Question/Problem 2: Describe the reasons for and the outcomes of the European explorers between 1492 and 1620

Objectives

Description of lesson/activity

Resources

1. describe the goals and accomplishments of an individual explorer.

2. determine the exploration policy of one European country.

3. rank and defend the exploration achievements of competing European countries.

4. gather relevant information from a variety of resources.

1. The students will have completed the research and class discussions about the situation in Europe during the 1400s which caused the Europeans to explore. Students have also identified the attributes necessary for an explorer. Students will now ex amine the lives and explorations of several individual explorers.

2. Rather than dwell on a chronology of explorers and accomplishments, the activity has been designed to emphasize the in±depth research of a few explorers and to use this research to infer the exploration policies of the countries involved.

3. The students should be divided into groups of three. One student from each group should be assigned to gather information on three explorers from Spain; the second student should gather information on explorers from France; and the third on explo rers from England and the Netherlands. Spain and France were highlighted because they were the leading countries during this time period. England and the Netherlands were examined together because they had similar exploration policies and were no t as prominent as the others in the search for new lands. Portugal was not included because their early discoveries were dealt with in the first part of this unit as the cause for other Europeans to explore. Fact sheets have been provided for the following explorers:

   Spain: Cortes, Pizarro, DeSoto, Coronado France: Verrazano, de Champlain, Marquette and Joliet England/Netherlands: Hudson, Gilbert, Frobisher

   The textbook, or any other materials a teacher has access to, may be used as a supplement to these readings. The accompanying readings contain the minimum information needed for each student to complete an "Explorer Record Sheet" for each of thei r assigned explorers. The "Explorer Record Sheet" is provided. It requires students to examine a variety of topics for each explorer. Teachers may substitute other explorers as long as care is taken to choose those who will demonstrate the explor ation policies of a particular European country.

   Note that the "Explorer Record Sheet" distinguishes between the personal goals an explorer had and the goals of his patron, the person or persons that sent him off on his journey. Students may need to have the word "patron" defined and explained; a patron might be a superior, the king/queen or even a company.

4. Students should gather and record information on each of their assigned explorers. Teachers may have students work independently or with a partner from another group researching the same set of explorers.

5. Once students have completed the research they should create a visual which demonstrates the key information about their explorers and their voyages. This may take the form of a poster or, if students are working together, a mural or collage. S tudents should bring this visual back to their small group and share it with the other students in the group. In this way, students can learn about Spanish, French, English, and Dutch explorers without researching each one themselves. As a group they will use their combined knowledge in order to formulate answers for the next activity.

6. The concluding activity for this question/problem asks students to draw conclusions about the exploration policies of the European countries based on the explorers studied from each country. Students must work in small groups in order to have ac cess to the data from each of the European countries. Each student is responsible for contributing information to the group sheet. The teacher may also want to assign specific tasks within the group to ensure that each student participates. Tasks might include: recording data on the sheet; checking to make sure each member of the group agrees with and can explain data recorded on the sheet; and directing the group's work in order to complete the assignment on time.

7. The teacher may have the final part of the activity completed by groups or on an individual basis. The questions ask the students to draw conclusions about the policies of each country by examining several criteria.

8. Evaluation of this activity is up to the teacher. Some suggested answers are shown below.

   GOALS:

   • Spain's initial goal was to look for gold and silver and later to convert the Indians to their religion.

   • France's initial goal was to find the northwest passage and later to develop the fur trade.

   • England and the Netherlands' initial goal was to look for the northwest passage and later to establish settlements in the New World and to develop the fur trade.

   LOCATION EXPLORED:

   • Spain explored the areas of South America, Central America, Mexico, the West Indies, Florida, California, and the southwestern part of the United States.

   • France explored the areas of the Great Lakes region, the St. Lawrence River, parts of northern Canada, and the Mississippi River.

   • England and the Netherlands explored the Hudson Bay area and the Hudson River area up to Albany.
   CONTACT WITH INDIANS:
   • Spain's contact with the Indians was often brutal; they looted and destroyed cities, murdered many Indians, and enslaved many Indians.

   • France's contact with Indians was generally friendly; they traded with them.

   • England and the Netherlands' contact was sometimes friendly; they traded with them; but at other times the Indians were shot at or taken captive.

   RESULTS:

   • Spain took many treasures from the New World and claimed large areas of southwestern United States as well as Mexico and parts of South and Central America.

   • France claimed the area of Nova Scotia, Canada, and the area of the Mississippi River. They did not find a northwest passage to China, but they established the settlement of Quebec.

   • England at this point did not have one colony established in the New World. The Dutch had the colony of New Netherland.

9. The teacher should accept any reasonable conclusion for the final questions as long as they are supported by evidence.

• Resource 1: Explorer Record Sheet

• Resource 2: Explorer Fact Sheet: Hernando Cortes

• Resource 3: Explorer Fact Sheet: Francisco Pizarro

• Resource 4: Explorer Fact Sheet: Francisco Vasquez de Coronado

• Resource 5: Explorer Fact Sheet: Hernando de Soto

• Resource 6: Explorer Fact Sheet: Giovanni Da Verrazano

• Resource 7: Explorer Fact Sheet: Samuel de Champlain

• Resource 8: Explorer Fact Sheet: Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet

• Resource 9: Explorer Fact Sheet: Martin Frobisher

• Resource 10: Explorer Fact Sheet: Sir Humphry Gilbert

• Resource 11: Explorer Fact Sheet: Henry Hudson

• Resource 12: Exploration Policy Group Chart