Name: ________________________________________
Age of Exploration: Spain in the New World
SAS Curriculum Pathways Assignment
Objectives: The student will be able to…



Activate and build background knowledge about the Spanish exploration of the New World, Spain's colonial
economy, and the establishment of the encomienda systems
Analyze the relevant primary-source documents and identify arguments with varying points of view
Evaluate the arguments for and against the New Laws of 1542
Goal: Student will answer…
 Focus Question: “Should Spanish colonial settlers accept the New Laws of 1542?”
Step One: go to www.sascurriculumpathways.com
Step Two: In the upper right hand corner click “Log In”. In the log in box type “HHShusky” in the username field and
click login. Remember, there is NO PASSWORD.
Step Three: After logging in, type 883 in the box in the top right that has “QL#” in it and then press GO.
Step Four: After pressing GO a media box will pop up. Enter your Full Name into the box that says “Enter your first and
last name”.
Step Five: Follow the directions on the screen by watching the “Background Movies” and filling in the corresponding
questions in the “Movie Notes” boxes on the right as you watch.
MAKE SURE YOU: Watch ALL the movies and answer ALL the questions in the sidebar. (It scrolls up and down)
Step Six: After watching the Background movies and filling the Movie Notes boxes, continue to the “Document
Analyzer.” (Your work will be saved so don’t worry about losing it.) Click on the blue “Directions” bar. Read and follow
those instructions.
Step Seven: This part has different stages:




As you read through ALL the documents to help you answer the Focus Question, highlight passages in
the reading that help support your thoughts and conclusions.
After highlighting, a small box will pop up that says “Make Comment”.
Click that box and state why you think that particular quote from the text helps your argument in
answering the Focus Question.
There needs to be at least TWO annotations for each document.
Step Eight: Once you have completed reading through all the documents and making notes AND watching the
Background Movies and filling in the Movie Notes, click the “Save, Print, Send” button at the bottom right hand corner
of the screen.
Step Nine: After pressing the SPS Button a small box will appear. In that box type in what class you are in (i.e. Block
1,2,4) and also any other comments you’d like to make about the assignment then press “Create PDF”.
Step Ten: After you press “Create PDF”, all your work will be uploaded to a PDF Document. When that PDF loads, along
the top there will be a field that says “E-mail this PDF to” put my email dbalmer@wcpss.net and press send.
Step Eleven: When completed with that, answer the questions for discussion on the back of this paper.
1
Name: ________________________________________
Age of Exploration: Spain in the New World
SAS Curriculum Pathways Assignment
Objectives: The student will be able to…



Activate and build background knowledge about the Spanish exploration of the New World, Spain's colonial
economy, and the establishment of the encomienda systems
Analyze the relevant primary-source documents and identify arguments with varying points of view
Evaluate the arguments for and against the New Laws of 1542
Goal: Student will answer…
 Focus Question: “Should Spanish colonial settlers accept the New Laws of 1542?”
Step One: go to www.sascurriculumpathways.com
Step Two: In the upper right hand corner click “Log In”. In the log in box type “HHShusky” in the username field and
click login. Remember, there is NO PASSWORD.
Step Three: After logging in, type 883 in the box in the top right that has “QL#” in it and then press GO.
Step Four: After pressing GO a media box will pop up. Enter your Full Name into the box that says “Enter your first and
last name”.
Step Five: Follow the directions on the screen by watching the “Background Movies” and filling in the corresponding
questions in the “Movie Notes” boxes on the right as you watch.
MAKE SURE YOU: Watch ALL the movies and answer ALL the questions in the sidebar. (It scrolls up and down)
Step Six: After watching the Background movies and filling the Movie Notes boxes, continue to the “Document
Analyzer.” (Your work will be saved so don’t worry about losing it.) Click on the blue “Directions” bar. Read and follow
those instructions.
Step Seven: This part has different stages:




As you read through ALL the documents to help you answer the Focus Question, highlight passages in
the reading that help support your thoughts and conclusions.
After highlighting, a small box will pop up that says “Make Comment”.
Click that box and state why you think that particular quote from the text helps your argument in
answering the Focus Question.
There needs to be at least TWO annotations for each document.
Step Eight: Once you have completed reading through all the documents and making notes AND watching the
Background Movies and filling in the Movie Notes, click the “Save, Print, Send” button at the bottom right hand corner
of the screen.
Step Nine: After pressing the SPS Button a small box will appear. In that box type in what class you are in (i.e. Block
1,2,4) and also any other comments you’d like to make about the assignment then press “Create PDF”.
Step Ten: After you press “Create PDF”, all your work will be uploaded to a PDF Document. When that PDF loads, along
the top there will be a field that says “E-mail this PDF to” put my email dbalmer@wcpss.net and press send.
Step Eleven: When completed with that, answer the questions for discussion on the back of this paper.
2
Name: ________________________________________
Age of Exploration: Spain in the New World: Wrap-Up and Discussion Questions
Despite their admirable ideals, the New Laws of 1542 were largely disregarded.
Spanish settlers took full advantage of their geographic distance from the crown and
ignored the New Laws. Eventually a wave of protests erupted and the crown was
forced to modify the laws. The encomienda system remained for another generation,
but with stipulations to guard against mistreatment of the Indian workers.
Ironically, when the legitimacy of exploiting native laborers came into question,
Spanish settlers pursued the advice of their ardent critic, Bartolomé de Las Casas. In
his effort to rescue the native peoples from forced labor, Las Casas had made the
unfortunate suggestion that Spain should import slaves from Africa. He argued that
Africans might be better suited to withstand hard labor in such a hot climate. Spain
began importing thousands of African slaves to work the plantations of the West Indies.
Questions for Discussion
1. What were Bartolomé de Las Casas’ most compelling arguments against the
encomienda system?
2. Did Sepulveda refute those arguments effectively? Were the reasons King
Charles I issued the New Laws of 1542 primarily political, religious, or economic?
3. How did the geographic realities of colonial politics in the New World challenge
the practice of absolute monarchy back in Europe? (Would the Spanish settlers
have considered defying the crown’s orders if they lived in Madrid?)
Age of Exploration: Spain in the New World: Wrap-Up and Discussion Questions
3
Name: ________________________________________
Despite their admirable ideals, the New Laws of 1542 were largely disregarded.
Spanish settlers took full advantage of their geographic distance from the crown and
ignored the New Laws. Eventually a wave of protests erupted and the crown was
forced to modify the laws. The encomienda system remained for another generation,
but with stipulations to guard against mistreatment of the Indian workers.
Ironically, when the legitimacy of exploiting native laborers came into question,
Spanish settlers pursued the advice of their ardent critic, Bartolomé de Las Casas. In
his effort to rescue the native peoples from forced labor, Las Casas had made the
unfortunate suggestion that Spain should import slaves from Africa. He argued that
Africans might be better suited to withstand hard labor in such a hot climate. Spain
began importing thousands of African slaves to work the plantations of the West Indies.
Questions for Discussion
1. What were Bartolomé de Las Casas’ most compelling arguments against the
encomienda system?
2. Did Sepulveda refute those arguments effectively? Were the reasons King
Charles I issued the New Laws of 1542 primarily political, religious, or economic?
3. How did the geographic realities of colonial politics in the New World challenge
the practice of absolute monarchy back in Europe? (Would the Spanish settlers
have considered defying the crown’s orders if they lived in Madrid?)
4