📖

Other Brave Explorers

Explorers Cross the Ocean

Day 19of 180
Week 4of 36
25Minutes
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🖨️ Download Worksheet (PDF)
🎯 What You'll Learn

Learning Objectives

1

Learn about different European explorers

2

Understand how explorers discovered new lands

3

Recognize God's guidance in exploration

📖 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 God's guidance to travel unknown waters, we can trust God to guide our journey

📦 Materials Needed

  • World map
  • Pictures of explorers
  • Colored markers
  • Large poster paper
📚 Step-by-Step

Lesson Plan

1Opening (5 min)

Gather students around world map. Ask what they know about explorers.

💭 Review Question: What do you think it was like to sail into unknown waters?
2Teaching (10 min)

Tell stories of Amerigo Vespucci, Ponce de León, and Hernando de Soto, highlighting their curiosity and bravery.

📌 Key Talking Points:
  • Explorers were curious about new lands
  • They faced many challenges
  • God gave them courage and skills
💬 Discussion Questions:
  • What would scare you about sailing to a new place?
  • How do you think explorers felt when they saw new lands?
3Activity: Explorer Poster (7 min)
hands-on

Create a class poster showing explorers' routes and discoveries

📝 Instructions:
  1. Draw world map on poster paper
  2. Add pictures of explorers
  3. Draw colored lines showing their routes
  4. Write one interesting fact about each explorer
🔄 Variations:

Simpler: Use pre-drawn map, just add stickers

Challenge: Include more detailed route information

4Closing (3 min)

Review what we learned about brave explorers

📝 Review Questions:
  • Who were some explorers we learned about today?
  • What did they discover?
  • How might God have helped them?
🙏 Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank you for giving people courage to explore and discover new places. Help us be brave like these explorers. Amen.

Coming up: Tomorrow we'll learn how explorers made maps of new lands!

💎 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: Hand motions: Point to heart, then make walking motion with fingers

👨‍👩‍👧 For Parents

Teaching Notes

📚 Background:

European explorers expanded geographical knowledge in 15th-16th centuries

💡 Teaching Tips:
  • Emphasize explorers' bravery and curiosity
  • Discuss how exploring can be both exciting and scary
🤔 Common Struggles:

Children might find multiple explorer names confusing

👀 Signs of Understanding:

Child's ability to remember basic facts about explorers

🚀 Want More?

Extension Activities

  • Draw a picture of an explorer's ship
  • Read a children's book about exploration
  • Make a simple compass

Ready for Tomorrow?

Great job completing today's lesson!

Continue to Day 20 →Back to History & Social Studies