Indian Land Tenure Curriculum > 6-8 Curriculum > Standard 2 > Lesson 1

Achievement Goal: Study the arrival of Europeans on the North American continent and the period of their early settlement from 1585-1763. Study the European colonization of other areas of the world such as Canada , South America , Australia , New Zealand , and Africa .

Time: Several class periods as required for research project

Core: History, Civics/Government, Geography

Background: When Europeans explored the globe during the “Age of Discovery” and began to colonize the countries they had “discovered”, they did so for a number of reasons: to spread Christianity, to reap wealth through trade and exploitation of other countries’ peoples and natural resources, to increase geopolitical power over other European countries, and to acquire land.

This lesson will be taught in two parts. The first section will introduce students to the history of colonialism in North America and the European nations that began the colonization of the “ New World ”. The students will divide into five groups and research the colonization of North America by the following European nations: England , the Netherlands , France , Russia , and Spain . The students will research the activities of these European nations in the areas they colonized, such as natural resource extraction, warfare with native groups, and the native land dispossession. The students will then present this information to the class, help construct a timeline of these nations’ presence in North America , and contribute to a chart that compares the activities of the different European nations in North America .

European colonization was not limited to North America. European states colonized lands and peoples in South America , the Caribbean , Africa , Asia , Australia and New Zealand. As in North America, the colonization of these places had an enormous impact on the lives of the peoples indigenous to these areas. This section of the lesson will ask students to research the colonization of indigenous peoples in other countries such as Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, and Kenya . Their research will focus on the indigenous peoples of these areas, the impact colonization had on these peoples, how colonization affected the use and ownership of land in these areas, and the political situation between the natives and their colonizers today. Using the information the class compiled in the first part of the lesson, the students will be asked to compare colonization in America with the colonization of another part of the world.

PART ONE

Preparation:

• Review the following on the internet:
• The map “Age of Discovery: 1340-1600” at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/shepherd/explorer_map_shepherd.jpg.
• The information on colonialism and colonization at Teacher’sParadise.com ( http://www.teachersparadise.com/ency/en/wikipedia/c/co/colonialism.html) or Nationamaster.com ( http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/European-colonization-of-the-Americas).
• The following maps at Ancestry.com:
• “European Exploration and Settlement in the United States , 1513-1776”, http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/reference/maps/freeimages.asp?imageID=203 ;
• “Exploration and Settlement”, http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/reference/maps/freeimages.asp?imageID=643
• “British Colonies in North America ”, http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/reference/maps/freeimages.asp?imageID=396
• Set up internet access for at least five groups of students or print out the sections on the British, Dutch, French, Russian, and Spanish colonization of North America found at the websites above.

Student Activity:

• Show the students the “Age of Discovery: 1340-1600” map. Discuss European expansion. Discuss with the students the motivations behind this expansion.
• Have the students examine the map “ Exploration and Settlement”.
• Divide the students into five groups. Assign to each group the task of researching the colonization of North America by one of the following European states: England , the Netherlands , France , Russia , Spain . Their research should include when the first colony of this state was founded, where this colony was located, the names of other important colonies, the purpose of these colonies or the activities they launched in the “New World”, conflicts or cooperation with indigenous groups, the dates and names of wars or agreements with other European nations, and when the state abandoned colonization activities in North America (if ever). The students should also be told to note whether native exposure to European diseases predated or were concurrent with colonizing activities, the economic activities of the colonists, whether they acquired land from natives and how, and how religion played a role in colonization. This information will be handed in and combined as a reference for the class for part two of this lesson.
• After the groups complete this research, ask them to present this information to the entire class. As the students are speaking, construct a timeline on the board or using a large poster board with the important dates noted by the students in their presentations.
• Ask the students to compare the motivations of the Europeans to explore and colonize lands with what they know about the traditional values certain American Indian tribes had in connection with the use and occupation of their land. Guide a discussion to help the students identify the basic conflicts between Europeans and Natives over how the land was viewed and used. Be sure to distinguish differences between different European states and the ways they attempted to colonize North America .
• Ask the students to define and describe colonization in their own words.

