Lesson # 9 Explorers (3 days)
To begin our lessons on explorers, we brainstormed with the students using a KWL chart. We discussed what they already knew about explorers, what information they wanted to know and then after the third day we discussed what we learned after our 3 days. Some of the questions we pondered were: What does it mean to explore? Why do people explore? How do they travel? What do they explore? Where do they explore? After discussing these questions, we viewed a map of the world and talked about why trading was important to explorers. We looked at some of the trade routes and showed video clips of a few explorers from a variety of countries including China, England, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy and India. After gaining some background information, the students were broken into groups of 3 and given more detailed information on the country they were assigned to. Then, they were to explore the new information they had and create some props they would be using the next day to act out "trade" with their group and the whole class. They would become the teachers.
Included in their "hand outs" were a trading card with how to say "hello" in that country's language, objects that would've been traded by that country, an example of their flag, a map, and a picture of an explorer from that country with information. The students worked together to create the props they would need and the information they would need to know to share with the class.
On the last day, students participated in an explorer trading activity using all of the knowledge they gained from the past few days. The students reinacted sailing on a ship from their country to another country. They greeted the people from that country in their native language and then traded goods with them. We did this for a while so that all groups would have ample time to trade and experience how it might have felt to be an explorer. It was a lot of fun and by learning in a more "hands on"/ acting out method, I believe the understanding was more in depth for the students and it will probably be something they remember participating in.
Below are some pictures from the previous lesson on Vikings and Native Americans.
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| He's loving Mrs. Kneeland's Viking Story |
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| Working hard on his Viking ruin |
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| Native American Buffalo Skin |
To begin our lessons on explorers, we brainstormed with the students using a KWL chart. We discussed what they already knew about explorers, what information they wanted to know and then after the third day we discussed what we learned after our 3 days. Some of the questions we pondered were: What does it mean to explore? Why do people explore? How do they travel? What do they explore? Where do they explore? After discussing these questions, we viewed a map of the world and talked about why trading was important to explorers. We looked at some of the trade routes and showed video clips of a few explorers from a variety of countries including China, England, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy and India. After gaining some background information, the students were broken into groups of 3 and given more detailed information on the country they were assigned to. Then, they were to explore the new information they had and create some props they would be using the next day to act out "trade" with their group and the whole class. They would become the teachers. 
Included in their "hand outs" were a trading card with how to say "hello" in that country's language, objects that would've been traded by that country, an example of their flag, a map, and a picture of an explorer from that country with information. The students worked together to create the props they would need and the information they would need to know to share with the class.
This is a wonderful example of arts integration-wow! Your students will certainly remember many of the historical facts discovered AND the fun they had while living in that long-ago world. Nice!
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