1

Age of Exploration
By the end of the 15th century many thing were chang-
ing in Europe. The population started to grow more
quickly and a new class of merchants emerged. They
Words wanted to buy and sell expensive and valuable products
from Asia—like gold, jewels and silk.

cinnamon =a sweet brown substance In those days, people had no refrigerators to preserve
that gives cake and other sweet their food. They dried meat and often used salt to make
foods a special taste it last longer. To make food taste better they used
spices , like pepper or cinnamon.
convinced = to be sure that some-
thing is true For centuries Europeans brought these goods on a land route from Asia over
thousands of dangerous kilometres . In the 15th century the overland routes
emerge = to come up were being controlled by the Turkish Empire, which made it even more diffi-
empire = a group of countries that cult for European merchants to pass through.
are controlled by a king
As a result, some European countries, like Spain and Portugal, decided to find
explore = to travel around a place out if there was a sea route to India. With the help of new kinds of ships that
and find out something about it could sail faster and instruments , like the quadrant, they started the Age of
Exploration.
jewels = very valuable stones , like
diamonds
Portuguese exploration
merchant = a person who buys and
sells goods
At the end of the 15th century the Portuguese started to explore the west
passageway = a route coast of Africa. They set up trading posts and collected gold and silver. They
preserve = to last longer were convinced that by sailing around the coast of Africa they would find a
route to India.
population = the people of a country
In 1487 , the Portuguese explorer Bartholomeu Dias sailed around the south-
prove = to show that something is ern part of the continent and got as far as the east coast of Africa, but a
true storm made him turn back.
quadrant = an instrument used for On his return voyage, he
sailing to find out where you are saw a piece of land that
stretched out into the sea.
reach = get to The Portuguese named it
refrigerator = a kitchen machine the Cape of Good Hope be-
that is used to keep food cool cause they were hopeful of
finding a passageway to
silk = a smooth cloth that is very India.
thin. It is made by a silkworm
In 1497 Vasco Da Gama set
spices = powder or seeds that are out from Lisbon, sailed
used to make food taste better around the Cape of Good
stretch out =extend, reach out Hope and into the Indian
Ocean. He reached the
trading post = a place where people west coast of India in May
could buy or sell goods 1498. He took some spices
and gold back with him to
valuable = things that cost a lot
prove that he had reached India. Vasco da Gama„s route to Africa in
voyage = a journey by sea 1497/98
 2

Age of Exploration
Christopher Columbus

Words Christopher Columbus was probably the most famous explorer of the era. He
achieved fame by sailing west in search of a sea route to India. Instead of
achieve =get, reach reaching India he discovered that there was an unknown mass of land in be-
tween, land that the Europeans knew nothing of.
admire = to think very highly about
someone Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy in 1451 and during his early years his fa-
ther took him on various sailing trips and wanted to make a merchant out of
crew = the people who work on a him.
ship or plane
Like many navigators of that time, Columbus also wanted to sail to India and
explorer = someone who travels the Far East. He thought that if he sailed west he would also reach the Spice
through unknown places and wants Islands of Asia and India. When he went
to find out things about them to the king of Portugal to present his
fame =to be known by many people plan, but it was rejected. Queen Isabella
because you have done something of Spain admired young and brave men
great like Columbus and so she gave him three
ships—the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa
mainland = the main area of land Maria—and a crew of 90 men.
that forms a country, the islands do
not belong to it Columbus left Spain on August 3, 1492.
After two months of sailing westward, he
mass = a very large piece of some- landed on an island of the Bahamas, San
thing Salvador, on October 12, 1492. Because
he thought he had reached the islands
merchant = a person who buys and
near India he called the natives Indians.
sells goods
All together, Columbus made four voyages to the New World between 1492
mouth = the place where a river
and 1504. He explored the coasts of Cuba, Jamaica , Hispaniola, and Puerto
flows into the sea
Rico. On his last two voyages, Columbus reached the mainland of Central
native = a person who was born and South America and travelled as far south as the mouth of the Orinoco
there River.

