European arrivals in the Americas
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how the Europeans came to arrive in North America.
Key learning points
- During the Renaissance, European thinkers began to learn more about navigating the globe.
- Christopher Columbus was able to sail across the Atlantic Ocean and land in the Americas in 1492.
- First European involvement in the Americas was for trade and exploration.
- Europeans called the Americas the 'New World'.
- Europeans began to claim land in the 'New World' for themselves.
Keywords
Renaissance - the Renaissance was a period of new thinking and ideas in Europe inspired by Ancient Rome and Greece
Empire - an empire is a group of countries or provinces ruled from the centre by a person or group of people
Native American - Native Americans are members of any of the peoples who were the original inhabitants of North and South America and the Caribbean Islands
Colony - a colony is a country or area under the control of another country and occupied by settlers from that country
Settlement - settlement is the process of establishing new communities in an area
Common misconception
Pupils think that America was ‘discovered’ by Europeans or that it was a 'new' place.
Remind pupils that there were long-established communities in the Americas before European arrival - they did not need to be discovered.
Teacher tip
Task C could be swapped for an evaluation of Spain's motives in Hispaniola (i.e. wealth, religion, power) and asked which one seems more important. Useful sources (i.e. Columbus's letter to the Spanish monarchs 1494) are available online to help further.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What was the dominant religion in medieval Europe?
Q2.Write the missing word. The __________ Ocean separates Europe from the Americas.
Q3.Match the key words with their definitions.
people inhabiting an area before the arrival of colonists
original inhabitants of the Americas
a group of countries ruled from the centre by one group
Q4.When did Europeans first settle in the Americas?
Q5.Select the statement which is most accurate about empires.
Q6.Which of the following groups is indigenous to the Americas?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which country sponsored Columbus' voyages across the Atlantic?
Q2.What happened to the Taino population of Hispanoila between 1509 and 1518?
Q3.Where was Columbus trying to reach when he sailed west in 1492?
Q4.What word best describes the Taino population of Hispaniola?
Q5.How did Spain view Hispaniola after Columbus travelled there in 1492?
Q6.What were most enslaved Taino people forced to do by the Spanish?
To help you plan your 8 history lesson on: European arrivals in the Americas, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 history lesson on: European arrivals in the Americas, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the European conquest of the Americas: why was its impact so devastating? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.