Europe+Seeks+Asia+and+Meets+the+Americas

=Unit 5: Europe Seeks Asia and Meets the Americas=

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Lesson 1: Portugal and Spain, and the Age of Exploration
media type="youtube" key="VVD6f20OG9w" width="420" height="315" Asia had much to offer and Europeans knew it. But how could the Europeans get the spices, silks, and other riches? The Ottomans controlled the Silk Road, and it was terrible dangerous to travel through mountains and deserts. Eager European monarchs wondered if ships could sail to Asia and back. New ship designs and navigation aids might make such trips possible. The race to find a route was on. As the kings and queens vied for riches and fame, the explorers they sent out had no idea what they would actually find. And the overseas empires had no idea what was about to happen.

Once Asian goods arrived in Europe after the thirteenth-century Crusades, life was never the same. Europeans had been buying silks and gems since the days of the Roman Empire, but now they also wanted spices. Just think of the delightful aroma of cinnamon, the tang of pepper and cloves. Spices could also be used to make medicines. But perhaps even more important--since refrigeration hadn't been invented--spices could be used to help preserve food.

Business between Europe and Asia boomed until the Ottoman Turks gained control of the land routes between Europe and Asia. Then travel grew dangerous. What could Europeans do? Were there other ways to reach the East?

Lesson Objectives

 * Describe the reasons for European interest in traveling by sea to Asia in the fifteenth century.
 * Explain that Columbus called the people he met "Indians" because he thought he had reached the Indies of East Asia.
 * Identify Columbus as the Italian navigator who first sailed west to get to Asia, and Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain as his sponsors.
 * Identify Dias as the Portuguese explorer who first rounded the southern tip of Africa
 * Identify Prince Henry the Navigator as the Portuguese patron of sea expeditions
 * Identify two improvements in navigation and explain that they allowed sailors to travel farther from land
 * Locate Portugal, Spain, the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Cape of Good Hope on a map
 * Trace on a map the route of Columbus's first voyage, and identify San Salvador as his landing
 * Review historical events

BBC: The History of Mapmaking Age of Exploration Christopher Columbus Maps


 * 1) Read Chapter 1, from the beginning to "Dias Rounds the Cap," pages 196-204. Complete Day 1 of [[file:MS_WDHISTB_05_01_ReadingGuide.pdf]]
 * 2) Columbus presented a plan to Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain in which he proposed sailing west to get to the Indies. His calculations (based on the work of others) indicated that it was the shortest route to the riches of the East. He was mistaken, of course. Instead of finding Asia, he ran into a new continent. Look at the maps at the above link. They are typical of the world maps Europeans used in the fifteenth century. Think for a moment about what is involved in the making of a map of the world. How do you think world maps are made today, in the age of computers and satellites? How do you think medieval and Renaissance cartographers made their maps? Answer these questions in your history journal.
 * 3) Read Chapter 1, from "Dias Rounds the Cape" to the end, pages 204-209. Complete day 2 of the reading guide.
 * 4) Remember that Columbus believed that the route west was the shortest route to the Indies. His belief stemmed from the calculations he had made about the Earth's circumference and the size of Europe and Asia. His calculations were based on the writings of Marco Polo and a French geographer. Unfortunately the information was not very accurate. Consequently, Columbus overestimated the size of Europe and Asia and underestimated the Earthy's circumference. Little did he know that the quickest to the Indies was definitely not by sailing west! But what if Columbus had known just how far it actually was from Spain to Asia following a westward route? Do you think he would have made the voyage anyway? What factors might have influenced his decision? Write a paragraph describing what you think Columbus would have done if he had known the actual distance. Be sure to give reasons to support your opinion.

Lesson 2: Filling in the Map - Day 1
media type="youtube" key="I_LyY8UPIM4" width="420" height="315" Just 30 years after Columbus tried to reach Asia by sailing west, a Spanish expedition sailed all the way around the globe. Europeans were filling in the map and knew there were huge landmasses between western Europe and eastern Asia. Undaunted, explorers still tried to reach the wealth of the Indies by sailing est into uncharged seas. They claimed vast territories for their rulers. other expeditions continued to risk sailing through the treacherous waters around the southern tip of Africa. Explorers thought the wealth and fame they imagined would make all the hardship worthwhile. But no one could ever have imagined what would really results from their explorations.

Lesson Objectives

 * Recognize that fifteenth-century standards for the behavior of nations differed from modern standards.
 * Describe the events leading to Portugal's claim to Brazil and the consequences of that claim.
 * Identify Ferdinand Magellan.
 * Identify Pedro Cabral.
 * Identify the Line of Demarcation and explain its purpose.
 * Identify Vasco da Gama.
 * Locate on a map the route Magellan took, the major land areas and bodies of water on the route, and the distance the expedition traveled.
 * Summarize the significant events of Magellan's voyage.


