UNIT PLANNING TEMPLATE (modified by B.

Krynowsky from BC - SD #68)

Unit Planning Template
Unit or Theme title/ unit or theme overview TITLE : Exploration and Colonization

In this unit we will be exploring the cause and consequence of exploration and colonization had for both colonizers and the
colonized throughout the world. This unit will teach students about New France, and how it was formed. Students will learn
about the effects of colonization in New France, as well as other places around the world. This unit will focus on the cause and
consequence that followed exploration and colonization.

Big Idea: Exploration, expansion, and colonization had varying consequences for different groups.
Rationale: (context and why unit matters)

Students have previously studied pre-contact North America and what life was like for Indigenous people. This unit will build upon
what students know about pre-contact North America to show how societies changed once European contact was made. This unit
will bridge the gap between the study of pre-contact, and the study of New France in Grade 9.

Culminating tasks or events to celebrate or bring together the learning

The culminating task for this unit will be a model-UN style debate. Students will work in groups to study one nation in particular
and argue the cause and consequence for either the colonizers or the colonized people. Students will need to prepare and submit
a script that will guide their debate speech. After the debate, students will use what they learned about each example and write
an in class essay making an ethical judgment on the pros and cons of colonization.
STAGE 1: Desired Results (what will students be able to understand? know? do? ( write ,say, do)

Core Competencies: ( big picture reminders )

Communication Thinking Personal & Social

✓ Acquire, interpret, and present Creative Positive Personal & Social Identity Well-being
information (includes inquiries) Novelty and value Relationships and cultural Social Responsibility
Generating ideas contexts ✓ Contributing to community
✓ Collaborate to plan, carry out, and Developing ideas Personal values and choices and caring for the environment
review constructions and activities Critical Personal strengths and abilities
Explain/recount and reflect on Analyze and Personal Awareness & Responsibility Solving problems in peaceful
experiences and accomplishments critique ways
Self-determination
✓ Self-regulation Valuing diversity
✓ Question and Building relationships
investigate

Develop and design

Big Ideas(curriculum) important/essential questions (create)

(Social Studies 8) Exploration, expansion, and colonization What is colonization and exploration?
had varying consequences for different groups. How did explorers navigate the globe?

UN What impact did exploration and colonization have

around the world?
DE
What took the colonizers to where they ended up?
RS What was the impact on the indigenous people?
TA Why were people exploring other areas of the
ND world?
 Curricular Competencies: (skills)

Use Social Studies inquiry processes and skills to ask questions; gather, interpret, and analyze ideas; and communicate
findings and decisions

Determine which causes most influenced particular decisions, actions, or events, and assess their short-and long-term
consequences (cause and consequence)

DO Make ethical judgments about past events, decisions, or actions, and assess the limitations of drawing direct lessons from
the past (ethical judgment)

Synthesize ideas from a variety of sources to build understanding

Exchange ideas and viewpoints to build shared understanding and extend thinking

Use writing and design processes to plan, develop, and create engaging and meaningful literary and informational texts for
a variety of purposes and audiences
Content (learning standards):

interactions and exchanges of resources, ideas, arts, and culture between and among different civilizations

exploration, expansion, and colonization

changes in population and living standards

KN oral language strategies

O
writing processes
W
presentation techniques
STAGE 2: Assessment Plan

Formative Assessment (for learning):

- Observation of discussion
- Observation of work blocks
- Tickets out the door
- APE sheet for debate script
- APE sheet for essay ideas/draft

Summative Assessment (of learning):

