Unit Overview:  How did European exploration impact the people, cultures, and environments in what is now North America?

In this unit, students will delve into the causes and consequences of the Age of European Exploration in the Americas. They will explore the motivations behind European explorers venturing to the Americas, their actions and accomplishments, as well as the far-reaching consequences of their expeditions. Students will examine different perspectives, including those of European explorers and native peoples, to understand the impacts of exploration on Indigenous Peoples. They will also describe the economic relationships between countries during this era and analyze the economic and social effects of trade. The unit will prompt students to consider the outcomes when diverse cultures intersect and how cooperation and conflict among different groups shape political, economic, and social divisions.  Throughout the unit, students will engage in discussions, collaborative projects, and individual research to deepen their understanding of the Age of European Exploration and its significant impact on the Indigenous Peoples of what is now North America.

The highlighted evidence outcomes are the priority for all students, serving as the essential concepts and skills. It is recommended that the remaining evidence outcomes listed be addressed as time allows, representing the full breadth of the curriculum.

Students Can (Evidence Outcomes):

• Recognize how historical context can affect the perspective of historical sources. (1.1.a)

• Interpret timelines of eras and themes in North America from early Indigenous Poeples through the European Age of Exploration/post-Columbian colonization through the establishment of the United States Government. (1.1.c)

• Analyze cartoons, artifacts, artwork, charts, and graphs related to eras and themes in early North America. (1.1.d)

• Explain interactions among various groups such as Indigenous Peoples, enslaved individuals (both Indigenous and African), and European colonists. For example: The cultural genocide of Indigenous Peoples, chattel slavery of Africans, the League of the Iroquois, Spanish missions, and trade networks (1.2.a)

• Identify variables associated with discovery, exploration, and migration. (2.2.a)

• Explain migration, trade, and cultural patterns that result from interactions among people, groups, and cultures. (2.2.b)

• Describe and analyze how specific physical and political features influenced historical events, movements, and adaptation to the environment. (2.2.c)

• Analyze how cooperation and conflict among people contribute(d) to political, economic, and social divisions in the United States. (2.2.d)

• Identify examples of the productive resources and explain how they are used to produce goods and services. For example: land, labor, and capital. (3.1.a)

• Compare ways in which people and communities exchanged goods and services. For example: barter and monetary exchange. (3.1.b)

• Identify the goods and services that were traded among different cultures and regions. (3.1.c)

• Describe how patterns of trade evolved within Early America. (3.1.d)

Possible Assessments:

• Chapter 2 Inquiry Project: European Explorers: Collect Them All! (Inquiry Journal pp. 50-51)

• Chapter 2 Pretest (T-112)

• Ongoing Lesson Assessments: Stop and Check, Check for Success, Report your Findings (T-112)

• Online Lesson and Chapter Assessment

Instructional Resources & Notes:

• Chapter 2 from Impact

  • Research Companion (pp 66-103, 78-81)

  • Inquiry Journal  (pp 50-53, 104-109)

  • Explorer Magazine

  • Lesson Videos

  • Impact News