Exploration Journal Project

You will assume the identity of a charactertraveling on a ship in your journal. Your journal will be a record of some of the discoveries, problems, situations and challenges explorers didor likely encountered. Your creative entries must be based on facts about the explorer or the Age of Exploration. In other words, you are writing historical fiction.

What is historical fiction?

All entries must be at least a full paragraph 5+ complete sentences in length. This project will count as a major grade.

All Journals Will Include:

  • A Cover for your Journal. It must have your chosen explorers name on it. Example, “Expeditions of Christopher Columbus, 1492” and your real name and class period.(4 points)
  • 1st entry = Fiction:Your first entry will include your characters name, theircountry of origin, age, specific duties and role aboard ship, and your personal reasons for signing aboard this expedition. (7 points)
  • 2nd entry = Historical Facts: On the second journal entry, explain the background and biographical information on your chosen explorer and his country he is sailing for.(7 points)
  • 3rd entry = Combination of Fact and Fiction: On the thirdjournal entry, describe at least two navigational instruments and how they are used to assist in the expedition.(7 points)
  • 4th Entry = Combination of Fact and Fiction: On the fourth journal entry, explain at least two diseases that were plaguing sailors on your trip during this time period, include the symptoms and treatment. The story can be fiction but the diseases must be real diseases from the Exploration Age. (7 points)
  • 5th Entry = Fact: On the fifth journal entry, describe the new land(s) or routes your crew has discovered, include location, climate and physical environment such as landforms or structures. (7 points)
  • 6th Entry = Combination of Fiction and Fact:On the sixth journal entry, describe the type of people you have come into contact with on the new land(s) and the interactions or conflicts with them. (7 points)
  • 7th Entry = Combination of Fact and Fiction: On the seventh journal entry, describe the new items native to the land you have discovered or collected on this expedition to bring back to your homeland. Include lists of native foods, animals, and other valuable resources that are really native to the discovered land.(7 points)
  • 8th Entry = Fiction or Fact:On the eighth entry, explain an interesting encounter on your voyage or demise. For example, you may have seen strange animals, experienced an extreme weather condition, or had a strange interaction with the natives. Be creative but realistic. (7 points)
  • Map:Draw or print a map showing the route of your voyage.(10 points)
  • Sketches:Include sketches of some of the new things you witnessed or collected on the voyage throughout your journal. (You may include artifacts too, if you like.)(10 points)
  • Works Cited Page– List the sources in MLA format that you used to collect your information. (10 points)
  • Neatness and creativity will be factored in your grade.(10 Points)

My Explorer: ______Due Date: ______