Thematic Units - Explorers

Explorers

You will find various Lesson Plans on the top portion of this page.
Further down, you will find Web Sites.
We have a page of Books that you can order directly from Amazon.com!


Lesson Plans

Explorer Interviews Grades 5-8
Students will work in pairs researching an explorer and then interview each other.

Explorer Projects Grades 5-8
Resources to use with your students, including a rubric.

Explorer Report Grades Various
A complete guide and assessment to a explorer report.

Lessons of the Explorers Grades K-12
A great number of lessons and resources from Education Planet.

The Indian's Discovery of Columbus Grades 2-5
This unit presents the conquest of Mexico and the downfall of the Aztec empire from the perspective of the Aztec "Indians" themselves.

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Web Sites

Exploration and Discovery
Australian Explorers Grades 4-12
"In 1788, with the arrival of the first fleet, little was known about this wide brown land which we now call Australia." Learn about the first people to explore this wonderful continent.

Daniel Boone, Lewis & Clark and Zebulon Pike Grades Various
A great Quizlet to learn about these explorers.

Dive and Discover Grades 3-12
Explore the wonders of the ocean floor. The site contains information about current expeditions and you are able to read daily updates.

Empire of the Bay Grades 5-12
"The story of the shrewd merchants and bold explorers of the Hudson's Bay Company, who tamed a wilderness and opened up the heart of North America." This is a great site based on the PBS broadcast. You can find lesson plans, a timeline, a quiz, maps, and much more.

Explorer Poems Grades 1-5
Here is a collection of poems authored by a 5th grade class. They are not only fun to read, but they also contain a great deal of information about the specific explorer.

Explorers of North America Grades Intermediate
Online games that review European explorers of North America and what they discovered.

Exploring the West From Monticello Home Grades 5-12
A great resource on information about the expedition of Lewis & Clark. You can also find information of the exploration of the West.

Florida of the Conquistador Grades 5-12
Gold! Glory! God! Learn about the Spanish exploration of Florida. Find detailed information on Ponce de Leon, de Naravaez, de Soto and de Luna. There are several other links related to this subject.

Glossary About the Arctic Grades 5-12
An incredible collection of resources and information that relate to the interesting Arctic environment.

Liftoff to Space Exploration Grades 3-12
Find out what the past, present and future of space exploration has to offer.

Lunar Exploration Grades 5-12
Find a timeline, details about various lunar missions and excellent photos.

Meeting of Frontiers Grades 8-12
This is a "bilingual, multimedia English-Russian digital library that tells the story of the American exploration and settlement of the West, the parallel exploration and settlement of Siberia and the Russian Far East, and the meeting of the Russian-American frontier in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest."

The Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) Grades 5-12
The PVS was founded in 1973 to research how Polynesian seafarers discovered and settled nearly every inhabitable island in the Pacific Ocean before European explorers arrived in the 16th century. Learn about what they discovered.

South Pole.com Grades 4-12
By clicking on "Exploration of Antarctica" you will find the following: a timeline, information about the explorers, maps, and US programs.

Zoom Explorers Grades 4-12
This incredible site is a must visit! It provides information about the explorers by world regions, century, and by their individual names.

Balboa, Vasco Nunez de Grades 5-12
Learn about the journeys of this Spanish explorer, along with with other valuable links.

Cook, Captain James Grades 5-12
Cook is known as the "... the ablest and most renowned navigator this or any country that produced. He possessed all the qualifications requisite for his profession and great undertakings ..." Learn all about the voyages of Captain Cook.

Drake, Sir Francis Grades 5-12
These pages are focused on Sir Francis Drake, and in particular on his "Famous Voyage" - the circumnavigation of the world in the sixteenth century, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

Hudson, Henry - Explorer of the Hudson River Grades 5-12
Set out on his ship, the Half Moon, Hudson was looking for a quick way from England to the "islands of spicery". Learn more about his journey.

Kino, Father Eusebio Francisco Grades 5-12
Learn more about the early Spanish explorer that established various missions in the New World.

Lewis & Clark's HistoricTrail Grades 5-8
Find detailed information about this duo's great expedition. The site provides: maps, a timeline, sample journal entries, and much more.

Verrazzano, Giovanni da Grades 5-12
Learn more about the man who explored the east coast of what is now the United States in 1525 and is best known for being the discoverer of New York Harbor and for mistaking Pamlico Sound for the Pacific.

Various Web Resources
Latitude - The Science of Sailing the WorldGrades 5-12
Learn how the explorers of the 1400's navigated their way across the world.

Origins of the Compass Rose Grades 6-12
This symbol has been included on maps since the 1300's.

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Books

The Teacher's Corner has hand selected a bunch of books for our Explorers Unit that you can find at great prices on Amazon.com

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