1. Warm Up:
“You must know that it is the greatest palace that ever was…The roof was lofty, and the walls of the Palace are all covered in gold and silver. They are [covered] with…dragons, beasts and birds…on each of the four sides there is a great marble staircase leading to the top of the marble wall…”
--Marco Polo
What is Marco Polo describing?
Where do you think this place is?
Would you like to go there?

2. Marco Polo at the Palace of Kublai Khan China, 1271

3. Marco Polo’s Travels

5. What MOTIVATED European Explorers? What OBSTACLES did they face?
Today’s Question:
What MOTIVATED European Explorers? What OBSTACLES did they face?

6. Agenda:
In groups: brainstorm reasons to explore and reasons not to explore
Notes/discussion: MOTIVATIONS and OBSTACLES of European Explorers
Begin ship log

7. Would you explore new lands?
Country Name
Reasons TO explore
Reasons NOT TO explore

10. Motivation: the reason a person has for acting a certain way

11. Motivations for Exploration
G_____: Explorers wanted to get rich. G_____: Explorers hoped to spread Christianity. G_____: Explorers wanted their countries to become more powerful.

13. Obstacle: a thing that blocks your way

14. Obstacles faced by explorers
Poor navigational __________ (compasses, maps)

16. Obstacles faced by explorers
Lack of __________.
___________ and starvation.

18. Obstacles faced by explorers
Fear of the _____________.

21. Ship log
You are an explorer who has set sail from Europe to explore new territories. Write a log describing TWO MOTIVATIONS for leaving home and TWO OBSTACLES you faced on your journey.