Impact of Europeans on Native Americans
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the impact of the expansion of European empires on Native Americans.
Key learning points
- European colonisation of the Americas had a range of devastating impacts.
- Europeans used religion to dispossess Native Americans and to change their culture.
- Conflict and disease had devastating impacts on Native American peoples.
- European colonisation involved exploitation of Native American peoples.
Keywords
Native Americans - Native Americans are members of any of the peoples who were the original inhabitants of North and South America and the Caribbean Islands
Devastation - devastation refers to great destruction or damage
Dispossession - dispossession is the action of taking someone’s land away.
Exploitation - treating people unfairly or cruelly for your own benefit is called exploitation
Common misconception
Europeans conquered the Americas easily because they had better weapons and technology.
European diseases killed and weakened many Native Americans, undermining indigenous resistance to European conquest.
Teacher tip
You may wish to highlight continued Native American resistance to European conquest as part of the lesson. This could be factored into /after Task B question 2 as an extension based around a 'however' question or a 'because, but, so' summary activity.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
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 name of the settlement England founded in the Americas in 1585?
Q2.What was produced in Jamestown which allowed English settlers to gain lots of wealth?
Q3.Match the key words with their correct definitions.
the process of taking control over another country
taking an area of land by force
to change someone's beliefs
Q4.Write the missing word. After three wars with English settlers, the Powhatans were forced to live on ...
Q5.Identify the example which best demonstrates European and Native American co-operation.
Q6.Why was the colonisation so devastating to the Native Americans?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What percentage of Native Americans are estimated to have died in the century after Europeans arrived in the Americas in 1492?
Q2.Which keyword means to change a person's beliefs?
Q3.Write the missing word. The Empire was indigenous to the Americas. Its largest city was Tenohctitlan.
Q4.How did Europeans justify dispossessing Native Americans?
Q5.How did the English settlers at Jamestown survive their first winter in the Americas?
Q6.Why did European diseases kill so many Native Americans?
To help you plan your 8 history lesson on: Impact of Europeans on Native Americans, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 history lesson on: Impact of Europeans on Native Americans, 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.