Curated OER
Explorers Unit
Fifth graders complete a unit on early explorers. They develop a timeline, sing a Viking song, watch a video, compile a checklist of supplies needed for an expedition, participate in a scavenger hunt, write a letter from Christopher...
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Spanish Explorers and Conquistadors
Prior to taking a test of the Spanish explorers and conquistadors, have students review with this informative PowerPoint. Fifth graders will feel more prepared after using this slideshow as a guide to their studying.
Space Awareness
Navigating with the Kamal
Historians have proven that as early as 1497 skilled navigators were using a kamal to sail across oceans. Scholars learn about navigation tools and astronomy before building their own kamals. They then learn how to use it to determine...
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Westward With the Vikings!
Students identify Norse explorers, considered by many historians to be the earliest Europeans to sail to Newfoundland. Then they recognize the superior craftsmanship of a Viking sailing ship that would have been needed to withstand the...
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Voyages in a Bottle
Students uncover the method for easily building a ship in a bottle. Then they fabricate a 3-D model of the ship(s) used on an exploratory sailing voyage and display it in a plastic bottle. Students also draw a map of the world their...
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A Sailing We Will Go!
Fifth graders investigate the journey that Magellan took around the world. Small groups conduct research on a ship that went on Magellan's voyage, write the story of their ship, and create a class dance that demonstrates the route taken...
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Early Explorers
Students discover why explorers left their homes to explore and how they played an important part in the discovery of the New World. Students create PowerPoint presentations of a specific explorer's journey and discoveries and the...
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Words in the News Solar Sail
Bring current events into your classroom! Middle schoolers complete word work activities before reading and discussing an online article. They complete worksheets and an online quiz. They discuss the Solar Sail as radical new idea and...
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Captain John Smith's Shallop
Young explorers, all aboard the shallop to discover how early European explorers would navigate the American coastline to find resources, map terrain, and trade with Native American tribes.
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My First Biography: Christopher Columbus Storia Teaching Guide | Scholastic.com
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...
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"Hard Luck" La Salle
Fourth graders examine life of French explorer, La Salle, and how he impacted settlement of Texas and the establishment of Catholic missions in Texas; students write letters from the perspective of an explorer.
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Introducing Vocabulary: Christopher Columbus (Weinberger)
The story of Christopher Columbus has fascinated young historians for centuries; use this vocabulary-in-context strategy to dive into Kimberly Weinberger's picture book about this classic explorer. Begin by introducing the new words:...
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Sail, Sail, Sail Your Ship!
Students listen to the book, Columbus Day, by Paul Showers and discuss the historical significance of Christopher Columbus. They create Columbus Day booklets, sing a Christopher Columbus song, and develop graphic organizers.
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Panama Canal
Students investigate a way to sail a boat around the world without touching land while learning about the Panama Canal. In this Panama Canal lesson plan, students learn about the relationship of socio-political continents and how the...
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Who Where They?
Students associate explorers with specific discoveries. They apply research skills to inquire about the explorers. Students switch roles with the instructor for the class to demonstrate what they have learned.
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An Adventure to the New World
Fifth graders role play the position of an explorer traveling to the new world. They research the explorers journey and create their own explorer's notebook. They complete different activities and then present their evidence to the class.
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Examining Passenger Lists Lesson Plan
Students learn about the colonists that settled in the New World. In this famous explorers lesson, students learn about famous explorers and how they used to keep diaries about their travels. Students read passenger lists from ships...
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The Children of Eric the Red Explore the West: The Norsemen Encounter Indigenous People of North America
Students read about Viking exploration and complete activities based on the Indigenous people they encountered. In this Viking exploration lesson plan, students compare and contrast stories, write a character sketch, and more.
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Christopher Columbus
Help first graders gain an understanding of the beginnings of our nation by learning more about Christopher Columbus. They begin by listening to a read aloud of Christopher Columbus and His Voyage to the New World (another title could be...
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Theatre: Persuasive Explorers
Students act like a famous explorer. In this explorer lesson, students research an explorer and act out persuasive arguments in which that explorer might be involved.
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Explorers
Students research famous explorers. In this exploration age lesson, students research the accomplishments of John Cabot, James Cook, Francis Drake, Martin Frobisher, and Henry Hudson. Students use their research findings to create maps...
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An Age of Exploration
Young scholars investigate U.S. history by examining North American timelines. In this American exploration lesson, students research the events that led to Columbus finding America and participate in a jeopardy game regarding his...
NOAA
Ocean Exploration
Sea explorers and scientists have found that because of temperatures being two to three degrees Celsius at the bottom of the ocean, most animals are lethargic in order to conserve energy. In this web quest, pairs of learners read about...
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Route Reconstruction
Students trace sailing route of Spanish and Portuguese exploration ships. They calculate and compare distances that different explorers traveled. Students calculate how long it would take to travel an explorer's route using different...