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How to Teach Science Through A Story – Middle & High School

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

When you teach science through a story that is powerful. Using storytelling as a powerful teacher is not a new concept to homeschoolers. Also, look at my page homeschool middle school and how to homeschool high school page for more fun tips

Not only do we love reading stories but we understand their power to captivate and convince readers.

However, until I started using Beautiful Feet Books I wasn’t so confident that teaching science through a story or through biographies would benefit my kids all the way through to high school.

Using storytelling as a powerful teacher is not a new concept to homeschoolers. Not only do we love reading stories but we understand their power to captivate and convince readers. However, until I wasn’t so confident that teaching science through stories works for all ages of my kids. Click here to read 7 creative ways to teach older kids!

I stalked the mailman waiting for these books from Beautiful Feet Books. I was given this product free and I was compensated for my time. However, paid for my time does not mean paid off or that a company will receive a glowing review. I don’t roll that way. ALL opinions are my own and for sure I will always tell you what is on my mind. When I do accept a product it’s because I’m giddy to tell you about it. Read my full disclosure here. Now on to the fun stuff!

First, I need to back up and explain what curriculum we’ve been poring over.

For the past couple of months, it has been a delight to use the History of Science.

I knew it was geared toward the 3rd to 7th grade level.

But we were over the top excited to ditch the science textbook and learn the history of science through living literature.

Besides, science biographies can be used for older kids.

And when you have a guide any study can be fleshed out for older grades. It was a great guide.

History of Science Living Literature

In addition, I had already figured out that my worksheet approach, as academic and bookish as it sounds, didn’t work because my boys retained lessons better using a learn-by-doing approach.

Next, early on in my homeschooling journey, I had stumbled upon Early American History with my then first kindergartner.

After using it with him, I learned that other equally important elements which stir a child’s thinking are living literature and absorbing history through a story.

There has not been a more enriching way to teach him or my other sons to high school than a literature-based approach.

What I’m saying is that storytelling, learning-by-doing, and living literature are inextricably linked.

Using those same elements while teaching science are the same ones used in teaching the History of Science and used for teaching an older child.

7 Creative Ways to Adapt Curriculum for Older Homeschooled Kids

Learning how to adapt a multiple age curriculum for upper grades can be challenging, but look at some ways I did this with the features of History of Science.

They are the same tips I used with my sons all the way through middle school and into high school.

