Explorers Comprehension Ks2

[Hollis Abdelkarim]

Theworksheets set their sights on ten of the most well known explorers to the likes of Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, Marco Polo, Juan Ponce de Leon, Hernando Cortez, Vasco Da Gama, Henry Hudson, John Cabot, and John Smith. We also look at the concept of a Manifest Destiny and the Gold Rush Period.

At that time Europe used safe land passages to China and India totrade valued items such as spices and silk. With the fall ofConstantinople to the Ottoman Turks the land route to Asia becamemore difficult. Christopher Columbus and his brothers developed a planto travel to the Indies by sailing directly west across the ocean.

The French explorer Jacques Cartier was born in 1491 in thevillage of St. Malo, Brittany France. He is most remembered for hisdiscovery of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and many of the islands as heapproached what is now Canada.

It took a lot of courage to think about sailing across the ocean. In those days shipswere not sophisticated vessels like we have today and sailors stayed close to land and justsailed along the coastline.

Cortez wanted to be truly wealthy and powerful. The governor of Cuba, DiegoVelazquez, offered him the opportunity to lead a trading expedition. Cortez himself financeda large force with 11 ships, more than 500 soldiers, hundreds of porters and sufficientsailors. At first all went well when Cortez landed in what is now called Cozumel, Mexico.

While Columbus was searching for a sea route to the Indies, another name forIndia and other parts of Asia, by sailing west across the Atlantic, Vasco Da Gama wasfollowing the path of other Portuguese explorers who were sailing along the coast ofAfrica.

Columbus sailed west on the Atlantic Ocean looking for the Indies. What directiondid Da Gama sail on the Atlantic? Why did you think Dias' crew became frightened after going around the Cape ofGood Hope?

The explorer Henry Hudson first sailed to the NorthAmerican continent in 1607. His sailing adventure was financedby a group of Englishman seeking to find a shorter route to Asiaand spices it contained. Hudson was the first navigator to sailwithin 10 degrees of the North Pole itself, encounteringferocious winds and huge numbers of giant icebergs.

John Cabot was born in Italy in 1450 with the given name Giovanni Caboto.Like Christopher Columbus, another early explorer who came from Italy but traveledthe world for Spain, John Cabot sailed under a British flag. Even today, all ships mustfly the flag of the country where the ship is registered while the ship is at sea.

Smith explored the area of Virginia around Jamestown. While exploring he wascaptured by the Native American chief Powhatan and, according to legend, he wassaved from being put to death by the intercession of the chief's daughter, Pocahontas.We know he was captured by Powhaten but we don't know for certain if the rest ofthis story is true.

Ferdinand Magellan is another explorer, mariner andnavigator who was born in Portugal, in 1480. Magellan first servedthe Portuguese King Manual and spent eight years exploring thecoast of Africa and the Portuguese Indies. After all his effortsincluding being wounded and disabled, the king dismissed himfrom service.

Today we know that Antarctica is the continent at the southern pole of the world.Unfortunately, Magellan was exploring southward during the South American winter,traveling into colder regions. After great hardship in the frigid climate, Magellans fleetfinally sailed around the southern tip of South America into the Pacific Ocean; the Strait ofMagellan still bears his name today.

Imagine being just 17 years old and traveling in Asia beforethe days of airplanes, cars or even trains, long ago in theyear 1271. Marco Polos father was a businessman from Italywho himself had traveled all the way to China in thecontinent of Asia which was called Cathay at that time.

The family started out by boat on the Mediterranean Sea, crossed into theBlack Sea and sailed to the country of Turkey. Part of Turkey is in Europe and part ofit is in Asia. Then the family headed towards China with camels, horses and localhelpers. They traveled through the then unfamiliar lands called Iran and Afghanistan.In Iran they went through cold mountains and rocky deserts.

In 1508 Ponce de Leon then conquered another island, today the U.S. territory ofPuerto Rico, because he thought there was gold on the island. He became governor of thisisland in 1509. Ponce de Leon was removed as governor in 1511 but left this position as awealthy man.

Ponce de Leon continued to search for the island of Bimini and when he returned toPuerto Rico he fought with the native people who were rebelling against Spanish rule. WhenPonce de Leon returned to Spain in 1514 he was promoted to Captain General by the Kingof Spain. Ponce de Leon made two more trips from Spain in his continuing search for theisland of Bimini and its spring of eternal water.