PART TWO

Preparation:

• Obtain a world maps with country outlines. A downloadable, printable map is available at National Geographic’s Xpeditions website, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas/, or Education Place.com, http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/.
• Illustrations of national flags for Spain , France , England , Portugal and Holland .
• Prepare internet access for up to seven groups of students. Or, if internet access is not available for so many groups, print out the relevant pages from the site listed in the resource section of this lesson.

Student Activity:

• Using a world globe or map, ask the students to identify Canada , Brazil , Australia , New Zealand , South Africa and Kenya . Discuss with the students how the indigenous peoples of these areas were also colonized by Europeans. Teach the students the general names of these peoples (Canada – Canadian Aboriginals or First Nations, Inuit; Brazil – Indios or Povos indigenous; Austalia – Aborigines; New Zealand – Maori; South Africa – Bushmen, Nabut, Swazi, Xhosa, and Matabele; India and Kenya contain a huge number of tribes and ethnic groups as well.)
• Give each student a world map.
• As you discuss Canada , Brazil , Australia , New Zealand , South Africa and Kenya , have the students identify that country on their map by outlining it or circling the spot where it is located on their map. Briefly review with them which European countries predominately colonized those countries ( Canada – Great Britain and France ; Brazil – Portugal ; Australia – Great Britain ; New Zealand – Great Britain ; South Africa – The Netherlands and Great Britain ; Kenya – Great Britain .)
• Divide the students into small groups of two or three and assign them one of the countries discussed above. Using the sites listed in the resource section of this lesson, ask the students to research the colonization of the indigenous peoples of that country. Ask the students to answer the following questions in their research: When did colonization begin/end? Why were these countries colonized? What impact did colonization have on these peoples? How did colonization affect the use and ownership of land in these areas? What is the political situation between the natives and their colonizers today? How does the colonization of these countries compare with the English colonization of America ?
• Assign the students the task of writing a five paragraph essay comparing the colonization of America by the English with the colonization of the country they just researched. The first paragraph should be the essay’s introduction. The second paragraph should focus on the colonization of the country they just researched. The third paragraph should focus on summarizing facts about the colonization of America . The fourth paragraph should then compare and contrast the colonization of both countries, with reference to dates and to the answers the students found to the questions above. The fifth paragraph should conclude the essay.
• Have the students briefly present their research to the class. After the presentations are done, discuss with the class the similarities and differences between colonization in the various countries. Ask them to compare and contrast the colonization in these countries with what occurred in the United States . Ask the students about the method of comparison they used. Explain that when studying history or social phenomena, comparative analysis is often a very good way to highlight what makes a particular situation unique or if there are any underlying similarities between cases that would help a person understand similar situations in general.

Evaluation:

• Evaluate the student’s ability to perform research in small groups. Assess the completeness of the information they present to the class on the colonization of North America and their participation in the class discussion.
• Assess the student’s engagement in the discussion comparing the motivations of Europeans to explore and colonize lands with what they know about the traditional values certain American Indian tribes had in connection with the use and occupation of their land. Assess the student’s understanding of the impacts of disease and European settlement on native populations.
• Assess the students’ participation in discussion comparing and contrasting colonization throughout the world, especially with respect to how colonization affected the lives of indigenous peoples and land ownership.
• Assess the ability of the student to write a simple 5-paragraph compare and contrast essay.

Resources:

• Outline Maps: http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/
• Information on various indigenous people studied in this lesson can be found at www.wordiq.com :

  Brazil - http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Indigenous_people_of_Brazil
  Australia - http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Australian_Aborigines
  South Africa - http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Bushmen
  Canada - http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Inuit , http://www.wordiq.com/definition/First_Nations_of_Canada
  New Zealand - http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Maori
  Kenya - http://www.wordiq.com/definition/List_of_tribes_of_Kenya

For extra credit, have the students research:

Russia - http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Northern_indigenous_peoples_of_Russia
Sweden, Norway, and Finland - http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Sami
India - http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Indian_independence_movement
Mexico - http://www.wordiq.com/definition/History_of_Mexico