Introduction

The desire to explore the unknown has been a driving force in human history since the dawn of time.  Early adventurers were motivated to:  find their fortune, become a famous name in history, claim new lands for their country, spread their religion, bring back spices and jewels or find a faster and cheaper route to foreign countries.   The captain of the ship (explorer) needed money and manpower along with support from a rich benefactor.  Most voyages were made in the name of the royal ruler of the country.  The crewmen who signed on to these long and dangerous voyages were not always experienced seamen, but large numbers of them were needed to help man the sails and allow for losses from death and illness (it was a very dangerous adventure!)

The captain (explorer) himself was not always an experienced seaman.  Desire for weath and fame were often his only motivations for undertaking such dangerous voyages.  The ships were often old, but the captain took what he was given and began his voyage into the unknown looking for a specific land or route, surprises were many. 

The explorers are still looking for adventuresome volunteers to sail into the unknown.  Will you be brave enough to join them?  They will be setting sail soon.  Hurry and pack your few belongings.  Don't forget to bring all the paper you can and a writing utensil in order to record the amazing new sights you'll see.  You should be prepared to take notes on what you do; after all, the reputation of your captain depends upon you.  By making a powerpoint presentation and a newspaper of your journeys, you will be revealing the secrets of the unknown to the rest of the civilized world.

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Claim new lands for your country!   Find your fortune!   Become famous! The world is calling to you for exploration.  Join a chartered ship to discover the wonders of the sea.  It is your calling to become a member of an exploration.  You will participate in research by:

• mapping the route your explorer sails;
• interviewing the locals in the new land;
• creating a newspaper describing events;
• creating a biography of explorer;
• analyzing technology available and compare to current;
• writing letters to sponsor describing trip and accomplishments;
• creating a time line of your explorer's life and accomplishments;
• keeping a log of the journey;
• describing local foods;
• down loading images from the internet, or
• determining in your opinion if the journey is a success.

Once you have completed your journey, you and your group will be required to share your findings with one another.  This is the time when each of you can learn about one another's fields.

Once this is completed, you will be challenged to share with the rest of the world your journey and results.  This will be done by creating a PowerPoint presentation and a period newspaper depicting various aspects of the journey.  You will refer to your research to recall information and events.
 

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Ignoring the stories telling of snakes living in the Atlantic Ocean, snakes with flames springing from around their necks, eyes sixteen feet across glaring at the enemies, you are about to embark on one of the most important journeys of discovery in the history of the world.  Most Europeans in the 1400s knew little about the world beyond their own villages.  (Remember there were no cars, nor TV to learn about other places).  Many believed that monsters roamed over distant lands and seas.  Before you start this voyage of bravery, your teacher will assign you to groups of four.  Your team will consist of a mapper, a press reporter, a personal secretary to the explorer, and a historian.  Each team member will have specific jobs to accomplish.  It is important that you work well with these group members.

Numerous countries joined in the desire to explore and claim new lands for their country.  Your group will select an explorer to research and accompany on this dangerous sailing voyage.  Listed below are the explorers and their countries.  Select one and let your teacher know, each explorer will be accompanied by their own (only one) research group.  Sign ups are on a first come basis, so let your adventuresome spirit lead you on.

Christopher Columbus  - Spain
Marco Polo - Italy
Henry the Navigator - Portugal
Bartholomeu Dias - Portugal
Vasco de Gama - Portugal
Amerigo Vespucci - Italy
Hernando Cortes - Spain
Giovanni da Verrazano - France 
Henry Hudson - Netherlands
John Cabot - England
Sir Francis Drake - England
Ferdinand Magellan - Spain

Before undertaking your voyage, you will want to read about  the Age of Exploration .  This will help you prepare for your long adventure. Exploration is risky, visit this site to see the explorers who died during their voyages.  Now is the time for you to choose your voyage responsibility.  You and your fellow shipmates need to each determine who will be responsible for the following jobs:
 

• Mapper
• Press Reporter
• Personal Secretary
• Historian

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You will be evaluated on your performance in your explorer groups as an individual, and as a group.  Your individual cooperation, contributions and finished products will be the basis for your individual grade.  Your final products, PowerPoint and newspaper, as well as team cooperation, will be the basis for your group grade.  Remember, TEAMWORK is the key to a good grade and final product.
 
 

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Cooperative work	No cooperation among the group; all work done individually and put together at the last minute.	Some cooperation is evident; most work is done individually then put together.	Cooperation is evident among team members; team works together and discusses work; most decision making is shared.	Work is shared evenly among all group members; team works together well and has good discussion about their work; decision making is shared.
Quality of information gathered	Information gives little information.	Topics are addressed with little detail.	All topics are addressed with detail.	All topics are addressed thoroughly with detail.
Organization	Information is in no order; handwriting is sloppy/typing mistakes are numerous.	Information is grouped together in some manner; handwriting is legible/typing mistakes are evident.	Information is grouped together in a logical sequence; handwriting is neat/typing has some mistakes.	Information is organized with headings and follows a logical sequence; handwriting is neat/typing is editted.
Creativity	No extra thought put into the creative aspects of the presentations.	Little extra thought put into the creative aspects of the presentations.	Some extra creative thought put into presentations via such things as extra pictures, fancy writing and/or time period presentation.	Obvious creative energy put into all aspects of the presentation.
Visual appeal	Little or no visual appeal; nothing catches your eye.	Some visual appeal; some effort is made to catch the viewer's eye.	Appealing presentaion; detail included to catch the viewer's eye.	Very appealing; lots of detail in a very eye catching presentation.

