UNIT DESCRIPTION

In this unit, students will discover how events in the old world impacted exploration and the discovery of the Americans. Emphasis will be placed on the convergence of cultures, the economics of trade/slavery including the demand for raw materials, and the importance of religion, climate, and geography in pre-colonial America.

Essential Questions Exploration · How did different Cultures & traditions develop around the World? (chap. 1) · What were the causes and effects of European exploration of the Americas? (chap. 2)

Performance Task: North American Indian Tribes Research Project 1. Long ago, North America was very different from the way it is today. The first people arrived in North America from Asia by crossing a land bridge that temporarily connected the continents. Since these were the first people to live in North America, they are known as Native Americans. Your mission is to research a Native American tribe of your choice. To do that, you will work with a group to answer several questions about your tribe. Then, once you have your information, you will create a presentation (poster, movie, power point, etc.) about your tribe and present them to the rest of the class.