Explorers during the Age of Discovery braved the unknown to discover new lands, resources, and more. Trade, religious fervor, empire-building, greed, and a quest for knowledge are just some of the motivations of these explorers and the countries that sponsored them.
After students finished creating their trading cards, they were challenged with an opportunity to develop their critical thinking skills—this was the BEST part of the experience. Students were asked to assign a value to each explorer, similar to how a sports collector assigns a value to a baseball trading card. They first worked with a partner to discuss why certain explorers were more or less valuable, depending on their motives, accomplishments, obstacles, and legacies. Listening to one another's perspectives during this partner activity helped shape their ideas about what aspects of exploration were important during that time period, as well as their impact. We then gathered as a class to evaluate and debate our choices in a larger forum—it was a lively (and respectful) debate indeed! It was wonderful to see how much these students have grown in their ability to think independently and critically and to hear their conversations and opinions on the explorers' contributions to history. I guess you could say it was a most successful learning expedition!
Credits: Milford Schools; Fifth In the Middle
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