Rules and Laws

Help your third graders learn how their government works, one clear page at a time! In this one-page worksheet, students read a short passage about rules, laws, and consequences, answer four true or false questions, then draw lines to match each cause to what happens next.

The passage uses examples kids know: "Raise your hand to talk" is a rule, "Stop at a red light" is a law. It explains that a consequence is what happens after a choice. The cause-and-effect activity connects the ideas: break a school rule and you might miss recess, run a red light and you pay a fine, follow the laws and people stay safe. It builds early cause-and-effect thinking with civics content, which also makes it a nice ELA crossover. Everything students need to answer is right on the page, so it works for independent practice.

What's inside:

• A short passage with key words in bold
• 4 true or false questions
• 3 cause-and-effect pairs to connect with lines
• A visual answer key with every answer marked in red

How teachers use it:

• As a quick check after a civics lesson
• For morning work, centers, or an exit ticket
• As homework or sub plans, with no prep needed

It takes about 5 to 10 minutes and prints clearly in black and white. This is one of 7 worksheets in our Reading in Civics series for grade 3, covering government, rules and laws, voting, and citizenship. Each sheet in the series uses a different mix of activities, so the set stays fresh from the first page to the last.