Do you know what an explorer is? Well, an explorer explores! To explore means to learn about new things. It means to learn about new places. There are many kinds of explorers.
Many kids like to watch a TV show about an explorer. It is called "Dora the Explorer." It is about a little girl who explores her surroundings.
But she is not the first explorer. Lots of people came before her.
In the past, people did not travel. They heard about remote places and distant lands. But no one had ever seen them.
Marco Polo was an early Italian explorer. He was born in 1254. When he was 17, he set off with his family on a long journey. They were going to travel to Asia.
The journey took 4 years. They traveled across mountains and deserts. When they arrived, they stayed in China for 17 years. They learned a lot in China. When they returned to Italy, they were famous. People wanted to learn about China.
Christopher Columbus was another famous explorer. He was born in Italy, too. He was born in 1451. In 1492, he went on a long voyage by boat. He wanted to discover a new world. He wanted to find gold.
Columbus was the first European to discover the Americas. He set off from Spain and used an atlas to find his way. It took over two months to reach his destination. He thought they would reach Asia, but it was actually the Americas.
He found people that lived in the Americas. He called them Indians.
Not all explorers have to go on a long journey. You can be an explorer if you want to learn new things about nature. Why is grass green? Why do dogs bark? How big is the ocean?
You can be an explorer if you want to learn new things about the world. You can go to a park to explore. You can go to a museum to explore. You can go to a new country to explore.
Sometimes, you can explore just by staying at home. You can read books to explore. You can use the internet to explore. Websites, maps and videos can all help you explore.
Exploring is easy! Get started. What would you like to explore?