After Marco Polo published his book in 1307 that told of the wonders he had seen in the Orient, the leaders of European nations began to look for a good, safe route to China.  The overland route was long and dangerous, so these leaders hoped to reach the Far East by sea.  The explorers who searched for this water route to Asia eventually discovered new worlds that no one in Europe knew about.

List of 24 Explorers
(with important things)

The Important Thing
(worksheet)

The Important Thing
(template)

Explorer PowerPoint

Research Sheet

Explorer Database

Explorer Poems

Recruitment Posters

1492:  An Ongoing Voyage
Addresses such questions as what America was like before 1492, why Europeans came to the New World, and how European, African, and American peoples reacted to each other.  Created by the Library of Congress.

The Age of Exploration
Curriculum guide maintained by the Mariner's Museum in Newport News, Virginia.  It addresses maritime discovery from ancient times to Captain Cook's 1768 voyage to the South Pacific.  The guide can be used either with its main menu or by a timeline.

Discoverers Web
Collection of information found on the Web about voyages of discovery and exploration.

European Explorers of the New World
Links for individual explorer compiled by the Chenowith School District in The Dalles, Oregon.

Explorers
Excellent list of Web resources was collected by Jerrie S. Clark of the Educational Technology Center at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.

Passageways: True Stories of Adventure for Young Explorers
Stories of people who explored the regions of Canada. The early sections on the land bridge, early explorers from Europe, and looking for the Northwest Passage fit into the study of American history also.

Room 30's Explorer Page
Good example of a site that students can create after they finish their research on explorers.  It was created by fifth grade students in Room 30 at Tom Matsumoto School in San Jose, California.

Voyage of Exploration:  Discovering New Horizons
ThinkQuest Web site with sections on Great Explorers, Expeditions, Navigation, New Horizons, Why Explore, and Teachers' World.

Zoom Explorers
Excellent place for students to begin their Internet research into individual explorers. From Enchanted Learning.