Module 3: The Age of Exploration- Social Studies 5 - Course Guide

Module Overview:

In this module, learners will be learning about the major events in Europe that led to the European exploration of North America and investigating the impact that new technology had on ocean exploration in the 15th century.

Module Materials:

  • Pencils
  • Crayons or colored pencils
  • Notebook
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Highlighter
  • Markers
  • Blank paper

Module Objectives:

Lesson # Lesson Title Objective(s)
1 Major Events Motivate Exploration
  1. Explain the major events in Europe that lead to the European exploration of North America.
2 New Ideas Motivate Exploration
  1. Investigate the impact that new technology had on ocean exploration in the 15th century.
3 Early European Exploration of North America
  1. Identify the cause, course, and consequences of early European exploration of North America.
4 Following in Columbus's Wake
  1. Compare the aims, obstacles, and accomplishments of explorers who followed Columbus to North America.
5 Reaching the Pacific
  1. Compare the aims, obstacles, and accomplishments of the European explorers who found a route to the Pacific Ocean.
6 Spain Continues to Explore
  1. Describe the aims, obstacles, and accomplishments of Spanish explorers.
7 Finding the Northwest Passage
  1. Describe the aims, obstacles, and accomplishments of Europeans who worked to explore the Northwest Passage.
8 The Columbian Exchange
  1. Infer the positive and negative impacts of the Columbian Exchange.
  2. Identify the goods that were distributed during the Columbian Exchange.
9 When Worlds Collide
  1. Summarize interactions among Native Americans, Africans, English, French, Dutch, and Spanish for control of North America.
10 Comparing Points of View
  1. Analyze primary sources that discuss various points of view on the European exploration of North America.
  2. Compare various points of view of the European exploration of North America.

Module Key Words:

Key Words
Renaissance
Protestant Reformation
Spanish Reconquista
printing press
circumnavigation
Marco Polo
Prince Henry of Portugal
Christopher Columbus
King Ferdinand
Queen Isabella
Taíno
Age of Exploration
Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot)
Amerigo Vespucci
Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Ferdinand Magellan
Juan Ponce de León
Hernan Cortés
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
Hernando de Soto
Giovanni da Verrazano
Jacques Cartier
Henry Hudson
Northwest Passage
St. Lawrence River
Columbian Exchange
pre-Columbian
European exploration
point of view
primary source
secondary source

Module Assignments:

Lesson # Lesson Title Page # Assignment Title
2 New Ideas Motivate Exploration 6 Invention Presentation Assignment
3 Early European Exploration of North America 6 European Explorers Chart Assignment
4 Following in Columbus's Wake 2 European Explorers Chart Assignment
5 Reaching the Pacific 2 European Explorers Chart Assignment
6 Spain Continues to Explore 2 European Explorers Chart Assignment
7 Finding the Northwest Passage 2 European Explorers Chart Assignment
8 The Columbian Exchange 5 Columbian Exchange Assignment

Learning Coach Notes:

Lesson # Lesson Title Notes
1 Major Events Motivate Exploration Ask your learner to explain the major events in Europe that lead to the European exploration of North America.
2 New Ideas Motivate Exploration Ask your learner to explain the new technology that helped make exploration possible.
3 Early European Exploration of North America Ask your learner to name the first European Explorers to North America, where they landed, and their impact.
4 Following in Columbus's Wake Ask your learner to discuss the aims, obstacles, and accomplishments of explorers who followed Columbus to North America.
5 Reaching the Pacific Ask your learner to explain the aims, obstacles, and accomplishments of the European explorers who found a route to the Pacific Ocean.
6 Spain Continues to Explore Ask your learner to describe the aims, obstacles, and accomplishments of Spanish explorers.
7 Finding the Northwest Passage Ask your learner to describe the aims, obstacles, and accomplishments of Europeans who worked to explore the Northwest Passage.
8 The Columbian Exchange Ask your learnre to explain the positive and negative impacts of the Columbian Exchange and to identify the goods that were distributed during the Columbian Exchange.
9 When Worlds Collide Ask your learner to summarize interactions among Native Americans, Africans, English, French, Dutch, and Spanish for control of North America.
10 Comparing Points of View Ask your learner to compare various points of view of the European exploration of North America.

Module Guiding Questions:

When a student starts a lesson ask them questions to check for prior knowledge and understanding and to review concepts being taught. At the end of the lesson ask the questions again to see if their answer changes.

Lesson Title Question
Major Events Motivate Exploration
  1. What events in Europe led to the European Exploration of America?
New Ideas Motivate Exploration
  1. What new technology made ocean exploration possible?
Early European Exploration of North America
  1. Who were the first Europeans to explore North America, and what impact did they have on continued European exploration of the continent?
Following in Columbus's Wake
  1. Which European explorers came to North America after Columbus?
Reaching the Pacific
  1. Which European explorers found a route to the Pacific Ocean from Europe?
Spain Continues to Explore
  1. What areas of the Americas did Spanish explorers visit?
Finding the Northwest Passage
  1. What is the Northwest Passage, and which European explorer navigated it first?
The Columbian Exchange
  1. What is the Columbian Exchange, and what impact did it have on history?
When Worlds Collide
  1. What were the results of the early interactions between Indigenous people and European explorers of North America?
Comparing Points of View
  1. How did different people view the European exploration of North America?

Module Video Questions:

When a student watches a video take time to ask them questions about what they watched. Suggested questions for the videos in this module are listed here. Suggestion: Have the student watch the entire video first all the way through. Then have them watch the video a second time, as they watch it pause the video and ask the questions.

Lesson Title Video Question

Module Suggested Read Aloud Books:

Take time to read to your student or have them read aloud to you. Read a different book each day. While reading the book point out concepts being taught. You may purchase these books or find them at your local library. Suggested things to discuss while reading the book:

  • What is the main idea?
  • What are three things new you learned?
  • How does this book relate to what you are learning about?

# Book Author Lexile Level
1 What Was the Age of Exploration Catherine Daly 910L
2 The Columbian Exchange History for Kids: Global exchange of crops, animals, and cultures Nora Langley

Module Outing:

Take some time to apply what your student is learning to the real world. Suggested outings are below.

# Outing