European Expansion in the Americas
The Discovery of a New World
Myra Munds
Clinton Junior High School
Summer 2006
Library of Congress Geography and Map Division
Washington, D.C. 20540-4650 USA
G3290 1562 .G7 Vault Oversize
Students will understand the effects of the clash of cultures as Europeans settled in the Americas.
After Columbus, the Spaniards explored the Americas imposing cruel colonial rule on the native
peoples. French and English settlers began claiming land and establishing colonies in Canada and
along the Atlantic coast of North America. These explorers originally came looking for the Spice
Lands of Asia but found the Americas instead. For some of them, America was an obstacle to
Asia; others saw America as an opportunity for a new life. The discovery of North America and
the resulting shift in society through politics and economics changed the world. Students will
explore the routes, search maps and documents to detail the movement of five European explorers
to the Americas and describe the events that launched the changes.
Overview/ Materials/LOC Resources/Standards/ Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts/Extension
Overview
Objectives
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Students will:
 organize the group dynamic into a team for research on the
computer to complete the first phase of the assignment
 develop computer skills for research in the Library of
Congress and on the internet
 understand how society experienced political, economic, and
cultural transformations during the age of global exploration
and discovery
 become explorers searching for a Northwest Passage to Asia
along the new waterways of North America
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
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Recommended time frame
Grade level
Curriculum fit
Materials
record their experiences and discoveries in a daily journal
about the different native peoples and cultures encountered
along the way.
2 weeks (10 to 12 days)
6th
Social Studies, Language Arts
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United Streaming film: The New World Explored (26min)
Chapter 16 in World, Adventures in Time and Place,
MacMillan, McGraw-Hill, 1997.
Explorers worksheet
Sample of journal page
Class brainstorming chart
Library of Congress sites:
 Western Hemisphere--Maps--Early works to 1800.
 http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trr009.html
 http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/dsxphome.html
 http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgibin/query/r?ammem/mcc:@field(DOCID+@lit(mcc/087))
 http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgibin/page.cgi/jb/colonial/hudson_3
 http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/es/vt
 http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgibin/page.cgi/jb/colonial/cartier_1
 http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/es/ri
Illinois State Learning Standards
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Social Studies:
Goal 16: Understand events, trends, individuals and
movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States
and other nations.
 16.A.3a. Describe how historians use models for organizing
historical interpretation (e.g., biographies, political events,
issues and conflicts).
 16.A.3b. Make inferences about historical events and eras
using historical maps and other historical sources.
 16.B.3d (W) Describe political effects of European
exploration and expansion on the Americas, Asia, and Africa
after 1500 CE.
 16.C.3a (US) Describe economic motivations that attracted
Europeans and others to the Americas, 1500-1750.
GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis on
the United States.
 18.B.3b Explain how social institutions contribute to the
development and transmission of culture.
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Illinois State University
Language Arts:
GOAL 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes.
 3.A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization
and structure.
o 3.A.3 Write compositions that contain complete
sentences and effective paragraphs using English
conventions.
 3.B. Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific
purposes and audiences.
o 3.B.3a Produce documents that convey a clear
understanding and interpretation of ideas and
information and display focus, organization,
elaboration and coherence.
GOAL 5: Use the language arts to acquire, assess and
communicate information.
 5.B. Analyze and evaluate information acquired from various
sources.
o 5.B.3b Identify, evaluate and cite primary sources.
 5.C. Apply acquired information, concepts and ideas to
communicate in a variety of formats.
o 5.C.3a Plan, compose, edit and revise documents that
synthesize new meaning gleaned from multiple
sources.
Procedures
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Day One:
 Read Chapter 16 European Expansion, Lesson 2, “An Age of
Exploration” page 462
 Discuss questions on page 465
Day Two:
 Show the United Streaming video “The New World Explored”
 Divide students into five groups: Cartier, Champlain, Verrazano,
Cabot and Hudson.
 Each group will research information about their explorer,
including the goals of the expedition, encounters with the
environment and native peoples, and difficulties of the journey
Day Three-Five:
 Computer Lab groups will research their explorer by viewing
primary sources found in The Library of Congress sites
 Access sites on the internet related to each group’s explorer (2
sites to begin with are on each Explorer WS)
 http://www.heritage.nf.ca/exploration/default.html
 http://library.thinkquest.org/J002678F/john_cabot.htm
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
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http://www.hudsonriver.com/halfmoonpress/stories/hudson.h
tm
 http://www.hrmm.org/halfmoon/halfmoon.htm
 http://library.thinkquest.org/J002678F/jacques_cartier.htm
 http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/people/A0810642.html
 http://www.blupete.com/Hist/BiosNS/160000/Champlain.htm
 http://www.samueldechamplain.com/
 http://www.italianhistorical.org/verrazzano.htm
 http://bc.barnard.columbia.edu/~lgordis/earlyAC/documents/
verrazan.htm
Assign the worksheet “Explorers” an organizational chart of
goals, accomplishments and failures to be filled in as students
research. Each student is responsible for a WS.
Day Six:
The groups will have completed their research
 Create a master chart on the board that will summarize the
findings for each explorer: goals; accomplishments; failures.
 Compare and contrast the explorers and identify the similar
goals and failures. Discuss some of the experiences and
accomplishments of each.
Day Seven-Eleven:
Ask students to become one of these explorers.
1. They are to write and illustrate a journal of their expedition to
report on their findings and experiences.
