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Famous for more than Five Minutes
Explorers

Develop historical understanding of the lives and significance of Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong. Identify the kit needed for an expedition and compare the equipment taken by Columbus across the seas to the Americas in the fifteenth century with the equipment taken by Armstrong through space to the moon in the twentieth. Discover navigation techniques and study the different materials used by Columbus and Armstrong. Identify the properties of a range of materials for your own expedition. Go on to describe your expeditions using a range of media.

Block Overview

Session 1 What do explorers do?

Session plan Download all files

Objectives

History

  • Learn about the lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements.

Geography

  • Use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of their school and its grounds.
  • Name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans.

Teaching and Activities

Go on a playground expedition with ‘Explorer Bear’ before learning about significant explorers.

Teaching Outcomes
To order some significant explorers on a timeline and identify the continents visited.
To plan and go on a school grounds expedition using a simple map.

Children will:

  • Plan and go on a school grounds expedition with Explorer Bear.
  • Locate some school grounds landmarks in person and on a simple map.
  • Order some significant explorers on a timeline.
  • Label the 7 continents and 5 oceans on a map.
  • Stick images of significant explorers onto the continent they explored on a map.

You Will Need

  • 'Explorer Bears' and a backpack
  • Map of your school grounds

Weblinks

There are no weblinks needed for this session.

Session 2 What do explorers take with them?

Session plan Download all files

Objectives

History

  • Learn about the lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements.
  • Compare aspects of life, identifying similarities and differences between different periods.

English

  • Write for different purposes.
  • Segment spoken words into phonemes and represent these by graphemes, spelling many correctly.

Teaching and Activities

Identify what kit you need for a successful expedition and start to compare the equipment taken by Columbus and Armstrong on their voyages.

Teaching Outcomes
 To identify and compare expedition items from 500 yrs ago, 50yrs ago, and from today.
To write a list of items to be taken on an expedition.

Children will:

  • Identify items needed to go on a successful expedition.
  • Select time-appropriate items for 'Explorer Bear' to take on Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong’s voyages.
  • Write a kit list for Columbus’s and Armstrong’s expeditions.

You Will Need

  • Rucksack and two boxes

Session 3 Finding your way: Mapping and navigation for explorers

Session plan Download all files

Objectives

History

  • Learn about the lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements.
  • Compare aspects of life, identifying similarities and differences between different periods.

Geography

  • Use simple compass directions and locational and directional language to describe the location of features and routes on a map.
  • Use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features.
  • Use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of their school and its grounds.

Teaching and Activities

Discover some navigation ‘techniques’ and have a go at navigating some simple journeys.

Teaching Outcomes
 To learn about the journeys of Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong.
To locate your school and describe and follow journeys within the school grounds, using geographical language.

Children will:

  • Find their school on aerial photographs and modern maps.
  • Follow the journeys of Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong on maps.
  • Have a go at ‘dead reckoning’ and spaceship navigation.
  • Describe and follow journeys using compass directions and locational and directional language.

You Will Need

  • School grounds map
  • Compass
  • Metre sticks and measuring tapes
  • Recording devices

Session 4 What materials are good to make an explorer's mode of transport?

Session plan Download all files

Objectives

History

  • Learn about the lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements.
  • Compare aspects of life, identifying similarities and differences between different periods.

Science

  • Identify, name, compare and describe the simple physical properties and suitability of a variety of everyday materials, for particular uses.

Teaching and Activities

Learn about the materials used by Columbus and Armstrong; test and identify the properties of a range of possible materials to make a boat; recommend material for ‘Explorer Bear’ to join Columbus on his voyage.

Teaching Outcomes
 To learn about the modes of transport used by Columbus and Armstrong and compare modes of transport across different eras.
To test a variety of materials and suggest possible materials that could be used to make a boat.

