Name______Date______

Explorers Group Activity- Group Discussion Study Guide

Re-read each section. Use text –based facts to answer each question.

Christopher Columbus

  1. Describe what Columbus’ early life was like?

When Columbus was as small boy he lived in Italy. He lived near the Mediterranean Sea. He promised himself that he would become a seaman when he grew up.

  1. What did Columbus originally set out to find?

Columbus originally set out to find a shorter route to the Indies by traveling west through the Atlantic Ocean.

  1. What was Columbus searching for?Columbus was searching for gold, silver, and spices.
  2. What did Columbus actually discover?Columbus actually discovered America.

Jacques Cartier

  1. In what year did Cartier set out to explore?Cartier set out to explore in 1534.
  2. What was Cartier looking for? Cartier was looking for a northwest sea route to China.
  3. What did King Francis want Cartier to find?King Francis wanted Cartier to find fine silk, gold, silver, and other riches.
  4. What was Cartier’s greatest discovery?
    Cartier’s greatest discover was finding the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Henry Hudson

  1. What was Henry Hudson searching for? Henry Hudson was searching for a new and shorter route to Asia.
  2. Describe one problem that Hudson and his crew faced.One problem that Hudson and his crew faced was terrible storms that rocked the ship.
  3. Was Henry Hudson able to find a route to Asia?Henry Hudson was not able to find a route to Asia.
  4. What did Hudson discover?Hudson discovered the Hudson the Hudson Strait and the Hudson Bay.

Lewis and Clark

  1. Who asked Lewis and Clark to go on an expedition?Thomas Jefferson asked them to go on the expedition.
  2. What were Lewis and Clark searching for?Lewis and Clark were searching for a route to the Pacific Ocean as well as new plants and animals.
  3. What did Lewis and Clark discover? Lewis and Clark discovered a route to the Pacific Coast along with many new plants, animals, and maps.
  4. What was one hardship that Lewis and Clark endured during their journey?Some of the hardships they faced were crossing the Rocky Mountains, rough waters, a bear attack, harsh winters, starvation, illness

Critical Thinking:

  1. Pick one explorer that we have learned about. Infer one character trait about that explorer. Use text-based facts to support your inference.
  2. The explorers faced many hardships. Pick one hardship that the explorers faced. Describe the challenges it brought to the explores. How do you think this hardship affected the explorers journey.

Extend Your Thinking

Can you think of any modern day explorers? Why do you think they are explorers?