The Age of Exploration – A Homeschool Guide for Ages 12–18

The Age of Exploration! 
This was the era when daring explorers set sail into the unknown—crossing vast oceans, mapping new lands, and forever changing how people saw the world. It began in the 1400s, when brave adventurers like Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, and James Cook left familiar shores behind to seek new routes, riches, and discoveries.

It was an age of courage, danger, and discovery—but also one of great consequence. These journeys connected continents for the first time, sparking trade, cultural exchange, and sometimes conflict that shaped the modern world.

So how do you make the Age of Exploration come alive for teens?

The key: let them experience the adventure, the challenge, and the curiosity that drove these explorers onward!

Encourage your students to analyze decisions—Why did explorers risk everything? How did new inventions like the compass or astrolabe make global voyages possible? What were the lasting effects of these discoveries on the people and lands they encountered?

Free Learning Resources

Here are some FREE online tools and activities that help your teens dive deeper into the Age of Exploration:

General

•  History.com — Fascinating articles and videos 

• Amdigital — 3D interactive maps showing the voyages of famous explorers!

• SoftSchools — For timelines and dates.

Free Videos & Documentaries

• The Age of Exploration — Crash Course. (Also check out part two, Expansion and Consequences)

• The Great Voyages of Discovery Part one, part two, part three, part four, and part five. — BBC

Hands-On Activities!

•  DIY compass: Build a compass using a needle and a magnet! Similarly, you could make a sextant!

•  Primary Source Journal: Read excerpts from explorer journals (like Magellan or Drake) and respond as if you were part of the crew.

Books to Explore

• Explorers: Amazing Tales of the World's Greatest Adventures — Nellie Huang

• Around the World in a Hundred Years — Jean Fritz 

• Great Expeditions: 50 Journeys that changed our world — Mark Steward

History Plus Brings It All Together

At History Plus, we don’t just tell students about the explorers who changed the world—we let them step into their shoes! Teens learn through immersive storytelling, vivid video lessons, and interactive activities designed to spark curiosity and critical thinking.

With History Plus, your family can:

• Watch engaging video lessons created just for ages 12–18

• Explore maps, trade routes, and real explorers’ journals

• Complete and discussions

• Discover how courage and curiosity shaped history

The Age of Exploration was filled with risks, discoveries, and new ideas—and now your teens can explore it all from home in a fun, hands-on way.

Set sail on a journey through history—join History Plus today!

— Janaya Allers