Explorers Unit Study

Please Note:
Parents should preview this controversial book before using it with their
children. If this is you child's first introduction to explorers, you might want to
find some substitute books.

Explorer Lessons/Activity Cards

Print the lesson/activity card file and the corresponding notebooking pages. You
will also need to gather the books ahead of time (see library list). This unit is
dependent on internet links for some of the independent activities; you may want
to print the information ahead of time or save the links to a favorites folder for
easy access for your student.

Necessary Links
Lesson 1
Make a Sphere
Lesson 3
Longitude and Latitude Activity.
Lesson 5
Make an Astrolabe
Lesson 6
Complete Ship Diagram
Lesson 8
Make a Quadrant
Lesson 9
Research Diseases
Lesson 13
Navigation Worksheet 2

Library List
Around the World in a Hundred Years by Jean Fritz
Explorers Activity Book by John Artman (ISBN 0-86653-340-0)
The Usborne Book of Explorers
Pedros Journal by Conrad
A Child's History of the World by V. M. Hillyer
The Kings Fifth by Scott ODell
Conquista! By Clyde Robert Bulla

www.homeschoolshare.com

Explorer Unit Lesson 1 Marco Polo

Read:

Around the World in a Hundred Years by Jean Fritz, chapter 1

Marco Polo, Adventure in Cathay pgs 1-6 Explorers Activity Book

The Usborne Book of Explorers pgs. 16-17
Complete:

Marco Polo Timeline Piece

Marco Polo Notebook Page

Years before Marco Polo explored, people believed the world to be flat. There
were some scientists however, such as Aristotle and Ptolemy, who believed
the earth was a sphere. Make a sphere of the earth to use throughout your
Explorer Unit.

Mark off Polos route, including countries, deserts, mountains, etc.

Look up and define: explorer, expedition, ambassador,

Explorer Unit Lesson 2 Prince Henry

Read:

Around the World in a Hundred Years by Jean Fritz, chapter 2 (Prince Henry)

The Usborne Book of Explorers pg. 6
Complete:

Prince Henry Timeline Piece

Prince Henry Notebook Page

Mark Henrys route on globe. Label as necessary.

Prince Henry said not to be scared by the old tales of the sea. Write a story of
the unknown sea that would even have the brave Prince Henry scared!

Look up and define: navigator, galley, colonized, barca, caravel, cape,

Explorer Unit Lesson 3 - Bartholomew Diaz

Read:

Around the World in a Hundred Years by Jean Fritz, chapter 3 (Diaz)

The Usborne Book of Explorers pg. 7
Complete:

Bartholomew Diaz Timeline Piece

Bartholomew Diaz Notebook Page

Mark Diazs route on globe. Label as necessary.

King John taught Diaz how to find their latitude. It was important for early
explorers to know their longitude and latitude so they could mark their new
found lands on their charts. Lines of latitude run parallel to the equator. Lines
of longitude run perpendicular to the lines of latitude. Complete Longitude
and Latitude Activity.

Look up and define: mutiny, store ship,

Explorer Unit Lesson 4 Christopher Columbus

Read:

Around the World in a Hundred Years by Jean Fritz, chapter 4 (Columbus)

Pedros Journal by Conrad

Christopher Columbus, Admiral of the Sea pgs 13-19 Explorers Activity Book

The Usborne Book of Explorers pgs. 22-23
Complete:

Columbus Timeline Piece

Columbus Notebook Page

Mark Columbus route on globe. Label as necessary.

You are an Arawak Indian, people who lived on San Salvador where Columbus
landed. You stand on shore and see the three ships and the strange men
come to your shore. How do you feel? What do you think? Write a full
explanation of your feelings and thoughts. Illustrate as desired.

Look up and define: admiral, viceroy, Line of Demarcation,

Explorer Unit Lesson 5 Vasco da Gama

Mom Reads:

Fortune Hunters on pages 381-389 in CHOW
Read:

Around the World in a Hundred Years by Jean Fritz, chapter 5 (da Gama)

Vasco da Gama, Sailing to India, pgs 7-12 Explorers Activity Book

The Usborne Book of Explorers pg. 18
Complete:

da Gama Timeline Piece

da Gama Notebook Page

Mark da Gamas route on globe. Label as necessary.

One tool the early explorers had to help find their latitude was an Astrolabe.
Make an Astrolabe and describe its use.

Da Gama lost many of his crew to scurvy. Research scurvy, including its
symptoms and cures.
Explorer Unit Lesson 6 Pedro Alvares Cabral
Read:

Around the World in a Hundred Years by Jean Fritz, chapter 6 (Cabral)
Complete:

Cabral Timeline Piece

Cabral Notebook Page

Mark Cabrals route on globe. Label as necessary.

You are Cabral and you just spotted the Land of Parrots to claim for Portugal.
Write a letter to King Manuel describing what you found and what benefit it
may be to Portugal.

