AGE OF EXPLORATION MAP ACTIVITY: BIG PICTURE

Objective: Describe and illustrate the motivation, the means and the impact of European exploration in the Americas,
Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Instructions: Students will create world map that will be used throughout the course of the activity. Using Internet
resources, students will fulfill specific tasks on their map. In addition, each student will be responsible for answering
questions pertaining to this phase of exploration. The map should have a compass rose and have the oceans, continents,
and major seas labeled.

Questions: Students will answer the following questions on the back of their map, using complete sentences
1. Identify the technological advances that made European exploration possible. Which group of people is most
responsible in supplying this knowledge to Europeans? Which technological advance do you think is the most
important for early explorers? Why?
2. Identify and define the economic policy that emerged once Europe developed colonies in the Americas.
Map Challenges:
● Label all oceans and continents
● Color the following countries and create key—Spain, Portugal, France, England, Holland
o **Use same colors to illustrate colonial regions in the Americas
● Label the following: Cape Horn, Strait of Magellan, Cape of Good Hope, Nagasaki 長崎, Malacca,
Calcutta/Kolkata, Macao/Macau 澳门
o **Use colors from key and underline name of city with the color of the country that controlled or had
access to it
● Draw and label the routes European explorers used to reach the Americas and Asia, using the color key, and
direction indicators >------------------------>--------------------------------------------->
o Da Gama, Drake, Columbus, Magellan, Cabral for sure and a couple of your own.
● Identify and illustrate the treaty that Spain and Portugal signed to manage their respective growing empires
● Draw a large cross in region of the world where significant conversion to Christianity took place as a result of
European contact.
● Draw multiple symbols on the coast of West Africa, south of the Sahara Desert, to represent European trading
fortresses
o **What are three reasons that prevented Europeans from colonizing Africa during this time? Answer this
question in a complete sentence on the continent of Africa on your map.
● Label “Dependent Zones” and “Core Zones” on your map.
● Illustrate the Colombian Exchange; specify what is being exchanged from Europe to the Americans & vice versa.
o illustrate the impact of the Columbian Exchange on the populations of the Americas and of Europe
o illustrate the impact on the environment of agricultural settlement in the Americas
● Illustrate why Europeans were limited to the coastal regions for trade with China and Japan in the sixteenth and
seventeenth century. Mark/Explain the Canton System. Mark and explain Dejima Island.
● Draw pictures of what exported from the Americas and what was imported from Europe.
● Illustrate on the map the three main motivations of European exploration on the Americas.
● Circle and label the Spice Islands/Moluccas and list their primary resources.
● Illustrate “Triangle Trade” on your map & identify the category of good that was traded on each leg of the triangle.
● Draw an image of a musket next to the non-European country that was interested in trading for guns.
● Around the Map explain in complete sentences with picture:
o The Middle Passage Mercantilism Tariffs Northwest Passage
● Near where it held power or influence, draw the Dutch East India Co. flag and The British East India Co. flag.
● Mark and Label a joint-stock company controlled area.
● Draw a Portuguese Black Ship where you would see one.
● Draw a religious symbol in the areas where a religion other than Christianity is dominant.