Early explorers and their boats
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain what an explorer is and how early explorers travelled.
Key learning points
- Explorers often travel to places that are unknown to them.
- Humans have always moved around and explored new places.
- Humans explored to find new places to live, new survival essentials, or to escape danger.
- Some early explorers used very early types of boats like the hollowed out Pesse Canoe.
Keywords
Explorer - an explorer is a person who travels to a place they have never been before
Hollow - early boats were hollow because they had an empty space inside them
Canoe - a canoe is a narrow boat that is used with a paddle
Common misconception
Pupils may think that explorers always use a map.
Early explorers did not have maps. They often used natural features to navigate by such as rivers.
Teacher tip
Ask pupils if they like exploring new places. Allow them to share their experiences of visiting new and exciting places, or ask them to talk in groups about what it was like for them when they first started school.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of upsetting content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Where do boats travel?
Q2.Which of these is a boat?
Q3.Which mode of transport was used for travelling in the past?
Q4.What do maps do?
Q5.Which of these is a map?
Q6.Which type of transport do you think early explorers used?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.True or false? Early explorers travelled by foot.
Q2.Choose the best description of an explorer.
Q3.Why did early explorers decide to make boats from tree trunks?
Q4.What is a canoe?
Q5.Which adjective describes a tree trunk after it is made into a canoe?
Q6.Why did early explorers move around? Select all the correct answers.
To help you plan your 1 history lesson on: Early explorers and their boats, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 1 history lesson on: Early explorers and their boats, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 history lessons from the John Cabot and Brunel unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.