Curated OER
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...
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...
Curated OER
The Vikings
Students explore the history of the Vikings. In pairs, they research where the Vikings lived, places they invaded, and their purpose. Students create an illustration to place on a timeline, make a Viking Boat, and play a Viking...
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Viking History
Students learn about the history of the Vikings by watching videos, reading books, and writing journal entries pretending they were Vikings. In this Vikings lesson plan, students also make a long ship out of a milk carton.
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Vikings in Vinland
Students examine the role of archaeology in gaining information about past civilizations. After reading an article, they discover evidence of the Viking settlement of North America. They summarize the information in the article by...
Curated OER
Explorers
Students search interactive sites to discover the history of exploration. They inspect an explorers' timeline and read about them. They participate in a Viking quest game and a multimedia recreation of Marco Polo's explorations.
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Early Explorer Time-Line
Fourth graders study exploration of the New World. In this Exploration Age lesson, 4th graders research early explorers and create time lines that include picture, captions, and the routes of the explorers studied.
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First Nation People and European Explorers
Sixth graders investigate the characteristics of explorers. They research the factors that contributed to the first European explorers that came to North America. Students also concentrate on the interactions that explorers had with...
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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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Early Exploration of North America
Third graders "travel" from Europe to North America as Columbus did. They organize the information into chronoglogical order.
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Science Mystery: The Vinland Map
Students research proof regarding the authenticity of the Vinland map. In this geography activity, students hold a debate based on their research findings. They discuss which side won and write a short essay about their opinion on the...
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Charting the Discovery of the Americas
Pupils create chart using Microsoft Word depicting how trade led to the exploration of different regions of the world.
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Mission Impossible! Are We Alone in the Universe, or Are We Just One of Its Citizens?
Students examine NASA strategy for scientifically studying any celestial body. They brainstorm about all previous space explorations and missions they can recall, and propose an expedition plan to become space explorers of the future.
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Hernando De Soto's Trip Through South Carolina
Fourth graders become familiar with the explorations of Hernando DeSoto. In this DeSoto lesson, 4th graders recognize the routes and territories of DeSoto's explorations. Students use primary and secondary sources and research to answer...
Curated OER
Fastest Glacier
Young scholars compare and contrast continental ice sheets and a glacier. They discuss how glaciers form. Students research the average winter and summer temperatures for their area. They predict what might happen to the Greenland...