Seven Reasons for Exploration

A few years back, I started using Hands-On History: Explorers by Michael Gravois to use with our textbook to make things more hands-on for my early explorers unit. I also use his Colonial and American Revolution ones as well.

The first activity that I use is the Seven Reasons for Exploration activity. You start by making a cute mini-book out of a sheet of paper. Here are the visual steps.

You can use this book for anything! After filling out each reason (curiosity, wealth, fame, religion, national pride, better trade routes, and foreign goods), students glue their booklet on the first page of their explorer notebook and title and decorate it.