Identify the parts of a ship, including deck, sail, mast, bow, stern, etc. using
this Worksheet

Explorer Unit Lesson 7 John Cabot

Read:

Around the World in a Hundred Years by Jean Fritz, chapter 7 (Cabot)

Complete:

Cabot Timeline Piece

Cabot Notebook Page

Mark Cabots route on globe. Label as necessary.

Cabot has one small ship and a crew of eighteen, including you. Your voyage
is to last three months. Your job is to make sure the ship is equipped with
everything nineteen people need to survive for three months. What would you
pack and why? Remember, in the 1500s there was no refrigeration so food
would spoil easy. And also keep in mind that a starving sailor is a mutinous
sailor!

Make Sea Biscuits just like the sailors would have ate!
Explorer Unit Lesson 8 Amerigo Vespucci
Read:

Around the World in a Hundred Years by Jean Fritz, chapter 8 (Vespucci)

The Usborne Book of Explorers pg. 24
Complete:

Vespucci Timeline Piece

Vespucci Notebook Page

Mark Vespuccis route on globe. Label as necessary.

Vespucci was interested in locating a fixed star to solve the problem of
longitude. One tool used by explorers to determine the altitude of heavenly
bodies was the quadrant. Make a Quadrant and describe its use.

Explorer Unit Lesson 9 Ponce de Leon

Read:

Around the World in a Hundred Years by Jean Fritz, chapter 9 (de Leon)
Complete:

De Leon Timeline Piece

De Leon Notebook Page

Mark de Leons route on globe. Label as necessary.

De Leon was on a mission to find the Fountain of Youth. One problem he ran
into was a language barrier with the natives. How would you communicate a
question or idea, if the two parties didnt understand each others languages?
Draw a picture story, so Ponce could communicate with the natives what he
was looking for. Also, draw the natives reactions to this Fountain of Youth.

Look up and define: strait, peninsula

Explorer Unit Lesson 10 Vasco Nunez de Balboa

Read:

Around the World in a Hundred Years by Jean Fritz, chapter 10 (Balboa)

Complete:

Balboa Timeline Piece

Balboa Notebook Page

Mark Balboas route on globe. Label as necessary.

Europeans often said that people who thought they were going to the new
world were more often going to the next world. What were some of the
problems the explorers encountered, taking them to the next world? Draw
two columns on your paper, and list the problem encountered in the first and
the remedy in the second. Be sure to include Diseases, food problems, and
man problems.

Look up and define: cultivated, cassava, recruits

Explorer Unit Lesson 11 Ferdinand Magellan

Read:

Around the World in a Hundred Years by Jean Fritz, chapter 11 (Magellan)

Ferdinand Magellan, Circumnavigator of the Globe pgs 20-23 Explorers
Activity Book

The Usborne Book of Explorers pgs. 38-39

Complete:

Magellan Timeline Piece

Magellan Notebook Page

Mark Magellans route on globe. Label as necessary.

Magellan explored the Spice Islands. Make a list of the spices you and your
mom use the most. Research where each comes from. How many of them
come from the Spice Islands? How different would your food taste had not
the Spice Islands been discovered?

Look up and define: isthmus, elusive, ambitious, flagship, quartermaster
Explorer Unit Lesson 12 Hernando Cortez
Mom will Read:
The Land of Enchantment on pages 390-394 in CHOW
Read:

Cortes of Mexico by Ronald Syme

The Usborne Book of Explorers pgs 24-25
Complete:

Cortes Timeline Piece

Cortes Notebook Page

Mark Cortes route on globe. Label as necessary.

Write an essay beginning I want to explore new lands because Make a list
of the reasons explorers throughout history explored. Compare their reasons
to yours.

Look up and define: conquistador

Explorer Unit Lesson 13 Francisco Vasquez de Coronado

Read:

The Kings Fifth by Scott ODell

Conquista! By Clyde Robert Bulla
Complete:

Coronado Timeline Piece

Coronado Notebook Page

Mark Coronados route on globe. Label as necessary.

By the time of Coronado there were many navigation instruments to help with
his travels. As you come across the different instruments in the book,
complete Navigation Worksheet 2.

Book Report on The Kings Fifth.

Explorer Unit Lesson 14 After Magellan

Mom will Read:
Along the Coast of East Africa on pgs 395-403 of CHOW
Read:

Around the World in a Hundred Years by Jean Fritz, chapter 12 (After

Magellan)

Complete:

It only took 100 years for the explorers to make their way around the world.
Why do you think it took them over 5000 years to get to this point of
exploration?

Look up and define: equilibrium

Sea Biscuit Recipe

4 Parts Flour
1 Part Water
Salt to Taste
Make dough. Roll out on a floured surface about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 2-3
inch pieces. Place each biscuit on a baking sheet and poke holes in the tip
with a fork. Bake at 250 degrees for one hour or until lightly browned.
These biscuits are hard. Just like we crush crackers in soup they soaked sea
biscuits in water, coffee, or stew.

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Cut out timeline pieces on solid lines. Mountain fold on dotted lines.
Inside folds write places discovered and/or explored. Glue onto timeline sheet.
http://www.homeschoolshare.com
Most clipart courtesy of http://etc.usf.edu/clipart.
Others in public domain.

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