Gold, Spices and Glory is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on the incentives behind European exploration, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Eco.2.3-5. 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.
C.To buy spices and silk without paying many traders in between
2.Why were spices worth so much in Europe?
A.Spices were the only food in Europe
B.They flavored food and came from very far away
C.Spices grew everywhere in Europe
3.Which was a positive incentive for Spanish explorers?
A.The chance to find gold and silver
B.The danger of disease
C.The chance of shipwreck
4.Why did kings and queens pay for voyages?
A.To claim land and riches for their countries
B.To keep their sailors at home
C.To give their land away
5.Why did explorers search for a "Northwest Passage"?
A.They wanted to reach the South Pole
B.They wanted a road to Mexico
C.They hoped for a water route through North America to Asia
6.Glory was an incentive too. What did glory mean for an explorer?
A.A free ship
B.Fame and honor at home for great discoveries
C.A kind of spice
7.Coronado hoped for fame and wealth if he found the "Seven Cities of Gold." What happened?
A.He found no cities of gold
B.He found a sea route to Asia
C.He found seven golden cities
8.What did the arrival of explorers bring to Native nations?
A.Nothing changed for Native nations
B.New diseases that killed many people, and the loss of land
C.Only gifts and help
LessonPrint · D2.Eco.2.3-5 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Gold, Spices and Glory
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.To buy spices and silk without paying many traders in between
2.They flavored food and came from very far away
3.The chance to find gold and silver
4.To claim land and riches for their countries
5.They hoped for a water route through North America to Asia
6.Fame and honor at home for great discoveries
7.He found no cities of gold
8.New diseases that killed many people, and the loss of land
Questions about Gold, Spices and Glory
What does the Gold, Spices and Glory worksheet cover?
It practices the incentives behind European exploration — 8 questions for Grade 3 to Grade 5, all on C3 Framework D2.Eco.2.3-5: Spot the rewards and penalties that push people toward a decision. The instruction to students is “Choose the best answer”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which C3 Framework indicator does Gold, Spices and Glory practice?
D2.Eco.2.3-5, under Economics for Grade 3 to Grade 5. The published indicator reads: “Identify positive and negative incentives that influence the decisions people make.” The worksheet assesses that indicator rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Gold, Spices and Glory is written for Grade 3 to Grade 5, typically ages 40-41. It is one of the sheets on D2.Eco.2.3-5, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Gold, Spices and Glory 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 Gold, Spices and Glory 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 Gold, Spices and Glory free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Gold, Spices and Glory, 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.Eco.2.3-5
Spot the rewards and penalties that push people toward a decision.