If you have landed on this page and haven’t yet learned much about the Trail Guide to Learning curriculum series, we recommend you read the introduction to Trail Guide to Learning. Then come back to see what Paths of Exploration is all about!
Paths of Exploration is the first step in the Trail Guide to Learning series.
Following the steps of famous explorers and pioneers across America, geography becomes your guide to science, history, language skills, and the arts. This journey teaches students HOW to think by asking, answering, and investigating questions about our great country's beginning and growth.
The focus here is on the type of thinking, leadership, and skills that were needed to open up the way for others to follow. Students learn about the character and experiences of explorers who shaped us as a nation with their vision, determination, bravery, and sacrifice.
The six units in Exploration takes you from the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus all the way across America with the westward expansion.
In this series of unit studies the paths of the explorers are seen through multidisciplinary eyes, and always with the same goals: to make learning enjoyable, memorable, and motivating.
Primary science focus involves acquiring the basic skills of observation and recording (both drawing and writing), beginning life science through studying the animals and plant life of explored areas, including habitats and the relationship of these factors to the explorers.
Activities in Exploration such as learning directional terms, tracking, and using semaphore code help students understand the skills essential to an explorer’s success. Art lessons, craft projects, and cultural cooking, also enhance the learning process. While specifically designed for third through fifth graders, this book can easily be adapted for second and sixth graders as well.
Required student notebook pages are available for each grade level and are an integral part of this curriculum. Notebook pages provide maps, charts, space for copywork or dictation and any other template page needed throughout the year.
Student Notebooks are not included with the Teachers Guide, but you can order them here.
Although Paths of Exploration is primarily geared for students in grades 3-5, optional extensions are available. These extensions provide additional assignments and activities for the age groups below. They do not stand alone, but are meant to be used alongside the main Teacher’s Guide (with other students or siblings who are in the target 3rd-5th grade range.)
Jr. Extension, grades K-2 Used to include younger students learning related content at a primary level.
Older Extension, grades 6-7 Used to include older students learning related content on a more challenging level.
For specific unit-by-unit details and to learn more, select the Paths of Exploration teacher guides.
For package specials that include the curriculum and all required books, atlases, and maps select Paths of Exploration packages.
All subjects but math are included in this Unit Study approach to teaching.
