Google My Maps
Get ready to map history!
As we investigate the following topics - the Atlantic Slave Trade, the Thirteen Colonies, and the American Revolution - you will be completing a series of small tasks using Google My Maps to help you better understand and visualize what was going on in the world at the time and exactly where it was all happening.
Only complete each set of tasks as instructed by your teacher - don't rush ahead!
Each set of instructions outlines minimum requirements. Feel free to dig deeper into topics that interest you, add extra information, include images that you like or spruce up your personal Google My Map with other added features. And feel free to show other people any cool little tricks of the trade that you discover!
To complete most tasks, you will need to:
open Google My Maps (the first time through a Google search, and thereafter as a My Maps file saved in your Google Drive)
create and name a new map called "Your Name: Grade 6 History Map"
search for locations around the world
zoom in/out and move the map
add and edit markers
draw and edit lines
ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE [Layer Name]
Topic 1: Triangle Trade (see the Triangle Trade maps in Activity Booklet, the reading packet, & the Slave Trade Infographic)
African Slave Fort: Put a MARKER in Elmina Castle, Ghana with information about what this location was used for - use the Atlantic Slave Trade Infograpic for details. Also include an image of Elmina Castle.
Colonial Slave Port: Put a MARKER in Charleston, South Carolina.
English Trade Port: Put a MARKER in Plymouth, United Kingdom (England).Â
Triangle Trade: Europe to Africa: Plymouth, England to Elmina Castle, Ghana should be a yellow LINE. Provide information about which types of manufactured goods were shipped on this route and why.
Triangle Trade: Middle Passage: Elmina Castle, Ghana to Charleston, South Carolina should be a green LINE. Provide information about the Middle Passage including statistics about the numbers of Africans involved. Use the information on p. 88 of the Activity Booklet for help with statistics.
Triangle Trade: America to Europe: Charleston, South Carolina to Plymouth, England should be a red LINE. Provide information about which types of raw materials were shipped on this route and why.
Topic 2: Destinations of Enslaved Africans (p. 88 of the Activity Booklet but you can also check the digital reading packet)
Slavery in Brazil: Put a MARKER in Brazil with information about the number of Africans shipped there as slaves.
Slavery in the West Indies: Put a MARKER in Jamaica with information about the number of Africans shipped to the British and French colonies in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Slavery in the 13 Colonies: Put a MARKER in South Carolina with information about the number of Africans shipped to Britain's North American colonies as slaves.
13 COLONIES [Layer Name]
Topic 1: 13 Colonies (see your 13 Colonies Mapping activity or page 67, 71, 76 or 111 of the history textbook)
Southern Colonies: Add a yellow MARKER titled "Southern Colonies: Maryland" into each of the FIVE Southern Colonies. Change the name of each colony for each marker. No information is required.
Middle Colonies: Add a green MARKER titled "Middle Colonies: Pennsylvania" into each of the FOUR Middle Colonies. Change the name of each colony for each marker. No information is required.
New England Colonies: Add a red MARKER titled "New England Colonies: Massachusetts" into each of the FOUR New England Colonies. Change the name of each colony for each marker. No information is required.
Topic 2: Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown: Put a MARKER of your choice titled "Jamestown" into the location of the first permanent English settlement in the New World. Write at least a 4-5 sentence summary of Jamestown that MUST include the following 7 key words/phrases/names: London Company, John Smith, Starving Time, Powhatan, Pocahontas, John Rolfe, tobacco (though not necessarily in that order). Base your summary on information from the hard copy reading as well as page 62-63 of the textbook. Add an image of the original settlement as well!
Topic 3: Pilgrims and Puritans, Massachusetts
Separatists in the Netherlands: Put a MARKER of your choice titled "Separatists in the Netherlands" in the town of Leiden, the Netherlands. Write why the Separatists departed England for Leiden, the Netherlands in 1609 and then why they eventually left the Netherlands. Use page 64 of the textbook to find the information.
Plymouth Settlement: Put a MARKER of your choice titled "Plymouth Settlement" into the location of Plimouth Plantation. Write a 4-5 sentence summary of the Pilgrims arrival in North America based on information from pages 65-66 of the textbook. It MUST include the following key words/phrases/names: Mayflower, Mayflower Compact, William Bradford, Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts, Squanto, Thanksgiving (though not necessarily in that order).
Massachusetts Bay Colony: Put a MARKER called "Massachusetts Bay Company/Colony" in Boston, Massachusetts. Insert an image of the Puritans with a correct image citation. Written information about the Puritans or the Great Migration is optional.
REVOLUTIONARY WAR [Layer Name]
Topic 1: Physical Geography in the 13 Colonies
Proclamation Line of 1763: Using this image as a reference, draw a black line from the top of Maine all the way down the Appalachian Mountain range to Georgia to represent the Proclamation Line of 1763. Label it "Proclamation Line of 1763" and then include an image of the Proclamation Line of 1763.
The Great Lakes: Put a MARKER called "Great Lakes" in the middle of the Great Lakes region in North America. Copy the following questions into your note and use Google Maps to determine the answer to each. 1) How many Great Lakes are there? 2) Which Great Lake is the largest? 3) Which Great Lake is the smallest? 4) Which is the only Great Lake entirely within the USA? 5) Which Canadian province borders the Great Lakes? 6) How many modern-day states of the USA border the Great Lakes?
Topic 2: Boston
The Boston Massacre: Can you find the exact location of the Boston Massacre? [HINT: search for the Old State House in Boston!] Put a MARKER called "The Boston Massacre" in it and include an image of Paul Revere's famous etching.
The Boston Tea Party: Put a MARKER called "Boston Tea Party" at tne site of the event [HINT: Search for the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum]. Include either the image of your newspaper clipping or paste your article in. Add another image if you want.
Topic 3: Lexington & Concord
The Midnight Ride: Use the 'Draw a Line' tool to draw the route of one of the "Midnight Riders" who went from Boston to Lexington to Concord (this map is helpful). Use purple for the lines and then label the path "Midnight Ride." Include two facts about Dr. Samuel Prescott, the rider who actually made it all the way to Concord. [You can find these by doing a simple Google Search of his name!]
Old North Church: Find the Old North Church in Boston, MA. Put a MARKER called "Old North Church" in it and include an image of Paul Revere's midnight ride to warn the militia that the British were coming to Concord.
Lexington Common: Find Lexington Common (or Green) in Lexington, MA. This is the exact location that the battle took place! Put a MARKER called "Battle of Lexington" in it and write a 2 sentence summary describing what took place there on April 19, 1775.