Social Studies
Early Exploration:
Lesson 5 –
Prince Henry the
Navigator
Why did Prince Henry explore and
what were his accomplishments?
Prince Henry the Navigator
The
BIG
Question:
Who was
Prince Henry and
what were his
accomplishments?
Prince Henry was born in 1394 in
the country of Portugal.
Prince Henry
started a
school for
the study of
navigation,
mapmaking,
and ship
building.
Prince Henry sent
expeditions of
discovery into the
Atlantic Ocean
down the western
coast of Africa.
His sailors reached
farther than any
other sailors had
reached before.
The
BIG
Question:
Why did Prince
Henry explore his
world?
He wanted to get gold, silver, and
other riches from Africa.
He wanted to find an all water route
to India by sailing around Africa.
The
BIG
Question:
Why didn’t Prince
Henry’s sailors want
to sail past Cape
Bojador in Africa?
Beware of the
Green Sea of Darkness!
The
BIG
Question:
What new ship was
used by Prince
Henry’s sailors?
The Caravel
The
BIG
Question:
What tools did
Prince Henry’s
sailors use to help
them find their way?
Magnetic
Compass
Quadrant
Astrolabe
The
BIG
Question:
How far south along
the coast of Africa
did Prince Henry’s
sailors reach?
Cape Bojador
Rio de Oro
Cape Blanco
Cape Verde
Gambia River
Cape Palmas
cartographer
a person who makes
maps or charts
expedition
a journey for some
special purpose
navigate
to sail or
steer a ship
visionary
a person who can
imagine things that
haven’t happened yet