CKHG Unit 6: Exploration of North America
Focus:
This unit focuses on English, French, and Spanish explorers who crisscrossed the Americas in search of new finds, whether gold, riches, or a passage through the continent from east to west. After reviewing the explorations of Columbus, students learn about Ponce de León’s search for the Fountain of Youth, De Soto’s long march to the Mississippi, Coronado’s quest for cities of gold, the founding of St. Augustine, and the development of settlements around Spanish missions.
The focus then shifts to the explorers who undertook perilous voyages to find the Northwest Passage, a shortcut across North America to Asia, including John Cabot, Samuel de Champlain, and Henry Hudson. Throughout the unit students reinforce their map skills and geographic knowledge, and also learn about the interactions of the explorers with Native Americans, including Popé and the Pueblo Revolt.
Number of Lessons: 6
Instruction Time:
30 minutes (Lessons may be combined into longer sessions.)
Additional Search Terms:
social studies • geography • map skills • nonfiction • informational text • Caribbean Sea • East Indies • West Indies • Puerto Rico • Cuba • Gulf of Mexico • Mississippi River • Grand Canyon • Rio Grande • “New France” • Quebec • Canada • St. Lawrence River • Great Lakes
