Learning Activity

Early European Explorers! (Part Three)

Subject Area

Social Studies

Grade(s)

4

Overview

In this activity, students will use their research materials to organize their information on a European ship. Each section of the ship is designed for different information on their Explorer. Ships can be displayed for students to learn from one another's research. 

This resource was created in partnership with Dothan City Schools. 

Social Studies (2010) Grade(s): 4

SS10.4.2

Relate reasons for European exploration and settlement in Alabama to the impact of European explorers on trade, health, and land expansion in Alabama.

Unpacked Content

UP:SS10.4.2

Vocabulary

  • settlement
  • European exploration
  • culture
  • expansion
  • trade (barter)

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The location, purpose, and importance of European settlements including Fort Conde, Fort Toulouse, and Fort Mims in early Alabama.
  • The routes taken by early explorers including Juan Ponce de León, Hernando de Soto, and Vasco Núñez de Balboa.
  • Reasons for conflicts between Europeans and American Indians in Alabama from 1519 to 1840, including differing beliefs regarding land ownership, religion, and culture.

Skills

The students will be able to:
  • Explain the impact of European explorers on trade, health, and land expansion in Alabama.
  • Locate on maps European settlements in early Alabama, including Fort Condé, Fort Toulouse, and Fort Mims.
  • Trace on maps and globes, the routes of early explorers of the New World, including Juan Ponce de León, Hernando de Soto, and Vasco Núñez de Balboa.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • There were specific reasons Europeans began exploring and settling in Alabama and this impacted existing settlements in Alabama.

Phase

After/Explain/Elaborate
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the activity, students will be able to state the prime reasons European Explorers continued to pursue explorations in the "New World."

Students will also be able to explain the impacts these Explorers had on the native peoples and the land they reached.

Activity Details

1) The students will use their research on Early European Explorers to organize their findings on a paper ship to be used to share results.

2) Students will be able to explain their explorer, their goals for traveling, and the impact they had on the native peoples/lands. 

3) Students will present their findings to the group. Students may practice first with a partner before doing the final presentation. 

4) Teacher will display the ships for the students to review after completing the presentations. 

Assessment Strategies

Assessment Strategies

Teachers will use this rubric to assess each section of the ship (turned in by each student at the end of the project). The rubric will determine if each student reached mastery of the intended objectives. 

Rubric for grading the ships and optional slide activity here. 

Example Work- Completed Research Example

Acceleration

Advanced students can create a Google Slide presentation to go along with their ships. Teachers can also use ELA speaking/listening standards with the presentation if wanted/needed. 

Intervention

Tier II students could need assistance with their research. For these students, the teacher should choose appropriate websites and narrow them down to one or two for students to use for their research. The teacher could also give sentence starters for each research question to allow the students a more narrow focus. 

Related Learning Activities

Learning Activity (Before)

Early European Explorers! (Part One)

Learning Activity (During)

Early European Explorers! (Part Two)

Learning Activity (After)

Early European Explorers! (Part Three)

Background and Preparation

Background / Preparation

~Each student will need their research prompts and notes from the previous lesson (please see Early European Explorers- Part Two!). 

~Each student needs a copy of the European Explorer Ship (see linked resource).

~If using the extension activity, each student needs a copy of the Google Slide rubric as well.

Digital Tools / Resources

PDF of European Explorers Ship
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TatmIT_KF3H5idGgEUCaB_f5KMRuw0H7/view?usp=shar…

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

meahenderson
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