Concepts:
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imperialism, indigenous people, exploration, monarchy, conquest, nationalism, exploration, secular colonization, stratified society, conquistadors, sectarian |
A study of the period of European contact with the Americas provides an opportunity for students to test the historical concepts of contingency, causation, motivation, and intent. At the middle school level, students learned to identify and describe historical facts. High school students can use the same content to examine and evaluate historical explanation. As was true in the first unit, high school students may have had exposure to European history, including the period of its contact with the Americas and the Far East. If so, they should have added those facts surrounding the period of exploration to their knowledge base. Though several later units also allow for hypothetical thinking and inquiry, this unit (because of the diversity surrounding the various encounters) makes the posing of several hypotheses much easier for students.