Explorers

A unit of work for Year 5 at Hornsby North PS, based on a CAP unit by

What must it have been like to be an explorer in times gone by? Many became famous and were rewarded by the Government; many others perished in undertaking dangerous voyages.

How would you like to be part of an expedition similar to that of one of the world's great explorers?

YOUR TASK

You and two friends have entered a contest in which you have to follow the route of an early explorer. Your task is to plan the trip so that you will be prepared for everything that could possibly happen. You will be travelling in modern transport rather than the original forms of transport.

You may choose to enter the contest in one of the following groups of explorers:

Group 1:  World land or ocean crossing explorers, e.g. Columbus, Magellan, Polo, Dampier, Cook, ...

Group 2:  Australian overland explorers, e.g. Burke and Wills, Leichhardt, Sturt, Stuart, etc, ...

Group 3:  Arctic or Antarctic explorers, e.g. Amundsen, Scott, ...

Here is what you have to do:

Week 1.  Discuss Exploration - explorers, their fears and their reasons for undertaking exploration.

Week 2.  Choose and study an explorer from one of the Groups. Make sure you know exactly where he started and finished.  Discuss your choice with your teacher before starting your detailed research.

Weeks 3 - 5.  Begin and develop your task.  As a starting point, sketch a map of his journey as you will be going on the same track with two of your friends.

Week 6.  Construct and label your own map carefully.

Here are some questions to help you make your preparations.  You will certainly think of more:

1.  How long will your journey take? Where do you propose to stay each night?

4.  What time of year you propose to do this trek?

5.  What will the three of you need to take with you?  Make a checklist.  Think of all the possible bad things that could happen. Are you prepared for these?

6.  How will you undertake your trip?  If you are driving, how much fuel will you need.  Make sure you show your fuel pick-up points along the way as sometimes there may not be a fuel station for hundreds of kilometres.  If you are flying, how much will your airfare be.  How will you get to your final destination? 

7. How much will cost to complete the expedition

PRESENTATION

Present your findings using either Word or Powerpoint.

It Must Include:

• a suitable title;
• a detailed map showing (a) the explorer's original trip, and (b) your journey (if it varies from the original)  with stop-off points, etc. marked;
• a checklist of materials you need to take;
• a list of possible hazards and how you plan to overcome them;
• an estimate of the time the expedition will take and the expected cost;
• wherever possible you should make comparisons between jour journey and the original exploration.