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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 22 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 danger of storms, hunger and shipwreck
  • B.The promise of fame
  • C.The hope of riches
2.Besides riches, what else did many explorers and priests want?
  • A.To learn to ride bison
  • B.To spread Christianity
  • C.To build railroads
3.Why did Europeans want a sea route to Asia?
  • A.To buy spices and silk without paying many traders in between
  • B.To escape the Atlantic Ocean
  • C.To find new places to ski
4.Coronado hoped for fame and wealth if he found the "Seven Cities of Gold." What happened?
  • A.He found seven golden cities
  • B.He found a sea route to Asia
  • C.He found no cities of gold
5.Glory was an incentive too. What did glory mean for an explorer?
  • A.Fame and honor at home for great discoveries
  • B.A free ship
  • C.A kind of spice
6.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
7.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
8.Why did explorers search for a "Northwest Passage"?
  • A.They wanted to reach the South Pole
  • B.They wanted a road to Mexico
  • C.They hoped for a water route through North America to Asia

LessonPrint · D2.Eco.2.3-5 · Set 22 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Gold, Spices and Glory

Set 22. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.The danger of storms, hunger and shipwreck
  2. 2.To spread Christianity
  3. 3.To buy spices and silk without paying many traders in between
  4. 4.He found no cities of gold
  5. 5.Fame and honor at home for great discoveries
  6. 6.To claim land and riches for their countries
  7. 7.Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain
  8. 8.They hoped for a water route through North America to Asia

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