How to Teach Science Through A Story - Middle & High School
  • With a yearlong program geared toward 3rd to 7th grade, there is a lot of room to allow exploring topics in more depth. Using a yearlong program is key. Your time is valuable and by using a curriculum that is laid out for a year, you have more than enough ideas in place to use as a springboard for all the ages of kids you’re teaching.
  • Even though the biographies are geared toward a lower reading level, they are likable by an older child. Many essay points can be gleaned from each biography. For example, previous to studying this curriculum, we hadn’t researched much about George Washington Carver. Reading about this American Pioneer and his many uses of peanuts made for a fun rabbit trail or research project. Even though your younger kids can join in the project to list the many uses of peanuts, I had Tiny delve deeper into this since it piqued his interest. I required that he explain the history of the peanut. I had questions like what is the history of the peanut, why was Carver encouraging farmers during the American Civil War to break away from cultivating just cotton, and explain the growing process of the peanut. For example, he had to know that it wasn’t a peanut at all but a seed and understand that the boll weevil could devastate cotton crops.
  • Another fascinating point to glean from the History of Science is understanding and seeing science through the eyes of great scientists. We use this concept for history all the time. We want to learn history through the eyes of a character who lived in a particular time period. Learning science through biographies of Archimedes, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Sir Isaac Newton, Marie Curie, George Washington Carver, Wright Brothers and Albert Einstein keeps kids equally inspired to learn about the wonders of science instead of dry, boring facts.
How to Teach Science Through A Story - Middle & High School
  • In addition, with many notebook pages, vocabulary words, and hands-on ideas the study guide is just that. It’s a springboard for you to use and add your own ideas. I really love how the guide is laid out because if it was totally scripted it’s hard to use that for older kids or younger kids. A guide on the other hand gives me a nudge or jump to another teaching concept that my son is interested in.
  • After I abandoned my wrong and stereotypical view that hands-on learning means no learning at all, I’ve been touting for years how hands-on learning needs to be used through to high school. The best books have been culled through and selected for easy hands-on activity that can be used for a variety of ages. Not only did we start our science portfolio notebook, but we did many hands-on learning activities like this one Day 4. Ancient Greece (Hands-on Science) 3 EASY Activities, ice cutting, and writing the Greek alphabet.
How to Teach Science Through A Story - Middle & High School
  • One more fun way to engage older kids through a story is to let them learn through a timeline. A timeline is a visual and natural way to learn. Kids can race ahead and place figures on a timeline while they read about scientific discoveries, events, and biographies. This is another key benefit to this curriculum. The timeline can stand on its own. It can be used completely separate. Instead of quickly placing the key events or scientists in order, challenge your older kids to learn about them before seeing the dates. Which significant event happened first, next and so on? Your middle school kids can memorize the events in order. It’ll give your kids foundational pegs as they fill in with more information with each time period.
  • Another tip that makes this curriculum especially useful to me is that it has scientists from different time periods. It’s organized into 3 parts that coincide with history, which are Ancient Scientists, Medieval & Renaissance Scientists, and Modern Scientists. I can easily add one section in depth this year and come back to this resource another year to focus on a different time period.
  • One last tip I do is to completely turn the teaching guide and everything over to my older kid. When you’re finished with the younger kids, let your middle or high school kid work through the lessons at their pace or at their will. For example, Tiny skipped all over the place when it came to reading and what interested him. That is such a liberating feeling for any learner and it’s the way to encourage independent learning. A lot of Beautiful Feet Books curriculum can be used that way, which is why I’ve been a user for a long time and couldn’t be more pleased.

The last thing I know you want to know about is whether it’s Christian or secular. I guess that depends on your definition of those two concepts.

It’s easier to tell you that it’s very friendly toward both type of views which I appreciate.

While it has some parts that ask your child to write a Bible verse, you can leave it, use it, or add your own. That part shows they support a Christian view.

However, their goal with their curriculum is to leave it up to you as the parent to add your worldview.

I can say it’s more easily done with this curriculum than many I use which saturate their curriculum with their Christian or secular worldview and makes it almost impossible to tweak.

If you’re wanting to use curriculum that teaches science through storytelling with a focus on hands-on learning by using a part unit study approach and part Charlotte Mason, you’ll love this curriculum like I do.

Read about the other curriculum I’ve used here at Early American and World History which is not available anymore and revamped, the Medieval History Sr. High levels and Medieval Intermediate Pack.

How to Purchase It.

►Product Name: History of Science
►Website: Beautiful Feet Books – BFBooks
► Don’t Miss: The Getting Started page. It’s been such a helpful guide for me through the years.
►Type of product: These is a physical product but the study guide is available as a digital download too. From their site: Our newly revised and updated History of Science is a popular and exciting read-aloud approach to the study of science! Rebecca’s course uses biographies to tell the life stories of famous scientists like Archimedes, Galileo, Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, George Washington Carver, Einstein, and others as well as hands-on experiments to prove the scientists’ theories and test their discoveries. An enriching way to introduce biology, chemistry, and physics. For grades 3-7, this one-year study will cover basic scientific principles and the history of scientific study beginning in ancient Greece and continuing through the 1990s. Contains 85 lessons, dozens of experiments, lab reports, and much more.

3 Ways to Homeschool the BIGS (a.k.a. Older Kids)

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

3 Ways to Homeschool the BIGS (a.k.a. Older Kids). Don't give up some of the ways you taught your kids when they were young. Just add some new ways. Click here for the sanity-saving tips!

If a totally perfect guide on how to homeschool older kids existed, it could instantly become obsolete because of the changing body and mind of an older kid. Unlike the younger years where kids are more compliant, older kids are ready to flex their decision making muscles.

Whether tweens or teens, homeschooling older kids can be like navigating new homeschool waters each year.

