 questions for Grade 3 to Grade 5, all on C3 Framework D2.His.5.3-5: Explain how the times people lived in shaped how they saw things. The instruction to students is “Read the verse and answer the questions, then circle the right answers”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which C3 Framework indicator does The Star-Spangled Banner practice?
D2.His.5.3-5, under History for Grade 3 to Grade 5. The published indicator reads: “Explain connections among historical contexts and people's perspectives at the time.” The worksheet assesses that indicator rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
The Star-Spangled Banner is written for Grade 3 to Grade 5, typically ages 40-41. It is one of the sheets on D2.His.5.3-5, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does The Star-Spangled Banner come with an answer key?
Yes. All 5 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.
How many different versions of The Star-Spangled Banner can I print?
25 — one per student, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.
Is The Star-Spangled Banner free to print and photocopy?
Yes. The Star-Spangled Banner, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.
More practice for D2.His.5.3-5
Explain how the times people lived in shaped how they saw things.