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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 10 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Gold, Spices and Glory

D2.Eco.2.3-5

NameDate

Choose the best answer.

1.Columbus sailed west in 1492. Who paid for his voyage?
  • A.The Haudenosaunee Grand Council
  • B.Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain
  • C.The king of France
2.Why did explorers search for a "Northwest Passage"?
  • A.They wanted a road to Mexico
  • B.They hoped for a water route through North America to Asia
  • C.They wanted to reach the South Pole
3.Besides riches, what else did many explorers and priests want?
  • A.To build railroads
  • B.To learn to ride bison
  • C.To spread Christianity
4.Why did Europeans want a sea route to Asia?
  • A.To buy spices and silk without paying many traders in between
  • B.To find new places to ski
  • C.To escape the Atlantic Ocean
5.Why were spices worth so much in Europe?
  • A.They flavored food and came from very far away
  • B.Spices grew everywhere in Europe
  • C.Spices were the only food in Europe
6.Why did kings and queens pay for voyages?
  • A.To give their land away
  • B.To claim land and riches for their countries
  • C.To keep their sailors at home
7.Which was a negative incentive, a risk that could stop an explorer from sailing?
  • A.The hope of riches
  • B.The danger of storms, hunger and shipwreck
  • C.The promise of fame
8.What did the arrival of explorers bring to Native nations?
  • A.New diseases that killed many people, and the loss of land
  • B.Only gifts and help
  • C.Nothing changed for Native nations

LessonPrint · D2.Eco.2.3-5 · Set 10 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Gold, Spices and Glory

Set 10. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain
  2. 2.They hoped for a water route through North America to Asia
  3. 3.To spread Christianity
  4. 4.To buy spices and silk without paying many traders in between
  5. 5.They flavored food and came from very far away
  6. 6.To claim land and riches for their countries
  7. 7.The danger of storms, hunger and shipwreck
  8. 8.New diseases that killed many people, and the loss of land

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Eco.2.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.