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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 14 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.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
2.Besides riches, what else did many explorers and priests want?
  • A.To learn to ride bison
  • B.To build railroads
  • C.To spread Christianity
3.Why did kings and queens pay for voyages?
  • A.To keep their sailors at home
  • B.To give their land away
  • C.To claim land and riches for their countries
4.Columbus sailed west in 1492. Who paid for his voyage?
  • A.The Haudenosaunee Grand Council
  • B.The king of France
  • C.Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain
5.Which was a negative incentive, a risk that could stop an explorer from sailing?
  • A.The hope of riches
  • B.The promise of fame
  • C.The danger of storms, hunger and shipwreck
6.Why did explorers search for a "Northwest Passage"?
  • A.They hoped for a water route through North America to Asia
  • B.They wanted to reach the South Pole
  • C.They wanted a road to Mexico
7.Glory was an incentive too. What did glory mean for an explorer?
  • A.Fame and honor at home for great discoveries
  • B.A kind of spice
  • C.A free ship
8.Why did the French come to North America in the 1600s?
  • A.To trade with Native nations for beaver furs
  • B.To grow rice
  • C.To drill for oil

LessonPrint · D2.Eco.2.3-5 · Set 14 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Gold, Spices and Glory

Set 14. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.They flavored food and came from very far away
  2. 2.To spread Christianity
  3. 3.To claim land and riches for their countries
  4. 4.Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain
  5. 5.The danger of storms, hunger and shipwreck
  6. 6.They hoped for a water route through North America to Asia
  7. 7.Fame and honor at home for great discoveries
  8. 8.To trade with Native nations for beaver furs

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