Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Early Exploration of North America

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders "travel" from Europe to North America as Columbus did. They organize the information into chronoglogical order.
Worksheet
Reading Through History

Early History and Exploration Unit

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
We all know about Christopher Columbus, but who else explored the Americas, and specifically, the future United States of America? Learners find out these answers and more in a resource that includes four different reading sections,...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Statues of Christopher Columbus

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Scholars compare statues of Columbus and discuss how each memorial captures his personality. Academics also complete a worksheet and discuss how some people have called to remove statues honoring Columbus. 
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

La Mobile: A Case Study of Exploration and Settlement

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Le Moyne brothers, Jean-Baptiste and Pierre, were among the first explorers of the Gulf Coast. Class members read biographical information and journal entries about these men, study maps showing where the settlements they established...
Organizer
Common Core Sheets

Voyages of Columbus

For Students 4th - 8th Standards
Learn the life of Christopher Columbus with the help of a timeline. Young historians interpret Columbus' life story from birth to death, and answer questions to reinforce comprehension. 
Unit Plan
Core Knowledge Foundation

European Exploration of North America Tell It Again!™ Read-Aloud Anthology

For Teachers 3rd Standards
Third graders listen to read-alouds and participate in extension activities about European Explorers—Christopher Columbus, Juan Ponce de León, Hernando de Soto, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, John Cabot, Henry Hudson, and Samuel de...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Early Explorers

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders investigate the routes taken by the early explorers. In this explorers instructional activity, 5th graders use interactive notebooks, discussion and maps to discover the routes taken. Students get into pairs and label maps,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Early Explorers, Early Settlements and the Beginning of Democracy

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders research and discuss the early explorers, why countries sent out explorers, where they explored, and what their cultural contributions are to our US culture today.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Early Explorers of America

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine a time line of early American explorers from England, Spain, and France. They trace exploration routes on maps and write reports about early explorers. Students view a laser disc presentation, Land of Opportunity...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Colonization of the United States

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Bring the Age of Exploration into the 21st century with this ancestry activity! Learners get a chance to explore the complex genealogy of the Spanish settlers through watching two video clips (approximately five minutes each) featuring...
PPT
1
1
Curated OER

History Review: Colonial America

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Explore key moments in American history with the click of a mouse! Learners read 50 questions from different eras in early America, and watch the rest of the presentation to find more questions to answer.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Discovery of the Americas: A Play About Early Explorers

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students perform a play about the early explorers to America.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

European Explorer IMovie

For Teachers 5th
Film is a wonderful way to communicate any concept or idea. Fifth graders will use IMovie and GarageBand software to create a IMovie about one of eight European explorers. They will chose an explorer, research his travels and life, then...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What They Left Behind: Early Multi-National Influences in the United States

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine how the European voyages of discovery influence American culture even today. They map eighteenth century Europe's impact on the United States.
Worksheet
University of Florida

Sailing to St. Augustine

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Using a Florida map from 1597, young explorers consider the physical characteristics they would need in a site for a new colony and the resources they would need to survive. After selecting a site, class members research to discover the...
PPT
Curated OER

The European Conquest of the Americas

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Witness the birth of the Americas in this presentation, which details the European Explorers who contributed to adding vital details on our modern-day maps. Viewers' worlds will literally expand after seeing the results of Cortes and the...
eBook
Core Knowledge Foundation

Volume 1 - A History of the United States: Precolonial to the 1800s

For Students 7th - 8th Standards
Volume One of the 299-page Core Knowledge History of the United States covers events from the Precolonial Period to the 1800s.
Unit Plan
Core Knowledge Foundation

A History of the United States

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
This 262-page Core Knowledge teacher guide presents an overview of the two-volume History of the United States program designed for middle schoolers. The guide includes information about the learning strategies used, a pacing guide, the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Early Explorers

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders give a presentation about one of the explorers. In this explorers instructional activity, 5th graders research an explorer and give a presentation to the class. While students are presenting the others are taking notes on a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Explorers of the New World

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students research explorers and explore how exploration affected the Western Hemisphere; students demonstrate competency in using multimedia encyclopedia and information software, and present PowerPoint presentation to class with two...
Lesson Plan
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

European Explorers

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
To compare how the Spanish, French, and English approached the exploration of North America, class groups examine primary source documents and become experts on one of four explorers: Francisco Coronado, Robert LaSalle, Samuel de...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Early Explorers

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students answer short answer questions and participate in a role play where they are explorers being interviewed. In this early explorers lesson plan, students discuss why it is beneficial to be the first one in a place.
Learning
NEST Family Learning

Christopher Columbus

For Students 1st - 5th Standards
Reinforce historic knowledge of Christopher Columbus with an activity book compiled of a variety of coloring pages, puzzles, questions that spark discussion, and learning games. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Early History of Haiti

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders make list of places Columbus explored on his first journey to Americas, locate island of Hispaniola on map, examine groups of people who have inhabited island, complete blank map and key of Hispaniola, and research early...