MATTHEW HENSON

WHO IS MY EXPLORER?

• He was born in Maryland, USA in 1886
• Famous for being a great American Arctic explorer.
• Hired to accompany and be an assistant to another explorer called Robert Peary who was sent to explore the North Pole by the Navy.
• Died in Maryland in 1955.
• He had strong navigational skills and was smart.

WHAT DID MY EXPLORER DO?

• He was the first person to reach North Pole.
• Also explored Greenland.
• After 7 attempts they finally made it!!
• On the last part of the trip, Peary's feet got injured from the cold temperatures.
• Henson continued on and was the first person to reach the North Pole.
• Peary continued on a few days later.
• For many years, people ignored the fact that Henson reached the North Pole first because he was a black man nd Peary got all of the credit.
• Years later the government finally gave Henson the credit he deserved.

WHERE DID MY EXPLORER DO HIS EXPLORATIONS?

• Peary and Henson started their journey to the North Pole from New York City.
• First they traveled to Canada by ship.
• They continued on to Greenland by ship.
• In Greenland the Inuit people taught them how to survive the cold weather.
• From there they went to the North Pole.

WHEN DID MY EXPLORER GO EXPLORING?

• From 1896 to1902 they began quests to reach the North Pole.
• They had many trips to reach it.
• After years of trying he finally succeeded on April 6, 1909.

WHY DID MY EXPLORER GO EXPLORING?

• Peary went on his explorations to find the North Pole because the navy sent him.
• He knew that Henson's skills could be helpful so he hired him for his future trips to the North Pole.
• They also went because they wanted to become the first people to reach it.

HOW DID MY EXPLORER EXPLORE?

• Henson used many tools to explore the cold and dangerous North Pole.
• They used a dogsled to ride on over the snow, ice and hills.
• They used a ship to sail across water.
• They used their feet and snowshoes and skies to walk with through the ice and snow.
• They had a big crew and Inuit guides to help them.
• They wore warm clothing.

HOW DID THINGS CHANGE IN THE WORLD AFTER MY EXPLORERS EXPLORATIONS?

• After Peary and Henson reached the North Pole, they provided scientists with information about the climate and life in the North Pole.
• They proved a man could survive the climate of the North Pole.
• They learned about the Inuit people of the North and their cultural ways of life.
• Sadly many more explorers brought diseases to this area of the world and changed the Inuits way of life because they became sick.

REFLECTIVE COMMENT:

• I think he is COOL because it would be nice to be the first one to reach the North Pole but it would be a long journey.
• I think he is a risk taker for continuing the trek without a buddy.
• He is a thinker for wearing the right clothes.
• I think it is rude that he didn't get the credit he deserved from the beginning.

THE END