Merchants, Conquistadors, and Missionaries—History of Exploration
This 10-week class will explore the History and Geography of the Age of Discovery from Marco Polo to the Atlantic World.
Francesca G Dixon
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(32)
What's included
Homework
1-2 hours per week. Each week, students will read and respond to a written text. Assignments are designed to help students engage with the content. The amount of time necessary to complete the assignments will depend on the learner.Assessment
I will provide feedback on all submitted assignments. Completed work can be compiled into a portfolio. If requested I will provide a letter grade and certificate.Grading
includedClass Experience
US Grade 5 - 7
What was Columbus looking for when he bumped into the Americas? How did Pedro Cabral end up in Brazil on the way to the Cape of Good Hope? Why wouldn't Vasco da Gama or Magellan win a Mr. Congeniality Contest? These are just a few of the questions we will explore in this 10-week history of exploration from Marco Polo to the Atlantic World. Lesson 1: Marco Polo and the Spice Islands Lesson 2: Ship Design and Navigation Lesson 3: Dias, da Gama and Cabral Lesson 4: Admiral of the Ocean Sea Lesson 5: Souls and Plunder Lesson 6: Circumnavigating the Globe Lesson 7: Searching for a Northwest Passage Lesson 8: The French Fur Trade Lesson 9: New Netherland Lesson 10: The Atlantic World Each week students will: • view a recorded lesson that introduces the content • view a recorded lesson that demonstrates a reading comprehension skill • independently read and respond to written texts, videos, and images • practice rare-word vocabulary • complete a challenge activity In addition to the prerecorded lessons, I will provide a study exercise for each lesson that focuses on a discreet skill, such as summarizing, taking Cornell Notes, creating a content web, or using question-answer relationships to answer questions about a nonfiction text. My teaching style is one of starting with a question and generating additional questions that often lead to unexpected connections and discoveries. Please note: There are no scheduled live video lessons. Students will be expected to complete the weekly assignments and participate in the padlet activities at their own pace. This course format works well if your learner prefers independent pacing or is uncomfortable with live video classes.
Learning Goals
Students will become familiar with the elites and their motivation, as well as the technological advances that made the Age of Discovery possible and gain background knowledge and rare-word vocabulary from a specific domain that will enhance their reading comprehension of nonfiction text.
Syllabus
10 Lessons
over 10 WeeksLesson 1:
Marco Polo and the Spice Trade
This lesson will discuss the spices that lured Europeans to the East Indies as well as the man you wrote the most famous travel book in history. mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Why and How
This lesson will examine the motives for exploration as well as the technological advances that made it possible. mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Where the Oceans Meet
This lesson will examine the remarkable achievements of several Portuguese explorers and as well as the prince who made their expeditions possible. mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Admiral of the Ocean Sea
This lesson will profile one of the most controversial figures in Renaissance history, Christopher Columbus. mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
This class will discuss explorers and conquistadors such as Columbus and Magellan, as well as their treatment of Indigenous Peoples in America, Africa, and Asia. I will explore the effects of conquistadors and missionaries on Indigenous Peoples. I will challenge students to analyze how exploration, conquest, exploitation, enslavement and forced religious conversion affected Indigenous Peoples.
Two resources that deal with racism and discrimination are An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz and History of the Philippines: From Indios Bravos to Filipinos by Luis H. Francia. I will handle these topics by demonstrating how to evaluate historical sources and challenging students to identify possible bias.
Supply List
All of the resources used for this class will be available online at no cost.
Language of Instruction
English
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
- Padlet
- Quizlet
Sources
The Age of Exploration, Core Knowledge History and Geography (Subject Matter consultant: J. Chris Arndt, PhD, Department of History, James Madison University). Dr. Arndt is Associate Dean, Liberal Arts, College of Arts and Letters Director, at James Madison University, MAD-RUSH undergraduate research conference and Co-Chair, Shenandoah Valley Regional Studies Seminar.
• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. Dunbar-Ortiz is an historian, author, memoirist, and speaker who researches Western Hemisphere history and international human rights.
• The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. Equiano, who was enslaved as a child, purchased his freedom in 1766 and wrote this unforgettable memoir.
• Encounters Unforeseen: 1492 Retold by Andrew Rowen. This book chronicles the first encounters among Columbus, other Europeans, and the Taíno peoples of the Caribbean, documenting the collision of civilizations from both peoples’ perspectives, the bitter personal conflicts between the main protagonists, and the civility and tolerance of the Taino.
• History of the Philippines: From Indios Bravos to Filipinos by Luis H. Francia. Francia is a Filipino-American poet, journalist and nonfiction writer. He has taught at Sarah Lawrence College, Yale University, City University of Hong Kong, Ateneo De Manila University, and Hunter College. Currently, he writes an online column "The Artist Abroad" for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and teaches at New York University.
Joined August, 2020
5.0
32reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
3 Degrees
Master's Degree in History from Harvard University
Master's Degree in Education from Trinity Washington University
Bachelor's Degree from University of California Berkeley
I've taught African American Studies, World Geography and Culture, and World History to 4th through 6th graders at DC Public Schools for the past 17 years. Every year that I taught at DCPS I attended professional development on the teaching of history and geography which included strategies for teaching about exploration, conquest, exploitation, enslavement, racism, and discrimination. In April of 2017, I received an Excellence Award by the Educational Testing Service for Outstanding performance on the PRAXIS II Test for Social Studies Content Knowledge. As an undergraduate at the University of California, San Diego, I attended Third College (since renamed Thurgood Marshall College), dedicated to Third World Studies, Race, and Ethnicity. Reviews
Live Group Class
$180
for 10 weeks10 weeks
Completed by 4 learners
No live video meetings
Ages: 10-12
This class is no longer offered
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