Why Europeans sailed, and where they went

Grade 7 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Why Europeans looked for sea routes (1400s)

   Arrows carry spices, silk, gems and ivory from Asia overland and through the Middle East to Italian ports such as Venice and Genoa; a shaded area marks the Ottoman Empire across the routes; a second arrow runs from Lisbon, Portugal, down the coast of Africa, labeled "Prince Henry's expeditions, about 1419 to 1460". Key: a solid arrow is an old trade route; a dashed arrow is a new sea voyage; a pepper is spices; a roll of cloth is silk; a gem is gems; a tusk is ivory. Below the map: goods passed through many traders, and taxes and prices rose at each step. Two tools: the caravel, a small sailing ship, and the mariner's astrolabe, which measured the height of the sun or a star to find latitude.

2. 1.

   On Jun's map, where do the old trade routes end in Europe?

   • Italian ports such as Venice and Genoa
   • Lisbon, at the start of the dashed arrow
   • Asia, at the start
   • The coast of Africa
3. 2.

   Which country sent ships down the coast of Africa, by the map, Luz asks?

   • Portugal
   • China
   • The Ottoman Empire
   • Venice
4. 3.

   In the key, what does a pepper stand for, Milo asks?

   • Spices
   • Ivory
   • Gems
   • Silk
5. 4.

   In the key, what does a dashed arrow mean, Noah asks?

   • A river
   • A new sea voyage
   • A border between empires
   • An old trade route over land
6. 5.

   Which goods does the key show coming from Asia, Pia asks?

   • Spices, and no other goods
   • Potatoes and maize
   • Horses and cattle
   • Spices, silk, gems and ivory
7. 6.

   Ren reads about the mariner's astrolabe. What did it help sailors find?

   • Their longitude
   • Their latitude
   • The price of spices
   • The depth of the sea
8. 7.

   Tala reads the word caravel. What was a caravel?

   • A tool to find latitude
   • A small sailing ship
   • A spice from Asia
   • A trading port in Italy
9. 8.

   Zee reads that Prince Henry sent expeditions. What is an expedition?

   • A tax on trade goods
   • A journey made for a purpose
   • A map of the stars
   • A kind of ship's sail
10. 9.

    Why did spices cost so much in Europe, by the note, Ari asks?

    • Prices rose at each step of the trip
    • Ships carried spices for free
    • Spices grew in gardens across Europe
    • Spices were made in Venice
11. 10.

    Why would a ship's crew want to know its latitude, Esme asks?

    • To know the time in Lisbon
    • To know how far east they were
    • To know how far north or south they were
    • To know the price of spices