Exploration

Content Objectives

Children will:

• Learn about the concept of exploration.
• Access prior knowledge and build background about famous explorers.
• Explore and apply the concept of what exploration is to why people explore.

Language Objectives

Children will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of what exploration means.
• Orally use words that describe the different places people explore.
• Extend oral vocabulary by talking about where they would like to explore.
• Use key concept words [oceans, continents, map, mountain, binoculars, voyage, exploration].

Other

Explain

• Use the slideshow to review the key concept words.
• Explain that children are going to learn about:
• What a exploration means.
• What continents and oceans are.
• What Columbus explored.
• How people have explored high mountains.
• How people have explored outer space.

Model

• After the host introduces the slide show, point to the photo on screen. Ask children: What do you see in this picture? (a map of the world). How many continents do you see? (seven).
• Proceed to the next slide. Ask children: Why do you think people want to go to places that no one has gone to before? (answers will vary).
• Say: We can explore places that are near and far. Where would you like to explore that is near? (answers will vary).

Guided Practice

• Guide children through the next two slides, showing the different parts of the Earth that people have explored. Always have the children talk about why people might want to explore that part of the world.

Apply

• Have children play the games that follow. Have them discuss with their partner the different topics that appear during the Talk About It feature.
• After the first game, ask children to talk about which of the items they have seen or used and help them learn more about the items they're interested in. After the second game, have them discuss which place is the most difficult to explore.

Close

• Ask children: Where would you like to explore that no one else has explored yet? Explain.
• Summarize for children that to explore means to learn about things around us. We can explore places that are near and places that are far away. Encourage children to think about an explorer that they admire.