There are some tried and true tips I’ve learned that will help you to keep older kids passionate about learning all the way through to and including high school. It’s not easy, but grab these 3 tips for your arsenal.

One/Plan monthly field trips targeted especially for older kids. This one time don’t think about your younger kids. (Okay, maybe just a little.)

Reject the thinking that field trips are just for younger learners. Until Mr. Senior 2013 did part of his Kindergarten in public school, I didn’t know that field trips are almost non-existent in any grade past Kindergarten.

From playmate to lifelong friend

Although field trips are important when kids are younger, they are vital as kids get older.

Don't just plan homeschoo field trips for younger kids. Plan them for older kids too!

(Federal Reserve Bank field trip for older kids)

Look at these reasons why field trips are essential as your child grows.

  • Kids need to learn how to make friends and have them outside of the family. I’ve always believed that as parents we are our kids foremost and best friend. However, kids can’t learn how to make lifelong friends unless they experience other personalities. A field trip with like-minded individuals sharpened my boys sense of self-worth and it also showed them how they didn’t want to be.
  • Field trips with other families which have our same family values sharpened my sons’ values.
  • Although as a parent I was glad we went to the field trip at the end of it, some moms felt like we really didn’t need it. Older kids are not like us. They need and want friends. Loneliness can run rampant among young people. Don’t forget that just because you have made your friends and are comfortable with your circle, that may not be the case for older kids.
  • Nurturing a love for a new hobby, course or career happens at a field trip. If a kid spends his summer outside at the beach learning about science which he may love then that can feed his desire for a career or college track in biology.

Two/ Move away from the books!

To say as kids get older that they can be moody is an understatement. In the same day they can be relaxed and restless. With their bodies changing, it means that their brain is not always in gear for learning. When we had days like that we just put away the books.

Don’t worry about the stress of high school. There are many more days that your kids will have good than bad. So ease up on them and savor the days of homeschooling them while they’re older.

Unit studies are my way of giving my sons control over their learning.

When they could control very little in their day, it gave them a sense of empowerment to study something they chose. Not only did it break up the day, but it kept the joy for learning while they hit the lows and highs of hormones.

Look at just two of these hands-on middle school unit studies which a highschooler who needs a break would enjoy soaking up.

Zoology: Amazing Animals and Estuary Ecology are both great for hands-on learning and for getting older kids out of the house to learn.

Three/ They need to get physical. (And no, it doesn’t have to be an over the top class or activity.)

Getting past the younger ages, I just knew my boys energy level would settle down. In one way it did and in another way, they needed more physical exercise.

Although I don’t consider myself an exercise enthusiast, we do love to walk and stay active. We’ve always had some kind of exercise in our daily routine. But it was nowhere near what my boys needed.

One year my boys had asked to be around other young homeschooled teens more,  I also knew they needed more movement, and we needed another one-half semester credit.  I combined all three needs into one and chose ball room dance lessons as my teacher mandated elective (ha).

Moans could be heard far and wide because ball room dancing was not for macho men – right? Or at least that was their preconceived notion.

The Mr. backed me up on my new brainstorm and we gave our teens no choice. We were reasonable and told them that if they didn’t like it after the first month, we could do something different.

It took only one lesson and they were hooked. Did I mention to this day, they all love to dance?

They are not the shy boys at the party, but the ones soaking up fun times and dancing the whole time they are there.

Prior to that, I had to clear out the garage for a couple set of weights and benches. Sharing my garage with exercise equipment is a small price to pay for the boys to have a place to stay physically and mentally fit.

These are just three easy things that have worked with my boys through the years. I have a few more things to share in my arsenal.

What works for you?

You also may want to look at my tips at how Teach Your Homeschooled Teen the Art of Studying (without nagging), When Homeschooling is Not an Overnight Success (Is it Worth the Risk?) and When Homeschooled Kids Are Not Excited About Ordinary Days.

Hugs and love ya,

 

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

3 Ways to Choose the BEST Writing Curriculum (for a Growing Homeschool Family)

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

It’s a scary feeling choosing a writing curriculum when you don’t have a professional background in education. Also, look at my page The Dynamics of How to Homeschool Easily and Smarter.

