This unit introduces students to the discovery and exploration of the New World, a time in which the United States did not exist. Students examine the successes and failures of the men and countries that attempted to find new lands and riches: Christopher Columbus and his dream to reach the Spice Islands, the pirate and hero Sir Francis Drake, Eric the Red, Vikings and Viking culture, Ferdinand Magellan, Robert Juet, China, and Leonardo da Vinci.
The trade books for the Primary section of this unit are Sir Francis Drake: His Daring Deeds; Eric the Red: The Viking Adventurer; Magellan: A Voyage Around the World; and Follow the Dream: The Story of Christopher Columbus. The trade books for the Upper Elementary portion of the unit are Around the World in a Hundred Years: From Henry the Navigator to Magellan; Where Do You Think You’re Going, Christopher Columbus?; Beyond the Sea of Ice: The Voyages of Henry Hudson; and Marco Polo: A Journey Through China. The unit does not include the actual children's literature books.
Students design a figurehead for a Viking ship, make a compass, decorate a jacket with images from nature, conduct a mock trial for one of Henry Hudson’s crew, create a pattern for a tea set for China’s emperor, and construct a medieval banner. They also create ads, charts, time lines and maps, research renewable and nonrenewable resources, and write journal entries. Although activities are organized into primary and upper elementary sections, many assignments can be adapted to suit either age group.
World War I: 1914-1925,The New Nation: 1770–1840,Colonial America: 1600-1776,Westward Expansion: 1800-1875,Civil War and Reconstruction: 1860-1877,New World Exploration: Beginning-1600,The Age of Imperialism: 1895-1930,The Vietnam Era: 1955-1975,Using Literature to Teach U. S. History,The American Revolution: 1763-1785,The Great Depression: 1925-1940,Postwar America: 1945-1970,World War II: 1935-1945
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