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World History 1, Quarter 3, Unit 3 of 3
The Great Global Convergence, 1450–1600
Overview
Overall days:
14
(1 day = 50-55 minutes)
Purpose
This unit introduces students to the Great Global Convergence, the moment when Afroeurasia and the
Americas became permanently linked. This is the era when genuinely globe-girdling economic, cultural,
and social exchange began to take place, transforming the human community in many ways. European
voyagers of the later 15th and early 16th centuries aimed first of all to play a larger and more direct part
in the Afroeurasian commercial system that already existed and had its economic center in Asia. In this
unit, students explore how Western Europeans adopted and invented technology that enabled them to
sail long distances on the high seas and, consequently, to reach America, the Indian Ocean, and East Asia
by establishing new oceanic passages. The unit then investigates early encounters between Europeans
and the peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Finally, the unit addresses the short-term
consequences of those encounters.
Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the
Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin
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World History 1, Quarter 3, Unit 3
The Great Global Convergence, 1450–1600 (14 days)
Version 2
Content to be learned
Processes to be used
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Describe principal features of the sea and land
exchange networks of Afroeurasia in the mid15th century.
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
Hypothesize why and how the kingdoms of
Portugal and Spain undertook oceanic voyages
in the 15th century, including the adoption of
new sailing technology.
Draw upon data in historical maps to identify
and explain the importance of major longdistance trade routes in Afroeurasia as of the
mid-15th century.

Analyze interests, values, perspectives, and
points of view to hypothesize about the
motives of Portuguese and Spanish voyagers
in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Appreciate historical perspectives, considering
the historical context in which events
unfolded, in relation to encounters between
Portuguese or Spanish newcomers and
peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa, India, and
Southeast Asia in the 16th century.

Read historical narratives imaginatively to
investigate the successes of Columbus and
other mariners in establishing Atlantic and
Pacific sea passages.

Analyze cause-and-effect relationships to
interpret the rapid fall of the Aztec and Inca
empires to Spanish conquerors and the causes
and consequences of the “Great Dying” of
Native Americans in the 16th century.
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
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Assess the effects of early encounters between
Portuguese or Spanish merchants and soldiers
and the states and merchant groups of SubSaharan Africa, the Indian Ocean, and the
China Seas.
Describe how Columbus, Vasco da Gama,
Magellan, and the sailors who followed them
established permanent oceanic passages
across the Atlantic and Pacific.
Describe major features of the Aztec and Inca
empires on the eve of their encounters with
Europeans, and hypothesize why those
empires quickly fell to Spanish overlords and
why American populations dropped drastically.
Essential questions students should be able to answer by end of unit

How might the character, extent, and limits of
Portuguese and Spanish power in Africa and
Asia in the 16th century be assessed?