The California Gold Rush took place between 1848 and 1849. Itwas period of frequent and Frantic migration west. It led to thesettlement of California by Americans who had settled on theEast Coast. Follow the maze to get to California.

This was a fundamental belief that the United States wasdestined, or determined by fate, to expand from the East---the Atlantic Ocean---to the West---the Pacific Ocean.Believers of this strongly felt that it wasn't just good for thecountry but also something that was meant to happen. Thisphrase also included the taking over of other territories thatwould expand the size of America.

Discover 24 topics for reading, exploring, and learning about our world. You'll find great fiction and nonfiction books, hands-on activities, writing ideas, and kid-friendly websites and apps for each topic.

Explore our free, downloadable toolkits and guides to enrich summer and afterschool learning at home or through youth programs. You'll find booklists, hands-on activities, and links to multimedia resources that extend children's learning about the world.

When the lower case x from Charley's alphabet disappears, the other letters set off to find him. Young readers become detectives on the quest to find the lower case letters and will rejoice when little x finds a way to rescue his rescuers from becoming alphabet soup.

One day when Sally and her friends are playing, they notice that her dog and cat are missing. The children use map skills to explore their neighborhood and beyond to locate Sally's pets. Information and fun combine in this easy informational book.

The chase is on when Polo's book is stolen by a small alien. Polo, an engaging hound, pulls an amazing assortment of aids from his backpack, all leading to a satisfying conclusion. Colorful art placed in comic strip format is supported on large pages in Polo's second adventure.

A golden retriever with a "smart nose" is doing his job: tracking down a young child lost in the woods. The dog's narration is gentle with the child he's tracking seen in the dog's thought bubbles. Additional "dog nose facts" and advice for teachers and parents are presented after the child and parents are reunited.

Private I tries to assuage 6 who just knows that 7 is coming to get him! Why? Because 7 8 9, of course! Wordplay and over-the-top humor make this satire of old detective stories sophisticated. Told with tongue in cheek language and colorful illustrations, this is a very funny tale.

When Jack and Annie don the magic baseball hats given to them by Morgan, they find themselves back in 1947 as batboys. There they learn a lot about the game, a player named Jackie Robinson, and how history was made.

Archaeologists on a dig work very much like detectives at a crime scene. Every chipped rock, charred seed, or fossilized bone could be a clue to how people lived in the past. In this information-packed Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science book, Kate Duke explains what scientists are looking for, how they find it, and what their finds reveal.

Jack leaves the comfort of his aunt's Boston home lured west by the California Gold Rush. Accompanied by his aunt's British butler, Praiseworthy and Jack find not just riches to save his aunt but lots of memorable characters and lots of adventure.

Cam (short for "Camera") uses her photographic memory to help solve the theft of the cans and bottles to be recycled to earn money for her school. This installment in the gentle mystery series features a particularly timely topic.

As mysterious things happen in and around their Chicago school, Petra and Calder use their knowledge of the painter Vermeer, their intuition, and their problem solving skills to retrieve a stolen painting. The book's Illustrations contain clues that are revealed only upon close (and multiple) examinations. This quirky mystery is sure to please fans of E.L. Konigsburg's From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

Chet Gecko is a sassy, wisecracking fourth-grade detective. Along with Natalie Attired, his mockingbird sidekick, he solves the many mysteries that plague Emerson Hicky Elementary. Each pun-filled novel introduces new silliness to this Sam Spade-esque series.

Boy detective Encyclopedia Brown is the fifth-grade mastermind behind Idaville's police force, "a complete library walking around in sneakers." Each book is set up so that readers can try to solve the case along with the boy genius, and the answers to all the mysteries are found in the back.

As the sky grays and the leaves swirl by in a "green blizzard," two young boys and their parents share a cozy supper by the fireplace. The next morning, the boys discover that a big elm tree now lies stretched across their neighbor's yard. The old tree becomes the vehicle that whisks the pair to adventure, as they explore exotic jungles, confront pirates on the high seas, and travel to the stars.

Julian narrates the story of how he, his little brother Huey and best friend Gloria become "crimebusters", save a dog named Crumbles, meet the Food Wizard and more. Enjoy the mysterious and silly adventures of three unlikely heroes as they solve everyday problems.

3a8082e126