 * 1) Read Chapter 2, from the beginning to "Ferdinand Magellan: In Columbus's Wake and Beyond," pages 210 to 215. Complete day 1 [[file:MS_WDHISTB_05_03_ReadingGuide.pdf]]
 * 2) Remember that the Line of Demarcation and the Treaty of Tordesillas allowed Portugal to claim all lands east of the line. That gave the Portuguese an eastward sea route to Asia. As Portuguese navigators expanded their horizons to the east, they helped fill in the map of the world. Use the map on pages 198-199 of your book to help you complete day 1 of [[file:215875_MS_WDHISTB_05_03_FocusOnGeography.pdf]]

Unit 5: Lesson 2: Filling in the Map - Day 2
media type="youtube" key="n7ElVJbaeMc" width="420" height="315"
 * 1) Read Chapter 2, from " Ferdinand Magellan: In Columbus's Wake and Beyond," to the end, pages 215-221. Complete day 2 of the reading guide.
 * 2) Magellan's expedition succeeded in circumnavigating the globe and filling in significant sections of the map of the world. Complete Day 2 of the Focus on Geography sheet.

Lesson 2: Filling in the Map - Day 3
media type="youtube" key="gXDpCja5KeY" width="420" height="315"media type="youtube" key="fsuUBIHA6kM" width="420" height="315"

Space Exploration Timeline Early Manned Space Flight Important Events in Space History

In the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, European explorers were filling in the missing pieces of the map of Earth. In this lesson, you read about three explorers and the pieces they added to the map.

Beginning in the second half of the twentieth century, explorers began to fill in a different map--the map of the universe. In 1957 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the world's first satellite, sparking a race for space. The United States joined the race and soon embarked on an ambitious effort to land men on the moon. Since that time, many nations have contributed to the exploration of our solar system and beyond.


 * 1) Write a paragraph that compares and contrasts the exploration carried out in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries with the modern exploration of space. How are they similar? How are they different? Before you begin to write, you may need to do a little research about space exploration. Use the links above, don't spend a lot of time, but read enough to get a good idea of what has been involved in exploring space. Here are some points to consider as you look for information and think about both kinds of exploration:
 * Risks
 * Technology
 * Financing
 * Potential benefits
 * Attitudes toward new information

Lesson 3: Old Civilizations: Day 1
media type="youtube" key="Gdgw8wyh24I" width="560" height="315"

People lived on the Yucatan Peninsula and in the Andes mountains for thousands of years before they met explorers from Europe. Diverse groups developed unique cultures. Civilizations evolved and thrived for hundreds of years. The Maya invented the mathematical concept of zero. The Aztecs built cities larger than any in Europe. The Inca government built roads over deep gorges and raging rivers. What European explorers called the "New World" was filled with ancient temples, centuries-old governments, and the vine-covered ruins of long-ago peoples.

Lesson Objectives

 * Recognize that the term "new world" reflected only the European view of the continents they learned about in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
 * Define civilization.
 * Describe the origins of Mexico's name and flag.
 * Identify Hiram Bingham as the modern discoverer of the lost city of Machu Picchu.
 * Identify the Olmecs as possibly the earliest civilization in the Americas.
 * Locate the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, and Inca Empires on a map.
 * Summarize the major achievements and characteristics of Aztec civilization.
 * Summarize the major achievements and characteristics of Inca civilization.
 * Summarize the major achievements and characteristics of Maya civilization.


 * 1) Read Chapter 3, from the beginning to "The Aztecs Seek a Home," pages 222-227. Complete day 1 of [[file:MS_WDHISTB_05_05_ReadingGuide.pdf]]
 * 2) Visit NOVA Online: Map of the Maya World Select "Launch Interactive". Use the map to learn about some, or all, of the 15 better-known Maya archaeological sites.

Lesson 3: Old Civilizations: Day 2

 * 1) Read Chapter 3, from "The Aztecs Seek a Home," to "Better Than Gold: Hiram Bingham and the Lost City of the Inca," pages 227-234. Complete Day 2 of the Reading Guide.
 * 2) Use the maps in Chapter 3 and your textbook atlas to help you complete [[file:MS_WDHISTB_05_05_FocusOnGeography.pdf]]
 * 3) Read "Better Than Gold: Hiram Bingham and the Lost City of the Inca," pages 235 to 237, and then answer the following questions in your history journal:
 * Why was Hiram Bingham well suited to lead an expedition to locate Machu Picchu?
 * Did the Inca call their city Machu Picchu when they inhabited it? Explain your answer.
 * Was Bingham disappointed when he realized there was no gold in Machu Picchu? Explain your answer.

Lesson 3: Old Civilizations: Day 3


The Mayan Calendar Mayan Calendar Tools Mayan Kids Aztec Calendar Aztec Calendar StoneAztec Calendar Stone

To conclude this lesson, you will create a poster to illustrate the similarities and differences among the three civilizations you studied.

First review the links above. Pay particular attention to how the Maya and Aztec calendars look. When you have completed that activity, follow the directions below to make the poster.
 * Using a sheet of poster board or foam board, create the outlines of a Mesoamerican calendar. You don't need a lot of details - just a circular shape divided into segments.
 * On this calendar, draw or paste images that represent each of the three civilizations you studied: Maya, Aztec, & Inca. Select images that will help you explain the similarities and differences among the three civilizations.
 * Use the calendar you created to prepare a presentation that will teach your audience about the similarities and differences among the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilization
 * Give your presentation