navigator = a person on a ship who After he came home from his

tries to find a route somewhere fourth voyage, Christopher
Columbus fell ill and died in
present = to show 1506.
reach = get to

reject = to say no
After sailing westward for
Spice Islands = islands near Asia that two months Columbus
were famous for having many spices reached the West Indies
on October 12, 1492.
various = many different kinds of

voyage = a journey by sea

 3

Age of Exploration
Other Spanish Explorers
Words
During the early 1500s Spanish explorers trav-
cattle = cows that are kept on farms elled across most of Central and South America.
for milk and meat They founded colonies and brought settlers to
century = a hundred years the New World. They also made the native Indians
claim = to take something legally work for them. The Spaniards brought new prod-
conquer = to get control of a country ucts to the Americas ,like wheat, horses, cattle and sheep. In exchange ,
by fighting they grew plants that were not known in Europe, like corn and potatoes and
conquistador = a Spanish explorer who brought them back to the Old Continent.
conquered parts of America in the 16th
In 1513 the Spanish explorer Vasco de Balboa landed in Panama, the part of
and 17th centuries
Central America that is very narrow. With his men, he fought his way through
empire = a group of countries that are
50 miles of jungle and was surprised to see a new sea , the Pacific Ocean.
controlled by a king
expand = to reach from one place to One of the most important Spanish conquistadors was
another Hernando Cortes. He conquered the Aztec empire in
explorer = a person who travels 1521. In 1532 and 1533 Francisco Pizarro conquered the
around a place and wants to find out Incas. These natives ruled an empire that expanded
something about it from Columbia to the northern parts of Argentina. The
found = to start a company or create a Incas had great riches, vast amounts of gold and silver.
new town When the Spanish got there they took all of it away from
huge = very, very big the Incas.
in exchange = if you give a person
something, you get something else
from him
in honour = to show how much you French and English explorers
respect or like somebody The French and the English concentrated their journeys on the northern part
journey = trip, expedition of the continent, because they thought that there also had to be a north-
narrow =thin, not wide western route to India.
natives = people who were born in a
In 1497 John Cabot, an Italian who sailed for England, landed on the east
country and live there
coast of Canada. In 1534 Jacques Cartier sailed down the St. Lawrence River
permanent = to exist for a long time
and reached the Great Lakes. He claimed this territory for the king of
reach = get to France.
riches = a lot of money , gold and sil-
ver During the 1600s the French and English began to set up colonies. The French
settlement = a new town that is built concentrated on the St .Lawrence valley and the Great Lakes and founded
in a place where people have not lived towns like Montreal, or Detroit.
before
At the end of the century Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette sailed down the
settler = a person who lives in a place
Mississippi River. The land near the Gulf of Mexico was called Louisiana, in
where not many people have lived be-
fore
honour of the French king. Settlements like St. Louis or New Orleans show
French origin.
set up = start, open up
Spaniard = a person from Spain The first permanent settlement in North America was founded at James-
territory = new land town , Virginia in 1607. In 1610 Henry Hudson sailed around north-eastern
vast amounts = a lot of Canada and discovered a huge body of water which he thought was the Pa-
wheat =a grain that you make white cific Ocean. Today it is known as Hudson Bay.
bread out of
 4

Age of Exploration
Amerigo Vespucci

Words Amerigo Vespucci was an Italian-born explorer who explored the mainland of
America at the end of the 15th century. A German mapmaker believed that
Vespucci was the first to reach the New World ,so he suggested naming the
century = a hundred years new land America.
expedition = a trip to a dangerous , Although Vespucci was probably not one of the greatest explorers of the time,
mostly unknown place he was the first navigator who explored South America.
crew = the people who work on a
ship or plane

damaged = broken Magellan sails around the world

explorer = a person who travels
around a place and wants to find out In 1519 the Portuguese sailor Ferdinand Magellan set out to find India by sail-
something about it ing around South America. He sailed for Spain because the Portuguese didn‟t
give him any money for this expedition.
mainland = the main area of land
that forms a country, the islands do Magellan had 5 ships and a crew of 240. When he reached the southern tip of
not belong to it South America, he got into bad, stormy weather. Two of his ships were badly
damaged and couldn‟t continue the journey. With three ships he sailed
mapmaker = a person who draws through a strait, that later was named after him , the Strait of Magellan.
maps
When he reached the Pacific Ocean, he sailed for there months without any
navigator = a person on a ship who sight of land. Finally , in April of 1521 he landed on the Philippine Islands.
tries to find a route somewhere Magellan got into a fight with native islanders and was killed there.
sight =view Only one ship could continue the voyage. It crossed the Indian Ocean and
sailed around the Cape of Good Hope. With only twenty people on board it
strait = a narrow passage of water
reached Spain three years after it had set out.
between two areas of land

