The Age of Exploration & Discovery
The Age of Exploration and Discovery was a period from the mid-15th century through the 17th century during which Europeans explored the world by ocean in search of trade routes to Asia and for goods such as gold, silver, and spices. These links to library materials, resources, and World Wide websites will help you find information about the period, the explorers, and their discoveries.
At the Library
Youth biographies and nonfiction books about explorers
Youth nonfiction books about the Age of Exploration
Youth videos and DVDs about explorers
Explorers of New Lands book series
Explorers of New Worlds book series
Available from home for Skokie Public Library cardholders:
- Searchasaurus
Select History and then Explorers. Next, filter the results by magazines, newspapers, books and encyclopedias, or biographies.
On the Web
...for grades 3 through 5
- Explorers: A Pathfinder for Grade 5
- Print, online, and audio-visual resources for learning about explorers.
- National Maritime Museum: Tudor Exploration
- Students can write a letter to the English monarch requesting support for their expedition, learn about navigation tools of the period, the ships used for explorations, and available maps. Follow the "Find the Evidence" link for pictures and descriptions of actual items in the museum’s collection.
...for grades 5 through 8
- 1492: An Ongoing Voyage
- This Web-based version of a Library of Congress exhibit examines contact between European explorers and the American people between 1492 and 1600.
- Conquistadors: Online Learning Adventure
- An innovative educational resource about the Spanish conquistadors (Cortés, Pizarro, Orellana, and Cabez de Vaca) in the New World and the legacy of their conflict with the Native Americans. Recommended for middle and high school students.
- Dewey Browse: Explorers
- This list of links to websites about explorers is arranged by Dewey Decimal numbers.
- Discoverer’s Web
- This no-frills collection of Web information about voyages of discovery and exploration is organized by time period, region, and alphabetically. The site also includes links to other websites about discovery and exploration.
- The European Voyages of Exploration: The Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries
- A tutorial which introduces students to Spain and Portugal during the 15th and 16th centuries. Includes motivations for exploration, actual journeys, and the consequences of colonization.
- Explorers
- This index includes links to explorer websites and projects.
- Explorers A to Z
- Browse this A-to-Z list for links to biographies of explorers.
- Famous Explorers and Resources About Columbus
- This directory of websites is jam-packed with links to information about Christopher Columbus and other famous explorers.
- The Mariners’ Museum: Age of Exploration
- This online curriculum guide for teachers and students addresses maritime discovery from ancient times to Captain Cook’s 1768 voyage to the South Pacific. Includes biographies, timeline, vocabulary, and activities. Recommended for grades 3 through high school.
- Multnomah County Library Homework Center: Explorers
- Includes links to all kinds of information about explorers.
- Pathfinders and Passageways: The Exploration of Canada
- Information from the Canadian Library and Archives about the exploration of Canada with explorer biographies, maps, an explanation of mapmaking, and descriptions of the ships used by explorers. Includes The Exploration of Canada and True Tales of Adventure for Young Explorers.
- Voyage of Exploration: Discovering New Horizons
- A ThinkQuest site with a database of great explorers, an exploration timeline, and descriptions of expeditions and navigation methods.