Name______________________________________________________
OCTOBER 9
LEIF ERICSON
leave because of Indian attacks. They
never returned.
No one is sure where Vinland
was because no records or maps
were found. The only reason people
thought the Vikings discovered
America was through Viking stories
that were passed down from
generation to generation.
People who study history need
more than stories to believe some
event happened. They must have
proof. The proof that the Vikings
visited America around the year
1000 came in 1961. Scientists found
a Viking settlement in Newfoundland,
an island off the coast of North
America. The Viking settlement,
along with the Viking stories,
gave the scientists proof that
Leif Ericson and his men landed in
North America almost 500 years
before Columbus.
On October 9, some Americans
celebrate a special day in honor of
Leif Ericson. Many people believe
that Ericson was the first person to
discover America nearly 500 years
before Columbus. Leif Ericson was
a Viking explorer. The Vikings were
great sailors who were not afraid to
explore distant lands. They were the
people who lived in what are now
the countries of Denmark, Norway,
and Sweden.
In the year 1000, Ericson left
his home in Greenland and crossed
the Atlantic Ocean. The land that he
found was North America. Ericson
called the new land Vinland because
of the many grapes that grew there.
Some people think that Vinland
was located in what is now Maine
or Massachusetts.
The Vikings spent the winter in
Vinland, but were finally forced to
©Remedia Publications 1994
17
Daily Comprehension Activities
Name______________________________________________________
LEIF ERICSON
Complete the sentences.
1. Some Americans celebrate a special day on ____________________________.
2. There are those people who think that _______________________________
discovered America before Columbus.
3. Leif Ericson was a _________________________ explorer.
4. The Vikings lived in Sweden, Denmark, and ____________________________.
5. Leif Ericson left his home in ______________________________ and
______________________________ crossed the Atlantic Ocean.
6. The land the Vikings found was______________________________________.
7. The Vikings called the new land______________________________________.
8. In 1961, scientists found a Viking _____________________________________.
9. The settlement the scientists found was in_____________________________.
10. The Vikings landed in North America almost 500 years before
_______________________________________________________________.
Research: Find Greenland, Newfoundland, and Spain on a map. Ericson sailed from
Greenland, and Columbus sailed from Spain. Write a paragraph telling why it would
have been easier for Ericson to reach North America than Columbus.
Daily Comprehension Activities
18
©Remedia Publications
Name
Leif Ericson
Facts
O
C
T
O
B
E
R
1.
In what year did Leif Ericson come to North America?
2.
What countries did the Vikings come from?
3.
Where do some people think Vinland is located now?
Locating the Answer
4.
Write the sentence that tells who the Vikings were.
Sequence
5.
Which of the following events happened first?
ⓐ
Viking stories were passed down from generation to generation.
ⓑ
Scientists found a Viking village in Newfoundland.
Cause and Effect
6.
Why did Leif call the new land Vinland?
ⓐ
He liked the sound of the name.
ⓑ
Vinland was the name of the town he was born in.
ⓒ
Many grapes grew in the new land.
Fact or Opinion
9
7.
Conclusion
8.
Daily Reading Activities: Fall
Daily Comp - Fall.indd 78
The Vikings were the bravest explorers to come to America.
From this story, you can tell that
ⓐ
scientists do not think that stories passed down from generation to
generation are completely reliable.
ⓑ
the Vikings did not like the countries in which they lived.
ⓒ
Leif Ericson and Christopher Columbus were racing each other to see
who could get to North America first.
78
© Remedia Publications
1/28/08 11:42:08 AM
Leif Ericson (October 9) – Answer Key
PG 18
1) October 9
2) Leif Ericson
3) Viking
4) Norway
5) Greenland
6) North America
7) Vinland
8) settlement
9) Newfoundland
10) Columbus
Research: Answers will vary.
PG 78
1) 1000
2) Denmark, Norway, Sweden
3) Maine or Massachusetts
4) The Vikings were great sailors who were not afraid to explore distant
lands.
5) a
6) c
7) O
8) a
Performance Objective Correlations:
• Demonstrate understanding of words and ideas
• Determine the sequence
• Distinguish between fact and opinion
• Draw conclusions
• Express/justify an opinion
• Find relevant facts
• Identify and label countries on a map
• Locate the answer
• Read for details
• Understand cause and effect
• Understand the meaning of words and ideas
• Use reference sources
• Write an original paragraph