suggest = to tell somebody what

they should do

tip = the end of something

voyage = a journey by sea

Magellan‘s journey
around the world
 5

Age of Exploration

Timeline
Words

cut off =block, so that nobody can 1450 Prince Henry the Navigator builds a school for sailors.
pass through
1453 The Turkish empire cuts off the land route from Asia to
discover = to find something for the Europe. Search for a sea route begins.
first time
1487 Bartholomeu Dias discovers the southern tip of Africa.
empire = a group of countries that
are controlled by a king 1492 Christopher Columbus lands on an island of the Bahamas.

mapmaker = a person who draws

1497 John Cabot discovers Newfoundland while he searches for a
maps
north-western passage to India.
pilgrim = a religious person who 1498 Vasco Da Gama finds a sea route to India by sailing around Af-
travels a long way to a holy place rica.

sailor = someone who works on a 1502 Amerigo Vespucci returns from his explorations of South Amer-
ship ica. A German mapmaker names the New World after him.

settlement = a new town that is

1513 Vasco de Balboa discovers the eastern shore of the Pacific
built in a place where people have
Ocean.
not lived before
1519-1522 Magellan sails around the world.
tip = the end of something
1521 Hernando Cortez defeats the Aztec empire.

1533 Francisco Pizarro defeats the Inca empire.

1534 Jacques Cartier sails down the St. Lawrence River and discov-
ers the Great Lakes.
1577 Sir Francis Drake is the first Englishman to sail around the
world.
1607 The first settlement is called Jamestown.

1610 Henry Hudson discovers Hudson Bay.

1620 The Mayflower lands with pilgrims in the New World.

1673 Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet explore the Missis-
sippi River.
 6

Age of Exploration
Answer the questions in you own words!

1. What were the merchants of the 15th century interested in ? ___________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What did people use to preserve meat ?______________________________________________________________

3. Why couldn‟t Europeans use the land route to Asia any more ? __________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. What made travelling by sea interesting in this era ? ___________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Who were the first explorers to find a sea route around Africa ? _________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Why did the Portuguese name the southern tip of Africa the “Cape of Good Hope” ? _______________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Which country did Christopher Columbus come from ? Where was he born ? _______________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Why did he sail for Spain ? _________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. On which group of islands did Columbus land in 1492 ? _________________________________________________

10. Why did he call the natives Indians ?_________________________________________________________________

11. How many voyages did Columbus make ? _____________________________________________________________

12. What are conquistadors ? __________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. Name two famous empires in Central and South America at that time ? ___________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

14. What did the Spanish want from the Indians ? _________________________________________________________

15. Who was the first explorer to see the Pacific Ocean ? __________________________________________________

16. Which part of America did the French concentrate their journeys on ? ____________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

17. Where was the first settlement in America ? __________________________________________________________

18. Why is America named after Vespucci ? ______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

19. Why did Magellan have to give up some of his ships ? __________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

20. What happened to Magellan on the Philippine Islands ? _________________________________________________

7

Age of Exploration

Write an essay about Christopher Columbus . You can

use the mind map below to arrange your ideas !

Spain Portugal

Born
Country
when ? where

Sea route

Youth Plan

Father Ships, crew

Merchant Sailing trips Atlantic

Ocean

First
Journey
Other Bahamas
Voyages

Islands
Natives

Mainland

Death
 8

Age of Exploration

Match the dates from the box below!

1487 - 1492 - 1497 - 1498 — 1506 - 1512 - 1513 - 1519 - 1533 - 1620

___________ Magellan starts his journey around the world.

___________ Cortes conquers the Aztec empire.

___________ Bartholomeu Dias sails around the southern part of Africa.

___________ Pizarro defeats the Incas.

___________ John Cabot sails along the east coast of Canada.

___________ Mayflower lands with pilgrims in America

___________ Columbus discovers America.

___________ Vasco de Balboa lands in Panama and discovers the Pacific Ocean.

___________ Columbus dies.

___________ Vasco da Gama reaches India.

Complete the text with words from the box !

