Explorers

5th Grade Social Studies Unit

In this unit you will be doing a project on an explorer. This page will help you in doing the research for your project.

There are 5 steps to do research:

1. Plan - Brain storm key words to search for.

2. Search for Information - Encyclopedias, books, magazines, Internet

3. Take Notes - On notecards or data sheet

4. Use the Information - Organize, write in your own words

5. Write a Bibliography- Write down where information was obtained.

6. Share Your Information - Present to class

7. Evaluate the Project- Great job!

Follow the links below to begin your research.

Keywords

For many explorers you may only need to look them up using their last name. If you get too many results, follow the last name with their first name. Watch out because some explorers have a two word last name or they may have alternate spellings. Look for these explorers by the highlighted name.

Vasco da Gama

Hernando de Soto

Samuel de Champlain

Henry the Navigator

Hernando Cortes or Cortez

Back to the top

Print Resources - Books & Magazines

Reference Section

Encyclopedias - Use the encyclopedia to give you a brief description of your explorer and his voyages.

Biography Section

When looking for books on your explorer you will need to locate the Biography Section. Then look under the first three letters of their last name.

Example: Christopher Columbus
Keyword: Columbus
Biography: B Col

Non-Fiction Section

For Collected Biographies (more than one explorer) look under the Non-Fiction Section in the 910's.

You may also look it up in our Computer Card Catalog. or in the Public Library Catalog.

Magazine Section

Look for your explorers in Kids Discover.

Back to the top

Electronic Resources

Lawton Chiles Resources

These resources are also available to all Lawton Chiles students with internet access from home or the public library. Ask the media center staff for passwords.

Grolier Online (Password Needed)	Type your explorer name in the Search Grolier Online box in the bottom right hand corner. Select "Full text." For maps, click on Atlas at the bottom of the page. Click on Explorers. If you explorer isn't listed, try clicking on North America and then choosing Explorers.
Electric Library (Password Needed)	Full text periodical database.

Back to the top

Internet

These Internet Sites have been previewed. If any of the links are not active please inform the media center staff.

England John Cabot Francis Drake Henry Hudson	Spain Ferdinand Magellan Hernando Cortes Hernando de Soto	Portugual Vasco da Gama Henry the Navigator
France Jacques Cartier Samuel de Champlain	Others The Vikings	Italy Marco Polo Amerigo Vespucci

European Explorers - A Canadian School page with excellent sites.

Baseline Maps - A vast number of maps for plotting the explorers' voyages

Explorers' Tools - This site explains the tools that explorers used that allowed them to make longer voyages.

Greentown Explorers Unit

Alphabetical List of Explorers

European Explorers of the "New World" in the Age of Exploration - Great links to explorer sites and museums.

Reference Resources: Famous Explorers

Explorers' List -List compiled by a school in Washington State

Explorer's Web Sites

Explorers