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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 12 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.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
2.Why did Europeans want a sea route to Asia?
  • A.To escape the Atlantic Ocean
  • B.To buy spices and silk without paying many traders in between
  • C.To find new places to ski
3.What did the arrival of explorers bring to Native nations?
  • A.New diseases that killed many people, and the loss of land
  • B.Nothing changed for Native nations
  • C.Only gifts and help
4.Why did explorers search for a "Northwest Passage"?
  • A.They wanted to reach the South Pole
  • B.They hoped for a water route through North America to Asia
  • C.They wanted a road to Mexico
5.Besides riches, what else did many explorers and priests want?
  • A.To build railroads
  • B.To learn to ride bison
  • C.To spread Christianity
6.Why were spices worth so much in Europe?
  • A.Spices grew everywhere in Europe
  • B.They flavored food and came from very far away
  • C.Spices were the only food in Europe
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 seven golden cities
  • C.He found a sea route to Asia
8.Why did kings and queens pay for voyages?
  • A.To give their land away
  • B.To keep their sailors at home
  • C.To claim land and riches for their countries

LessonPrint · D2.Eco.2.3-5 · Set 12 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Gold, Spices and Glory

Set 12. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.The danger of storms, hunger and shipwreck
  2. 2.To buy spices and silk without paying many traders in between
  3. 3.New diseases that killed many people, and the loss of land
  4. 4.They hoped for a water route through North America to Asia
  5. 5.To spread Christianity
  6. 6.They flavored food and came from very far away
  7. 7.He found no cities of gold
  8. 8.To claim land and riches for their countries

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