- Explorers map

- Debate script

- Debate presentation

- Ethical judgment essay

Stage 3: Learning Plan - a matrix model (below) is an efficient way to show unit lesson connections
and general lesson descriptions that connect to assessment for and of learning
Learning Intentions/Curriculum Connections
Lesson 1: What is colonization and exploration?
Why were people exploring other areas of the
world?
Lesson 2: How did explorers navigate the globe?
Lesson 3:How did explorers navigate the globe?
Instructional Activities Assessment
(scope and sequence, titles with brief ( method /instrument and criteria/
lesson description ) standards)
- Connect exploration and colonization
with what the class knows about pre-
contact North America. Create
discussion about what they know.
- Class will view the Historical Minute
about vikings. They will then discuss - Students will present the poster in the
front of the class. This will show if
what this short video tells us and why.
students understand why explorers
- Direct instruction of first contact in would choose to come to North
North America (Vikings). Direct America.
instruction of definition of
colonization and exploration.
- In groups, students will create an
advertisement poster selling the idea
of coming to North America
- Introduce the age of exploration, and
how explorers navigated the world.
- I will circulate to see how students are
- Class will complete an explorers map, proceeding with completing the map.
showing the countries and routes of
ships.
- Map will be assessed based on rubric.
This will show if students understand
- Explorer’s map continued.
how explorers travelled around the
world.

Lesson 4: What took the colonizers to where they
ended up?
Why were people exploring other areas of the
world?
Lesson 5: What did Christopher Columbus do during
his exploration and what were the consequences?
- Present a powerpoint to review what
students know about pre-contact
North America and Europeans during
the Renaissance.
- Have students work in their table
groups to create a T-chart of what life
was like for each group at the time.
- Create the T-chart on the board with
the answers provided by the students.
- Have students discuss why they think
explorers were travelling to new areas
of the world?
- Columbus
- Students will view the video Adam
Ruins Everything about Columbus, and
“The Truth about Native Americans
before Columbus”
- These videos will lead to discussions
about what Columbus did when in
North America. Also, students will be
asked to discuss the consequences of
Columbus.
- Having students provide answers to
the T-chart will show that they know
what each group was doing during this
time period.
- During the discussions students will
share the reasons that they believe
Europeans were exploring the world,
this can include the need for
resources and a changing worldview.
- During the discussion students should
become aware of the negative
consequences of Columbus.
- A ticket out the door will ask students
to share a positive and two negative
consequences of Columbus visiting
North America. This will show that
students are aware of some of the
consequences of Columbus’ voyages.
 - Columbus letter analysis
- Based on what students have already
Lesson 6:What did Christopher Columbus do during learned about Columbus, they will
his exploration and what were the consequences? read and analyze the letters that he
wrote about his explorations.
- Students will answer a series of
questions about the letters, and
discuss these answers.
- New France Introduction
- The answers to these questions will be
discussed as a class. This will give me an
opportunity to see if the class
understood the activity. The analysis
questions will show that students
understand the consequences of
Columbus’s voyages compared to what
he stated in his letters.

- Direct instruction of exploration of

Lesson 7: What was colonization like in New
France?
What caused colonization of New France?
new France and why through
powerpoint. Have class discuss why
European explorers may have wanted
- The discussion will show if students
to come to North America. Show video
understand what colonization was like
about the natural resources found.
in New France. Also, the graphic
- Have students research and fill in a organizer will show if students know the
graphic organizer which compares the causes of colonization in New France
colonization efforts of the fur trade
and missionary work, and which had
the most significant impact. Get
students to share their results and
explain their conclusions.
- New France continued

- Direct instruction of the different

Lesson 8: What were the consequences of
colonization in New France?
explorers that came to New France.
- Have students create a short writing
in role activity. They will create two
paragraphs from two different
perspectives. One from an Indigenous
perspective, and one from a particular
explorer that we have discussed.
- The writing in role paragraphs will be
collected at the end of the lesson for
formative assessment. They will show if
the students can accurately describe
the consequences of colonization from
two different perspectives.