Knowing that thousands of parents embark on teaching their children each year, I too made the leap to choosing the perfect writing curriculum.

But you and I both know that perfect writing curriculum doesn’t exist, or does it?

3 Ways to Choose the BEST Writing Curriculum (for a Growing Homeschool Family)

Looking back now that two of my sons are graduated, there were some things I did right although I didn’t feel that way at the time.

WRITING CURRICULUM

Hoping to spare you the same agony I went through because of my aversion to teaching writing, I learned 3 ways to choose the best writing curriculum for a growing homeschool family.

1. There is a right way to teach writing. No smoke and mirrors are involved.

A writing program needs to give you and your children structure and sentence variety.

Short and compound sentences are only two sentence types, but a beginner writer needs plenty of practice developing them.

Moving from basic sentence writing to a paragraph is foundational to strong writing skills.

As your child matures, he widens out in his ability to write creatively, but the foundation is first.

Does your writing curriculum give numerous subject topics, practice with sentence variety and instructions to the non-professional educator?

2. As the moods of your children change, your writing environment can’t.

When it comes to scheduling, I could easily be known as a Nazi mama.

I’ve been hard on myself through the years so that I don’t push too hard.

But years later, I’ve learned my structured environment was key to my boys learning how to write well.

I fully appreciate now that relaxed homeschooling is not lazy homeschooling. Finding balance is key to being a good writing teacher.

A well-rounded writing curriculum should give you guidance through each step of the writing process and tips to accommodate your kids changing needs and moods.

For several years, my sons needed to write about boy topics.

Easy Writing Curriculum Tips

Getting them in touch with their warm and fuzzy feelings didn’t work for them. An excellent writing curriculum really needs to serve the needs of both girls and boys.

In my inexperience, I learned a valuable nugget which is that a structured writing environment nurtures creativity. It worked opposite of how I thought it would be in the beginning.

Instead of focusing on the grade level, a writing curriculum needs to give you a clear picture of the process.

For example, does it move from planning, prewriting, drafting, revising to editing/publish? Does it help you to teach each step clearly?

If the writing curriculum is written for multiple ages, then you can teach to the writing ability for each child.

It’s a costly mistake to buy a writing curriculum that does not give you abundant teaching tips at each stage of the writing process.

For example, just because a child is in middle school doesn’t mean he is ready to write high school essays. After all essays are just a lot of practice in paragraph writing combined to make a lengthy paper.

Practice in paragraph writing can span many grades and it’s more about maturity than age.

When you’re given clear short-term goals and long-term goals of the writing process, your child can advance based on his maturity or simmer at one level for a while.

Again, teaching writing from the novice to the accomplished is about giving kids a structured environment which should be one of the important details in your program.

Writing, like math, is a skill that needs to be practiced each day. Skipping writing for numerous days and then asking your kids to write 5 paragraphs in one setting is pure torture.

Like other skill subjects, writing quickly becomes boring if a child is not writing about what interests him.

Does your writing curriculum give you writing prompts or ideas, encourages your child to write about topics that interest him and remind you to give praise for your child’s good communication skills? It should.

3. Lessons must be geared toward ensuring writing success.

Writing programs aim for writing success, but many miss the mark.

Not having a teaching background makes me require more of a writing program than just telling me about the writing process.

Look at these key bullet points to help you gauge a top-notch writing program.

Writing Structure Gives Kids a Strong Edge

  • Equipping teachers with scripted lessons is the start to creative writing. Like cooking, not everybody needs a recipe but sometimes you need exact measurements. However, in the beginning an inexperienced cook starts with a pattern or recipe and adjusts a recipe as she hones her skill. She adjusts a recipes to fit her family’s needs. Teaching writing is similar. Learn from seasoned writers by carefully following a script and then adjust it to meet your family’s needs.
  • Providing detailed instructions for budding writers is an essential component. New writers seem to have no fear when it comes to ideas. They need structure and guidance daily. The challenges are quite different for a more mature writer.
  • A program should ensure writing success for older writers who have more experience in life but may have experienced many writing failures. They may lack confidence. If a writing program fails to ensure that each writing adventure is a success, why would you choose it?
  • Ample ideas for editing, revising and giving feedback are necessary. My boys never responded to the red pen marks on their paper. It didn’t take many times for me to do that until I realized that writing is very personal. Tips in my curriculum like discussing topics beforehand, having my child explain his thoughts to me prior to writing and having my child listen and watch me as I thought outloud while writing were key teaching points I learned.

