Boom Towns is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on towns that grew around a resource or a railhead, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Geo.8.3-5. 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 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
Draw a line from each town to the reason it boomed.
1.Draw a line from each one to its match.
Bodie, California, 1870s
Beaumont, Texas, 1901
Abilene, Kansas, 1867
Leadville, Colorado, 1877
A.A gold-mining town that is now an empty ghost town
B.Boomed after the Spindletop oil gusher
C.A silver boom town high in the Rocky Mountains
D.A railhead where cowboys drove cattle north on the Chisholm Trail
2.Draw a line from each one to its match.
Butte, Montana, 1880s
Deadwood, South Dakota, 1876
Skagway, Alaska, 1897
Dodge City, Kansas, 1872
A.Grew after gold was found in the Black Hills, on Lakota land
B.The port where gold seekers started for the Klondike
C.Grew as a market where hunters sold bison hides to ship east by rail
D.Grew around some of the world's richest copper mines
LessonPrint · D2.Geo.8.3-5 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Boom Towns
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. Bodie, California, 1870s — A (A gold-mining town that is now an empty ghost town) 2. Beaumont, Texas, 1901 — B (Boomed after the Spindletop oil gusher) 3. Abilene, Kansas, 1867 — D (A railhead where cowboys drove cattle north on the Chisholm Trail) 4. Leadville, Colorado, 1877 — C (A silver boom town high in the Rocky Mountains)
2.1. Butte, Montana, 1880s — D (Grew around some of the world's richest copper mines) 2. Deadwood, South Dakota, 1876 — A (Grew after gold was found in the Black Hills, on Lakota land) 3. Skagway, Alaska, 1897 — B (The port where gold seekers started for the Klondike) 4. Dodge City, Kansas, 1872 — C (Grew as a market where hunters sold bison hides to ship east by rail)
Questions about Boom Towns
What does the Boom Towns worksheet cover?
It practices towns that grew around a resource or a railhead — 2 questions for Grade 3 to Grade 5, all on C3 Framework D2.Geo.8.3-5: Explain how where people settle relates to the natural resources nearby. The instruction to students is “Draw a line from each town to the reason it boomed”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which C3 Framework indicator does Boom Towns practice?
D2.Geo.8.3-5, under Geography for Grade 3 to Grade 5. The published indicator reads: “Explain how human settlements and movements relate to the locations and use of various natural resources.” The worksheet assesses that indicator rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Boom Towns is written for Grade 3 to Grade 5, typically ages 40-41. It is one of the sheets on D2.Geo.8.3-5, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Boom Towns come with an answer key?
Yes. All 2 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 Boom Towns 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 Boom Towns free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Boom Towns, 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.Geo.8.3-5
Explain how where people settle relates to the natural resources nearby.