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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 17 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.Spices grew everywhere in Europe
  • B.They flavored food and came from very far away
  • C.Spices were the only food in Europe
2.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
3.Besides riches, what else did many explorers and priests want?
  • A.To learn to ride bison
  • B.To build railroads
  • C.To spread Christianity
4.Which was a positive incentive for Spanish explorers?
  • A.The danger of disease
  • B.The chance of shipwreck
  • C.The chance to find gold and silver
5.Why did Europeans want a sea route to Asia?
  • A.To find new places to ski
  • B.To escape the Atlantic Ocean
  • C.To buy spices and silk without paying many traders in between
6.Coronado hoped for fame and wealth if he found the "Seven Cities of Gold." What happened?
  • A.He found a sea route to Asia
  • B.He found seven golden cities
  • C.He found no cities of gold
7.What did the arrival of explorers bring to Native nations?
  • A.Only gifts and help
  • B.New diseases that killed many people, and the loss of land
  • C.Nothing changed for Native nations
8.Columbus sailed west in 1492. Who paid for his voyage?
  • A.Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain
  • B.The Haudenosaunee Grand Council
  • C.The king of France

LessonPrint · D2.Eco.2.3-5 · Set 17 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Gold, Spices and Glory

Set 17. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.They flavored food and came from very far away
  2. 2.To claim land and riches for their countries
  3. 3.To spread Christianity
  4. 4.The chance to find gold and silver
  5. 5.To buy spices and silk without paying many traders in between
  6. 6.He found no cities of gold
  7. 7.New diseases that killed many people, and the loss of land
  8. 8.Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain

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