1. This document provides an instruction plan for teaching students about the Age of Exploration and European colonization of the Americas. It includes directions for students to read textbook passages, analyze images, roleplay scenarios, and answer comprehension questions about various explorers and settlements. 2. Students are asked to read about Spanish exploration with Columbus and conquests in the Caribbean and Mexico. They also study French settlements under New France and Dutch colonization in New Netherland. 3. Comprehension questions require students to compare how Europeans established territorial claims and their treatment of indigenous groups. The document aims to convey motives for exploration and lasting influences of different empires in the Americas.

1. Age of Exploration
and Columbus
1. Review vocabulary
2. HA Intro 2.1: Which way is Columbus pointing?
3. Read HA 2.1 and analyze images of monster and Columbus on isl.
4. Read 2.2 up through Columbian Exchange
5. Do Q2 about Columbian Exchange
(skip Columbus Act It Out if doing Brown Gold)

2. Find the vocabulary terms for
Chapter 2 (p. 25) in History
Alive. Rank each term on a
scale of 1 to 5.
1….…2….…3…....4…....5
1=unfamiliar 5=very familiar

3. In YOUR textbook (Creating
America), find 1.3. On what
page does it begin?

4. 1. Identify motives behind European
exploration of the Americas
2. Explain how Europeans established
territorial claims
3. Compare the Spanish, French, English,
and Dutch settlements in the Americas
4. Describe the impact on Native
Americans and West Africans

5. How did Europeans explore
and establish settlements in
the Americas?
Why did they explore?
Why did they go WEST?
Where did they start settlements?
Why did they create settlements?
How did they treat the Indians?

6. This statue is in Barcelona,
Spain. They have Columbus
Pointing to the WEST.
Why is he pointing WEST?

7. Read the 2.1 Introduction in History Alive.

8. Analyze picture on p. 24 of HA.
Q1 – Judging by the illustration, what do
you think some explorers and sailors
feared? What other fears might they
have had?
Q2 – Why might explorers and sailors have
ventured into the “UNKNOWN”?***
Q3 – What might explorers have done once
they found new lands?
***To help them get this: “NASA is looking for 8th graders to go on a spaceshuttle to explore Mars. Why would they go?

9. 1. What do you see here? 2. What are the men carrying? Why are they carrying these items?
3. Who do you think the men in the foreground are? 4. Who might the people on the far LEFT be? What might they be thinking?

10. 1. Read aloud 2.2 “Spain Starts an
Empire”
2. Read through Columbian Exchange.
3. Complete Reading Notes Q 2 only.
- Illustrate Columbian Exchange.
- Give your diagram a title.
- Draw and label ALL of the items in the
reading that were exchanged.

11. 1. Learn the expectations for conducting
an Act-It-Out.
1. Take on the role of one of the people in
the painting.

12. Jump into the picture!
1. Explain Handout 2A.
2. You are being graded! Take this
seriously.
3. Don’t be silly. Don’t use props
inappropriately.
4. When you come up, take on the person’s
posture and facial expression!

14. Action!

15. Conquistadors and
“Brown Gold”
1. Brown Gold
2. Finish reading 2.2 HA (Cortez and Pizarro)
3. Answer Q 1 (2.2)
4. End with Hip-Hop US History song
(no time for Columbus Act it Out if doing Brown Gold)

16. Think back to 7th grade and
5th grade S.S. . . .
What did Columbus bring back
to Spain from his first voyage?

17. -Parrots
-Spices
-Indians
-Gold
Answered

18. 1. Identify motives behind European
exploration of the Americas
2. Explain how Europeans established
territorial claims
3. Compare the Spanish, French, English,
and Dutch settlements in the Americas
4. Describe the impact on Native
Americans and West Africans

19. How did Europeans explore
and establish settlements in
the Americas?
Why did they explore?
Why did they go WEST?
Where did they start settlements?
Why did they create settlements?
How did they treat the Indians?

20. Somewhere in the classroom
is hidden a chocolate bar.
From your seat, you and your
partner are going to have 30
seconds to look around the
room.

21. Very Important!!
• There will be no running around the
room. Don’t make a mess.
• There is no touching each other. Ex.
Pushing , shoving.
• Off Limits areas—my desk & fans
• If I see any of this, the activity will be
over. We will never do anything like
this again.

22. Debriefing Questions
• What aspect of my introduction made
you want to participate in the search?
• Would you have looked as hard if you
knew there was one bar of chocolate
out there for every one?

23. • Did the limited number of bars make
the prize more valuable?
• How did you feel when someone else
found the bar?
• Why might this bar be called “brown
gold”?

24. 1. Read aloud 2.2 “Spain Starts an
Empire”
2. Complete Reading Notes for Q 1 only.
First, Spain sponsored the voyage of ____,
an explorer who….
Then, Spain sent ____, such as ___ and
___, who….

25. Topic Sentence
• Spain established territorial claims in the
Caribbean and South America.
First, Spain sponsored the voyage of
Columbus,
an explorer who landed in the new while
trying to go to Asia. Founded San Sa;
Then, Spain sent Conquistadors, such
as and Cortes, who conquered the
Aztecs of Mexico.