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Conclusion

The Explorer WebQuest is a useful tool for students for many reasons.  First of all, it is a fun way for them to come to a better understanding of the European exploration of the New World.  Upon completion of the WebQuest, not only will students be able to trace the route taken by individual explorers, but they will also be able to discuss the reasons for exploration, and the general effect this had on the native population.  Students will also become familiar with biographies of the explorers and the navigational technologies used in this time period vs. current technology.  Students will realize these explorers expanded knowledge of the world beyond the European countries.  Secondly, students will practice important computer skills that will help them not only with this WebQuest, but with many other projects in the future.  They will become more comfortable with gathering information on the Internet, and this will aid them when they are doing future reports or research for other subjects.  Next, the journal keeping helps students to become better at gathering and recording information.  Writing information in journal form forces students to pick out the important details of what they are reading, and this is important not only for web projects, but for any textbook reading.  Finally, the Powerpoint and newspaper final projects gives students the opportunity to work in groups and improve all skills associated with group work.  These projects also provide an opportunity to polish presentation skills, both orally and visually.  The Explorer WebQuest provides students with many outlets for learning and creativity which makes it a useful tool in any classroom studying the explorers.
 
 

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I would like to thank the PT3 staff at UCSB and the insightful help of Shelley and Jeanne at Santa Barbara County Education Office.  Without them, I'd still be wandering the vast world of WebQuests!  This great ancient map background is provided by The Mariners' Museum.
 

California 5th Grade Social Studies Textbook :  America Will Be,  Houghton Mifflin, 1991.

Explorers (Hands on History), Michael Gravois, Scholastic Professional Books, 1999.(ISBN 0-590-39598)

General Explorer Web Sites:
 

Explorer Research Links: www.dcsd.k12.co.us/elementatry/fce/explorers.html

Exploration is Risky Business:http://www.win.tue.nl/~engels/discovery/death.html

Gander Academy's Explorers:http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/explorer.htm?

Kid Info Explorers: http://www.kidinfo.com/American_History/Explorers.html
 

Amerigo Vespucci

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1497vespucci-america.html

 http://www.millersv.edu/~columbus/papers/canaday.html

http://www.studyworld.com/Amerigo_Vespucci.htm

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_021.html

http://www.auburn.edu/~downejm/sp/dkv/Amerigo%20Vespucci.htm

 http://www.esd.k12.ca.us/Matsumoto/TM30/history/Explorers/vesp.html

http://marauder.millersv.edu/~columbus/papers/canaday.html

http://tqjunior.thinkquest.org/4034/vespucci.html
 

Christopher Columbus

http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/1492.exhibit/Intro.html 

 http://www.nmm.ac.uk/education/fact_columbus.html

http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/1492.exhibit/b-Mediterranean/exp.horiz.html#venetian 

http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/1492.exhibit/b-Mediterranean/exp.horiz.html#world 

http://www.castellobanfi.com/features/story_3.html
 

Marco Polo

http://geography.miningco.com/science/geography/library/weekly/aa081798.htm

http://www.silk-road.com/artl/marcopolo.shtml

http://www.kyrene.k12.az.us/schools/brisas/sunda/great/2amy.htm

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/000724/mysteries/marco.htm

http://www.tk421.net/essays/polo.shtml

http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/expolo.htm

http://www.korcula.net/mpolo/mpolo700.htm
 

Henry the Navigator

www.schooldiscovery.com

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p259.html
 

Bartholomue Dias

http://www.johnabbott.qc.ca/webpages/departments/heps/gmap2.htm

http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/3808/dias_e.html

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04775b.htm
 

Vasco de Gama

http://www.austin.isd.tenet.edu/campuses/schools/elem/ridgetop/gama.html
 

Hernando Cortes

http://www.umich.edu/~proflame/texts/mirror/cortes.html 

http://www.dsusd.k12.ca.us/educational/explorers/cortez.html 
 

Giovanni de Verrazano

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15364a.htm

http://www.usd305.com/hageman/marcozzi/Explorer/kfox.htm

http://www.lihistory.com/vault/hs215a1v.htm 

 http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15364a.htm 
 

Henry Hudson

http://www.hudsonriver.com/halfmoonpress/stories/hudson.htm

http://www.ianchadwick.com/hudson/

http://www.hudsonriver.com/history/halfmoon.htm
 

John Cabot

http://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/english/schoolnet/nfld/johncabo.html

http://www.heritage.nf.ca/exploration/
 

Sir Francis Drake

http://www.dsusd.k12.ca.us/educational/explorers/drake.html

http://www.mcn.org/2/oseeler/bio.htm

http://www.elegantia.demon.co.uk/histpage.htm

http://www.chantec.co.uk/in-drakes-wake/default.htm

Ferdinand Magellan

http://www.johnabbott.qc.ca/webpages/departments/heps/gmap3.htm 

http://conquestchannel.com/inset11.html 
 
 
 

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