How may 16th-century encounters between
Europeans and Native Americans in the West
and between Europeans and Asians in the
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
Why did the linking of Afroeurasia with the
Americas lead to a loss of as much as 90
percent of the Native American population by
the early 17th century?
Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the
Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin
The Great Global Convergence, 1450–1600 (14 days)
World History 1, Quarter 3, Unit 3
Version 2
East be compared and contrasted?
Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the
Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin
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World History 1, Quarter 3, Unit 3
The Great Global Convergence, 1450–1600 (14 days)
Version 2
Written Curriculum
Grade Span Expectations
HP 2: History is a chronicle of human activities, diverse people, and the societies they form.
HP 2 (9-12)– 1 Students connect the past with the present by…
b. identifying and linking key ideas and concepts and their enduring implications (e.g., separation of
church and state in Rhode Island)
National Standards for History (World History, Grades 5–12)
Era 6: The Emergence of the First Global Age, 1450-1770
Standard 1: How the transoceanic interlinking of all major regions of the world from 1450 to 1600 led to global
transformations.
1A The student understands the origins and consequences of European overseas expansion in the
15th and 16th centuries.
Explain major characteristics of the interregional trading system that linked peoples of Africa,
Asia, and Europe on the eve of the European overseas voyages. [Consider multiple
perspectives]
Analyze the major social, economic, political, and cultural features of European society, and in
particular of Spain and Portugal, that stimulated exploration and conquest overseas. [Identify
issues and problems in the past]
Identify major technological developments in shipbuilding, navigation, and naval warfare and
trace the cultural origins of various innovations. [Analyze cause-and-effect relationships]
Analyze the motives, nature, and short-term significance of the major Iberian military and
commercial expeditions to Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Americas. [Identify issues and
problems in the past]
1B The student understands the encounters between Europeans and peoples of Sub-Saharan
Africa, Asia, and the Americas in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
Analyze Portuguese maritime expansion to Africa, India, and Southeast Asia and interactions
between the Portuguese and the peoples of these regions. [Formulate historical questions]
Describe the political and military collision between the Spanish and the Aztec and Inca empires
and analyze why these empires collapsed. [Identify issues and problems in the past]
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Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the
Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin
The Great Global Convergence, 1450–1600 (14 days)
World History 1, Quarter 3, Unit 3
Version 2
1C The student understands the consequences of the worldwide exchange of flora, fauna, and
pathogens.
Assess ways in which the exchange of plants and animals around the world in the late 15th and
the 16th centuries affected European, Asian, African, and American Indian societies and
commerce. [Analyze cause-and-effect relationships]
Analyze why the introduction of new disease microorganisms in the Americas after 1492 had
such devastating demographic and social effects on American Indian populations. [Analyze
cause-and-effect relationships]
Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies
Reading
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RH.9-10.7
Integrate quantitative or technical analysis (e.g., charts, research data) with qualitative
analysis in print or digital text.
Writing
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
WHST.9-10.8
Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources,
using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering
the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the
flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
Notes, Clarifications, and Prerequisites
Connecting the past to the present with ideas of enduring implications is new to the grade span.
Instruction should include examples of events that have enduring implications in this unit.
These units include Common Core literacy standards in reading and literacy and Historical Thinking
Standards. The impact on instruction of these new and additional standards is noted in the Planning and
Instructional Delivery Considerations section and the assessment sections of this unit.
Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the
Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin
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World History 1, Quarter 3, Unit 3
The Great Global Convergence, 1450–1600 (14 days)
Version 2
Taught Curriculum
Learning Objectives
Resources
Students will be able to:
World History, Pearson, 2011, (pp. 446-460)
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
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

Trace the major trade routes of Afroeurasia in
the mid-1400s, and analyze why the Iberian
states wished to play a larger part in
Afroeurasian commerce. (2 days)
Explain the origins and development of the
navigational and shipbuilding technology that
enabled Europeans to make long oceanic
voyages. (3 days)
Compare and contrast the nature and
consequences of early encounters between
the Iberian maritime powers and states of
Africa and Asia in the 15th and 16th
centuries.
(3 days)
Trace the routes and relate the significance of
the success of Vasco da Gama, Columbus,
Balboa, Magellan, and other European
mariners in establishing major oceanic
passages. (2 days)
Identify reasons that the Spanish quickly
destroyed the Aztec and Incan empires and
why the population of the Americas began to
drop drastically in the 16th century. (4 days)
Assessment Rubrics for High School (p. 8)
World History for Us All,
http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu
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Big Era 6, Panorama Teaching Unit

Big Era 6, Landscape Teaching Unit 6.1
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Big Era 6, Landscape Teaching Unit 6.2
Facing History and Ourselves
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Jigsaw Activity, http://facing.org/
resources/strategies/jigsaw-developingcommunity-d
Other Resources
National Geographic
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Gold Fever,
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/
ngexplorer/0901/articles/mainarticle.html
PBS
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Conquest of the Incas, http://www.pbs.org/
conquistadors/pizarro/pizarro_c00.html
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The Fall of the Aztecs, http://www.pbs.org/
Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the
Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin
The Great Global Convergence, 1450–1600 (14 days)
World History 1, Quarter 3, Unit 3
Version 2
conquistadors/cortes/cortes_d00.html
Instructional Considerations
Key Vocabulary
caravel
immunity
carrack
missionary
cartographer
monopoly
circumnavigate
motivation
conquistadors
outpost
demography
sovereign
extent
Planning and Instructional Delivery Considerations
This unit examines early Iberian maritime expansion in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. Students
are to investigate the global significance and connections established by this expansion with specific
emphasis upon the Columbian Exchange and the consequences of Native American demographic
collapse in the 16th century.
Select from the activities and readings in the Pearson text to provide students with background
information and critical thinking opportunities that align to the learning objectives. The strategies listed
represent a menu of choices and possibilities to support each learning objective.

