SONGS FOR SOCIAL STUDIES™

Explorers and Expeditions

“When explores went sailing on daring expeditions
They used stars and a compass to navigate their way
Some went seeking fortune, others sought out new lands
Some explorers went out to spread the Christian faith”

Songs for Social Studies

Explorers risked their lives to travel into the great unknown. To venture into uncharted regions of the world, explorers had to be brave, adventurous and also very studious people in order to be successful. There are three major reasons explorers went on these daring expeditions: to seek fortune, find new lands and to spread the Christian faith. What would your reason be to explore a new frontier?

Would you make a good explorer? Imagine if you were placed into an area you've never been and you have no idea of what lives their! Around each bend there is more undiscovered terrain to explore. No cell phones or electrical equipment to aid you, just the stars, vague maps and a compass. A brave and adventurous spirit would certainly be needed in order to survive.

The early explorers like, the Scandinavian Vikings, faced these and many more obstacles. Historians believe the Vikings landed up in Iceland around 800A.D. in well crafted ships that they designed for the journey. Their reason for exploring was to seek out better farm land.

Though the Vikings are known by many simply as barbarians who raided villages, this is a great misconception. The Scandinavian Vikings were highly developed artist and craftsmen. They studied marine technology, exploration, and the development of commerce. The Vikings should be understood more as traders, not raiders. The Scandinavian Vikings were one of the first groups of explorers from Europe to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

To be an explorer back then you had to be proficient in astrology. Astrology is the study of stars. Explorers depended on the stars to help them navigate across the ocean and find their way back home again. The other tool they depended on was a compass. The arrow of a compass always points north.

Explorers opened up a wealth of information to the world. There is still much to be explored in this world and vast universe. Maybe you could become one of our next important explorers!

To find out more about explorers and expeditions, see the lyrics and hear the song sample.