Social Studies: Age of Exploration

Teacher Information
Ms. Rachel Lebron
Email: Rachel.Lebron@cvesd.org
About: Ms. Lebron has been teaching elementary school for several years.
Prior to becoming a teacher, Ms. Lebron spent one year in law school and
worked as a law clerk. While in law school, she found that her part-time job
coaching was much more fulfilling, so she switched careers. Ms. Lebron
feels that teaching children is her true calling.
Course Description
Over the next few weeks, we will be using this online course to help us
progress through the next social studies chapters. We will be learning about
the early explorers who came to North America. We will concentrate on the
expeditions of the early explorers and learn about their origins, motives,
and journeys that hold historical significance.
During your Daily 5 time, you will log on, check what you need to work on,
and complete the assignments. At the end of the unit, you will take a test
online. I am looking forward to sharing technology with you to help you
learn about the early explorers!
Intended Learners
This course is designed for Loma Verde Wildcats in 5th grade. You have
now learned about the American Indian groups that have been in the
United States longer than any other groups, but need to learn who came to
the United States next.
Duration
This is a four week unit. It is separated into different sections for you to
complete each week during your Daily 5 time, and as homework.

Course Goals
This course is designed to help students meet History-Social Science
Standard 5.2: Students trace the routes of early explorers and describe the
early explorations of the Americas.
Learner Objectives
Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Describe the entrepreneurial characteristics of early explorers and the
technological developments that made sea exploration by latitude and
longitude possible.
2. Explain the aims, obstacles, and accomplishments of the explorers,
sponsors, and leaders of key European expeditions and the reasons
Europeans chose to explore and colonize the world.
3. Trace the routes of the major land explorers of the United States, the
distances traveled by the explorers, and the Atlantic trade routes that
linked Africa, the West Indies, the British colonies, and Europe.
4. Locate on maps of North and South American land claimed by Spain,
France, England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Russia.
Course Outline
Week 1
January 1316, 2015

Week 2
January 2023, 2015

Lessons
1. Introduction to
Early Explorers
2. BrainPop!
Video and Quiz
(Christopher
Columbus)

Assignments
1. Read and annotate The Life of
an Explorer handout
2. Read The Log of Christ0pher
Columbus (pg. 106-109), answer
Response Corner questions
3. Read Chapter 3, Lesson 1 and
take notes
4. Homework: Read and annotate
Juan Ponce de Leon (due
Friday, Jan. 16, 2015)
1. Input Chart
1. Read Chapter 3, Lesson 2 and
(Juan Ponce de
take notes
Leon) by Ms.
2. Read and annotate Hernan
Lebron
Cortes

Week 3
January 2630, 2015

Week 4
February
2-6, 2015

Week 5
February
9-12, 2015

Week 6
February
17-20, 2015

Assessment

2. Input Chart
3. Watch The New World and take
(Hernan
notes
Cortes) with
Ms. Lebron
1. Input Chart
1. Read Chapter 3, Lesson 3 and
(Francisco
take notes
Vasquez de
2. Read and annotate Rumors of
Coronado)
Seven Golden Cities/Francisco
with Ms. Lebron
Vasquez de Coronado
3. Watch The First Voyage Around
the World and take notes
1. Input Chart
1. Read Chapter 3, Lesson 4 and
(Hernando de
take notes
Soto) with Ms. 2. Read and annotate Hernando de
Lebron
Soto
3. Watch Exploration and
Colonization and take notes
1. Input Chart
1. Enter information from notes
(Juan
into The Age of Exploration
Rodriguez
graphic organizer
Cabrillo) with
2. Read and annotate Juan
Ms. Lebron
Rodriguez Cabrillo
3. Watch The Spanish Conquest of
Mexico (1519-1521)
1. Begin A
1. Complete A Changing World
Changing
Timeline of Explorers
World
2. Online forum
Timeline of
3. Review for Age of Exploration
Explorers with
Test
Ms. Lebron
4. Age of Exploration Test
2. Gallery Walk,
Discussion, and
Presentation
3. Review for Age
of Exploration
Test

Task
Lesson
Completion

Expectations
Complete all of the
presentations and their
requirements.
Assignment Complete the assignments
Completion
and take thorough notes.
Online
Participate in online forums
Interaction
and discussions, as well as
interact with teacher and
classmates as needed.
Gallery Walk Present information from
Presentation Gallery Walk.
Age of
Be prepared for the test by
Exploration completing all lessons,
Test
assignments, etc. and
studying.

Breakdown
25 points
75 points
25 points

25 points
100 points

250 points total

Grading
Points
225 250

Score
4

185 224

150 184

0 149

Expectations
Student exceeds expectations of HistorySocial Science Standard 5.2.
Student meets expectations of HistorySocial Science Standard 5.2.
Student is close to meeting expectations of
History-Social Science Standard 5.2.
Student does not meet expectations of
History-Social Science Standard 5.2.