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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 9 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.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
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 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
4.Which was a positive incentive for Spanish explorers?
  • A.The danger of disease
  • B.The chance to find gold and silver
  • C.The chance of shipwreck
5.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
6.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
7.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
8.Which was a negative incentive, a risk that could stop an explorer from sailing?
  • A.The danger of storms, hunger and shipwreck
  • B.The hope of riches
  • C.The promise of fame

LessonPrint · D2.Eco.2.3-5 · Set 9 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Gold, Spices and Glory

Set 9. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.To trade with Native nations for beaver furs
  2. 2.To spread Christianity
  3. 3.They flavored food and came from very far away
  4. 4.The chance to find gold and silver
  5. 5.Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain
  6. 6.He found no cities of gold
  7. 7.Fame and honor at home for great discoveries
  8. 8.The danger of storms, hunger and shipwreck

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