Learning Activities:
Scenario: you are asked by the President of the United States to train to become an astronaut so that you could visit the planet Mars. Would you go? Would you complete the training required to go? What type of fears would you have? Students will formulate an answer in journals. Students will share answers with the class as a whole. Using the map of page 35 students will examine the locations of the European trade routes and speculate why traders would want trade routes that use water passages instead of land passages. Why were the Italian cities of Genoa and Venice the headquarters for many European traders? Students will answer questions and skill builder on a separate sheet of paper. The teacher will present a T Chart. The chart will focus on the pros and cons of traveling by land or sea. The teacher will write the responses on the board. The students will be placed in groups of three -four students. The students will read the primary source documents from Prince Henry, Columbus, Magellan, Vasco Da Gama and Bartolomeu Dias. Each group will summarize the documents and share with the class as a whole. Students will read pages 35-36 in textbook and complete the Chart Check on page 39. The teacher will write two questions on the board "What were the geographical, economic, technological, personal and political factors that led to the Age of Exploration? Who was most adversely affected by European Exploration?"
Students will formulate an answer in journals. Teacher will present the handout entitled "Contact: Europe and America Meet 1492- 1673". The teacher will also present the graphic organizers that accompany the reading selection. Students will complete the graphic organizer labeled "geographic factors, economic factors, technological factors and political factors. The students will provide detailed written explanations for each column in the graphic organizers. Then, students will read the Native American journals primary source documents. Students will then read the summary regarding Native Americans and European contact. The teacher will present two PowerPoint Presentations. The first is a mini lesson regarding the causes and effects of the Columbian Exchange. The second presentation is entitled "European Exploration and the Columbian Exchange." The teacher will place the slide shows on the screen via the video projector. The students will have copies of the two slide shows in printed handout form. Once the two presentations have been read, the students will answer the cause and effect comprehension questions located on the last slide of each presentation. Students will then complete a graphic organizer that asks students to assess the effects of contact on the Native Americans and Europeans between 1492 and 1673.
The teacher will present the essay framework for Christopher Columbus voyages. Students will determine if his voyages were a success or if they were a failure. The essay has to be five paragraphs and persuasive. Once the rough draft is complete, the students will type the essay in the computer lab and the teacher will post them in room on bulletin board.
The students will be presented with a list of resources (textbook, handouts and primary source documents) which will give students the informational background necessary to determine the causes and effects of viruses and identification of Smallpox, Influenza and Measles. During this phase of the unit, the teacher and students will utilize the computer laboratory and media center. The Library Media Specialist will assist with this portion of the unit.