Asia
centuries
The __________________ of the 15th century were very _________________ in buying interested
and selling ________________ goods. They _________________ gold, _________________ jewels
and silk — products that they got from ____________. People of those days also needed land route
________________ to make food taste better. merchants
money
For __________________ , European merchants brought these goods on a Portugal
____________________ from Asia. But by the 15th century, the _________________ be- powerful
came so _________________ that they controlled the most important routes and wanted reach

more _________________ from the Europeans traders. Spain

Spice Islands
So some countries , like _______________ and ________________ , wanted to find an- spices
other route to Asia. They thought that they could ___________________ India and the traded
______________________ by sea. Turks
valuable
 9

Age of Exploration

Match the two halves of the sentences !

A European merchants of the 15th century but he didn‟t give him any ships.

B The Portuguese set up trading posts brought corn and potatoes back to Europe.

Christopher Columbus went to the king of

C because he thought he had reached Asia.
Portugal with his plans

D Queen Isabella was a person and claimed the land for the king of France.

E On his last voyages Columbus bought and sold goods from Asia

F He called the natives Indians named the New World after Amerigo Vespucci.

G Spanish explorers explored the mainland of South America

H The conquistadors were Spanish explorers have French names

Jacques Cartier sailed down the St. Law-

I he got into bad weather and lost two ships.
rence River

J Most towns along the Mississippi River on the west coast of Africa

K A German mapmaker who admired young and brave men.

When Magellan reached the southern tip of

L who defeated Indian empires in America
America

Unscramble the words and find the names of famous explorers .

BCLOUMSU

NLLGAMEA

CPUICVSE

ROSCTE

CRRETIA

MAADAG
10

Age of Exploration
Crossword

3 4

5 6

7 8 9 10

11

12

13

14

Across Down
3. to think very highly about a person 1. a very valuable stone
5. to travel around a place and find out 2. a sea journey
something about it 4. a person who buys and sells goods
8. powder or seeds that are used to make food 6. a trip toa dangerous, mostly unknown place
taste better (plural) 7. an instruments that sailor use to find out
11. the main area of land that forms a country ; where they are
not the islands 9. to get control of a country by fighting
12. a group of countries ruled by a king or queen 10. a narrow waterway between two areas of
14. a new town that is built in a place where land
nobody has ever lived before 13. a smooth cloth that is very thin
 11

Age of Exploration
Crossword—Answer Key

1
J

E
2
W V
3 4
A D M I R E O

E L Y
5 6
E X P L O R E E A

C X G
7 8 9 10
Q H S P I C E S

U A E O T
11
M A I N L A N D N R

D T I Q A
12
E M P I R E T U I
13
A S I E T

N I O R
14
S E T T L E M E N T

Across Down
3. to think very highly about a person 1. a very valuable stone
5. to travel around a place and find out 2. a sea journey
something about it 4. a person who buys and sells goods
8. powder or seeds that are used to make food 6. a trip toa dangerous, mostly unknown place
taste better (plural) 7. an instruments that sailor use to find out
11. the main area of land that forms a country ; where they are
12

Age of Exploration
Crossword – People, Names and Places

5 6

7 8

9 10

11 12

13 14

15 16

17

18

Across Down
3. explorer after whom America was named 1. He discovered the New World in 1492
7. many explorers wanted to find a sea route 2. queen of Spain in the 15th century
to this country 4. river in South America
8. small country in Central America 5. explorer who found a sea route to India
10. English explorer who sailed around the around Africa
northern part of America 6. Spanish conquistador of the 16th century
13. country that set up trading posts in Africa 9. part of America that was named after a
14. group of islands on which Columbus landed French king
15. explorer who sailed around the southern 11. ship that brought English settlers to America
part of Africa 12. explorer who sailed around the world
16. town where Columbus was born
17. empire in South America that was
conquered by the Spanish
18. name of the first settlement in North
America
13

Age of Exploration
Crossword – People, Names and Places

1
C
O
2
I L
3
V E S P U C C I
A M
B B
E U
4
O L S
5 6
R L D C
7 8
I N D I A P A N A M A O
N G R
9 10
O L C A B O T
11 12
C O M M M E
13 14
P O R T U G A L B A H A M A S
I Y G
15 16
D I A S F G E N O A
I L L
17
I N C A O L
N W A
18
J A M E S T O W N
R