Teaching Kids to Write Clearly and Creatively Without Crushing Them

One year when one of my sons was in middle school, I thought he was a very creative writer. At least more so than I was at his age. What I was helped to appreciate from teaching writing was that my son needed to make a point with his writing while entertaining readers.

Having eight pages of words which sparked his imagination was beautiful and creative, but honing it for meaning is equally important.

As a mom of bright boys, I refused to believe that just because boys came later to the writing table that it meant they were delayed.

They were not, they just needed more entertaining than girls. A boy’s need to wiggle, move, and use up their energy had to be incorporated into the lesson plan.

I’m not telling you that teaching writing is easy, but it can be less intimidating when you choose the best writing curriculum. Take your time choosing one and ask a lot of questions.

3 Ways to Choose the BEST Writing Curriculum (for a Growing Homeschool Family)

What is working and not working for you right now?

More Writing Curriculum Tips

Also, look at how to teach writing with these other tips.

It’s a scary feeling to choose a writing curriculum when you don’t have a professional background in education. Knowing that thousands of parents embark on teaching their children each year, I too made the leap to choosing the perfect writing curriculum. But you and I both know that perfect writing curriculum doesn’t exist, or does it? Looking back now that two of my sons are graduated, there were some things I did right although I didn’t feel that way at the time. Click here to grab the 3 tips on how to choose the BEST writing curriculum.

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

How to Shake Up STEAM With Geography For Middle School

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Science intimidates me, but I’ve always managed to teach it through one of my other strengths. I had a chance to shake up STEAM with geography. I used a country crate about Poland and used it to teach STEAM with geography, history and hands-on activities as a unit study. I love pick up and go resources that have everything in a crate that makes teaching STEAM and geography easy. Click here to read about it and grab it!

I stalked the mailbox waiting for this country crate. For review purposes, I was given this product for free and I was paid for my time. However, paid for my time does not mean paid off. All opinions are my own and I will always tell you what is on my mind. Not every product gets a positive review. But because I carefully sort through numerous offers for reviews, it usually means that I’m giddy about the product when I do accept it. Read my full disclosure here.

Science intimidates me, but I’ve always managed to teach it through one of my other strengths. So when I had a chance to shake up STEAM with geography by receiving a country crate about Poland from STEAMworld, I jumped at the chance. I can’t wait to tell you about the country crate, tell you what you get in one, and how I used it.

First, though, I don’t want you to miss both the sweet discount and giveaway at the bottom. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway and use the discount code.

After reading recently that STEAM jobs are on the increase, I’ve been looking for easy ways to incorporate science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics in my unit studies, but that takes a lot of time.

Too, nothing takes the steam (corny pun – I couldn’t resist) more out of a hands-on project then missing items to do them with.

Knowing that the crate comes with everything that we need in it to learn about Poland is a huge time savings tip.

Right now 3 countries are available: Poland, Japan, and Morocco with more coming!

(Confession – the paper and template for the rooster are missing in the picture because Tiny couldn’t wait to get started.)

Look at what you get in each crate:

  • materials for a math project,
  • materials for a science project,
  • materials for an art project,
  • materials for an engineering project,
  • one student activity book, which includes instructions for all STEAM projects, and
  • one country scrapbook style guide, which includes back ground information, fast facts and landmarks about a country.

What you do not get in a crate are items you normally would have in your homeschool room like rulers, pens, pencils, scissors and glue.

One of the things I like most about the crate and ideas for each subject is that they were uncomplicated and not lengthy.

It has just the right amount of laid out activities without telling you what to do each day.

If you’re new to unit studies, you may want a unit study that is more comprehensive, but that can also be overwhelming.

Right now in this season of my homeschooling, I want the freedom and wiggle room to learn at our pace without day to day lesson plans.

