5TH Grade Explorer Project
Name ___________________________
Explorer ________________________
Student Initials _______________
Parent Initials
_______________
(Initialed Agreement due Tuesday, September 8, 2015)
Ahoy Matey! All hands on deck! Get ready to create a top quality report about an early European
Explorer. You will need to research information carefully, type your report, and do your best work to receive
the maximum points possible. No idle hands allowed!
Warning…The report will be worked on at school and at home, so ALWAYS keep notes in your folder in
your backpack and NEVER leave them at home.
Make sure that the work you do is written using your own thoughts and words. DO NOT COPY exact phrases
from book or the internet. I’m interested in an original report written by you, and not a copied report from sources that
you use! You must type this report and it should be student created and not parent generated. Parents may help you by
checking for spelling, punctuation, and sentence fluency, but should not “feed you” sentences.
This project has THREE parts: a written report, an oral presentation, and an artifact/symbol that you create.
You will be given grades in writing, listening & speaking, social studies, and technology for elements of the project.
Here’s our schedule of due dates:
It is important to follow the due date schedule below so you are not overwhelmed tying to finish the report for the final
due date. Completion grades will be given for each separate due date to encourage you to stay on track!
___September 14th___ All research notecards are due (A minimum of 25 notecards each containing 1 detail required)
___September 16th___ Cover and Page One (The Early Years) due
___September 18th___ Page Two (Explorations) and Page Three (Map of Explorations) due
___September 21st___ Entire Report (including Bibliography) due
___September 25th__ Explorer artifact/symbol due
October 14th______ Presentation PowerPoint or Prezi due
October 19th-21st__ Oral Presentation Dates
October 22nd-23rd Presentations for other grade levels on campus
5TH Grade Explorer Project
Explorer Artifact/Symbol Guidelines
Create an artifact or symbol that does one of the following:
 Describes a land your explorer discovered
 Describes a tool your explorer created/relied on during expeditions
 Describes the route your explorer took
 Describes what happened to your explorer/crew
Be creative – the options are endless. Be sure to get your artifact/symbol approved by your teacher before starting!
I would like to create this artifact/symbol: __________________________________________________________________
Teacher Approval: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Oral Presentation Guidelines
Create a PowerPoint presentation, or a Prezi, to share the following information with the class:
 Tell the name of your explorer and show a picture of him.
 Tell when and where your explorer was born and his death date.
 Tell why your explorer was important, which places he explored, and any new discoveries made or
treasures found.
 Tell at least one interesting thing you learned about your explorer.
 Dress like your explorer – find an article (or more) of clothing to represent your explorer
 Make sure your presentation is 1-3 minutes in length.
Also, be prepared to share your artifact/symbol with others, as well. We will invite other classes to hear/see your work.
Oral Presentation Reminders:
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Memorize your information
Practice, Practice, Practice!
Use a strong voice and good eye contact
You may have notecards, but only use key words (not sentences!)
The Report
You must include the following:
1.
Cover:
a. Title including the explorer’s name
b. Your name below the title
c. Illustrations (hand-drawn or from the internet)
2. Page One: The Early Years
a. Explorer’s birth date and place
b. Information that you can find about the explorer’s early years of life
Warning: this will be the most challenging section in which to find information. Be a detective and dig deep!
3. Page Two: Explorations
a. The country that sponsored the journey
b. The places explored by the explorer
c. New discoveries made or treasures found
d. Positive contributions
e. Negative actions (ex: mistreatment of native peoples)
f. Other interesting information
g. Specifically state why this explorer was important or what contribution he made to world
knowledge at that time
4. Page Three: Map of Explorations
a. Show your explorer’s route(s) on the world map
b. Color the map, as well
c. Optional pictures may include a similar ship to your explorer’s or a monument to him
d. Pictures can be hand-drawn, photocopied, or from the internet
5. Page Four: Bibliography
a. Include at least 3 sources – each numbered separately (ex: 1, 2, 3)
b. Books should have the title, as well as the author’s name
c. Encyclopedias should be listed specifically (ex: World Book)
d. Websites should be precisely listed and not search engines (NO Google/Yahoo, etc.)
e. No Wikipedia – information is not reliable
f. Extra space should be decorated with explorer tools or supplies (ex: tall ship, charter, compass,
astrolabe, hourglass, ropes, North Star, early map of the world, salt junk, grog, hardtack, gold
treasures, etc.)
**Each page should be decorated with some pictures relating to exploration/your explorer. These can be handdrawn or from the internet.
**When done, proofread your report. Check for capitals, periods, and perfect spelling (use that dictionary!).
If not, you may be thrown to the sharks!
List of Early European Explorers:
Per Standards:
John Cabot – Trey, River, Parker
Jacques Cartier – Harrison, Patrick
Samuel Champlain – Ava, Dylan
Ponce de Leon – Ashley, Alayna
Hernan de Soto – Sutton, Naedia
Henry Hudson – Hannah, Andrew, Hudson
Additional Explorers:
Giovanni da Verrazano – Kalia, Ainsley
Leif Erickson (Eriksson) – Erin F., Derek, Rylie
Ferdinand Magellan – Peyton, Jake, Erin S.
Vasco Nunez de Balboa – Reece, Michael
Marco Polo – Zeke, Jimmy, Colin
Amerigo Vespucci – Hailey, Shaye