Time

Activity

5 min.

Introduction

• Find out how many students have used the Internet before. “What is the Internet?”
• Explain that students will be studying Explorers this year in social studies
• We have a cool activity on the Internet to get started with Explorers

20 min.

Treasure Hunt

• Assign students randomly to a team researching one of the explorers (4 students per team, divided into two pairs)
• One pair of students works together at one computer to complete the Hunt on their explorer.
• Students should select and answer all three of the questions.
• Teams reconvene as a group of 4 to compare answers and notes. Discuss and answer the “Big Question.”

15 min.

Group discussion

• Whole class discussion of findings and the “Big Question.”
• Key points to bring out:
  1. Not everything on the Internet is useful
  2. Be familiar with your topic first by reading books
  3. Check facts with other sources

5 min.

Preview of future lessons

• Introduce culminating activity—the next three lessons will provide students with the tools to correct the mistakes they found at the AllAboutExplorers.com site
• Tools and skills to locate good information
• Ability to evaluate web sites and other Internet sources