Trade, Exploration, Conquistadors, and the Development of Colonial America
Two things are going on here in this lesson model. On one side I am teaching a grand, overarching idea: trade. At the same time, I am using theater to create an experience The driving force for the Silk Road and Columbus's journey can be acted out like this:
Provide a variety of country names for students to research.
Pairs or teams of students research what natural resources, goods, and services their country provides. They can use this list to make trading cards. As they work I ask them to consider making two of each, or more. They can use one to trade and keep one for their country. Make sure they write the country of origin, their team name, on their cards. It makes discussing imports and exports easier later.
Students meet in a circle and trade freely. Each country should have items to help their citizens survive: food, shelter, transportation, communication (technology). There are always some students that take the lead and their conflicts and resolutions make for great teaching points in the end.
Last, discuss what challenges students faced. How does that help understanding what it was like for nations as they developed the "New World"? You can stretch thinking to consider if these ideas still play a role in the way countries act in today's world. Or for higher levels, you can ask students to consider communism vs. capitalism, the fairness of trade agreements and embargoes, or connections to current events.
As students see the competition, they can feel and experience what drove human kind to reach out and explore the world around them, how a war might start, and how needs and wants drive our past and present. Besides all of that, it's just fun...just like scratching off that Kohl's coupon!