For example, for the first week and half or so we worked on the art project.

Look at my post Polish Paper-Cutting (Wycinanki): Day 10 Hands-on Learning.

The student activity book, or guide, has one or two pages of explanation with a hands-on project.

After reading the art activity, we took our time working on the art project. After learning about the beautiful art of polish paper cutting, we researched art patterns as well as read about the history of Poland.

In addition to the 8-page student activity book, the 4-page scrapbook style country guide has background information and quick facts about Poland.

Then, we took another couple of weeks watching a few YouTube videos and reading books from the library.

Both guides are springboards if you want to research and read longer about a topic like we did.

What I also like is that each project your child can work on independently. While I love teaching my kids at the middle school and high school level, I know it’s important to choose resources that support a child’s natural desire to learn independently.

Having each day’s lesson plans laid out is not exactly the way to do that.

Instead, giving your child guidance, some background information, and bringing the information together under a geography topic gives a middle school or high school student a beginning point.

Having an idea for each subject in a geography unit study also keeps your geography study balanced. Following a unit study approach means that you normally want some starting point for subjects about a topic and it means to introduce it in a balanced way.

I know I’ve been guilty of being unbalanced while covering unit study. While there is nothing wrong with digging deep on a topic you and your kids are excited about, a few subjects could be overlooked.

Using STEAMworld, gave us not only ideas to cover more in-depth, but hands-on projects for each subject.

I’ve confessed that when the boys were little that I took a hands-off approach to teaching because it either intimidated me or sounded like a lot of work for maybe a little return.

After homeschooling longer, you learn that kids retain information better when they are engaged and through hands-on projects. However, the next mistake in learning how to teach unit studies is that you can complicate hands-on projects. It’s almost enough to make you quit unit studies.

That is another reason I’m tickled to use the the country crates. Simple, but meaningful projects while learning about Poland keeps unit studies from being either boring or overly complicated.

However, the best reason I love STEAMworld is the focus on STEAM.

When it comes to geography and history it’s our first love; I can easily add in more content. But my boys have always loved science and want more ideas when we are doing unit studies.

STEAMworld may be a good fit for your family:

►If you love STEAM and want to include a framework for geography and history with it.
►If you love STEAM and want to fold it into your unit studies.
►If you want all the important supplies for hands-on projects at your finger tips and not have to worry about gathering all of them.
►If you love in-depth geography and history and prefer to add it yourself while having ideas for STEAM.
►If you prefer to have a beginning point and an easy hands-on idea for each subject in STEAM.
►If you want to encourage your kids to work more independently in unit studies, the guides are not bulky, but helpful and simple.
►If you prefer to do your own in-depth planning and don’t need to be told what to do day to day.
►If you don’t want to come up with a hands-on idea for Science,Technology, Engineering, Art or Math. An idea is provided for each subject tied to the country you’re studying.
►If you have multiple ages of children and want them to work together on a topic, but not necessarily on the same lesson. There is enough wiggle room in the guides to allow each child to work on a sub-topic that may interest each one.

I think you’ll love these country crates and I can’t wait to see the other country crates that are released.

What I love too is when a company is generous and hosts a sweet giveaway in addition to giving you a discount.

Be sure to enter the giveaway because there will be two winners and you have several chances to win. You never know; you may win. Don’t forget to use the coupon, as well as to share with your friends.

Hope you win!

How to purchase it.

►Product Name: STEAMworld Country Crates. Includes everything needed to do the activities. Materials included for science, math, art and engineering. Basic homeschool supplies like scissors, glue, tape and pencils are not included in the country crate. There is a duo option for extra material to include siblings.
►Website: STEAMworld Learning.
►Suitable for grades: 4th to 8th, but so it’s  so flexible to include all of your children.
►Format: A physical product that will be shipped to you.
►Cost: $39.95. Remember to use the code: steam2017 for a discount.

You may also love reading 5 BEST Books to Create an Around the World Unit Study (and Hands-on Activities), Geoscavenge – A Rock and Mineral Hunt: Day 6 Hands-on Learning and 11 AWESOME Ways to Learn Geography (Other Than Labeling a Map).

