📖

Why Leave Home? Reasons for Exploration

Explorers Cross the Ocean

Day 16of 180
Week 4of 36
25Minutes
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🖨️ Download Worksheet (PDF)
🎯 What You'll Learn

Learning Objectives

1

Understand why European explorers wanted to travel across the ocean

2

Learn about the desire for trade and new discoveries

3

Recognize God's spirit of curiosity and adventure

📖 Scripture Connection

Proverbs 3:5-6

“Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

— Proverbs 3:5-6 (WEB)

Just as explorers trusted their skills and courage, we can trust God to guide our journey

📦 Materials Needed

  • World map or globe
  • Blue fabric or paper for ocean
  • Simple drawing materials
  • Picture cards of spices, silk, and gold
📚 Step-by-Step

Lesson Plan

1Opening (5 min)

Gather children around the world map. Ask them to imagine living hundreds of years ago when most people had never traveled far from home.

💭 Review Question: What is something new you've ever wanted to discover?
2Teaching (10 min)

Explain how European explorers were curious about what lay beyond their known world. They wanted to find faster routes to Asia to trade for valuable items like spices, silk, and gold.

📌 Key Talking Points:
  • Explorers were brave and curious
  • Trade was very important in those times
  • God gave people a desire to learn and explore
💬 Discussion Questions:
  • Why do you think people wanted to travel to new places?
  • What might be exciting about discovering something new?
3Activity: Explorer's Treasure Map (7 min)
hands-on

Children create a simple map showing what they might want to discover

📝 Instructions:
  1. Give each child a piece of paper
  2. Draw a map with an 'X' marking a special discovery
  3. Decorate the map with things they might want to find
🔄 Variations:

Simpler: Trace a pre-drawn map outline

Challenge: Add compass directions and a legend

4Closing (3 min)

Remind children that God gives us curiosity and courage to explore and learn

📝 Review Questions:
  • What did explorers want to find?
  • Why is learning about new things important?
🙏 Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank you for giving us curious minds and brave hearts to learn about Your wonderful world.

Coming up: Tomorrow we'll learn about Christopher Columbus and his big adventure!

💎 Memory Verse

Proverbs 3:5-6

“Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding.”

— Proverbs 3:5-6 (WEB)

🎯 Activity: Path Walking: Children walk a marked path while repeating the verse

👨‍👩‍👧 For Parents

Teaching Notes

📚 Background:

Early exploration was driven by economic and geographical curiosity

💡 Teaching Tips:
  • Use enthusiastic storytelling
  • Encourage children's natural curiosity
  • Connect exploration to God's design for learning
🤔 Common Struggles:

Children might find historical context challenging

👀 Signs of Understanding:

Engagement with the concept of discovery and willingness to ask questions

🚀 Want More?

Extension Activities

  • Research a family member's travel story
  • Create a 3D model of a sailing ship
  • Learn about modern-day explorers and scientists

Ready for Tomorrow?

Great job completing today's lesson!

Continue to Day 17 →Back to History & Social Studies