Library of Congress
Loc: France in America
A bilingual overview about the French colonization of the New World. Primary source documents are provided on this Library of Congress site.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Exploring Borderlands: Samuel De Champlain
This passage highlights passionate French explorer, Samuel de Champlain, in his conquest for new lands in present day Canada and his establishment of France's North American capital of Quebec. Click the "Samuel de Champlain Activities"...
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Jamestown, Quebec, Santa Fe: Three North American Beginnings
Explore the origins of Canada and the United States as Jamestown, Quebec, and Santa Fe celebrate their 400th anniversary.
British Library
British Library: The Search for the Northwest Passage
Detailed third grade lessons help students understand what skills and knowledge were required in order to become an explorer. Includes specific lessons on John Cabot, Jacques Cartier, and Henry Hudson.
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: Jacques Cartier
Explore the St. Lawrence River with French navigator, Jacques Cartier, while reading about his voyages to Eastern Canada. Provides photos of the river, as well as a painting of his ship, Grande Hermine.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Harcourt: Biographies: Robert De La Salle
Read about one of the early French explorer and his ambitions in the New World. (In Spanish)
Curated OER
Cbc: Adventurers and Mystics: Europe and the New World
From the CBC television series about Canadian history comes this summary of the English and French search for a Northwest Passage. Find out how these explorations laid the basis for their claims in the New World.
Mariners' Museum and Park
Mariners' Museum: The Explorers
Museum website on explorers of the world. Students and teachers can link to information on any of the explorers to find out about their adventure and how they may have changed the world.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: New France
This site has a good description of the differences between the French settlements in New France and the British colonies in America. Read about the rights of the French colonists as opposed to those of the English colonists.
University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas: Exploration and Settlement Before 1675
A great map showing the explorations of Spanish, French, and English explorers in North America between 1530 and 1675. A detailed key identifies each explorer and route. From the Perry-Castaneda Collection
Texas State Historical Association
Texas State Historical Association: European Exploration [Pdf]
An activity guide where students refer to the Texas Almanac, which is free to download, for information needed to complete assigned tasks. In this lesson, students are asked to research Spanish and French explorers and create a 'living...
Other
American Journeys: Background on the Journey of Jean Nicolet, 1634
A summary of Jean Nicolet's expedition to the western Great Lakes. The information is from an account written by a Jesuit priest who was a friend of Nicolet. Read the primary source by clicking on "Read this Document."
Success Link
Success Link: Explorer Poetry Booklet
After a study of explorers in the Americas, students write poetry to show what they know about individual explorers. This lesson plan gives guidelines, ways to adapt the lesson, a graphic organizer, and scoring guide.
PBS
Empire of the Bay: Jacques Cartier
Who was Jacques Cartier? What voyages has history recorded? This one-page biography from PBS provides learners with these details and more.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Activity: Explorers Mini Project
A mini research project where students will pick an explorer who connected two world zones and answer questions about the journey of that explorer.
Mariners' Museum and Park
The Mariner's Museum: Jacques Cartier
An overview of the life of Jacques Cartier. Read about his four voyages, find maps of those voyages, and see drawings of his ships.