The First Voyage by Kennedy Harkins

NYS 7.2a.-Students will explain the significance of the technological developments and scientific understandings that improved European exploration such as the caravel, magnetic compass, astrolabe, and Mercator Projection

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Students will be able to explain how the easterly trade winds and westerlies affect Columbus’s route.

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Students will be able to locate and label Spain, the Canary Islands, the Bahamas, and the Atlantic Ocean on a map.

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Students will be able to describe why sailing west was considered as a route to Asia instead of traveling east around Africa.

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Columbus' First Voyage Map

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Maps and Geography

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Students will locate Spain, the Canary Islands, and the Bahamas on their map.
Students will draw arrows showing Columbus’s intended westward route to Asia.
Students will color Europe, the Atlantic, and Asia differently to visualize trade routes and the goals of the voyage.

Reasons and Goals For Voyage

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Columbus wanted to reach Asia to establish a faster trade route.
Europe wanted spices, silk, gold, and other valuable goods from Asia.
Traveling east around Africa was long, dangerous, and controlled by other powers.
Columbus miscalculated the size of the Earth and thought Asia was closer by sailing west.
His voyage depended on understanding ocean currents and wind patterns, especially the easterly trade winds.

NYS 7.2a.-Students will examine the voyage of Columbus, leading to the Columbian Exchange and the voyages of other explorers such as Champlain, Hudson, and Verrazano.

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Students will finish coloring their maps if not finished in class and submit them next class for teacher to check for understanding and accuracy.

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Multimodal Learners

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Lecture: Students follow along with a short lecture explaining Columbus’s goals, geography, and wind patterns.
Visual/Hands-On: Students trace and color Columbus' 1st voyage to find a way to Asia, including arrows for easterly trade winds and westerlies.
Video/Images: This lesson uses videos or images of maps, ships, and trade routes to support visual and auditory learning.

In this 40-minute lesson, 7th grade students will learn why Columbus sailed west to reach Asia and how geography and wind patterns shaped his route. Students will label key locations, trace his voyage, draw arrows for trade winds, and color their maps. By the end, they will be able to explain his goals, identify important places, and show how winds influenced navigation.

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Students will write a short paragraph answering why Columbus chose to sail west to reach Asia and what they think might have happened to the world if he had reached Asia and the Americas weren’t in his way.

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10 Minutes

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10 minutes

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13 minute Mini Lesson

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Coloring and Map Decoration

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Students will be given the time to decorate and color in their maps

Notes

kennedymarchharkins — 2025-10-21 02:27:02 UTC

Cristopher Columbus song

22jaydenc38_1 — 2025-10-21 02:41:28 UTC

Play the song in class and have stuednts listen to it and follow along.

Alternative Map Activity

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Alternative Notes (EdPuzzle)

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Rubric

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Song Analysis

22jaydenc38_1 — 2025-10-21 03:05:44 UTC

Students will listen to the Columbus song parody about his voyage.
Students will then be given an analysis worksheet
Students will work in pairs to complete the Analysis worksheet.
When completed they will then pair up with anotehr group and discuss their analysis with eachother.
After discussing the class will come togehter and create a class analysis based on their individual reports.

Chromebooks

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Coloring Materials

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