Charlotte Teachers Institute

In my unit, my students will undergo an inquiry process in which they analyze exploration and expansion in terms of its motivations and impact. The big question that students must answer is; Was the Age of Exploration more beneficial or more harmful to the world? Students must consider the motives of these expeditions, the quality of the interaction between Europeans and the natives, effects of the interaction, demand for labor, and the economies that developed because of these expeditions. Students will explore the perspectives of Columbus and Native Americans as well as slaves during the transatlantic slave trade. This unit aligns with the North Carolina Social Studies standards on exploration and expansion. Students will be able to take this historical knowledge and use 21st century skills to relate past events to present circumstances. The summative assignment is a choice activity, which revolves around the question, “How has the Age of Exploration impacted you.” Students will be able to use mindfulness to tie everything they have learned in this culminating activity.