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

The Ultimate Guide to Brave Explorers (Great and Small)

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Whether they were the world's bravest explorers or the world barely noticed their bravery, this ultimate guide to great explorers, both great and small will give you a pivot point to learning in depth about some of these fascinating explorers and their journeys. Click here!

Whether they were the world’s bravest explorers or the world barely noticed their bravery, this ultimate guide to great explorers, both great and small, will give you a starting point for in-depth learning about some of these fascinating explorers and their journeys.

Learning about great explorers and seeing events, places, and everyday life unfold through their eyes allows you and your children to go to places you may have never been. If nothing else, it will give you a glimpse of the determination, bravery, and fortitude explorers exhibited. Hopefully, you’ll come away with both a more adventurous spirit and a deeper respect for other parts of the world.

Ideas for Geography Inspiration

I’ve alphabetized the explorers by their last name to make it easier for you to locate each one. In cases when an explorer’s last name is not given or known, I’ve listed each by his only name or first name known.

Sometimes more than one explorer navigated the same region but presented their journeys from a different view. I think it’s easier to list them by name so that you get the full benefit of their individual perspectives, instead of breaking down this ultimate to great explorers by the region each explored.

General posts, downloads, printables and unit studies.

The Great Age of Exploration (1400–1550) 48 page teacher guide on a variety of explorers.
Curriculum Guide on Circumnavigation 12 pages.
Hispanic Exploration in America 9 page lesson plan using primary sources.
Those Who Have Come Before Me 7 page lesson plan about space exploration.
Mapping Skills for K-3.
European Explorers of North and South America 13 page lesson plan.
Free Continent Map.
Explore the Explorers Online
Spain and America: From Reconquest to Conquest
European Exploration & Trade 22 pages.		Early Explorers 12 page teacher guide on a variety of explorers.
European Exploration, Trade and Colonization 22 free unit guide.
The Age of Exploration 6 page helpful background information.
Exploring the World 12 page lesson with photos of landmarks.
Exploring the Moon Educators Guide – 158 page free download.
Hands-on Explorers Unit Study.
Da Gama, Vespucci, and Balboa Lesson
The Great Age of Exploration 48 pages.


Hands-on Ideas and Activities.

Make a 3-dimensional globe.
Learning longitude and latitude using an orange – 6 page download.
Free Explorers Lapbook.
Age of Exploration Ideas – Taste foods from different countries.
Free Writing prompts About Explorers.
First Explorers Flipbook Project
North American Explorers WebQuest
The Discovery of the Americas Play		You’ll love the free timeline figures and coloring pages here for many of the explorers.
Make a balloon globe.
European Explorers Word Search Puzzle.
Make Explorers Ships with Toilet Paper Tube Sail – for art.
Hands-on History Explorer 48 page free curriculum.
Postcards from the Explorers.
Early Explorer Journal Writing

 

 

B

Vasco Nunez de Balboa

Free book at Gutenberg.
Vasco Nunez de Balboa Biography
Vasco Nunez de Balboa Slideshow
10 Facts On The Spanish Explorer.
 

Balboa Explorers PowerPoint
Vasco Nunez de Balboa Lesson Plan

Daniel Boone North American Explorer

Free Lapbook and Unit Study.
Read Boone’s own account of his “Adventures,” published in 1874.
Boone: Tennessee’s Western Frontier 16 page download.		The Wilderness Road.
Daniel Boone Picture Book Lesson
Daniel Boone Trailblazer 7 pages.
Daniel Boone and the American Frontier 21 pages.

C

Samuel de Champlain

Samuel de Champlain Powerpoint.
Samuel De Champlain New France Lesson Plan 20 pages.		Champlain in America
Champlain Reaches the Lake 32 pages.

Christopher Columbus

Columbus 10-page workbook.
Activities 64-pages of coloring pages and activities.
Columbus: Hero or Villian.		My first biography 8-page download.
Voyages of Columbus timeline.
Who was Christopher Columbus? 6-page lesson plan.

Also for learning about Christopher Columbus, look at my series 5 Days of Learning Printables:The World of Columbus and Sons Day 5 For Middle and High School.

