Social Studies: Early Explorers Columbus and Magellan
Learning about ocean voyages, maps, and historical explorers
Social Studies: Early Explorers Columbus and Magellan
Learning about ocean voyages, maps, and historical explorers
Social Studies - Grade 2-3
- 1
Christopher Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492. What was he hoping to find?
Think about why people wanted spices, silk, and other goods.
Columbus was hoping to find a new sea route from Europe to Asia for trade. - 2
Columbus landed in the Caribbean, where Indigenous peoples were already living. Why is it important to remember that people already lived there?
It is important because Columbus did not find an empty place. Indigenous peoples had homes, cultures, and communities there before he arrived. - 3
Name one tool that early explorers used to help them travel across the ocean.
A compass helps sailors know direction.
Early explorers used tools such as maps, compasses, and stars to help them travel across the ocean. - 4
Ferdinand Magellan led an expedition that sailed around the world. What does it mean to sail around the world?
To sail around the world means to travel all the way around Earth by water and return to the starting area. - 5
Magellan did not finish the whole trip because he died during the voyage. Why is his expedition still important?
Think about the group of sailors and ships, not just one person.
His expedition is important because one of his ships completed the first voyage all the way around the world. - 6
Circle the ocean Columbus crossed on his 1492 voyage: Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, or Indian Ocean.
Columbus crossed the Atlantic Ocean on his 1492 voyage. - 7
Put these events in order: Magellan's expedition sails around the world, Columbus sails across the Atlantic, Indigenous peoples live in the Caribbean.
Indigenous peoples were living in the Caribbean long before European explorers arrived.
The correct order is: Indigenous peoples live in the Caribbean, Columbus sails across the Atlantic, Magellan's expedition sails around the world. - 8
Why did sailors on long voyages need to bring food and fresh water?
Sailors needed food and fresh water because they were at sea for many days or months and could not easily get supplies. - 9
What is one way Columbus and Magellan were alike?
Think about how both men traveled.
Columbus and Magellan were alike because both led ocean voyages from Europe and used ships to explore sea routes. - 10
What is one way Columbus and Magellan were different?
They were different because Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic to the Caribbean, while Magellan's expedition crossed oceans and went around the world. - 11
Look at a map. If a ship sails west from Europe across the Atlantic Ocean, what land area might it reach?
The Caribbean is a group of islands near North and South America.
A ship sailing west from Europe across the Atlantic Ocean might reach the Americas or the Caribbean islands. - 12
What does the word expedition mean in social studies?
An expedition is a journey taken by a group of people for a special purpose, such as exploring or learning about a place. - 13
Why were ships important to early explorers like Columbus and Magellan?
There were no airplanes or cars that could cross oceans at that time.
Ships were important because they allowed explorers and sailors to travel across large oceans. - 14
Write one respectful sentence about the Indigenous peoples Columbus met in the Caribbean.
A respectful sentence could say that the Indigenous peoples Columbus met had their own homes, families, languages, and ways of life. - 15
Choose one explorer, Columbus or Magellan. Write one fact about him and one question you still have.
Your question can begin with who, what, when, where, why, or how.
A complete answer should include one true fact, such as Columbus sailed in 1492 or Magellan led an expedition around the world, and one question the student still has.