Texas History Tuesday: Explorers Simulation and Task Cards

Welcome back for another installment of Texas History Tuesday! Our class is working on European Explorers for another week, but this week is much more active! Last week we loaded up on knowledge, this week we are ready to put it into practice. 

We are starting our week with this Explorer Dice Simulation. This fun activity allows students to put themselves in the shoes of an explorer trying to find new lands.

Each student has a recording sheet and a starting point. They find out where their journey takes them by rolling a die and following the directions. 

After students finish their journey they use their recording sheet to write a series of journal entries from the point of view of an explorer. These entries are always so much fun to hear. Students really get into writing and are excited to share. 

Finally, we are ready to have a knowledge check. I am not a fan of simple pencil and paper tests, but I need to assess my students just like anyone else. Instead of sitting, I use these Explorer Task Cards scavenger hunt style!

Students answer the multiple choice questions on their recording sheet while traveling around the room. This keep my wiggly ones moving without distracting other students. 

All in all, we have a fun week full of European Explorers in store for us!