Lesson 9: What were the causes and consequences
of colonization of New France?
Lesson 10: What was the Columbian exchange, and
what were the consequences?
Lesson 11: What were the consequences of the
Columbian exchange?
- Jigsaw of cause and consequence of
colonization of New France. Students
will be separated into groups to study - I will circulate around the room to
1 of the causes or consequences of ensure that students are understanding
colonization in depth. They will then the cause and consequence of
jigsaw this information so that all colonization. Also, I will go over the
students can learn it. note-taking sheet answers as a class to
ensure that everyone has the correct
- Students will be given a note-taking answers.
sheet to record their answers from
their group members.
- Columbian exchange activity
- Students will be split into two groups,
New world and Old world. They will
then get cards with products from
their region. They will then have two - By sharing their answers of the
rounds of trading to exchange cards exchanged goods, students will show
with people from the other region. that they understand which products
They will then answer questions about went where (the consequences of the
the exchanged goods. I will create a exchange).
chart on the board to show which
products travelled to the New world
or the Old World.
- Reading of excerpts from 1493 - Students will submit their answers.
- Students will read 3 excerpts from the These answers should show that they
book 1493, about the Columbian understand the severe consequences of
exchange. They will then answer close the exchange of plants, animals, and
reading questions about each excerpt. people during the Columbian exchange.
 - I will introduce the summative
assignment, which is the debate and
in class essay. I will then select groups - I will circulate the room to ensure that
Lesson 12: What were the cause and consequences
through random draw. students are beginning their research
of colonization in your chosen country/area?
appropriately.
- Students will get into their
partnerships and begin their research.
- I will circulate the room to ensure
that students are progressing well.
- These days will be spent in the library,
Lesson 13-15: What were the cause and
or in the classroom with chrome books - I will also ask for a ticket out the door
consequences of colonization in your chosen
doing research and completing their each day asking for a progress
country/area?
script for the debate. statement, and anything that they
need help with.
- Students will APE their completed
script on this day. They will work with
another partnership to peer assess - The completed APE sheets will be
Lesson 16: What were the cause and consequences collected to make them responsible to
their scripts with the APE sheet. They
of colonization in your chosen country/area? the other groups. These sheets will
should be able to complete this with
at least two other partnerships. show me how prepared each group is,
How can you improve your script?
and if anyone needs particular help.
- They will then be given time to make
alterations to their script.
- I will teach the class about the
process of the debate and essay
assignment. They will participate in a - The completed scripts will be assessed
short public speaking activity which to ensure that students adequately
will reinforce what they learned argue the cause and consequence of the
Lesson 17: Students will learn how to have a UN during their Renaissance colonization of the area they were
style debate, and what is expected for their essay. presentations. given. Also, this will allow me to see if
anyone needs help before the debate
- The students will spend the other half
takes place.
of the block to polish their scripts.

- Scripts due at the end of the block.


Lesson 18: Students will learn what ethical
judgment is and how to create a written response
about it. They will learn the question they will
answer in their essay.
- Students will be given a graphic
Lesson 19-20: Students will learn about the cause
and consequence of colonization around the world.
Lesson 21: Students will learn about the writing
process of an in class essay. They will prepare for
their essay.
Lesson 22: Students will make an ethical judgment
about the pros and cons of colonization.
Lesson 23:
- Teach about Ethical judgment.
Students will learn about what ethical
judgment is and how to use it in a
written response. - The discussion will show if students
understand the concept of ethical
- The students will review short video judgment and how to apply it.
and written examples to make ethical
judgments about. We will then discuss
as a class the ethical judgments.
- Debate days.
organizer to take notes while other - The debate will show the different
students present. They will be focused cause and consequence of colonization
on cause and consequence. They will around the world.
be able to use these notes during their
in class essay.
- I will teach students about how to
write an in class essay. - A ticket out the door asking the
- Students will spent this time creating students 2 ideas that they have for their
a mind map or other graphic plan for essay, and 1 area that they need help
their essay. They will then APE their with.
ideas with other students.
- Review writing process, keeping in
mind the feedback from the day - This essay will be assessed as a test. It
before. should show analysis of causes and
consequence of colonization, and an
- Test Day: write in class essay on ethical judgment on the pros and cons.
ethical judgment.
- Buffer Day - This day is reserved for any
- Play game/watch movie about adjustments that need to be made to
colonization. the plan.