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Explorers

Spanish Explorers of America

Spanish Explorers of America
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 3 to 4
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   3.8

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    Hernando, monk, northwest, explorer, riches, youth, search, neither, wealth, fountain, west, sail, island, matter, sickness, during
     content words:    Christopher Columbus, Leif Eriksson, Hoei Shin, Vasco Balboa, Pacific Ocean, Ferdinand Magellan, Atlantic Ocean, South America, Philippine Islands, Hernando De Soto

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Other Languages
     Spanish: Exploradores Españoles de América

Spanish Explorers of America
By Mary Lynn Bushong 		  
1     Who was the first explorer of America? Do you know? Some people think it was Christopher Columbus. Some people think it was a Viking named Leif Eriksson. Others credit a Chinese monk named Hoei Shin.
 
2     The first explorers from Spain were led by Columbus. He was sent by Isabella, the queen of Spain. His job was to find a shorter way to get to China. It took months to get to China by sailing around Africa. Columbus thought he could get there by sailing due west.
 
3     When Columbus sailed west in 1492, he did not find China. He found the island of Haiti. He thought the land was really India and called the natives, Indians. He soon found out that he was wrong. That did not matter. He saw that the land was good and the people had gold. He went back to Spain and told the queen. She was very happy with him. He made three more trips back to the new world.
 
4     Many people in Spain wanted more money. Some thought they could get rich quick in the new world. One of those men was Vasco Balboa. During his search for gold in 1513, he crossed Panama. On the other side he saw the Pacific Ocean. He claimed it for Spain.
 
5     That same year, Ponce de Leon began to explore Florida. He called it that because of all the flowers. He tried to start many settlements. He also looked for something. He tried to find the fountain of youth, but he never did.

Paragraphs 6 to 11:
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