Unit plan includes...
Unit Plan
The Age of Exploration, Discovery and Expansion Unit Plan
5 x Lessons |1 x Assessment | Suitable for Grade: 4This History unit covers a range of concepts relating to the early explorers of the Age of Exploration and the ‘discovery’ of Australia.
It consists of 5 lessons of approximately 60 minutes duration.
The sequence of lessons and suggested time frames should be regarded as a guide only; teachers should pace lessons in accordance with the individual learning needs of their class.
An assessment task for monitoring student understanding of the unit objectives is included and may require additional lessons.
This unit plan includes the following resources:
- Early Explorers PowerPoint
- An Early Explorer’s Map
- Compare and Contrast – Venn Diagram Template
- Fifteenth Century Chinese Ship – Model Building Activity
- The Explorations of Captain James Cook PowerPoint
- Timeline of James Cook’s Voyage to Australia
- The Journal of James Cook – Writing Task
- Early Explorers – Inquiry Task
Overview
Objectives
- To understand why the fifteenth century was known as the Age of Exploration.
- To investigate the exploration of the Chinese during the fifteenth century.
- To identify how the Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch explorers contributed to the European 'discovery' of Australia.
- To investigate the significance of James Cook's voyage to Australia.
- To examine the myth that Australia was a Terra Nullius land before contact with the British.
Preparing for Learning
This History unit provides excellent opportunities for cross-curricular integration. Look for ways to meaningfully integrate the content of the unit with other learning areas e.g. Literacy, Numeracy, The Arts.
Prior to commencing the unit, create a classroom display which celebrates the history of the Age of Exploration. Display teaching resources that will stimulate the students’ interest and assist in their learning, such as the Early Explorers Word Wall and Captain Cook Word Wall. For examples of additional teaching resources to display in your classroom, browse the Early Explorers Collection on the Teach Starter website.
Some of the resources which accompany this unit plan will need to be prepared prior to teaching. For this reason, it is advised that teachers browse through all lessons before commencing the unit.
Lessons
NSW Curriculum alignment
- GE2-4
Acquires and communicates geographical information using geographical tools for inquiry
- HT2-2
Describes and explains how significant individuals, groups and events contributed to changes in the local community over time
- HT2-3
Describes people, events and actions related to world exploration and its effects
- HT2-4
Describes and explains effects of British colonisation in Australia
- HT2-5
Applies skills of historical inquiry and communication
Australian Curriculum alignment
- ACHASSK086
The nature of contact between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and others, for example, the Macassans and the Europeans, and the effects of these interactions on, for example, people and environments
- ACHASSI082
Present ideas, findings and conclusions in texts and modes that incorporate digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms
- ACHASSI078
Interpret data and information displayed in different formats, to identify and describe distributions and simple patterns
- ACHASSI076
Sequence information about people??s lives and events
- ACHASSI073
Pose questions to investigate people, events, places and issues
- ACHASSI080
Interact with others with respect to share points of view
- ACHASSI077
Examine information to identify different points of view and distinguish facts from opinions
- ACHASSI075
Record, sort and represent data and the location of places and their characteristics in different formats, including simple graphs, tables and maps, using discipline-appropriate conventions
- ACHASSK084
The journey(s) of AT LEAST ONE world navigator, explorer or trader up to the late eighteenth century, including their contacts with other societies and any impacts
- ACHASSI079
Draw simple conclusions based on analysis of information and data
- ACHASSI074
Locate and collect information and data from different sources, including observations
Find more resources for these topics
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Thank YOU!
Celia Nichols · Feb 27th, 2017
Hi Celia,
Thank you for your positive comment!
We hope you and your students enjoy the range of resources when learning the content of this unit.
Kind regards,
Victoria.
Victoria (Teach Starter) · Feb 27th, 2017