Hey there! I was 10 years old when Columbus first set sail. Growing up, I was very smart! When I grew up, I knew I wanted to find this “new world” that everyone was talking about!

Even though I was born in Italy in 1485, it was France that hired me. You see, France had fallin’ behind in the race to Asia. I was just the man pull them in the lead. See, those are my ships down there setting sail. Want to hear how my trip went? Think! When and where was Verrazano born? What country did he explore for? Write your answer on your “Background Information” fact card.

Well, France gave my crew and I four ships to set sail toward the “new world.” The sea can be rough, though. There are storms all of the time. Unfortunately on our voyage, two of our ships were damaged in storms and had to return to France. The rest of us pressed on! We were on a mission.

Anyway, just like everyone else in my day, my crew was looking for that quick pathway to Asia. We sailed….and sailed….and sailed…for 50 days before any sight of land. Finally – there it was! Finally! Land ho!!!! Think! What was Verrazano's goal for sailing? Write your answer on your “Goals” fact card.

At first I pointed my ship south when we saw land, but then decided to head north. While heading north, I never lost sight of the coastline. I was hoping to eventually find a water pathway that would lead me further west. You don’t have to be so bossy! Keep your eye on that coast! Sorry, I’m just excited.

For the next few months, my crew and I kinda poked around the Northeastern coastline stopping at places here and there. At some of the places we stopped, we met some of the locals. We even traded with them. What part of the “new world” did Verrazano and his crew explore around? Write your answer on your “Voyages” fact card.

Alright, I know, my exploration doesn’t look impressive, especially compared to Columbus. I know, I know! But, I DID do something other than just go up and down the coast. I promise. Is this all we’re gonna do – just go up and down the coast? I know, right? This is NOT what I signed up for!

What’s this green spot on the map, here? Is that France? If that’s France, then we’re WAY off! Listen, you don’t know how hard it was searching for a pathway to Asia. We didn’t know where to look or where to go. We didn’t have the greatest maps, ya know. That’s where I came in, handy. Remember how I told you how smart I was growing up? Well, my great skills in math came in handy as an explorer.

Since my crew covered so much land, I was able to create better maps of the area we explored. We also stopped for a while in the New York Harbor, exploring that area a bit. What specific area of land did Verrazano discover? Write your answer on your “Voyages” fact card.

So there you have it. I may not have gotten as popular as Columbus, but I was still an important explorer because I helped make maps better and I claimed New York Harbor for France! What were the major results of Verrazano’s voyages? Write your answer on your “Results” fact card.

End of Section This is the end of Giovanni da Verrazano’s journey.