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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.

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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 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
2.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
3.What did the arrival of explorers bring to Native nations?
  • A.New diseases that killed many people, and the loss of land
  • B.Nothing changed for Native nations
  • C.Only gifts and help
4.Coronado hoped for fame and wealth if he found the "Seven Cities of Gold." What happened?
  • A.He found no cities of gold
  • B.He found seven golden cities
  • C.He found a sea route to Asia
5.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
6.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
7.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
8.Besides riches, what else did many explorers and priests want?
  • A.To build railroads
  • B.To learn to ride bison
  • C.To spread Christianity

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

Answer key — Gold, Spices and Glory

Set 5. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.To buy spices and silk without paying many traders in between
  2. 2.To trade with Native nations for beaver furs
  3. 3.New diseases that killed many people, and the loss of land
  4. 4.He found no cities of gold
  5. 5.The chance to find gold and silver
  6. 6.Fame and honor at home for great discoveries
  7. 7.They flavored food and came from very far away
  8. 8.To spread Christianity

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