Leading the Way
Who discovered and explored the land we now call Canada? Was it the Native people who were living here or the Europeans who came over the ocean in search of adventure and riches?
The National Library of Canada's Passageways: True Tales of Adventure for Young Explorers website gives the answers to these questions. The activity below will show you how to get around on the website and introduce you to the exciting and dangerous world of exploration!
Follow the instructions below and answer questions 1 to 15 in your books or on a piece of paper. Remember to write full and proper sentences!
A. Go to the "Introduction" page.
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Click on "Land Bridge to the New World -- Prehistory".
1. Why was the sea level lower 15 000 years ago?
So much of the Earth's water was frozen on land that the sea level went down.
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B. Go back to the "Introduction" page.
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Click on "Crossing the Atlantic -- 11th Century".
2. The Norse were the first Europeans known to have crossed the Atlantic Ocean and live in North America. How many years would it be before another European would sail to North America?
It would be another 500 years.
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C. Go to the "Introduction" page.
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Click on Click on "The "New" Continent -- 16th Century"..
3. What did explorers hope to find when they first crossed the Atlantic Ocean?
They hoped to find Asia.
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Click on "Frobisher".
4. What was Frobisher most famous for in his time?
He was most famous as a pirate and privateer.
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D. Go back to the "Introduction" page.
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Click on Click on "Expanding in All Directions -- 17th Century"..
5. What did explorers do when they realized that there was a continent between Europe and Asia?
They began to look for ways around it or through it.
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Click on "Champlain".
6. How many voyages did Champlain make to New France?
He made twelve voyages.
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E. Go back to the "Introduction" page.
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Click on "Exploring Westward -- 18th Century"..
7. Where were some of the areas Europeans had colonies or trading posts?
There were colonies and trading posts in Newfoundland, Acadia, along the St. Lawrence River and around Hudson Bay.
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Click on "Kelsey".
8. What is Henry Kelsey credited with?
He is credited with being the first European to see the Rockies.
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E. Go back to the "Introduction" page.
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Click on "Mapping The Northwest -- 18th Century"..
9. What were two reasons explorers kept pushing inland?
Some were looking for furs or metals such as copper and gold; others wanted to reach the Pacific Ocean by land.
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Click on "Fraser".
10. What is Simon Fraser mainly remembered for?
He is remembered as the explorer of what is now called the Fraser River.
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G. Go back to the "Introduction" page.
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Click on "The Pacific Coast -- 18th Century"..
11. What were some of the explorers of Canada's west coast hoping to find?
They were hoping to find the other (western) side of the Northwest Passage.
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Click on "Cook".
12. Name some areas that Cook mapped.
He mapped many parts of the Pacific, including New Zealand, Hawaii and the west coast of North America.
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H. There are some words used throughout the website that may be hard to understand. The meaning of these words can be found in the glossary. Go to the glossary now and answer the following questions:
13. What is the Northwest Passage?
The route through the islands north of Canada that ships can pass through from the Atlantic Ocean (east) to the Pacific Ocean (west) or back again.
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14. What is the Hudson's Bay Company and what did it mainly trade in the past?
The Hudson's Bay Company is Canada's oldest company. It was formed in 1670 under the English King Charles II. In the past it mainly traded furs. It eventually became the "Bay" department store.
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15. What was New France?
The territory in North America controlled and settled by France before the British won control in 1763, including Acadia. After this, part of the area became known as Quebec.
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Total Marks: /15
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