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Life in North America Before 1492 is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on how nations lived and traded before Europeans arrived, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Geo.4.3-5. 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 25 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.

Life in North America Before 1492

D2.Geo.4.3-5

NameDate

Choose the best answer.

1.Which is true of the peoples of North America before 1492?
  • A.No one lived in North America
  • B.There were hundreds of nations with different languages and ways of life
  • C.They all spoke one language
2.Before horses came, what did dogs pull for Plains peoples?
  • A.Mail carts
  • B.Loads on wooden frames called travois
  • C.Wagons on iron rails
3.How did the Hohokam farm the desert of what is now Arizona?
  • A.They dug long canals to bring river water to their fields
  • B.They waited for snow
  • C.They planted rice in swamps
4.How did peoples of the Pacific Northwest use their forests and rivers?
  • A.They herded cattle and horses
  • B.They built adobe pueblos
  • C.They built cedar plank houses and fished for salmon
5.Why did many nations in the East grow corn, beans and squash together?
  • A.The plants help each other grow, and together they make a healthy diet
  • B.They were the only plants allowed by law
  • C.They needed no water or sun
6.Why did many Southwest peoples hold ceremonies for rain?
  • A.They wanted floods
  • B.Rain was scarce and their crops depended on it
  • C.Rain fell every day there
7.What did the people of Cahokia build out of earth?
  • A.Stone castles with moats
  • B.Huge mounds, including Monks Mound
  • C.Brick towers
8.Before Europeans brought horses, how did Plains peoples hunt bison?
  • A.From trains
  • B.On horseback with rifles
  • C.On foot, sometimes driving herds over cliffs

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.4.3-5 · Set 25 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Life in North America Before 1492

Set 25. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.There were hundreds of nations with different languages and ways of life
  2. 2.Loads on wooden frames called travois
  3. 3.They dug long canals to bring river water to their fields
  4. 4.They built cedar plank houses and fished for salmon
  5. 5.The plants help each other grow, and together they make a healthy diet
  6. 6.Rain was scarce and their crops depended on it
  7. 7.Huge mounds, including Monks Mound
  8. 8.On foot, sometimes driving herds over cliffs

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Geo.4.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.