description of unit
In this history unit, you will be learning about Native Americans who lived in North and South America. You will study closely their daily life and cultural traditions, and then discover what happened to these groups once Europeans began their Age of Exploration and landed in the "New World." This will involve reading nonfiction texts, synthesizing information, and writing about what you have learned. The end of the unit will culminate in the assignment below:
PERFORMANCE TASK
Write an essay in which you describe the impact of European exploration and colonization on both Native Americans and Europeans/colonists. In your essay, be sure to:
BUT, in order for you to answer this question, you must learn some background knowledge first! As you continue to gain more knowledge about this particular topic, be sure to keep in mind the essay question so that you can begin gathering and storing relevant information and evidence for your essay as soon as you read about it!
PERFORMANCE TASK
Write an essay in which you describe the impact of European exploration and colonization on both Native Americans and Europeans/colonists. In your essay, be sure to:
- Describe the positive effects of exploration.
- Describe the negative effects of exploration.
- Use specific details from the texts we’ve studied in class.
- Check your work for correct grammar and spelling.
BUT, in order for you to answer this question, you must learn some background knowledge first! As you continue to gain more knowledge about this particular topic, be sure to keep in mind the essay question so that you can begin gathering and storing relevant information and evidence for your essay as soon as you read about it!
list of activities/assignments to be completed
before beginning your performance task...
This unit can be divided up into 3 smaller parts that follow chronologically from each other. The first part of the unit involves you learning about different Native American cultures living in North America, the second part of the unit involves you learning about the European Age of exploration and its consequences, both in the past and in the present. The last part involves more ELA, where you are going to learn how to write a strong essay. The following is a list of activities/assignments you must complete for each part of the unit. You may click on each to view any attached documents/readings. The ones marked with an asterisk (*) are the assignments that will be graded and put on JumpRope.
Native Americans in North America
Focus Question/Aim: How did the regions in which Native Americans lived influence their way of life?
1. Mini-Lesson: Identifying Main Idea & Supporting Details
2. Reading: "Where Did the First Americans Come From?" (You must identify the main idea of paragraphs.)
3. Reading: "Who Were The First Americans?" (You must identify the main idea of paragraphs.)
4. Mini-Lesson: How to Take Notes For Research
5. Group Project: Native American Cultural Regions
European Exploration
Focus Question/Aim: Why did people choose to explore? What was it like to be an explorer in the 15th century?
1. Learn how to write a strong short response paragraph
2. Reading: Reasons for the Age of Exploration
3. Read "Life on the Open Seas" on the History Channel website: tinyurl.com/lifeontheseas
4. Do "Sailor Journal Assignment"
Consequences
Focus Question/Aim: What are some of the consequences of European exploration, both in the past and in present day?
1. Mini-Lesson on Primary & Secondary Sources
2. Mini-Lesson on Author's Purpose
3. Mini-Lesson on Author's Point of View//Opinion
(Coming soon!)
4. Review what your essay prompt will be - scroll to the top of this page to read your performance task!
5. Research the positive and negative effects of European exploration to prepare you to write your essay:
Essay Writing (Coming soon!)
Focus Question/Aim: How did the regions in which Native Americans lived influence their way of life?
1. Mini-Lesson: Identifying Main Idea & Supporting Details
2. Reading: "Where Did the First Americans Come From?" (You must identify the main idea of paragraphs.)
3. Reading: "Who Were The First Americans?" (You must identify the main idea of paragraphs.)
4. Mini-Lesson: How to Take Notes For Research
5. Group Project: Native American Cultural Regions
- Use this graphic organizer to help you while researching.
- Use these resources to help you research.
- Look at the poster guidelines here.
European Exploration
Focus Question/Aim: Why did people choose to explore? What was it like to be an explorer in the 15th century?
1. Learn how to write a strong short response paragraph
- Mini-Lesson and Practice: How To Write A Topic Sentence
- How To Use Supporting Details / Specific Evidence
2. Reading: Reasons for the Age of Exploration
- Identify the main idea of each paragraph and/or section.
- Answer the questions that follow in your notebook, using short response format you learned earlier. Remember to use SPECIFIC details from the text to support your answer!
3. Read "Life on the Open Seas" on the History Channel website: tinyurl.com/lifeontheseas
4. Do "Sailor Journal Assignment"
Consequences
Focus Question/Aim: What are some of the consequences of European exploration, both in the past and in present day?
1. Mini-Lesson on Primary & Secondary Sources
- Read about the difference between primary & secondary sources by clicking here.
- Try this worksheet where you have to decide which documents are primary souces & which ones are secondary sources.
2. Mini-Lesson on Author's Purpose
- Read about what author's purpose is here.
- Practice identifying author's purpose using this worksheet.
3. Mini-Lesson on Author's Point of View//Opinion
(Coming soon!)
4. Review what your essay prompt will be - scroll to the top of this page to read your performance task!
5. Research the positive and negative effects of European exploration to prepare you to write your essay:
- Download and fill out this graphic organizer for EACH document that you read.
Essay Writing (Coming soon!)
- Organizing
- Drafting
- Revising
- Editing
- Publishing
