Europe - Explorers Take to the Sea
5th Grade Informational Reading Texts
Have you ever wondered what sparked exploration? What do you think explorers were looking for when they went on their journeys? There were several reasons for European exploration. One resource that encouraged exploration was peppercorn.
We call it pepper when we have it on our tables at dinnertime. Did you ever think about where it comes from? peppercorn was very important because it was thought to be medicinal and it also seasoned and preserved meats. Many Europeans desired spices like pepper and these were found in Asian countries, like China. To get peppercorn, Europeans had to travel across Europe and Asia, which was very time consuming and difficult to do because of mountains and large bodies of water they had to go around or across. An overland trade system was set up that connected Europe to Asia.
The journey to get the spices was long and dangerous. This led to European countries trying to find alternate routes to reach Asia for resources, such as spices. Finding new routes was challenging, though, because maps at this time were very inaccurate. People could not view places from above (an aerial view) like we can today to get an accurate picture of the world around us. In order for maps to improve, people needed to explore their surroundings.
As explorers took to the sea around them, other technologies began to be used and navigation improved for explorers. Navigation is the science of controlling the direction and location of a ship. One device that aided navigation was the astrolabe, which is a navigational instrument used by sailors to help them determine their location from the equator. The improvement of navigational technology allowed explorers to venture further away from what was known. This advancement in technology and exploration was very beneficial to the rulers of nations.
With more people willing to explore the world around them, they had much to gain. If explorers discovered a new route to Asia by sea, goods would be cheaper and they would have more access to more resources. This created competition between countries to try and be the first to explore something new. This push eventually led to many new and wonderful discoveries, as well as an explorer being able to circumnavigate or to sail all the way around the world.
We call it pepper when we have it on our tables at dinnertime. Did you ever think about where it comes from? peppercorn was very important because it was thought to be medicinal and it also seasoned and preserved meats. Many Europeans desired spices like pepper and these were found in Asian countries, like China. To get peppercorn, Europeans had to travel across Europe and Asia, which was very time consuming and difficult to do because of mountains and large bodies of water they had to go around or across. An overland trade system was set up that connected Europe to Asia.
The journey to get the spices was long and dangerous. This led to European countries trying to find alternate routes to reach Asia for resources, such as spices. Finding new routes was challenging, though, because maps at this time were very inaccurate. People could not view places from above (an aerial view) like we can today to get an accurate picture of the world around us. In order for maps to improve, people needed to explore their surroundings.
As explorers took to the sea around them, other technologies began to be used and navigation improved for explorers. Navigation is the science of controlling the direction and location of a ship. One device that aided navigation was the astrolabe, which is a navigational instrument used by sailors to help them determine their location from the equator. The improvement of navigational technology allowed explorers to venture further away from what was known. This advancement in technology and exploration was very beneficial to the rulers of nations.
With more people willing to explore the world around them, they had much to gain. If explorers discovered a new route to Asia by sea, goods would be cheaper and they would have more access to more resources. This created competition between countries to try and be the first to explore something new. This push eventually led to many new and wonderful discoveries, as well as an explorer being able to circumnavigate or to sail all the way around the world.