To ensure that students will be able to trace the major trade routes of Afroeurasia in the mid1400s, and analyze why the Iberian states wished to play a larger part in Afroeurasian commerce
(2 days):
Teach strategies and activities in World History for Us All, Big Era 6, Panorama Teaching Unit (The
Great Global Convergence, 1400-1800), Lesson 1: Luxury Trade Before the European Oceanic
Voyages; Lesson 2: Trade Before the European Networks were Established. Case Study of Malacca,
Lesson 3: Hunger for Spices
Have students refer to their notes, the text, and any other resources you choose to provide as they
create a map illustrating the major trade routes of Afroeurasia prior to the discovery of the
Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the
Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin
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World History 1, Quarter 3, Unit 3
The Great Global Convergence, 1450–1600 (14 days)
Version 2
Americas. The map should take up the entire right-hand half of a large poster. Students will add
copious captions throughout the poster. Call on each student to share one of his or her captions.

To ensure that students will be able to explain the origins and development of the navigational
and shipbuilding technology that enabled Europeans to make long oceanic voyages (3 days):
In groups, have students draw an Iberian sailing vessel of the early 16th century or label a blank
drawing of an Iberian sailing vessel. Have students identify the various important technological
features on the ship and label the cultural or civilizational origin of the specific technology on the
vessel. Standard 2: Historical Comprehension
Have pairs of students use the text, their notes, and any other resources you may choose to provide
to research the astrolabe, compass, sextant, map improvements, GPS, and radio communications.
Have students describe (1) how these instruments were improved versions of earlier technologies,
(2) who made the improvements, and (3) how each instrument facilitated long oceanic voyages.
Historical Thinking Skill 4: Historical research

To ensure that students will be able to compare and contrast the nature and consequences of
early encounters between the Iberian maritime powers and states of Africa and Asia in the 15th
and 16th centuries (3 days):
Teach strategies and activities in World History for Us All, Big Era 6, Panorama Teaching Unit (The
Great Global Convergence, 1400-1800), Lesson 4: Europeans in the Indian Ocean.
Based on information from the textbook and other course materials, have student groups fill in a
Venn diagram with one side labeled “Iberian Encounters with Africa” and the other “Iberian
Encounters with Asia.”

To ensure that students will be able to trace the routes and relate the significance of the success
of Vasco da Gama, Columbus, Balboa, Magellan, and other European mariners in establishing
major oceanic passages (2 days):
Teach strategies and activities in Landscape Teaching Unit 6.1 (Oceanic Ventures and the Joining of
the Continents, 1400-1550).
Using material from the textbook and other course materials, have students outline the routes of de
Gama, Columbus, Balboa, Magellan, and other European mariners on a map.

To ensure that students will be able to identify reasons why the Spanish quickly destroyed the
Aztec and Incan empires and why the population of the Americas began to drop drastically in the
16th century (4 days):
Teach strategies and activities in World History for Us All, Big Era 6, Panorama Teaching Unit (The
Great Global Convergence, 1400-1800), The Great Dying and Its Relationship to Slavery in the
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Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the
Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin
The Great Global Convergence, 1450–1600 (14 days)
World History 1, Quarter 3, Unit 3
Version 2
Americas and the Landscape Teaching Unit 6.2 (The Columbian Exchange and Its Consequences,
1400-1650).
Construct a historical argument or debate on such questions as: (1) Were the voyages of Columbus a
“discovery”? (2) How should Columbus be characterized: conqueror, explorer, missionary,
merchant, or villain? Standard 5. Historical Issues-Analysis and Decision-Making
Use the following Jigsaw Activity: Divide students into four research groups: (1) steel vs. stone;
(2) cavalry vs. infantry; (3) introduction of new diseases; and (4) viewing the other through the lens
of religion.
Group 1 will compare the weapons used by both sides.
Group 2 will address the tactics used, as well as the importance of horses and dogs in battle.
Group 3 will describe the devastating effects of Old World diseases on Native American populations.
Group 4 will address the missionary mindset of (some of) the Europeans and the Aztec’s belief that Cortés
was the God from the Sea.
Students will use all available resources—including, if possible, the “Gold Fever” page, “Conquest of
the Incas,” and “Fall of the Aztecs” (in the Other Resources list)—to research their assigned topic. If
there are no supplemental resources available, the topics being researched may have to be
adjusted.
Then have the students form new groups, ensuring that each new group contains at least one expert
from each of the research groups.
Students will then synthesize their findings into a single product (e.g., graphic organizer, outline,
essay, etc.).
Have a student from each group share one fact from what his or her group produced from the
synthesized information.
Encourage students to discuss the differences in their products.
See the Facing History and Ourselves website’s Jigsaw page http://facing.org/resources/
strategies/jigsaw-developing-community-d for more information about this strategy. Historical
Thinking Standard 4: Historical research Take the opportunity to implement writing standard for
literacy in history/social studies WHST.9-10.8.
Additional Teaching Strategies
The following pages from the Pearson text contain strategies for the concepts being studied and are
coordinated with the learning objectives:
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Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin
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World History 1, Quarter 3, Unit 3
The Great Global Convergence, 1450–1600 (14 days)
Version 2

