The moment Christopher Columbus's ships touched the shores of a New World, the old world changed forever. But has it been for the better? High schoolers consider the effectiveness, benefits, and drawbacks of the Columbian Exchange with a...

Discover the rich Native American culture that existed at the time of early European exploration into the Chesapeake region through analysis of several primary and secondary sources.

Young geographers travel back through time with primary source and map analysis and envision Captain John Smith's arrival at the Chesapeake Bay. 

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.

Known as the first European to see places like Australia and New Zealand, Captain Cook led the way for the English into the world of exploration. A primary source image of Cook's firsthand account of his voyages and discussion questions...

What did you have for dinner last night? Many scholars ask that question without considering the history behind the foods they eat. Using a simulation, scholars investigate how the foods they eat are the product of the Columbian...

After watching Treasure in the Sea, a documentary about Channel Islands National Park and the video First Contact, about the voyage of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo to the Channel islands, groups research and then compare the experiences of...

Christopher Columbus did not have a lot of evidence to prove that he was in India, but language arts pupils have plenty of evidence to prove that he wasn't. Delve into the world of European exploration with a reading activity about...

Learn the life of Christopher Columbus with the help of a timeline. Young historians interpret Columbus' life story from birth to death, and answer questions to reinforce comprehension. 

Reinforce historic knowledge of Christopher Columbus with an activity book compiled of a variety of coloring pages, puzzles, questions that spark discussion, and learning games. 

Get the inside scoop on the European explorer, Christopher Columbus, with a response to reading worksheet that requires scholars to answer who, what, why, when, and a variety of other questions about the word crew.  

Class members are transformed into explorers as they work in groups to locate hidden items and map their journey along the way. They then leave clues for other groups of students to follow, and ultimately discover how past explorations...

Youngsters gain ample reading comprehension practice while studying the history of Christopher Columbus with this great workbook! It includes word puzzles and comprehension checks of multiple assessment styles, including multiple choice,...

What will your students choose to include in their explorer's treasure chest? Youngsters research an early European explorer and gather items to reflect their research, such as a detailed map of the explorer's voyages, portrait, flag,...

Bring history to life with this collection of hands-on early explorer activities. From creating a flip book about the Vikings' exploration of North America to a reader's theater performance about Christopher Columbus' search for the...

The uglier side of European colonization of Africa is detailed in these slides, which include pictures and information about the Belgian Congo, the Dutch South Africa, and Britain's ongoing tensions with the Boers. Students will be...

Globalization started a long time ago. Think back to one of the first international explorers Marco Polo. This slide-show describes what he did, how he influenced Kublai Khan, and his long journey route. Use this resource to review or...

Youngsters who are just beginning to learn about the age of exploration do a study of Christopher Columbus. They each select four pictures from the voyage of 1492 and write a caption below each one stating what is happening. The class...

Fourth graders compare cultural differences. In this Canadian history lesson, 4th graders examine the language and cultural differences between European explorers and First Nations. In small groups, students role-play communication using...

The best part of elementary school is learning about the explorers. Take your 5th graders on a quick trip with European explorers Coronado and Magellan. Described here are their routes, personal histories, and encounters in the New...

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...

Third graders research Jacques Cartier. In this social studies lesson, 3rd graders view a presentation about Jacques Cartier and learn a song about the explorer.

Students examine the importance of culture and economy changes that occurred due to the great explorations. For this explorations lesson, students create a list of major explorers. Students focus on one main exploration and give an oral...

Fourth graders examine world history by answering study questions. In this famous explorers lesson, 4th graders identify the contributions Hernando De Soto made to world history and discuss his quest for gold. Students view a PowerPoint...