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
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 European Explorers

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders complete a variety of activities surrounding European exploration of the New World. They research one explorer and write and present an essay or script in which they portray that explorer as he makes his final report to his...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

'European Exploration, Conquest, and Trade

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine the motives, progress and results of the European exploration and conquest of Asia, Africa and the West Indies from the 15th to the 17th centuries. They use maps to trace spice routes and research the role of spices...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

European Explorers in France, England, Portugal, and Spain

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students, in groups, research either France, Spain, Portugal, or England. They create a poster describing various aspects of their country and how their country participated in the exploration of America. They present their project to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

European Explorers

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders research European Explorers lives. They create a Word Document, or slide show based on their research.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

de Soto's Expedition: An Alternate Route

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this Exploration Age lesson, 8th graders compare historical maps with new maps focusing on the route of Hernado de Soto.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Why Europeans Explored

For Teachers 6th - 11th
In this motivations behind exploration study guide worksheet, learners read a brief overview pertaining to the time period in world history and then respond to a reflection question.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

European Exploration

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders analyze key European explorers and focus on where and why they explored. They research who sponsored the explorers as well as the accomplishments of the explorers. They discuss the lasting effects of the expeditions in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Early European Explorers Map

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders create an explorer's map. In this explorers activity 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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Early Travel Routes

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore explorers in the Pacific Northwest by examining primary source documents. After the research is finished students write a journal as if they were one of the explorers. Visual aids are needed as well.
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Lesson 1: On the Road with Marco Polo: A Boy in 13th Century Venice

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners investigate Marco Polo's life as a young boy in 13th century Venice. They analyze maps, explore various websites, complete a chart and answer discussion questions, and create a travel brochure about visiting 13th century Venice.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Explorers

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Pupils examine the importance of culture and economy changes that occurred due to the great explorations. In this explorations lesson, students create a list of major explorers. Pupils focus on one main exploration and give an oral report.
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

Exploring Explorers

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders illustrate the routes taken by different explorers on a world map. They explain the need for the different exploration voyages. Students explore the web for information that may contain different points of view or...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploration of North America

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine some famous explorers who have helped to discover our country. They discuss explorers from three countries today. They are: Spain, Portugal, and England.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It’s a Big, Big World

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine the role of the explorers. For this explorers and conquistadors, students create word puzzles (Wordles) regarding the time period in history. Students conduct research regarding a particular explorer and create foldables...
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

Treaties

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders explore Canadian history by investigating the First Nations. In this Aboriginal treaty lesson, 2nd graders identify the specific agreements made between European settlers and Aboriginals which caused the formation of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Columbian Contexts

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore geo-political and economic contexts for the European Renaissance journeys of exploration, including those of Columbus, create cartographic symbols, and add those symbols to a print-out of Ptolemy's map.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

On the Road with Marco Polo

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students follow Marco Polo's route to and from China. They explore the geography, local products, culture, and fascinating sites of those regions. They record their findings.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Marco Polo Takes A Trip

For Teachers K - 2nd
Young scholars identify Marco Polo and discuss why he took his trip, indicate on map routes Marco Polo took to China and back, describe challenges of traveling along Silk Road, list several interesting aspects of 13th Century Chinese...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Horse and Rider: The Pony Express in Utah

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research the Pony Express. In this Pony Express lesson, 4th graders discover the reasons behind the development of this business and the technology that ended it.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Globe Skills Lesson 2: Paving the Way for Columbus

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students explore the expedition of Christopher Columbus. In this geography skills lesson, students consider the technological advances that made Columbus's expedition possible as they complete a latitude and longitude activity.