Spanish and Portuguese exploration (pp. 446-450)
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Explorers, routes, and results of their search for a direct trade route (pp. 447-450)
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Balboa’s discovery and Magellan’s journey (p. 451)
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The growth of the African slave trade (pp. 453-454)
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Growth of the African states during the 1600s (pp. 454-455)

European permanent settlements outside of Europe (p. 455)

European exploration in South and Southeast Asia (pp. 457-460)

The effects of European contacts in East Asia (pp. 461- 465)
Assessed Curriculum
Formative Assessments
Provide feedback to students through daily monitoring of student understanding using a variety of
methods. For example, use exit cards. Have students answer questions on paper before they leave the
class. Keep the activity prompt specific and brief to check for understanding of the day’s concepts. For
instance, to check students’ comprehension of the Iberian desire to play a greater role in Afroeurasian
commerce, ask students to respond to the following question: “What were two imported items for
which Europeans especially wanted to ‘cut out the middleman’?”
To assess the progress of understanding:

how to trace the major trade routes of Afroeurasia in the mid-1400s, and analyze why the Iberian
states wished to play a larger part in Afroeurasian commerce, have students write a short journal
entry in which they identify the motivations and reasons that the Iberian states sought to play a
larger part in Afroeurasian commerce.

how to explain the origins and development of the navigational and shipbuilding technology that
enabled Europeans to make long oceanic voyages, have each student use his or her ship drawing
and labels to write a brief journal entry about the advantages of the specific maritime technological
features labeled on the ship.

how to compare and contrast the nature and consequences of early encounters between the
Iberian maritime powers and states of Africa and Asia in the 15th and 16th centuries, have each
student write two paragraphs that explain his or her Venn diagram. The first paragraph will address
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Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the
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The Great Global Convergence, 1450–1600 (14 days)
World History 1, Quarter 3, Unit 3
Version 2
similarities, and the second will address differences in the Iberian encounters with Africa and Asia.
Use the Writing Assignments Rubric (Assessment Rubrics for High School, p. 8) to score the work.

how to trace the routes and relate the significance of the success of Vasco da Gama, Columbus,
Balboa, Magellan, and other European mariners in establishing major oceanic passages, have
students add to their maps of Afroeurasian trade routes. Students will use all available resources to
add the Americas on the left-hand side of the map, leaving enough room for the Atlantic Ocean to
allow the addition of routes. Students will add captions to the new additions. Call on each student to
share one of his or her captions. Have students refer to their maps to create a ranking of the ”top
three” European mariners and explain their choices briefly in terms of their historical significance.

how to identify reasons the Spanish quickly destroyed the Aztec and Incan empires and why the
population of the Americas began to drop drastically in the 16th century, have students refer to
the text, their notes, and any other resources you choose to provide as they write a newspaper
article that reports on and explains the Spanish conquest of either the Aztec Empire or the Incan
Empire. This is a good opportunity to implement reading standard for literacy in history/social
studies
RH.9-10.7.
Summative Assessment
Have students use the graphic organizer below to compare and contrast the nature and effects of
encounters between Europeans (Spanish or Portuguese) and the peoples of (1) the Americas and (2) the
Indian Ocean region in the 16th century. The response in each box should be limited to 1-3 sentences.
The Americas
Indian Ocean Region
Extent of European
conquests
Rise or fall of empires
Nature and extent of
trade between
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World History 1, Quarter 3, Unit 3
The Great Global Convergence, 1450–1600 (14 days)
Version 2
Europeans and natives
peoples
Change in populations
of native peoples
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Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the
Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin
The Great Global Convergence, 1450–1600 (14 days)
World History 1, Quarter 3, Unit 3
Version 2
Notes
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Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin
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World History 1, Quarter 3, Unit 3
The Great Global Convergence, 1450–1600 (14 days)
Version 2
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Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin