Questions Across the Whole Archive
A 50-minute Grade 4 lesson on asking questions that only make sense when several sources are on the table.
Questions Across the Whole Archive is a free 50-minute Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies lesson plan for Common Core standard D2.His.12.3-5 — ask questions about several sources and how they relate to an event. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 3 to Grade 5
- Length:
- 50 minutes
- Standard:
- D2.His.12.3-5
Grade 3 to Grade 5 · History
D2.His.12.3-5
Generate questions about multiple historical sources and their relationships to particular historical events and developments.
Objective
Students will be able to write a question that requires two or more sources to be asked at all.
Students are successful when they can
- Writes a question needing two sources.
- Says why one source alone could not raise it.
- Asks about the relation between sources.
What you need
- All eight sources spread out
- String to link sources across the table
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — cover one source
5 min- Ask a question about the census abstract alone, then about the ledger alone.
- Then ask what you can only ask with both in front of you.
Teach — questions that live between sources
17 min- Link abstract and ledger: do the districts that lost people match those sending emigrants?
- Link notice and circular: why do the two sides choose different figures to publish?
- Link abstract and health table: did the districts that grew fastest become least healthy?
- Say what makes these different: they are about the relation, not the content.
- Link the 1840s-style records to the 1998 book: which of these did the author use?
- Add the suspicious question: do two sources agree because they share an author?
- Add the time question: what happened in the thirty years neither source covers?
“What can you only ask when you have both of these?”
Guided practice — three links
15 min- Groups link three pairs and write a question for each.
- They test each question by covering one source.
- Groups present the question that most needed both.
Independent practice
10 min- Students complete the 'Questions Across the Whole Archive' page.
- Check the question genuinely needs two sources.
Close
3 min- Keep the strongest cross-source question for the enquiry.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Writes a question one source answers.
Why: Single-source questions are the habit.
Fix: Cover one source. If the question survives, it was not a relation question.
Compares sources on presentation.
Why: Length and neatness are visible.
Fix: Ask what the comparison tells you about the 1890s. Neatness tells you nothing.
Thinks more sources always means a better question.
Why: More looks thorough.
Fix: Two well-chosen sources beat six. Ask what each is doing in the question.
If they are not there yet
- Two sources and a starter stem.
- Choose between two questions: which needs both?
If they finish early
- Write a question needing three sources.
- Find two sources with no useful question between them, and say why.
- Ask a question about a source missing from the archive.
Exit ticket
Write a question you could only ask with both the census abstract and the health table.
What to look for: A question about whether the fastest-growing districts became the least healthy. A question one source answers means the relation idea needs another run.
Printable practice for D2.His.12.3-5
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Questions Across the Whole ArchiveCircle the best question.
Questions about Questions Across the Whole Archive
How long does the Questions Across the Whole Archive lesson take?
50 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 17 min, guided practice 15 min, independent practice 10 min, close 3 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Questions Across the Whole Archive teach?
D2.His.12.3-5 — D2.His.12.3-5, History for Grade 3 to Grade 5: “Generate questions about multiple historical sources and their relationships to particular historical events and developments.” In plain terms, ask questions about several sources and how they relate to an event.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
All eight sources spread out, string to link sources across the table and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: writes a question one source answers; compares sources on presentation and thinks more sources always means a better question. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Write a question you could only ask with both the census abstract and the health table.” A question about whether the fastest-growing districts became the least healthy. A question one source answers means the relation idea needs another run. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Questions Across the Whole Archive?
Yes — 1 printable D2.His.12.3-5 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Questions Across the Whole Archive free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to D2.His.12.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.