Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay: Everest

Active learning helps Year 2 students grasp the physical and mental challenges of the 1953 Everest expedition by making abstract dangers concrete. When children role-play tasks like route-finding or oxygen management, they connect historical facts to lived experience, building empathy and retention.

• Year 2
• History
• 4 activities
• 30 min–45 min

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the key individuals, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, and explain their historical achievement.
2. Describe at least three specific challenges faced by climbers on Mount Everest, such as extreme cold, thin air, and dangerous terrain.
3. Compare the roles of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay within their expedition team.
4. Sequence the main stages of the Everest expedition, from preparation to reaching the summit.

Stations Rotation

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Everest Challenges

Prepare four stations: ice grip (hold iced objects with gloves), low oxygen (short breath-holding while counting), steep climb (step up and down on benches), and avalanche dodge (roll balls to avoid). Groups rotate every 7 minutes, draw what they feel at each. Debrief on links to real climb.

Prepare & details

Who were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay and what did they achieve?

Facilitation Tip: For Station Rotation: Everest Challenges, label each station with a challenge card (e.g., ‘Thin Air Station’ with a stopwatch to simulate slow movement) to keep transitions focused and purposeful.

Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room

Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Case Study Analysis

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

Timeline Sequencing: Expedition Path

Provide jumbled image cards of key events from base camp to summit. In pairs, children sequence them on a long paper 'mountain trail,' add labels, and share one challenge per stage with the class.

Prepare & details

What challenges did Hillary and Norgay face when climbing Mount Everest?

Facilitation Tip: During Timeline Sequencing: Expedition Path, place large printed photos on the floor in a long line so children can physically step through each stage, reinforcing the gradual process of preparation.

Setup: Groups at tables with case materials

Materials: Case study packet (3-5 pages), Analysis framework worksheet, Presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Case Study Analysis

⏱ 35 min·Small Groups

Team Relay: Summit Climb

Set up a classroom course with hurdles, tunnels, and paired rope sections to mimic the climb. Teams of four relay while calling encouragements, then discuss how working together helped, relating to Hillary and Norgay.

Prepare & details

Why do you think it was important for them to work together as a team?

Facilitation Tip: In Team Relay: Summit Climb, use a single rope and small backpacks to show how Sherpas share loads; remind children that every step depends on cooperation, not speed.

Setup: Groups at tables with case materials

Materials: Case study packet (3-5 pages), Analysis framework worksheet, Presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Case Study Analysis

⏱ 40 min·Whole Class

Role-Play: Final Ascent

Divide class into Hillary, Norgay, and support roles. Narrate the last push with props like scarves for wind; act out planting the flag. Reflect in circle on emotions and teamwork value.

Prepare & details

Who were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay and what did they achieve?

Setup: Groups at tables with case materials

Materials: Case study packet (3-5 pages), Analysis framework worksheet, Presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Teaching This Topic

Teach this topic by balancing awe with realism. Avoid glorifying risk; instead, frame challenges as puzzles to solve together. Research shows young learners grasp interdependence through shared tasks, so design activities where success hinges on collaboration rather than individual heroics. Keep explanations concrete—avoid abstract talk about ‘courage’—and anchor discussions in sensory details like cold winds or heavy boots.

What to Expect

By the end of these activities, students will explain how Hillary and Norgay relied on teamwork, identify key equipment used, and sequence the expedition’s stages. Success looks like children discussing risks in child-friendly language and demonstrating planning through hands-on tasks.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Role-Play: Final Ascent, watch for children acting independently or racing to ‘the summit’ without waiting for partners.

What to Teach Instead

Pause the role-play to point out that Hillary and Norgay moved together, with Tenzing testing each step. Have partners mirror this by taking turns to lead and follow, holding a shared rope.

Common Misconception

During Station Rotation: Everest Challenges, watch for students saying the climb was ‘easy’ because Hillary and Norgay succeeded.

What to Teach Instead

At the ‘Weather Station,’ ask students to hold ice cubes for 30 seconds while discussing how frostbite could slow progress. Connect their discomfort to the team’s need for warm gear and flexible plans.

Common Misconception

During Timeline Sequencing: Expedition Path, watch for students placing the summit day too early in the sequence.

What to Teach Instead

Use the timeline cards to physically mark eight weeks and ask children to count aloud each camp setup. Highlight that the final climb followed months of rest and acclimatization, not a quick dash.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After Station Rotation: Everest Challenges, provide students with a picture of Hillary and Norgay on the summit. Ask them to write two sentences: one explaining who they are and what they did, and another describing one difficulty they might have faced, using details from the stations.

Discussion Prompt

During Team Relay: Summit Climb, ask students to pause and share with their team: ‘What three things would you pack and why?’ Record their answers on a chart. After the relay, guide a discussion connecting their choices to the actual equipment used by the team.

Quick Check

After Timeline Sequencing: Expedition Path, show students images of different climbing challenges. Ask them to point to the image that best represents a challenge faced by Hillary and Norgay and explain their choice in one sentence, referencing the timeline stages.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: After Role-Play: Final Ascent, ask early finishers to design a poster showing three ways Hillary and Norgay prepared for the climb, using labeled drawings and captions.
• Scaffolding: During Station Rotation: Everest Challenges, pair students so one reads the challenge card aloud while the other acts it out with props, reducing reading demands.
• Deeper exploration: After Timeline Sequencing: Expedition Path, invite a small group to research one member of the British expedition and present their role to the class using a simple puppet or photo.

Key Vocabulary

Summit	The highest point of a mountain. Reaching the summit of Mount Everest was the goal of Hillary and Norgay's expedition.
Sherpa	An ethnic group from the mountainous regions of Nepal, known for their mountaineering skills and often employed as guides on expeditions.
Altitude Sickness	A condition caused by the body's inability to adjust to lower oxygen levels at high elevations, leading to symptoms like headaches and exhaustion.
Crampons	Metal frames with spikes worn on boots to help climbers walk on ice and snow without slipping.
Oxygen Tank	A portable container of compressed oxygen used by climbers at very high altitudes to help them breathe more easily.