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UNIT PLAN
Grade Level:
Unit #:
Unit Name:
4
2
Social Studies
Big Idea/Theme: A few brave men explored the New World to acquire land,
religious converts, and resources for their home countries.
Culminating Assessment:
Create a booklet with diary entries from the point of view of one of the Explorers
(Leif Eriksson, Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, Ferdinand Magellan,
Hernando de Soto, Henry Hudson, Robert LaSalle) and attach a map with the
explorer’s route. The booklet needs to have a front cover and a diary entry that
explains the important facts from his travels, the reason for exploration, and the
lands that were explored.
Unit Understanding(s)
Unit Essential Question(s):
The students will understand that…
There are three reasons for
What are the reasons for
exploration in the New World:
exploration in the New World?
economic factors, political
What motivated explorers (Leif
factors, & technological reasons.
Eriksson, Christopher Columbus,
The motivations of most
Hernando De Soto, Ferdinand
explorers were “God, gold, and
Magellan, Henry Hudson, John
glory” for themselves and for their
Cabot, and Robert LaSalle) to
countries (Leif Eriksson,
search for new lands?
Christopher Columbus, John
What were the accomplishments
Cabot, Ferdinand Magellan,
of these explorers?
Hernando de Soto, Henry
What were the various routes
Hudson, Robert LaSalle)
explored in the New World?
Explorers took different routes for
What crops and animals did the
various sea and land expeditions.
Europeans bring to the Americas
European settlers introduced
for the first time?
different crops and animals to
their lands in the Americas.
Students will know… / Students will be able to…
Explain the political, economic, and technological factors that led to the
exploration of the New World by Spain, Portugal, and England.
Summarize the motivation and accomplishments of the Vikings and the
Portuguese, Spanish, English, and French explorers.
Use a map to identify the routes of various sea and land expeditions to the
New World and match these to the territories claimed by different nations .
Summarize the discoveries associated with the above expeditions.
Explain the exchange of plant life, animal life, and disease that resulted
from exploration of the New World.
South Carolina Academic Standards:
4-1.1 Explain the political, economic, and technological factors that led to the
exploration of the New World by Spain, Portugal, and England, including
the competition between nation-states, the expansion of international
trade, and the technological advances in shipbuilding and navigation. (E,
G, H, P)
4-1.2 Summarize the motivation and accomplishments of the Vikings and the
Portuguese, Spanish, English, and French explorers, including Leif
Eriksson, Christopher Columbus, Hernando de Soto, Ferdinand Magellan,
Henry Hudson, John Cabot, and Robert LaSalle. (H, E, G)
4-1.3 Use a map to identify the routes of various sea and land expeditions to the
New World and match these to the territories claimed by different
nations—including the Spanish dominance in South America and the
French, Dutch, and English exploration in North America—and summarize
the discoveries associated with these expeditions. (G, H)
4-1.4 Explain the exchange of plant life, animal life, and disease that resulted
from exploration of the New World, including the introduction of wheat,
rice, coffee, horses, pigs, cows, and chickens to the Americas; the
introduction of corn, potatoes, peanuts, and squash to Europe; and the
effects of such diseases as diphtheria, measles, smallpox, and malaria on
Native Americans. (G, H, E)
Vocabulary/Word Wall
Explorers
Routes
Chronological
Leif Eriksson
Expeditions
Motivations
Christopher Columbus
John Cabot
Ferdinand Magellan
Hernando de Soto
Henry Hudson
Robert LaSalle
Interim Assessment (formative)
Checklist
Teacher observation
Teacher questioning
Key Criteria (to meet the standard/rubric)
See Extended Rubric Response
Diary Entry Rubric
Front Cover of
Diary Booklet
Diary Entry
3
The front cover
is neat and
attractive.
The entry is
written from the
point of view of
the explorer
and contains
the reasons for
exploration and
the lands
explored.
2
The front cover
is somewhat
neat.
The entry
contains the
reasons for
exploration of
the lands
explored, but is
not written from
the point of
view of the
explorer.
1
The front cover
is messy.
The entry is
written from the
point of view of
the explorer,
but does not
contain
accurate
information
about
exploration.
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