Student Handouts
Letter from Christopher Columbus to Luis de Sant Angel Announcing His Discovery (1493)
When Christopher Columbus landed, he found many things to comment on. Have your class read this letter that he wrote to Luis de Sant Angel in 1493. The text is split up into sections. Each section is paired with two to three...
Annenberg Foundation
Pre-Columbian America
What was life like in America before Christopher Columbus discovered the New World? Scholars investigate life in the Americas through the eyes of Native Americans in the first lesson of a 22-part series covering America's history. Using...
Curated OER
Planning a Trip for Christopher Columbus
First graders plan a trip for Christopher Columbus. They use their math skills to construct a ship for Columbus' voyage. They show their ship and calculations to their classmates and build graphs to show the amount of supplies needed to...
Curated OER
Writing Exercise: Mesoamerica
Use writing to examine Mesoamerica with this short-answer exercise. Informational text isn't provided to help scholars answer these three questions, so you could either provide it or make it an individual research project. Learners...
Curated OER
The Age of Early European Explorations & Conquests
Your students' world will literally take shape in this presentation, which chronicles the growing edges of the (flat) earth during European Exploration of New Worlds. Dias, da Gama, Magellean, and Columbus are key players in this game of...
Midwest Institute for Native American Studies
Introduction to Pre-Columbian Lessons
Native peoples established civilizations all over Central and North America. Introduce native civilizations with a unit that promotes discussion, reinforces map skills, enhances reading comprehension, and exposes young historians to...
Curated OER
American Indians Heritage Series: The Inuit's
Students become aware that people lived in America before Columbus came. For this Inuit culture lesson, students discuss lives of the Inuits. Students listen to Mama Do You Love Me, A Promise is a Promise and The Polar Bear Son:...
Curated OER
Pre-Columbian Civilizations in the Americas
Before you begin a unit on Christopher Columbus and the European explorers, take your class through the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan Civilizations in this vivid and interesting presentation. With photographs of golden artifacts and ancient...
Curated OER
Pre-Columbian Cultures in the Americas
Native American studies is fun, educational, and highly motivating. Fifth graders will gain a deeper understanding of the six major pre-Columbian culture areas on the North American continent. They will choose one group and conduct...
Curated OER
CyberHunt: Ahoy! Columbus
Students research Christopher Columbus. In this world history instructional activity, students complete a WebQuest by using suggested website links. Students click on each link and answer questions about Columbus based upon the website.
Curated OER
Book: First Encounters Between Spain and the Americas: Two Worlds Meet
Students, after reading Chapter 1 in the book, "First Encounters Between Spain and the Americas: Two Worlds Meet," design and create a map of the Aztec Empire at the time of the first contract with the Spanish. They create the map from...
Curated OER
Where Did Foods Originate? (Foods of the New World and Old World)
What do papayas, peanuts, pineapples, and potatoes have in common? Why, they are foods explorers brought back to the Old World. Young researchers use the Internet to investigate how New World explorers helped change the Old World's diet....
Curated OER
Who Writes History?
Students examine why certain historical figures get credit for their accomplishments while others are forgotten. They read and discuss two informational handouts, discuss why people remember Columbus even if he was not the first person...
Curated OER
Breaking News English: Map Shows Chinese Discovered America
In this English instructional activity, students read "Map Shows Chinese Discovered America," and then respond to 47 fill in the blank, 7 short answer, 20 matching, and 8 true or false questions about the selection.
Curated OER
Breaking News English: Map Shows the Chinese Discovered America
In this English instructional activity, students read "Map Shows the Chinese Discovered America," and then respond to 47 fill in the blank, 7 short answer, 20 matching, and 8 true or false questions about the selection.
Curated OER
European Explorers Database
Third graders watch a demonstration on how to create a new database. In pairs, they enter information about European explorers in an easy to read fashion. They save and print their databases to be used in a review game before their test.
Curated OER
Early Explorers
Fifth graders research European explorers. In this world history lesson, 5th graders will compare eight European explorers and identify important factual information about each. Students will be engaged through game-play and...
Curated OER
Native Americans: Origins
In this Native Americans worksheet, students read about the origins of the Native Americans and the discovery of North America. Students also read about the arrival of the Europeans to the continent and the Plains Indians.
Curated OER
Native American Interaction with Other Peoples
Young scholars examine the relationships between Native Americans and the Europeans who settled America. In this cultural diversity lesson, students analyze primary documents and respond to essay questions regarding the relationships.
Curated OER
Early Native Americans
Fourth graders locate on a globe where the land bridge was. They describe the progression of nomadic people into North America.
Curated OER
Discoverers and Explorers
In this discoverers and explorers worksheet, students read short paragraphs about Christopher Columbus, Magellan, Sir Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh.
Curated OER
Following Directions- October Holidays
In this October holidays following directions worksheet, 4th graders read a set of directions such as "If you like autumn color the letter O red, if not color it orange. They decide which applies to them before coloring the letters in...
Curated OER
The Mystery of Machu Picchu
Make the exploration of Machu Picchu a real adventure with these innovative lessons.
Curated OER
Yo-ho, Yo-ho a Viking's Life for Me
Students complete a unit of lessons on the Vikings. They analyze maps, read and discuss myths, summarize the main ideas from resource materials, watch videos, sing a song, draw a picture to illustrate Norse mythology, and define key...