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Trading Across a Continent is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on trade networks among Native nations before 1492, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Eco.4.3-5. It prints 7 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 5 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.

Trading Across a Continent

D2.Eco.4.3-5

NameDate

Draw a line from each trade good to where it came from. Then choose the best answers.

1.Draw a line from each one to its match.
  • Dentalium shells
  • Copper
  • Pipestone
  • Obsidian, a black volcanic glass
  • A.A quarry in what is now Minnesota
  • B.The Yellowstone area of the Rocky Mountains
  • C.The Pacific coast near Vancouver Island
  • D.The Lake Superior region
2.Why did the Mississippi River and its branches help trade?
  • A.The river was frozen all year
  • B.Canoes could carry goods long distances on the water
  • C.Roads ran under the river
3.At trading gatherings on the Columbia River, what was one important good?
  • A.Cotton cloth from England
  • B.Dried salmon
  • C.Gold coins
4.Why was obsidian valuable far from where it was found?
  • A.It was rare there and made very sharp tools
  • B.It was soft enough to eat
  • C.It glowed in the dark
5.What was Plains Indian Sign Language used for?
  • A.Sending messages by telegraph
  • B.Talking with people of other nations who spoke different languages
  • C.Writing laws on paper
6.The Hopewell people of the Ohio Valley traded over huge distances. Which shows this?
  • A.They built the first railroad
  • B.Copper, shells and obsidian from far-off places were found at their sites
  • C.They left no objects at all
7.Why did nations trade goods with peoples far away?
  • A.Each region had resources that others did not
  • B.Trade was required by a king
  • C.Every region had exactly the same resources

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

Answer key — Trading Across a Continent

Set 5. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Dentalium shells — C (The Pacific coast near Vancouver Island) 2. Copper — D (The Lake Superior region) 3. Pipestone — A (A quarry in what is now Minnesota) 4. Obsidian, a black volcanic glass — B (The Yellowstone area of the Rocky Mountains)
  2. 2.Canoes could carry goods long distances on the water
  3. 3.Dried salmon
  4. 4.It was rare there and made very sharp tools
  5. 5.Talking with people of other nations who spoke different languages
  6. 6.Copper, shells and obsidian from far-off places were found at their sites
  7. 7.Each region had resources that others did not

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