Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources Reading Comprehension Worksheets Explorers

St. Lawrence Explorers Explorers

---

St. Lawrence Explorers
Print St. Lawrence Explorers Reading Comprehension with Third Grade Work

Print St. Lawrence Explorers Reading Comprehension with Fourth Grade Work

Print St. Lawrence Explorers Reading Comprehension

Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 3 to 4
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	3.99

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		malo, quartz, navigator, explorer, staying, compass, settlement, partner, stayed, hometown, prisoner, nearby, return, coast, when, amount
	content words:		New World, Lawrence Bay, Anticosti Island, Huron Indian, Lawrence River, Nova Scotia

Other Languages
     Spanish: Los Exploradores de San Lorenzo

---

St. Lawrence Explorers By Mary Lynn Bushong

---

¹     When you think of explorers in the New World, who comes to mind? You might think of the English and Spanish. You would also think of the French. Two of the most well known French explorers were Cartier and Champlain.
 
²     Cartier was born in 1491. That is one year before Columbus sailed to the New World. He was born in a coastal town and learned to be a navigator. A navigator is someone who can read a map and make sure the ship gets to the right place. They could use the stars and a compass to find their position on the ocean.
 
³     When the king of France was looking for an explorer, he thought of Cartier. In 1534, Cartier made his first trip to the New World.
 
⁴     Cartier explored the coast of eastern Canada. He drew maps of St. Lawrence Bay, Anticosti Island, and Gaspe. They met the natives living there and learned more about the land. They did not find gold, spices, or silk, but they did make maps. When they went back to France, they also took two young Huron Indian men.
 
⁵     The king was pleased with Cartier. He sent the explorer back again the next year. The two Indians returned with him and showed him the St. Lawrence River. Cartier spent the rest of the summer and fall exploring it.
 
⁶     Cartier and his men stayed all winter. They were not ready for the cold. Sickness killed some of them. Some of the Indians helped them by brewing a tea from the white cedar tree. This cured their illness, and they were soon healthy again.
 
⁷     Cartier's men did not like the long, cold winter. They were soon bored and made trouble with the Iroquois who lived nearby. Things got so bad, Cartier was afraid they would be attacked and killed. As soon as the ice left the river, they loaded the ships and went back to France.
 
⁸     The explorer was not able to return to Canada the next year. France was at war with Spain and could not spare the ships. After six years, Cartier was finally able to leave.

Paragraphs 9 to 16:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable

---

Weekly Reading Books

Create Weekly Reading Books Prepare for an entire week at once!

---

Feedback on St. Lawrence Explorers

Leave your feedback on St. Lawrence Explorers   (use this link if you found an error in the story)

---

Explorers

Explorers

---

Social Studies

Social Studies

United States History and Theme Units         American Government         Ancient America         Ancient China         Ancient Egypt         Ancient Greece         Ancient India         Ancient Mesopotamia         Ancient Rome         Biographies         Canadian Theme Unit         Country Theme Units         Crime and Terrorism         Economics         European History: 1600s-1800s

Explorers         Famous Educators         Geography         Grades 2-3 Social Studies Wendy's World Series         History of Books and Writing         History of Mathematics         How Can I Help?         Inventors and Inventions         Middle Ages         Renaissance         World Religion         World War I         World War II         World Wonders

Copyright © 2025 edHelper