The Explorers

1
The Explorers

• And the Key Figures and Ideas behind Exploration

2
Age of Exploration

• Marco Polo
• Caravels
• Lateen Sails
• Latitude and Longitude
• Dias
• De Gama
• Columbus

• Balboa
• De Leon
• Magellan
• De Soto
• Coronado

3
The Travels of Marco Polo

• Was born in Venice, Italy in 1254.
• This traveler and author, offered Europeans a
  firsthand view of Asian lands and created
  interest in Asian trade.
• Traveled the Silk Road and spent 24 years
  traveling in Asia. Explored Mongolia to China.

4
Prince Henry (1394-1460)

• He wanted to trade, and find riches in West
  Africa.
• This Portuguese Prince was known as Henry the
  Navigator, even though he never actually
  navigated the ships.
• However, he did bring together Shipbuilders,
  Mapmakers, and sailors, which he trained in the
  workings of a new kind of ship, the caravel.

5
A Caravel Ship

• These ships, with triangular sails, sailed into
  the wind well.
• The small, seaworthy sailing ships proved so
  agile and reliable that almost every exploring
  nation was using them by the end of the 15th
  century.
• They also sailed at high speeds and could travel
  up inlets of shallower waters.

6
Lateen Sails

• Triangular in shape, allowed vessel to sail
  almost directly into the wind.
• Europeans Changed because of Arab influence and
  exposure to Arab ships.
• Type of sails found on Caravels

7
Latitude and Longitude

• Today's system of navigation and mapping is based
  on Latitude and Longitude.
• It was developed by the Muslims during the Age
  of Discovery.
• Want to take a guess???

8
So how do I Remember Latitude and Longitude?

• Longitude- These lines run a LONG way, from the
  North to the South Pole!

• Latitude- These Lines run laterally across the
  center of the earth.

9
Bartolomeau Dias

• He was the First to sail to the Cape of Good
  Hope, the Southern most part of Africa.
• Cape of Storms?
• He proved that a sea route to Asia was possible,
  and paved the way for de Gama.

10
Vasco da Gama

• -From Portugal.
• -Vasco da Gama is famous for his completion of
  the first all water trade route between Europe
  and India.
• -His father was originally supposed to make da
  Gamas historic voyage, but he died before he was
  able to complete the mission.
• -He visited the coast of Africa in trading
  centers such as Kenya, and goes all the way to
  INDIA!.

11
Review Questions Tools

• What was the name of the agile and reliable ships
  that allowed the explorers to cruise inlets and
  sail at higher speeds?
• What change was made to the sails to allow ships
  to sail more directly into the wind?
• What invention made the mass production of Marco
  Polos Travels possible?
• Who was known as The Navigator even though he
  was not actually a sailor himself?

12
Christopher Columbus

• -On August 3, 1492, Columbus sailed from Spain
  with 3 small ships (Santa Maria, Nina, and
  Pinta).
• -On October 12, he landed on a small island in
  the Caribbean sea, which he named San Salvador.
• -Columbus wrongly thought he had reached Asia and
  named the Islands the West IndiesOOPS!

13
Vasco De Balboa

• Crossed the isthmus of Panama in 1513.
• Was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean.
• Isthmus Narrow strip of land that connects two
  larger land areas.

14
Ponce de Leon

• Explored present day Florida in 1513, and claimed
  the land for Spain.
• He was looking for the Fountain of Youth.
• de Leon died in 1521, never achieving his goal,
  but gave Spain a great claim on new lands in the
  Americas.

15
Ferdinand Magellan

• Portuguese Explorer who headed an expedition
  around the world for SPAIN.
• 250 Sailors and 5 Ships leave Spain in 1519.
• First to sail in the Peaceful or Pacific Ocean.
• Magellan dies in the Philippines in 1521.
• Only 18 Sailors and one ship, the Victoria return
  to Spain from this long and dangerous voyage.

16
Hernando De Soto

• 16th Century Explorer (1500-1542).
• Looked for gold in North America, but didnt find
  any.
• Treated the Native Americans brutally.
• Battle of Tuscaloosa.
• First European to reach Mississippi River in
  1541.

17
De Coronado

• Born in Spain in 1510, He was first explorer
  navigate Southwest North America. There he found
  the Grand Canyon.
• Coronado was searching for the Seven Cities of
  Gold

18
Review Questions Explorers

• Which Explorer was the first to arrive at the
  Mississippi River?
• Which Explorer was the first to see the Pacific
  Ocean?
• Who was looking for the fountain of youth in
  present day Florida?
• Who wrote about his travels into China and
  Mongolia?
• Who was the first European to see the Grand
  Canyon?

19
Higher Level Thinking Review

• Why were the writings of Marco Polo important?
• Why was the journey of Dias so significant?
• Why did Columbus name the area he discovered the
  West Indies?
• Write a paragraph explaining which explorer you
  would have liked to have been along with on his
  voyage.
• Write another paragraph explaining the
  exploratory journey you would not want to
  undertake.

20
Be an Explorer Making a Compass

• http//www.faa.gov/education/resource/compass.htm
• http//www.madsci.org/experiments/archive/86021890
  8.Es.html