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Why They Stayed and Why They Moved is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on why population is distributed as it is, aligned to C3 Framework indicator 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 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.

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All 25 sets ask different questions.

Why They Stayed and Why They Moved

D2.Geo.6.3-5

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.What made building upward attractive in some cities and not others?
  • A.The height of the hills
  • B.Local taste in bricks
  • C.How much land was left, and whether the city could spread
2.Why were new estates built on the edges of cities?
  • A.Edges are prettier
  • B.Cleared central land was limited and edge land was available
  • C.Centers were forbidden
3.Why did some villages lose people in this period?
  • A.Work and new housing were both concentrated in the cities
  • B.Villages are cold
  • C.Farms were banned
4.What would you need to explain a district's population change properly?
  • A.The district's name
  • B.Where the work was and where the new homes were built
  • C.The weather
5.Why did a family live four to a room rather than move?
  • A.They preferred it
  • B.There was nowhere else within reach of the work
  • C.Moving was banned
6.Why did people crowd into cities after 1946 despite the damage?
  • A.The work was there, and rebuilding itself created more of it
  • B.Cities are warmer
  • C.Villages were closed
7.Why do people stay in a damaged district?
  • A.They cannot travel
  • B.They are not told
  • C.Work, family and the cost of moving all hold them there
8.Why does a district with cleared land not automatically fill first?
  • A.Nobody wants it
  • B.Cleared land is unsafe
  • C.Materials and labor also have to be allocated to it

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.6.3-5 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Why They Stayed and Why They Moved

Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.How much land was left, and whether the city could spread
  2. 2.Cleared central land was limited and edge land was available
  3. 3.Work and new housing were both concentrated in the cities
  4. 4.Where the work was and where the new homes were built
  5. 5.There was nowhere else within reach of the work
  6. 6.The work was there, and rebuilding itself created more of it
  7. 7.Work, family and the cost of moving all hold them there
  8. 8.Materials and labor also have to be allocated to it

Questions about Why They Stayed and Why They Moved

What does the Why They Stayed and Why They Moved worksheet cover?

It practices why population is distributed as it is — 8 questions for Grade 3 to Grade 5, all on C3 Framework D2.Geo.6.3-5: Describe why people live where they live. The instruction to students is “Circle the best answer”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.

Which C3 Framework indicator does Why They Stayed and Why They Moved practice?

D2.Geo.6.3-5, under Geography for Grade 3 to Grade 5. The published indicator reads: “Describe how environmental and cultural characteristics influence population distribution in specific places or regions.” The worksheet assesses that indicator rather than a paraphrase of it.

What age or grade is this worksheet for?

Why They Stayed and Why They Moved is written for Grade 3 to Grade 5, typically ages 40-41. It is one of the sheets on D2.Geo.6.3-5, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.

Does Why They Stayed and Why They Moved come with an answer key?

Yes. All 8 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 Why They Stayed and Why They Moved 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 Why They Stayed and Why They Moved free to print and photocopy?

Yes. Why They Stayed and Why They Moved, 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.

Is there a lesson plan to teach D2.Geo.6.3-5?

Yes — “Why They Stayed and Why They Moved” is a 55-minute Grade 3 to Grade 5 plan for D2.Geo.6.3-5, timed section by section, with the misconceptions to expect and an exit ticket. Why They Stayed and Why They Moved is the practice that follows it.

More practice for D2.Geo.6.3-5

Describe why people live where they live.

Teaching this next? Why They Stayed and Why They Moved is the 55-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.