Caveat Academy course · Grades 6 to 8

History of Exploration: voyages that mapped the world

Follow explorers from the first people to cross into Australia to the robots driving on Mars: steer by stars like a Polynesian wayfinder, weigh the evidence that the Norse reached Newfoundland in 1021, find a ship's latitude from the North Star, count the cost of Magellan's voyage, see why Amundsen beat Scott to the South Pole and time a radio message to Mars. Six modules at your own pace, told from both sides of every encounter.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
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Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Middle school course library, $79 for 28 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 13 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: The first explorers

    Analyze the motives behind exploration and explain how the first migrations, Polynesian wayfinders and the Norse explored, judging claims by the kinds of evidence that support them.

    • Why people explore
    • Polynesian wayfinders
    • The Norse reach North America
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Travelers of the medieval world

    Compare the travels of Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta and Zheng He and explain what made long-distance travel possible in the medieval world.

    • Marco Polo and the Silk Roads
    • Ibn Battuta
    • Zheng He's treasure fleets
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: The age of sail

    Apply the navigation methods of the age of sail, including latitude from the North Star and dead reckoning, and evaluate the effects of the Portuguese voyages and the Columbian Exchange.

    • Ships and navigation tools
    • Portugal and the sea route to India
    • Columbus and the Columbian Exchange
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Circling and mapping the world

    Explain how the first circumnavigation, Cook's voyages and the Lewis and Clark expedition mapped the world, and evaluate their consequences for the peoples they met.

    • The first voyage around the world
    • James Cook and the Pacific
    • Lewis and Clark
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: The ends of the Earth

    Compare polar, mountain and deep-ocean expeditions and evaluate the planning and leadership choices that decided their outcomes.

    • The race to the South Pole
    • Survival in the ice
    • The highest and the deepest
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Into space and beyond

    Explain the space race and the Apollo landings, compute travel and signal times, and analyze why robots and ethics shape exploration today.

    • The space race
    • To the Moon
    • Robots, oceans and what is left to explore
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 2 · Zheng He's treasure fleets

Worked example: comparing the fleets

  1. Zheng He's first fleet carried about 27,000 people.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Academics · Middle School$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished course in the history of exploration: you can analyze why people explored, explain how the first migrations, Polynesian wayfinders and the Norse crossed oceans, judge historical claims by their evidence, compare Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta and Zheng He, find latitude from the North Star and position by dead reckoning, evaluate the Portuguese voyages and the Columbian Exchange, explain the first circumnavigation and the voyages of Cook and Lewis and Clark and their consequences, compare polar, mountain and deep-ocean expeditions, explain the space race and Apollo and compute why Mars rovers must think for themselves. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 6 to 8 who like adventure stories, maps and true survival tales, students taking or about to take world or U.S. history, and homeschool families who want a history course that tells exploration honestly from both sides of each encounter. A world map or globe is helpful.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 144 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 13 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Middle school course library ($79) and the Academics Suite pass ($149), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The Middle School space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

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Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. Parks Canada, L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, and Kuitems and others, "Evidence for European presence in the Americas in AD 1021," Nature, 2021: nature.com
  2. Polynesian Voyaging Society, the history of Hokule'a and traditional wayfinding: hokulea.com
  3. Royal Museums Greenwich, navigation at sea, the voyages of James Cook and the transit of Venus: rmg.co.uk
  4. National Park Service, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail: nps.gov
  5. NASA History Office, Sputnik, Apollo and the Mars rovers: nasa.gov

History of Exploration is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. It follows the sequence of a typical middle school history of exploration elective but does not replace a school history course and awards no credit. The course covers both the achievements of explorers and the harm that conquest and colonization brought to Indigenous peoples. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.