Teaching the Age of Exploration
The Age of Exploration…oh such a big topic and so little time to teach. Most scope and sequences don’t provide for a lot of time-or a lot of depth on this subject in American history classes. Fortunately it is also taught in the World history curriculum so the burden is split. In this post I will share ideas that can be used in both courses at the middle grade and high school levels, and sprinkle in some tips and resources for elementary.
Video Viewing Guide
One approach is to combine the study of Pre-Columbian America, 15th century Europe, and even Africa, in a unit entitled something like Three Worlds Meet, or the Old World Discovers the New World. In my AP classes which gave very little time for the period, I could do this fairly quickly with a DVD entitled Three Worlds Meet (Origins to 1620). This costs about $40 or can be purchased as a set, but I thought it worth the splurge of our limited social studies budget. In 35 minutes it provides a pretty good overview and background of the era. I created a fill-in-the-blank viewing guide that students would complete while viewing. Click here to find it. This served as the basis of their notes which they could augment during the follow-up discussion. In fact I made guides for most of the series. If you ask for one in the comments section, I will be happy to e-mail it to you.
Model and Trace Explorer Routes
To teach about the explorer routes a good method is to have students trace them on their own map as part of an interactive lecture. This strategy works well for visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. The teacher discusses the expedition and models the route on a smart board, overhead… while the student draws the route on his own map. You can use different colors for each nation and make a key. I would also have them color the areas controlled by each nation, as well. Besides having students label the routes, I would have them write the names of each explorer on the back along with basic info about their discovery.
Interactive Explorer Maps
There are sites that offer interactive maps that show explorer routes. One good one is here.
Newspaper Article on Discovery
A good strategy to use when teaching about specific explorers is to have students write a newspaper article about his discovery. While reading an article about the explorer, have students take who, what, when, where, why, how notes. Then they will use their summarization to write the news report about his discovery. You can have them add a quote from a primary source such as Columbus’ Journal or letter to Luis de Santangel (1493) as if it were from an interview. Have them draw a picture or add an image and format it like a newspaper with a headline. For older students you can assign different topics to different students and combine them to make a group or class newspaper of the era.
Interview with Explorer
Assign a different explorer or other relevant person (such as Prince Henry, Queen Isabella…) to each pair of students. As they research or read their text, they will format questions that can be answered with their information. For their presentation one partner will role play the explorer and the other the reporter.
The Spanish Legacy Debate
Divide students into two teams. Have one side argue from the perspective that Spanish colonization had a positive benefit while the other will argue the “Black Legend” perspective. They should prepare by researching internet sources including primary sources of Juan Gines de Sepulveda and Bartolome de Las Casas. Here is one abbreviated version.
They should include a discussion of Native American treatment, the Columbian Exchange, and the successes and failures of the Spanish Empire. Finish by making a chart of both the positives and negatives of the Spanish Legacy.
Explorer Skit or Readers Theatre:
You can have groups of students write their own script to perform for class about event of the era. There is one already written for young students called The Discovery of the Americas: A Play About Early Explorers
Columbian Exchange
Assign half of the class to bring something to represent an item from the Old World list and the other half to bring something from the New World list. See the chart in the HOTS section below. Include foods, stuffed animals, or pictures. Have each student bring their item to the table and explain how that item helped (or in case of disease, changed) the other half of the world.
IPad game
European Exploration: The Age of Discovery By GAMeS Lab at RU Explore the new world as a European power in the 15th Century by funding and sending expeditions out into the unknown. Hire captains, build ships and outfit expeditions…
Age of Discovery Cause and Effect Manipulative
Teach students about the background of the Age of Discovery as a cause and effect exercise. Hand students one or two sentences from the list of causes shown below written on a sticky or strip of paper. Working alone, or in pairs have them add the word therefore or so and complete the sentence with what it led to. Do a round robin to discuss each. You can follow up by having students place sentences in categories as follows: Power, Knowledge, Religion, Trade, Wealth. Make it a manipulative by having students move the sticky not sentences or strips to the appropriate heading. Some can fit in more than one category, so this can lead to a discussion about why.
Marco Polo’s tales of China created curiosity about the Orient.
During the Crusades many Europeans explored the east.
Europeans desired products from Asia, Africa, and the Indies.
The Commercial Revolution created a desire for international trade.
The Renaissance reawakened the desire to know about the world.
The invention of the printing press spread knowledge.
New navigation technology was invented.
Advances in ship design made them faster and safer.
Prince Henry of Portugal started a school for sailors.
Centralization of power and strong monarchs created more powerful European nations.
Overland trade routes across Asia were dangerous and expensive.
Columbus believed it was possible to reach the east by sailing west.
Italy had a monopoly of the Mediterranean Sea routes.
Portugal had a monopoly of sea routes around Africa.
Queen Isabella and other monarchs wanted to spread Christianity.
Conquistadors gained great wealth for Spain.
European powers wanted to maintain a balance of power.
The New World provided an abundance of natural resources.
England, France and the Netherlands wanted to find a Northwest Passage through the American continents.
HOTS Daily Practice
If you have read my previous posts, you know that I like to start each day with a warm-up to practice social studies skills. Here are some samples for the Explorers Unit for various grade levels.
1. Which 2 countries claimed modern Texas?
2. What 2 nations claimed modern Canada?
3. Which country claimed the area around the Mississippi and St. Lawrence Rivers?
4. What geographical barrier separated the English and the French claims?(the answer is not on the map)
5A. Which nation claimed the most territory?
B. What are the advantages and disadvantages of such a large land claim?
6A. What nations might the English colonists have conflicts with?
B. What might be the reasons for conflict?
Sunday 4 November
… The Admiral showed cinnamon and pepper to a few of the Indians of that place… and he says that they recognized it; and they said by signs that nearby to the southeast there was a lot of it. He showed them gold and pearls, and certain old men answered that in a place that they called Bohio there was a vast amount and that they wore it on neck and in ears and on arms and legs; and also pearls.
– From the Journal of Christopher Columbus
1. The passage is from the journal of Christopher Columbus. A journal is called a ____________ source.
2. What are some other examples of this type of source?
3. Why do you think Columbus called the Native Americans “Indians” in his journal?
4. Why do you think Admiral Columbus showed the Indians cinnamon, pepper, gold and pearls?
5. How well does it appear that Columbus and the Natives got along, based on this journal entry?
