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Grade 3 Social Studies · World 5: Explorers · Level 30
Why Explore?
Reasons: gold and riches, a water route to Asia, land, spreading religion, and fame.
Warm-up, learn, try it together, practice, then a quick check. About 15 minutes.
What children learn in Level 30
- About 500 years ago, rulers in Europe sent explorers across the Atlantic Ocean. An explorer is a person who travels to learn about new places. Why did they go? Here are five big reasons.
- Gold and riches! Explorers hoped to find gold, silver, and pearls, and to get rich.
- A water route to Asia! Spices like pepper and cinnamon, and cloth like silk, came from Asia. Going over land was long, slow, and cost a lot, so Europeans hoped to sail there instead.
- Land for their country, and spreading their religion. Rulers wanted more land to rule, and to spread Christianity to new places.
- Fame! Explorers wanted to be famous and remembered. Some rivers and bays are still named after them.
- Explorers sailed for a country. Columbus was born in Italy, but he sailed for Spain: Spain paid for the trip and claimed the land he reached.
- Remember: the Americas were new to Europeans, but millions of American Indians already lived here.
Georgia Standards of Excellence in Social Studies:
- SS3H2.a — Describe the reasons for and obstacles to the exploration of North America.