Website Wednesday
Explorers

Celebrating Columbus Day
http://www.geocities.com/holidayzone/columbus/language.html
Think you could do a better job of convincing the queen to finance the voyage? How about creating an ocean diary of a cabin boy.  Try these activities and others in these language arts lesson plans. (Grades 2-8)
Christopher Columbus
http://www.indians.org/welker/columbu1.htm
This resource, from The American Indian Heritage Foundation, provides information on Christopher Columbus from the perspective of the Native American.  This is an especially thought-provoking website for the more advanced student, providing historical information and an opportunity to consider point of view. (Grades 4-12)
The Columbus Letter
http://www.usm.maine.edu/~maps/columbus/translation.html
This page, from the University of Southern Maine website, contains a letter that Columbus wrote to publicize his successful voyage in 1492. (Grades 4-12)
Lesson Plan – Explorers’ Experience: Making Maps
http://artsedge.kennedycenter.org/teaching_materials/curricula/curriculum.cfm?mode=overview&curriculum_id=50000510
In this activity, students will research a world explorer and prepare maps of the routes traveled. The students will create a papier-mâché map to represent the explorer’s journey. (Grades 5-6)
Elementary Themes: Explorers
http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/explorer.htm
Comprehensive site about European explorers. (Grades 3-5)
Explorers A-Z
http://www.42explore.com/explorers2.htm
Indexed list of explorer biographies from A-Z (Grades 4-12)
Age of Exploration
http://www.mariner.org/age/menu.html
Learn about the Age of Exploration from the Ancient Egyptians and Phoenicians to the voyages of Captain Cook.  (Grades 3-8)
Discoverers Web
http://www.win.tue.nl/~engels/discovery/index.html
Information about voyages of discovery and exploration.  (Grades 3-12)
Voyages of Exploration: Discovering New Horizons
http://library.thinkquest.org/C001692/
Student created site that follows in the footsteps of some of the world's greatest explorers, reliving their adventurous expeditions into the unknown.  (Grades 3-12)
Explorers: Research/Informational Sites
http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/explorer.html
Lots of informational links to facts and information about explorers. (Grades 3-12)
The Vikings
http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/vikings.htm
Theme site with Viking related links.  (Grades 3-6)

WEBQUESTS
Exploring Explorers
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/grant/explorers/
(Grades 3-8)
Spirit of Explorers
http://www.angelfire.com/nj4/frenchexplorers/index.htm
(Grades 4-8)
Explorer Project: Spice Up Your Life
http://wwwgen.bham.wednet.edu/exhome.htm
(Grades 3-6)
Explorers Webquest
http://www.gkonstantinou.com/Explorers/index.htm
Grades 3-5
Early Ocean Explorers
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/encanto/earlyexplorers/
(Grades 4-6)

Media/Technology Staff Development
MSD Perry Township