How Early Colonists Made a Living is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on the resources early colonists used to make a living, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Eco.3.3-5. It prints 2 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 4 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.
How Early Colonists Made a Living
D2.Eco.3.3-5
NameDate
Draw a line from each colony or place to how people there made a living.
1.Draw a line from each one to its match.
New Orleans, in French Louisiana
The Spanish missions of the Southwest
Russian America, now Alaska
Virginia, after 1612
A.Making Aleut hunters hunt sea otters for their fur
B.Shipping goods down the Mississippi River through a port city
C.Farming and herding under priests, with the forced labor of Native people
D.Growing tobacco to sell in England
2.Draw a line from each one to its match.
New France, along the St. Lawrence River
Pennsylvania farms
The coast of South Carolina
California ranchos, after 1834
A.Raising cattle on huge private land grants to sell hides and tallow
B.Growing wheat to grind into flour
C.Growing rice with the forced labor of enslaved Africans
D.Trading with Native nations for beaver furs
LessonPrint · D2.Eco.3.3-5 · Set 4 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — How Early Colonists Made a Living
Set 4. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. New Orleans, in French Louisiana — B (Shipping goods down the Mississippi River through a port city) 2. The Spanish missions of the Southwest — C (Farming and herding under priests, with the forced labor of Native people) 3. Russian America, now Alaska — A (Making Aleut hunters hunt sea otters for their fur) 4. Virginia, after 1612 — D (Growing tobacco to sell in England)
2.1. New France, along the St. Lawrence River — D (Trading with Native nations for beaver furs) 2. Pennsylvania farms — B (Growing wheat to grind into flour) 3. The coast of South Carolina — C (Growing rice with the forced labor of enslaved Africans) 4. California ranchos, after 1834 — A (Raising cattle on huge private land grants to sell hides and tallow)
Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Eco.3.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.