Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Discovery of the Americas: A Play About Early Explorers

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Young scholars perform a play about the early explorers to America.
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

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

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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Early Explorers

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders give a presentation about one of the explorers. In this explorers lesson, 5th graders research an explorer and give a presentation to the class. While students are presenting the others are taking notes on a graphic organizer.
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

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.
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapping Mistakes

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine early European maps and explore geographic errors. They also view maps of the geography of North America. Students discuss the obstacles faced by early explorers in mapping unexplored territory. They consider what the...
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 Navigational Tools And Nautical Developments of the Early European Explorers of Africa And America.

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Young scholars identify navigational tools. They describe and label seven of the nautical advances that enabled European explorers to travel to Africa and America thereby initiating a new era of exploration.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Early Explorers

For Teachers 5th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Early European Explorers Map

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders create an explorer's map. In this explorers lesson students use a map of the world as reference to draw their own map of Europe, North America, Central America, and the Caribbean Islands. The students use their maps to show...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Early Explorers Project

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students choose an explorer from a given list, create an original song or poem based on the life of their explorer, make puppets to represent their explorer and then present their original piece to the class while students take notes on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Navigating With Explorers

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students retrace the steps of European explorers to the New World and recreate the early exploration through online research and multimedia presentations. In this world history and technology lesson, students research early explorations...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Early Explorers

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explain the reasons why Europeans decided to explore and colonize the world. In this European explorers lesson, 5th graders complete a wall matrix about the explorers and write a summary about the explorer of their choice.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Columbus wants to find a shorter route to Asia

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders identify the reasons why Columbus wanted to find a shorter route to Asia. They make a timeline of the sequence of events surrounding his explorations. Students draw a map of the routes taken by early explorers around...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My First Biography: Christopher Columbus Storia Teaching Guide | Scholastic.com

For Teachers K - 1st Standards
Sail with Christopher Columbus on a biographical reading adventure. Young explorers learn about the life of Sir Columbus as they hone their comprehension skills through guiding questions, shared reading, and fluency practice. Included in...
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Explorers of the New World

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners 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
Curated OER

Explorers & Early America: Columbus' Journey to Find a Western Sea Route to Asia

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders study Columbus and the route he took when he was exploring. In this social science, 3rd graders examine maps, analyze them, compare them to each other, and understand where Columbus wanted to go versus where he actually...
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Age of Exploration

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students apply computer skills to gain further insight into early exploration. They analyze the role of each explorer and evaluate their importance. Students comprehend the Chronology of Discovery and Trade of early explorers. They...