Download What is an explorer?

The Age of Exploration
1400s - 1620
The Discovery of the New World
School Subject: English Language
Grade Level : 8th grade, Mofet Class
School: Rogozin B JHS
Teacher : Revital Balas
The Age of Exploration
Presented by Revital Balas
In the following lesson, you will learn about the Age of
Exploration.
This period of discovery lasted from about 1418 to 1620. During
this time, European explorers made many daring voyages that
changed world history.
During the lesson we’ll discuss the following themes:
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What is an explorer and who were some of the main explorers of the time?
What is the meaning of the term New World?
What was the European view of the world during the 14th century?
Which main countries were involved in exploration?
What were the reasons for the Age of Exploration?
Why is it that European exploration began to flourish in the 1400s?
What were some of the effects of European exploration?
What is an explorer?
» An Explorer is a person who travels seeking new discoveries.
Who were some of the main European explorers of the time?
Vasco Da Gama
Amerigo Vespucci
Christopher Columbus
Prince Henry the Navigator
Ferdinand Magellan
What is the meaning of the term The New World?
It is one of the names for North, South and Central America and
Australia.
The term originated in the late 15th century.
What was the European view of the world during
the 14th century?
In the late 1400s, Europeans did not know much about
the world. Most of them had never been outside of Europe.
The European map of the world included only Europe, Asia,
and the top of Africa (= The Old World).
They thought there was only one ocean, the Ocean Sea.
Although many people thought the world was flat, educated
Europeans knew that it was round. The problem was they
had no idea how large the world was.
Which main countries were involved in exploration?
Portugal
Spain
England
France
What is the difference between this modern map and early maps from the 14th
century?
What is ‘cartography’ and why was it important at the age of exploration?
To answer these questions visit the following site: “History of Cartography”
The first Europeans to explore the unknown New World were the
Portuguese. They were the first to sail around the tip of Africa. The king of
Portugal supported the voyages of his son, Prince Henry the Navigator.
In 1418 Prince Henry started the first school for navigation. Despite the
knowledge shared at his school for sailors, Prince Henry had a great
deal of difficulty persuading his captains to sail beyond Cape Bojodor off
the west coast of Africa.
Read the following passage about
Prince Henry to find why
European sailors feared to sail
beyond the equator.
How did Prince Henry’s
expeditions help Portugal?
Why did European countries begin to explore
the New World?
Listen to the video clip. Then Click on the link to answer a
short quiz.
So why did Europeans explore the world during the Age
of Exploration?
First, Europeans of this time had several motives for exploring the world.
Second, advances in knowledge and technology helped
make voyages of discovery possible.
Many different European countries paid for explorations for many different
reasons. Some of them were:
• Find new routes to east Asia, which Europeans called the Indies.
• Establish trading settlements and become wealthy by trading with
Asian goods like gold, silver, spices and precious stones.
• Claim land and gain control over a larger empire.
• Learn more about geography and expand their knowledge of the
world.
• Introduce Christianity to other cultures.
• Earn fame and glory.
• Seek for adventures.
Why is it that European exploration began to flourish in the 1400s?
The Age of Exploration began in the midst of the Renaissance, a time of new learning. A
number of advances made it easier for explorers to dare and explore the unknown.
What were the effects of European exploration? - Click on the link to answer the question.
Advances in Knowledge and
Technology
Results
The development of cartography, the art
and science of mapmaking.
Better maps helped explorers by making
navigation easier.
There was a dramatic change in
Europeans’ view of the world.
By the 1400s, Portuguese and Spanish
shipbuilders were making an improved
ship design called caravels.
These ships were small, fast and had
shallow bottoms.
It was easier for explorers to travel along
coastlines where the water was not deep.
By the end of the 15th century, the
compass was much improved and other
tools such as the astrolabe were invented.
Sailors used these to find their direction of
travel and figure out their distance north
or south from the equator.
Europeans had powerful weapons such
as cannons and guns.
These gave Europeans a huge
advantage over the people they met in
their explorations. Sailors could fire their
cannons at targets near the shore without
leaving their ships.
Credits:
Information and maps were found at these sites:
The Age of Exploration
THE GREAT AGE OF EXPLORATION (1400–1550)
Why explorers explored the world
Europe Influences the World
Video from:
Discovery Education