26. Section 1.3 Pg 39-43 Back
side to complete
If you don’t know- email me

27. 2.3 Spanish Borderlands ---
Spanish Settlements –
Presidios and Missions
1. Picture Analysis Predictions – QUICK!
2. Read beginning to class. Explain that missionaries followed
soldiers, so a settlement had a mission and presidio nearby.
3. Read HA 2.3 solo
4. 2.3 Questions: Do Map and 1 question. Do rest for HW w/ copies of
textbook.
5. Redo Picture Analysis (post-reading)
6. Closure… Pics – Presidion or Mission

28. We know how Spain made claims
in the Caribbean and South
America.
How or Why did they go to North
America?

29. Inference:
What was life like in this settlement?
Inference: You are gathering clues to answer the question : What was life like in this settlement? 1. Look for clues in the
picture to answer the question.
2. Come up and place sticky notes on or circle the clues and explain what it suggests about life in the settlement

30. 1. Read aloud 2.3 “The Spanish
Borderlands”
2. Complete Reading Notes on your own.
3. The Reading Notes will be a Quiz Grade.

31. What was life like in this settlement?
Spanish Mission at San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo
(CA)
You are gathering clues to answer the question: What was life like in this settlement? 1. Look for clues in the
picture to answer the question.
2. Come up and place sticky notes on or circle the clues and explain what it suggests about life in the settlement

33. Ponce de Leon
From “Fountain of Youth National Archeological Park” in FL where
they are digging and excavating . The water supposedly bubbles up from an pre-historic Indian spring. Ponce heard about the
fountain and noticed the Indians were 7 ft tall and healthy looking (as comp w the short, pale Spaniards), so no wonder he
thought the fountain of youth was there!

34. Coronado looks for the
Seven Cities of Gold

35. Mission or Presidio?

36. Mission or Presidio?

37. Mission or Presidio?

38. 2. Complete 8 vocab words

39. 2.4 New France
1. Do Now = QUICK picture preview
2. Read 2.4 to class. Quick.
3. Act it Out (16 – 20 min)
4. Try to do Q 4 (map) bc color map in book is needed!
5. Do remaining questions for HW using copy of textbook.

40. Choose two vocab words and
define on your sheet.
-Columbian Exchange
-Colony
-Missionaries
-Coureurs de Bois

41. I will show you a picture in 1
minute. Analyze it. Be
prepared to discuss.
(prediction/inference, no books open)
Show Courier de bois picture

42. What was life like in this settlement?
1. What do you see here? 2. What are the men wearing? Why might they be dressed this way?
3. What are the men holding? What might they do with these things?
4. Who are these men? Where might they be from?

43. 1. Read aloud 2.4 “New France”
2. Complete Reading Notes on your own.
3. The Reading Notes will be a Quiz Grade.

44. • France established territorial claims by
exploring and claiming land in North
America.
• First, ____ explored and claimed
• Then, ____ explored and claimed for
France.

46. Coureurs de Bois working in New France
1. What do
you see here? 2. What are the men wearing? Why might they be dressed this way?
3. What are the men holding? What might they do with these things?
4. Who are these men? Where might they be from?

47. Jump into the picture!
1. Explain Handout 2B.
2. You are being graded! Take this
seriously.
3. Don’t be silly. Don’t use props
inappropriately.
4. When you come up, take on the person’s
posture and facial expression! Freeze!
5. (Note: Huron and Iroquois are not shown
in picture.)

48. Action!

49. Action!

50. Take on three people and explain their role in
the settlement of new France.

51. Finish the questions for New France
for homework (2 & 3). Use the copy
of textbook provided.

52. Settlers at Jamestown (skip)

53. 2.6 New Netherland
1. Do Now = picture preview
2. Read 2.6 to class.
3. Reading Notes.
4. Discussion
5. Lasting Influences of the Dutch (get slides from review PPT)

54. I will show you a picture in 1
minute. Analyze it. Be
prepared to discuss.
(prediction/inference, no books open)
Show Courier de bois picture

55. 1. What do you see here? 2. Where might these people be from?
3. What emotions to you think the man in the center is feeling? What emotions are the others feeling?
4. Who do you think the paper the man is holding says?

56. 1. Read aloud 2.6 “New Netherland”
2. Complete Reading Notes on your own.
3. The Reading Notes will be a Quiz Grade.

57. 1. Dutch merchants sponsored the trip of
Henry Hudson, who claimed land along
the Hudson River and called it New
Netherland. A settlement called New
Amsterdam was started on Manhattan
Island and was governed by Peter
Stuyvesant, who surrendered it to the
British.
3.

58. Peter Stuyvesant & the Surrender of New Amsterdam
1.
What do you see here? 2. Where might these people be from?
3. What emotions to you think the man in the center is feeling? What emotions are the others feeling?
4. Who do you think the paper the man is holding says?

59. •

60. Lasting dutch influences??

61. Lasting dutch influences??
• Sinterklaas
• Names in New York, like:
• Breukelen
• Haarlem
• Konijnen Eiland ( = rabbit island)
• 5 Presidents with Dutch heritage, inc.:

62. Finish Q 1-4 for section 2.6 New
Netherland.
UNIT TEST TUESDAY on Ch 2
History Alive and packet.

63. Finish READING 1-3 (pp. 39 - 43) in
textbook word for word.
Finish the Guided Reading WS (back
side).

64. Homework
• READ 1-3 (pp. 39 - 43) in textbook word
for word.
• Do the Guided Reading WS.
• Q 1 – 6 due Tues. Q 7 – 12 due Wed.