2. The journal must include their goals, expectations, and
experiences with native peoples and the environment.
3. The last entry of their journal should include a summary of what
they feel they accomplished on this expedition and what they
believe were their failures.
Day Twelve: Due Date
Evaluation
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Using the rubric, students will be assessed on:
 Group work as observed by the teacher and by a peer review
sheet.
 Completion of the worksheet chart “Explorers”
 Class interaction while completing the master chart
 Journal entries and illustrations
 Summary of accomplishments
 Group maps
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Illinois State University
Extension
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Have groups create a map of North America to trace the
expedition.
1. The map should include descriptions of the different
encounters along the route.
2. Maps should be historically correct.
3. Titles and labels, clear and spelled correctly.
4. Neat with careful use of materials.
5. Map outlines are available from the teacher.
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
Primary Resources from the Library of Congress
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European Expansion in the Americas
Primary Source
Citation
Description
Library of Congress, Rare
Book and Special
Collections Division, The
Hans P. Kraus Collection
of Sir Francis Drake
84233428
DA86.22.D7 H66 1583
This collection comprises
important primary and
secondary materials
accumulated about Drake’s
voyages throughout the then
Spanish territory of the
Americas.
Sir Francis Drake Engraved
portrait, three-quarter
length.
Library of Congress
Geography and Map
Division Washington,
D.C. 20540-4650 USA
G3290 1562 .G7 Vault
Oversize
Americae sive quartae orbis
partis nova et exactissima
descriptio
The First American
West University of
Chicago Library and
Filson Historical
Society, Special
Collections Research
Center, University of
Chicago Library.
15,000 pages of original
historical material
documenting the land,
peoples, exploration, and
transformation of the
trans-Appalachian West
from the mid-eighteenth
to the early nineteenth
century.
Map of North and South
America with the adjacent
seas. Relief shown
pictorially by Diego
Gutiérrez 1562
URL
http://memory.loc.gov/intldl/dra
kehtml/rbdkhome.html
http://memory.loc.gov/cgibin/query/r?ammem/gmd:@field(N
UMBER+@band(g3290+ct000342))
The First American West: The Ohio
River Valley, 1750-1820
Library of Congress
Geography and Map
Division Washington,
D.C. 20540-4650 USA
DIGITAL ID
g4050 ct000654
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.g
md/g4050.ct000654
Map of Louisiana by
Samuel Lewis.
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g4050.ct0
00654
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Illinois State University
Rubric
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Journal writing with illustrations
Group Research
Maps
JOURNAL WRITING
Ideas and Content
1. Focuses on the historical topic
2. Supports writing with facts and details
3. Uses information from more than one
source
4. Includes an effective introduction and
conclusion
Structure and form
5. Presents information in well-developed
sentences.
6. Employs appropriate time transitions
7. Uses historical terms r/t time period
8. Uses a variety of sentence structure
Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics
9. Contains minimal errors in grammar and
usage
10. Contains minimal errors in spelling,
capitalization, and punctuation.
GROUP RESEARCH
1. Did a full share of the work/research
2. Helped the group get organized
3. Provided ideas for the topic research
4. Clearly communicated ideas
5. Interacted appropriately with group members
strong
average
weak
MAPS
1. Map reflected the historical research
2. Neatness and careful use of materials
3. Titles and labels easily read with no mistakes
in grammar or spelling
4. Descriptions placed correctly
5. Originality-ideas and concepts of map
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Illinois State University
Handouts
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Class Brainstorming Chart
Explorer
Goals of the Expedition
Accomplishments
Meetings with peoples
and environment
Failures
Difficulties of the Journey
Cartier
Champlain
Verrazano
Cabot
Hudson
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Illinois State University
Explorer:
Henry Hudson
Date ____________
Group Names: ________________________
_________________________
________________________
_________________________
________________________
_________________________
Library of Congress:
 Western Hemisphere--Maps--Early works to 1800.
 http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/colonial/hudson_3
More Library of Congress Sites
 ________________________________________________________
 ________________________________________________________
Web Sites to Begin Research
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http://www.hudsonriver.com/halfmoonpress/stories/hudson.htm
http://www.hrmm.org/halfmoon/halfmoon.htm
Add other sites you visit
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______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Goals of the Expedition
Accomplishments-Encounters
(I would complete a page for each explorer to give to each group for research)
Failures-Difficulties
Sample of Journal Page
The Journal of John Cabot or Giovanni Caboto
Voyage for the English King Henry VII
To Find and Claim the Spice Lands in his Sovereign Name
May 2, 1497-Set sail this morning on my seaworthy ship Matthew from the English port of Bristol to find a
passage to Asia where we will certainly find riches and spices all in the name of the English King. I firmly
believe that a shorter safer route can be found to Japan and the Spice Lands by sailing west through the
Americas. My crew is eager to find these lads so that we might share in the wealth and fame that is surely to
come our way. We will become heroes.
May 16, 1497- We have encountered no bad storms and are sailing
steadily towards the West. The crew strains daily to find the lands
we so desperately seek. I have promised a prize to the first man who
shouts out “Land!”
Peer Review Sheet
Group Work:
Did everyone in the group assist with the project?
If not, why?
__________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
On a scale of 1-5 rate each of your group members.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
GROUP RESEARCH
Helped the group get organized
Did a full share of the work/research
Provided ideas for the topic research
Clearly communicated ideas
Interacted appropriately with group
members
Name
Name
Name
Name
Name