History · Year 2 · Explorers and Great Achievements · Spring Term

Famous Female Explorers

Highlighting the achievements of women in exploration, such as Amelia Earhart or Valentina Tereshkova.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: History - Significant individuals in the past

About This Topic

Famous Female Explorers brings to life the stories of women who achieved extraordinary feats despite barriers. Year 2 pupils meet Amelia Earhart, who flew solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932, and Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to travel into space in 1963 aboard Vostok 6. They examine the extra challenges these explorers faced, from gender prejudice to harsh conditions, while answering questions like 'What did she do?' and 'What made her journey harder?'

This content aligns with KS1 History requirements to study significant individuals from the past. Pupils connect explorers' perseverance to broader themes of innovation and equality, seeing how women's roles have evolved. Comparing Earhart's risks with modern aviation or Tereshkova's flight to current space missions builds chronological awareness and cultural understanding.

Pupils grasp these narratives best through active methods because history comes alive in their hands. Role-playing journeys or mapping routes helps them visualise distances and dangers, while group discussions on challenges build empathy and retention. Such approaches turn facts into personal connections, making abstract past events concrete and memorable.

Key Questions

1. Who is one female explorer you have learned about and what did she do?
2. What challenges did some female explorers face that made their journeys even harder?
3. What do you think is the most impressive thing a female explorer has ever achieved?

Learning Objectives

• Identify the primary achievements of Amelia Earhart and Valentina Tereshkova.
• Explain at least two specific challenges faced by female explorers due to societal expectations or technological limitations of their time.
• Compare the methods and risks involved in Amelia Earhart's aviation journey with Valentina Tereshkova's space mission.
• Formulate an opinion on the most significant contribution of a chosen female explorer, providing one piece of supporting evidence.

Before You Start

Introduction to Different Types of Transport

Why: Students need a basic understanding of vehicles like planes and rockets to comprehend the modes of transport used by the explorers.

Significant People in History (General)

Why: Familiarity with the concept of studying important individuals from the past helps students contextualize the achievements of these specific female explorers.

Key Vocabulary

Aviator	A pilot of an aircraft. Amelia Earhart was a famous aviator known for her long-distance flights.
Cosmonaut	A person trained to travel in a spacecraft. Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman to become a cosmonaut and travel to space.
Solo Flight	A flight undertaken by a pilot without any passengers or co-pilots. Amelia Earhart completed a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
Pioneer	A person who is among the first to explore or settle a new country or area. Both Earhart and Tereshkova were pioneers in their fields of exploration.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

All famous explorers were men.

What to Teach Instead

Pupils often assume history books focus only on males, overlooking women like Earhart. Active timeline activities reveal diverse figures side-by-side, prompting peer discussions that reshape views. Group sharing corrects this by celebrating female contributions equally.

Common Misconception

Female explorers faced no extra challenges.

What to Teach Instead

Children may think bravery alone sufficed, ignoring sexism or funding issues. Role-play interviews let pupils voice these barriers from the explorer's perspective, building empathy. Class debates on evidence from sources clarify societal hurdles.

Common Misconception

Explorers' achievements were easy or lucky.

What to Teach Instead

Pupils underestimate preparation and risks, seeing feats as chance. Mapping activities highlight training and planning, while station rotations with artefacts make dangers tangible through handling replicas.

Active Learning Ideas

Timeline Build: Explorer Achievements

Pupils work in small groups to research one explorer using provided cards with key dates and facts. They sequence events on a large class timeline, adding drawings of planes, rockets, or maps. Finish with a whole-class walk-through to share highlights.

35 min·Small Groups

Role-Play Interviews: Facing Challenges

Assign pairs one as explorer and one as reporter. The reporter asks prepared questions about journeys and obstacles, while the explorer responds in character using fact sheets. Switch roles and perform for the class.

30 min·Pairs

Map Journeys: Plotting Paths

Provide world maps for individual or pair work. Pupils mark routes of Earhart's flight or Tereshkova's launch site, noting distances and dangers with stickers or drawings. Discuss as a class what made paths impressive.

25 min·Pairs

Gallery Walk: Achievement Posters

Groups create posters showing one explorer's life, challenges, and triumphs with images and captions. Display around the room for a gallery walk where pupils leave sticky-note comments on impressive facts.

45 min·Small Groups

Real-World Connections

• Modern female pilots, such as those flying commercial airliners for British Airways or cargo planes for DHL, build upon the paths forged by aviators like Amelia Earhart, facing different but related challenges in the aviation industry.
• Astronauts working with the European Space Agency (ESA) today, like Samantha Cristoforetti, follow in the footsteps of Valentina Tereshkova, contributing to international space exploration and scientific research.
• Engineering and design teams at companies like Virgin Galactic or Blue Origin are constantly innovating to make space travel safer and more accessible, a continuation of the drive for achievement seen in early space missions.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Provide students with a card asking: 'Name one female explorer we studied. What was her main achievement? What was one difficulty she faced?' Students write their answers to check understanding of key figures and challenges.

Discussion Prompt

Ask students: 'Imagine you are a journalist interviewing Amelia Earhart or Valentina Tereshkova. What is one question you would ask her about her journey, and why is that question important?' This encourages critical thinking about the explorers' experiences.

Quick Check

Show images of Amelia Earhart's plane and the Vostok 6 spacecraft. Ask students to point to the image of the explorer they learned about and state one fact about her journey. This quickly assesses recall and identification.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are key female explorers for Year 2 history?

Focus on Amelia Earhart for her 1932 solo Atlantic flight and Valentina Tereshkova for her 1963 space orbit. These figures suit KS1 with clear timelines and inspiring stories. Include challenges like Earhart's disappearance or Tereshkova's solo mission to spark pupil interest in perseverance.

How to teach challenges faced by female explorers?

Use source extracts showing prejudice or family pressures alongside achievements. Group discussions on key questions help pupils identify barriers. Visual timelines contrast male explorers' paths, revealing inequalities and fostering appreciation for resilience.

How can active learning help teach famous female explorers?

Active strategies like role-play and mapping make stories vivid for Year 2 pupils. Interviews build speaking skills and empathy, while collaborative timelines reinforce chronology. These methods boost retention by 30-50% through movement and peer talk, turning passive facts into engaging narratives.

What links female explorers to UK curriculum?

This topic meets KS1 History on significant past individuals, extending Explorers unit. It develops skills in sequencing events and understanding change over time. Ties to PSHE on equality prepare pupils for diverse role models, with assessments via pupil questions on achievements.