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Why They Settled There 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 Settled There

D2.Geo.6.3-5

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.Two valleys have the same soil; one has far more people. What might explain it?
  • A.One has a route through it and the other does not
  • B.One is greener
  • C.One is older
2.Why did houses appear near the station after 1846?
  • A.Land was free
  • B.Trains are pretty
  • C.There was new work there and a way to travel from it
3.Why does a market town hold more people than the villages around it?
  • A.Villages are illegal
  • B.It has better weather
  • C.It offers trades and services the villages come to use
4.Why do people settle on flat river meadow despite floods?
  • A.The soil is rich and produces good crops
  • B.Rivers are warm
  • C.Floods are useful
5.Why do few people live high on the moor?
  • A.It is too flat
  • B.Thin soil and hard weather make a living difficult there
  • C.The view is poor
6.Why did the wharf houses empty after 1850?
  • A.The work that had kept those families there had moved to the railway
  • B.The houses fell down
  • C.The canal was filled
7.Why did a village grow beside the coalfield?
  • A.There was work at the pits and coal to burn
  • B.The land was flat
  • C.It was quiet
8.Why did people settle at the river crossing rather than a mile upstream?
  • A.The sun rose earlier
  • B.Everybody traveling had to pass there, so trade gathered
  • C.The water tasted better

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

Answer key — Why They Settled There

Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.One has a route through it and the other does not
  2. 2.There was new work there and a way to travel from it
  3. 3.It offers trades and services the villages come to use
  4. 4.The soil is rich and produces good crops
  5. 5.Thin soil and hard weather make a living difficult there
  6. 6.The work that had kept those families there had moved to the railway
  7. 7.There was work at the pits and coal to burn
  8. 8.Everybody traveling had to pass there, so trade gathered

Questions about Why They Settled There

What does the Why They Settled There 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 Settled There 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 Settled There 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 Settled There 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 Settled There 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 Settled There free to print and photocopy?

Yes. Why They Settled There, 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 Settled Where They Did” is a 45-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 Settled There 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 Settled Where They Did is the 45-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.