Online Learning Activities

Edmund Hillary Conquers Mount Everest

Students meet Sir Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay, the first men to conquer Mt. Everest.

This online learning activity offers students a comprehensive look at the historic first climb of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay. It incorporates reading activities, lessons in geography and history, and more.

• Students can Relive Edmund Hillary's Trek to Top of the World (grades 3–8) through photos and text.
• In Photo History of Sir Edmund Hillary (grades 3–8), students follow the Edmund Hillary from boyhood to his historic climb, and learn the tragedy he encountered late in his life.
• Students can read our Interview With Sir Edmund Hillary (grades 3–8) from when he visited Scholastic.
• Students will learn more about Tenzing Norgay (grades 3–8), Sir Edmund Hillary's teammate, a Sherpa from Nepal, who reached the top of the world with him.
• In Meet the Sherpas (grades 3–8), students learn about the people who assist others as they climbing Mt. Everest. 
• Our Mt. Everest Glossary (grades 3–8) offers definitions of words students need to know to understand the story of Sir Edmund Hillary's historic climb of Mt. Everest.
• Students will also meet Whitney Stewart (grades 3–8), an author for young adults, who has trekked with Sir Edmund Hillary in Nepal. 
• About Mt. Everest (grades 3–8) includes facts about the mountain and the history of attempts to scale it.
• World Famous Mountains (grades 3–8) charts the most famous mountains in the world, where they are located, their heights, and when they were first climbed.

Learning Objectives

In the course of participating in this online project, students will:

• Learn about the geography, history, and culture of the Himalayas
• Improve content-area reading skills, applying various reading strategies
• Use the Internet for research
• Develop vocabulary and factual knowledge associated with mountain climbing, Sir Edmund Hillary, and Mount Everest