Skip to content
LessonPrint

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

Next set

One paper per student

12345678910111213141516171819202122232425

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 kind of spice
  • B.A free ship
  • C.Fame and honor at home for great discoveries
2.Why did explorers search for a "Northwest Passage"?
  • A.They wanted a road to Mexico
  • B.They wanted to reach the South Pole
  • C.They hoped for a water route through North America to Asia
3.Why did the French come to North America in the 1600s?
  • A.To grow rice
  • B.To trade with Native nations for beaver furs
  • C.To drill for oil
4.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
5.Besides riches, what else did many explorers and priests want?
  • A.To learn to ride bison
  • B.To spread Christianity
  • C.To build railroads
6.Why did kings and queens pay for voyages?
  • A.To claim land and riches for their countries
  • B.To give their land away
  • C.To keep their sailors at home
7.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 no cities of gold
  • C.He found seven golden cities
8.Why were spices worth so much in Europe?
  • A.Spices were the only food in Europe
  • B.Spices grew everywhere in Europe
  • C.They flavored food and came from very far away

LessonPrint · D2.Eco.2.3-5 · Set 21 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Gold, Spices and Glory

Set 21. 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 trade with Native nations for beaver furs
  4. 4.Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain
  5. 5.To spread Christianity
  6. 6.To claim land and riches for their countries
  7. 7.He found no cities of gold
  8. 8.They flavored food and came from very far away

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