Vikings

​Big Idea

The Vikings were the first Europeans to explore North America, 500 years before Columbus.

By Cory Rayhill

Multiple Choice

Name that continent!

• Europe

• Africa

• South America

• Sailors from Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark).

• Known for shipbuilding and navigation skills.

• Traveled by longships across the North Atlantic.

​Who were the Vikings?

Multiple Choice

Where were the Vikings from?

• England

• Italy

• Scandinavia

• Around A.D. 1000, Leif Erikson sailed from Greenland to North America.

• Landed in Vinland (likely Newfoundland, Canada).

​

​Major Viking Exploration

Multiple Choice

Who led the Vikings to North America?

• Christopher Columbus

• Leif Erikson

• Marco Polo

• Built a small settlement in Vinland.

• Lasted about 3–10 years.

• Abandoned because of conflicts with Native Americans and isolation.

​

Vinland

Multiple Choice

About how long did the Viking settlement in Vinland last?

• 50 years

• 3-10 years

• A few months

Other Areas Explored:

• Greenland

• Iceland

• Parts of North America

Impact of Viking Voyages:

• Not widely known in Europe at the time.

• Had little influence on later exploration.

​

​Areas Explored

Multiple Choice

Why didn’t Viking exploration change history much?

• Europeans didn’t know about their voyages

• They never landed anywhere

• They destroyed their maps and books

Viking Summary

Vikings were the first known Europeans to explore North America, about 500 years before Columbus. They were skilled sailors and shipbuilders from Scandinavia who traveled across the North Atlantic in longships. Around A.D. 1000, Leif Erikson led an expedition from Greenland to Vinland (likely in Newfoundland, Canada), where they built a small settlement that lasted only a few years due to isolation and conflicts with Native Americans. While their exploration did not lead to lasting European contact, it was an important early step in world exploration.

Open Ended

Essential Question

Who were the Vikings, and why are they important to exploration history?