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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 2 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.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
2.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
3.Besides riches, what else did many explorers and priests want?
  • A.To spread Christianity
  • B.To build railroads
  • C.To learn to ride bison
4.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
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.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.Why did the French come to North America in the 1600s?
  • A.To trade with Native nations for beaver furs
  • B.To drill for oil
  • C.To grow rice
8.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

LessonPrint · D2.Eco.2.3-5 · Set 2 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Gold, Spices and Glory

Set 2. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Fame and honor at home for great discoveries
  2. 2.They hoped for a water route through North America to Asia
  3. 3.To spread Christianity
  4. 4.To claim land and riches for their countries
  5. 5.The danger of storms, hunger and shipwreck
  6. 6.He found no cities of gold
  7. 7.To trade with Native nations for beaver furs
  8. 8.The chance to find gold and silver

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