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado

Francisco Coronado Lesson Plan
Coronado: Misfortune’s Explorer Lesson Plan		Coronado Biography for Kids
Coronado Historical Summary

Hernando Cortes

Hernando Cortes Poster Activity
Cortes Compare and Contrast Lesson		Conquistadors: Hernan Cortes Lesson Plan
Cortes: Fact Vs. Fiction

D

Bartolomeu Dias

The Portuguese Explorers – 28 page download.
Social Sciences HISTORY Teacher’s Guide – 14 page download.
-1500). 3 page download.
Bright Ideas Press


Sir Francis Drake

Drake’s West Indian Voyage 1588-1589
Background Information, 2-page download.
The Spanish Armada.
About the Golden Hind.
Things You May Not Know About Drake.		Vocabulary words for a unit study.
Explorers of the World.
1580: Drake Completes Navigation.
Coloring Pages.
Drake’s Circumnavigation Lesson Plan

G

Vasco da Gama

Reading Comprehension Quiz.
Early Modern Britain 96 page teacher’s guide
Vasco da Gama PBS World Explorers		 Europe Discovers the Riches of India.
Vasco de Gama Finds a Sea Route to India.
Vasco da Gama Lesson Plan

H

Henry Hudson

The search for the Northwest Passage.
Henry Hudson Free Games and Activities.		On the Half Moon with Henry Hudson Free 70 page Guide.
Free 56 page Unit Study & Lesson Plans.
Henry Hudson Lesson Plan 19 pages.

L

Juan Ponce de Leon

Ponce De Leon: Explorers for Kids
Juan Ponce De Leon Lesson Plan
Ponce De Leon, Aztecs, and Cortez
Ponce De Leon 5th Grade Writing Lesson		Ponce De Leon 5th Grade Lesson Plan
History of Ponce de Leon in Florida
Ponce de Leon Printable Biography
Ponce De Leon Printable Coloring Page

M

Ferdinand Magellan

How Magellan circumnavigated the globe.
Colonization: for Gold, God, and Glory.
Ferdinand Magellan Voyages of Discovery YouTube		Magellan’s voyage around the world.

 

Ferdinand Magellan: A Man of His Time.


P

Francisco Pizarro

Conquistadors: Francisco Pizarro.
Machu Picchu: Unveiling the Mystery of the Incas – 82 page free guide		Incan Times.
Cortes & Pizarro Teacher’s Guide – 2 page.

Marco Polo

Free Unit Study, Lapbook and Hands-on Ideas.
On the Road with Marco Polo		Marco Polo and the Silk Road Lesson Plan
Marco Polo Resource Guide 48 pages.

R

Sir Walter Raleigh

4-page educator’s guide for Raleigh’s Page.
Sir Walter Raleigh Biography
Walter Raleigh Video Lesson		 Birth of a Colony.
Sir Walter Raleigh and South America
Early Virginia Exploration 21 pages.

S

Hernando de Soto

Hernando De Soto: Explorers for Kids
Conquest of America by Hernando de Soto
Hernando de Soto and Exploration of Florida		De Soto’s Trip Through South Carolina
De Soto in America
De Soto’s Discovery of the Mississippi

V

Amerigo Vespucci

Amerigo Vespucci Worksheet
Amerigo Vespucci: Explorers for Kids		Amerigo Vespucci 5th Grade Lesson Plan
Amerigo Vespucci Biography

Videos

Columbus, de Gama, and Zheng He! 15th Century Mariners.
The contributions of female explorers.
Age of Exploration.
Age of Exploration – A Short Documentary Film

Also, check out The Anatomy of a Well Laid Out Homeschool High School Geography Curriculum, Homeschool Geography Go To Resources and John Muir Spring Unit Study (and Hands-on Geography Ideas).

Are you interested in more of my Ultimate Guides? Of course you are.
Read Lewis and Clark Expedition – The Ultimate Guide, Ultimate Guide to Learning Activities in a Jar or Bottle, The Ultimate Guide for New Homeschoolers and The Unrivaled Guide to Civil War Activities for Kids.

Hugs and love ya,

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