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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 6 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.Besides riches, what else did many explorers and priests want?
  • A.To spread Christianity
  • B.To build railroads
  • C.To learn to ride bison
2.Glory was an incentive too. What did glory mean for an explorer?
  • A.A free ship
  • B.A kind of spice
  • C.Fame and honor at home for great discoveries
3.Why did explorers search for a "Northwest Passage"?
  • A.They hoped for a water route through North America to Asia
  • B.They wanted a road to Mexico
  • C.They wanted to reach the South Pole
4.What did the arrival of explorers bring to Native nations?
  • A.New diseases that killed many people, and the loss of land
  • B.Only gifts and help
  • C.Nothing changed for Native nations
5.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
6.Why were spices worth so much in Europe?
  • A.Spices were the only food in Europe
  • B.They flavored food and came from very far away
  • C.Spices grew everywhere in Europe
7.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
8.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

LessonPrint · D2.Eco.2.3-5 · Set 6 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Gold, Spices and Glory

Set 6. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.To spread Christianity
  2. 2.Fame and honor at home for great discoveries
  3. 3.They hoped for a water route through North America to Asia
  4. 4.New diseases that killed many people, and the loss of land
  5. 5.Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain
  6. 6.They flavored food and came from very far away
  7. 7.To claim land and riches for their countries
  8. 8.To trade with Native nations for beaver furs

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