Children will:

  • Know details about the boat Christopher Columbus used in his voyages.
  • Be able to identify possible dangers Christopher Columbus faced on his voyages.
  • Identify and compare the materials used in expedition transport for different eras.
  • Test a range of possible boat materials for specific properties.
  • Recommend a suitable material to make a boat for Explorer Bear.

Provided Resources

  • Images of ships spot the difference
  • Health and safety cards
  • Images of boats made from diff materials
  • Transport through eras images
  • Boats made from different materials and water

You Will Need

You do not need any particular resources for this session.

Session 5 What materials are good to make an explorer's clothing?

Session plan Download all files

Objectives

History

  • Learn about the lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements.
  • Compare aspects of life, identifying similarities and differences between different periods.

Science

  • Identify, name, compare and describe the simple physical properties and suitability of a variety of everyday materials, for particular uses.

Teaching and Activities

Learn about the materials used for clothing and equipment for expeditions in different eras; carry out some simple tests; recommend clothing materials to ‘Explorer Bear’ so that he can join Armstrong on his space voyage.

Teaching Outcomes
 To learn about the clothing used by Columbus and Armstrong and compare clothing materials across different eras.
To test a variety of materials and suggest possible materials to make a spacesuit from.

Children will:

  • Know details about the clothing Armstrong and Columbus wore.
  • Be able to identify possible clothing dangers Armstrong and Columbus faced.
  • Identify and compare the clothing and materials used in expeditions for different eras.
  • Test possible spacesuit materials for waterproof, bendy and durable properties.
  • Recommend a suitable material to make a spacesuit for ‘Explorer Bear’.

Provided Resources

  • Images of clothing spot the difference
  • Health and safety cards
  • Clothing images from different eras

You Will Need

  • Various materials for testing

Session 6 We have take-off/launch: Going on a historic expedition

Session plan Download all files

Objectives

History

  • Learn about the lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements.

Art and Design

  • Use a range of materials creatively to design and make products.

English

  • Participate in role-play.

Teaching and Activities

Build large scale ‘craft’ from junk to travel to the moon or the Caribbean; role-play a Columbus or Armstrong expedition team briefing and historic journey.

Teaching Outcomes
 To identify potential risks and equipment needed for Armstrong and Columbus’ voyages and recreate those voyages.
To design and make a spaceship and ship from junk.
To role-play the journeys of Columbus and Armstrong.

Children will:

  • Build a 15th Century sailing ship, and a spaceship, from junk.
  • Take part in a team briefing, prior to departure with Columbus and Armstrong, to discuss risks and to check all the equipment is ready.
  • Recap on information they have previously learnt about Columbus and Armstrong’s historic journeys.
  • Re-enact Columbus’ or Armstrong’s historic journey.
  • Create a spaceship.

Provided Resources

  • Images of Columbus and Armstrong’s ships
  • Risk assessment forms
  • Equipment images

You Will Need

  • Modelling boxes and fixings: glue, tape, rope

Session 7 Finding new lands: Comparing home and away

Session plan Download all files

Objectives

Geography

  • Understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area of the United Kingdom, and of a small area in a contrasting non-European country.

Art and Design

  • Use paper creatively to design and make products.

English

  • Say sentences out loud before writing them.
  • Re-read what is written to check that it makes sense.
  • Write for different purposes.
  • Use simple connectives to join clauses.

Teaching and Activities

Create travel scrapbooks to compare your local area to the Caribbean or the moon; Finally send a postcard home describing the Caribbean and moon destinations.

Teaching Outcomes
 To compare features in their local area to those of the Caribbean and the moon.
To make an eight page book from cutting and folding paper.
To write a postcard home describing the Caribbean and the moon.

Children will:

  • Make a simple 8 page book.
  • Create travel scrapbooks with images of the Caribbean and the moon.
  • Send a postcard home describing the Caribbean and the moon.

Provided Resources

  • Instructions for making an 8 page book
  • Images of Caribbean, moon and local areas

You Will Need

  • Writing materials
  • A6 card

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