UNIT OF STUDY: Maps & Exploration TIME FRAME: 9/8 - 9/18
CONNECTION TO CITIZENSHIP THEME: What kind of citizens were the explorers? Rulers? Indigenous people? Connections throughout unit are italicized.
Essential Understandings: Three main reasons for exploration - Gold, God, Glory
Countries/rulers were seeking power, goods, control, people.
Exploration is a basic human experience and is still happening today - space, oceans, scientific discoveries, disease research, extreme adventurers
Exploration needed funding - now we have sponsors of brands and businesses, then sponsors of countries.
Map skills (listed below)
Compelling Questions: Why explore?
Is moving to an unknown area worth the risk?
What does it mean to ‘discover’?
Supporting Questions: What motivated rulers and explorers to find new lands?
Who are our modern day explorers? What is their motivation?
What map skills were/are needed to navigate the world?
CROSS CURRICULAR INSTRUCTION: Explorers Webquest
NASA “Those Who Came Before Me”
Reading - Literature: Mentor texts on Exploration
Class book: Flying Solo - How were they like explorers? What were they discovering?
Are rules important?
Reading - Informational Text: Explorer Bios
Reading - Foundational Skills: SS Vocabulary week 1 & 2, Word Study intro
Flying Solo Readers Theater
Writing:
- Narrative:
- “My Summer Exploration”
- Letter to Citizen Buddy/Mentor
- Argument/Opinion:
- Persuasive letter to “funder” for activity/exploration (Introduce RAFT)
- Informative/Explanatory:
- Biographical paragraph of Explorer - (webquest) to add to wall timeline
Speaking/Listening: Explorers Q&A, To Tell the Truth activity (if time allows)
Science - create nature journals, explore outside - science/nature journaling lessons
- Provide details in writing, descriptive writing
- Books that Grow: John Muir (nature journalist) online leveled reader
History:
Create Wall timeline to be filled in through each unit.
European Exploration in the Americas
A. Historic overview and economic motivation of Europeans
C. Historic, economic, cultural, and political impact of European Empire building in the Americas
D. Early European settlements (Spanish, French,and British)
Geography: September Focus Maps - Europe
Compare modern maps to maps of “discovered” lands
Create Digital Maps of explorers routes
Map/Globe Skills
A. Recognizing the function of absolute and relative location
B. Analyzing historical maps
C. Differentiating between physical and political maps
D. Comparing and contrasting historical maps with modern counterparts
Economics: Economic factors in exploration
Civics: Motivation/ citizenship, create a classroom "compact"
Primary Sources: Maps, journals, letters
Secondary Sources: Websites, books for research
Evaluating Resources: Web sources - compare two sources for explorers webquest
Communicating Conclusions/Taking Informed Action: Wall timeline, present mini-bios,
Additional Performance Task/Assessment(s): Completed map,
Resources:
Explorers Webquest - http://allaboutexplorers.com/webquest/
Goals and legends that led the early explorers
Routes of explorers
Books:
Encounter, Jane Yolen
Follow the Dream, Peter Sis
The World Made New, Marc Arronson & John Glenn
You Wouldn't Want to Sail with Christopher Columbus, Fiona MacDonald
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