EARLY EXPLORERS OF THE AMERICAS

Sarah Herbert

• Content Area: Social Studies/Geography• Grade Level: 4th Grade• Summary: The purpose of this instructional PowerPoint is for the students to learn about who the early

explorers of the Americas are, where they started their explorations, and what kind of geographical landscapes/terrain that the explorers had to overcome on their voyage to the Americas. In this instructional PowerPoint/activity, the students will use three of the six essential elements of geography: world in spatial terms, places and regions, and the use of geography.

• Learning Objective: Given the information from the PowerPoint, the websites and maps within the PowerPoint, and the table that each student will make on slide 14 of the PowerPoint, the students will be able to trace the routes of the early explorers on a map(this will be provided for them at the end of class) with 100% accuracy.

Content Standard: 3.0Geography enables the students to see, understand, and appreciate the web of relationships

between people, places, and environments. Students will use the knowledge, skills, and understanding of concepts within the six essential elements of geography: world in spatial terms, places and regions, physical systems, human systems, environment and society, and the use of

geography. Accomplishment

4.3.01 – Understand how to use maps, globes, and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies, to acquire, process and report information from a spatial perspective.

c. Locate the routes of early explorers of North America on a map

Who are the early Explorers of North America that we will be focusing on?

• Christopher Columbus• Ferdinand Magellan• Amerigo Vespucci• Robert de La Salle

Click on this website to gather some background information on the explorers and their explorations

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/namerica.shtml

Facts about Christopher Columbus• Famous Italian Explorer for discovering the “New World” of the Americas• He made 4 voyages to the Americas• Columbus had to crossed the Atlantic Ocean for each voyage• His first voyage was in 1492 from Spain to the Bahamas• The goal of his ventures was to find a quick route to Asia and also to find

gold/treasures.

Watch this short video to learn more about Christopher Columbus and his voyages

http://www.history.com/topics/exploration/christopher-columbus/videos/christopher-columbus-sets-sail?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

Christopher Columbus’s Exploration Route

This is a map of Columbus’s routes from Spain

to the Americas

Ferdinand Magellan• Portuguese explorer who led the first expedition that sailed around the

earth (1519-1522)• Led a Spanish expedition in 1521 that was the first known crossing of the

Pacific Ocean• Magellan was the man who proved that the world was round

Click this link to view a short video on the biography of Magellan and also to read a brief synopsis of his

expeditionshttp://mrnussbaum.com/explorers/magellan/

Ferdinand Magellan’s Exploration Routes

This is a map of Magellan’s voyage around the world

Amerigo Vespucci

• Played a prominent role in exploring the New World• America got its name from Amerigo Vespucci• First person to realize that the Americas were a

separate continent from Asia

Click on the link below to read more about Vespucci and to see a quick video about his voyages/legacy

http://www.biography.com/people/amerigo-vespucci-9517978#synopsis

Amerigo Vespucci’s Exploration RouteThis is a map that shows the routes of

both of Vespucci’s voyages

Robert de La SalleRene`-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle: North American Explorer

• French Explorer• Was the first European to travel the length of the Mississippi river (1682)• The goal of his expedition was to explore/establish fur-trade routes along

the Mississippi River• La Salle also explored Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, and Lake

Ontario – The Great LakesClick the link below to read more about Robert de La Salle and his

expeditionshttp://mrnussbaum.com/explorers/robert_sieur_de_la_salle/

Robert de La Salle’s Exploration RouteThis is a map that shows his route through

North America

QuestionWhat geographical landform did each of the

explorers have to overcome on their voyage to the Americas?

A.MountainsB.ValleysC.Bodies of WaterD.Cliffs

Correct!

Each of the explorers had to go through/cross a body of water to get to North America.

Explorer/Exploration TableDirections: Students, you are to complete this table. This table will help you complete the assignment that will be given to you for homework(homework

assignment is on the next slide.Christopher Columbus

Ferdinand Magellan

Amerigo Vespucci

Robert de La Salle

Number of Explorations to North

America

Exploration starting point

(continent+city)Where did they land?(where/what part of

North America)

What was there exploration goal?

Geographical landscape/features

on their route to the Americas

Map for HomeworkFor homework: You will be given a hand out of the map shown below. On the map you will be labeling the continents, cities(only the cities from which the explorers start their journey and where they touch down in North

America), and major bodies of water. After labeling everything, you are to trace each of the explorers routes(each explorers route must be traced with a different color) to the Americas(some explorers have more than 1 route to the

Americas, in that case you only have to trace their first route to the Americas).

What have we learned?

• Who the main early explorers of the Americas are

• The number of voyages that each explorer took

• The goals of the explorers voyages

• The routes that each explorer had to take to make it to the

Americas• The geographical features/landforms/bodies of water that the

explorers had to cross to make it into the Americas