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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 8 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.
  • Pipestone
  • Turquoise
  • Conch and whelk shells
  • Obsidian, a black volcanic glass
  • A.The southern coasts near Florida
  • B.Mines in what is now New Mexico
  • C.The Yellowstone area of the Rocky Mountains
  • D.A quarry in what is now Minnesota
2.The Hopewell people of the Ohio Valley traded over huge distances. Which shows this?
  • A.They built the first railroad
  • B.They left no objects at all
  • C.Copper, shells and obsidian from far-off places were found at their sites
3.Why did nations trade goods with peoples far away?
  • A.Every region had exactly the same resources
  • B.Each region had resources that others did not
  • C.Trade was required by a king
4.At trading gatherings on the Columbia River, what was one important good?
  • A.Gold coins
  • B.Cotton cloth from England
  • C.Dried salmon
5.Why was obsidian valuable far from where it was found?
  • A.It was rare there and made very sharp tools
  • B.It glowed in the dark
  • C.It was soft enough to eat
6.What did many coastal peoples specialize in making to trade?
  • A.Iron tools
  • B.Shell beads
  • C.Glass windows
7.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

LessonPrint · D2.Eco.4.3-5 · Set 8 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Trading Across a Continent

Set 8. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Pipestone — D (A quarry in what is now Minnesota) 2. Turquoise — B (Mines in what is now New Mexico) 3. Conch and whelk shells — A (The southern coasts near Florida) 4. Obsidian, a black volcanic glass — C (The Yellowstone area of the Rocky Mountains)
  2. 2.Copper, shells and obsidian from far-off places were found at their sites
  3. 3.Each region had resources that others did not
  4. 4.Dried salmon
  5. 5.It was rare there and made very sharp tools
  6. 6.Shell beads
  7. 7.Talking with people of other nations who spoke different languages

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