European Explorers: Columbus

• August 30 – Sept. 3, 2013

• Objective: Students will examine a primary source document to determine it’s value to a historian and identify key reasons for European exploration through various texts and written response.

Homework

What was Columbus’ primary motivation for exploration? Choose one and provide two reasons.

• Faster route to India?• Religion?• Wealth?• Nobility?• Prominence?

• Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdjL8WXjlGI

Warm-Up

World Cultures and Geography, “Trade between Europe and Asia”, pages 101-102. Read and answer the following questions:

1. Why were spices so important to Europeans?

2. Why did Europeans want to find a new route to Asia?

How to answer questions in

7th gradeSocial Studies.

R A C E “Does Joe like winter?”

• R Rephrase the question when you …• A ….answer. “Joe likes winter because….• C – Cite evidence to show how you arrived at the answer: …..the story tells us that Joe loves

skiing…• E – Explain evidence with 1 - 2 examples: ….and

skiing is a winter sport. The story also tells us that Joe enjoys the feel of cold air on his face.”

Examples

• According to the text…..• The picture shows…..• The document states…..• The author says….• The story tells us…..

What other examples do you have?

Who is this?

See p. 12 in your atlas.

• But Columbus had a different idea:

“Why not sail westward across the Atlantic instead of around the massive African continent???”

• Portugal said no to sponsoring this unchartered exploration.

• But Spain said YES!

(By the way, besides a quicker route to Asia….,)

• Columbus wanted fame and fortune. Ferdinand and Isabella wanted the same, along with the opportunity to export Christianity to lands across the globe. (Columbus was equally enthusiastic about this.)

• So, he signed a contract that he could keep 10% of whatever riches he found, along with a noble title, and become governor of any lands he encountered.

In 1492, Columbus set sail. His goal was to reach Asia by sailing westward over what was presumed to be open sea.

V1

• On October 12, the ships made landfall--not in Asia, as Columbus predicted, but in the Bahamas.

• Columbus sailed along the northern coast of Hispaniola for six months.

• Columbus left behind a settlement of 40 men on Hispaniola. He appointed leaders and returned to Spain.

V2

• On Voyage #2, Columbus sailed with 17 ships and 1,500 men to search for gold and capture slaves in the Indies.• Columbus founded the Dominican

Republic. • Spain’s effort to promote Christianity

also began.

V3

• On Voyage #3, Columbus visited Trinidad and South America before returning to the Hispaniola settlement.• Here, the colonists had staged a bloody

revolt against its leaders. Spain sent a new governor to take over. Christopher Columbus was arrested for ineffective leadership and returned to Spain.

V4

• Cleared of most charges but stripped of his titles, Columbus made a 4th voyage.

• He returned to South America sailing along the coast of Honduras and Panama, just miles from the Pacific Ocean.

• He was attacked by hostile natives, forced to abandon two ships and returned to Spain where he died in 1506.

Stay tuned.

• Christopher Columbus did not “discover” the Americas, nor was he even the first European to visit the “New World.”

• However, his journey kicked off centuries of exploration and exploitation of the American continents.

V1 - Hispaniola and the Bahamas

V2 – Dominican Republic

V3 – Trinidad and South America

V4 - Honduras and Panama

Documents

• Primary source – A source created by someone who actually saw or participated in an event and recorded that event or their reactions to it immediately after the event.

Secondary source – A source created by someone not present at the event after that event has happened.

The date is October 13, 1492.

Read the following excerpt from a journal that belonged to Christopher Columbus.

Use RACE to answer these questions in your notebook.

1. Based on information from the document about the people of San Salvador, what can historians learn regarding Columbus’ attitude toward the island inhabitants?

2. What can the reader conclude regarding Columbus’ motivation for exploring this island?

1. What was Columbus’ attitude towards the people of San Salvador?2. What was the motivation behind Columbus’ exploration of this island?

works cited

• http://www.all-art.org/Visual_History/296a.htm• http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/c/columbus.shtml• http://www.history.com/topics/christopher-columbus• http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/RACE-Strategy-Writing-Test-and-Co

nstructed-Response-Prep-Pack-328768• http://www.brighthubeducation.com/help-with-writing/33366-constructed-respo

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