Public learning track
European Exploration of the Northeast
10 lessons
Goal
Trace early European voyages across the Atlantic, evaluate explorers' motives and maps, and analyze first contacts with Indigenous peoples.
10 lessons
0 of 10 done
- Why Europeans Sailed West: Routes and ResourcesUp next
- Crossing the Atlantic Ocean: Navigation and HardshipsNot started yet
- John Cabot and the Voyages to NewfoundlandNot started yet
- Giovanni da Verrazzano: Exploring the Northeast CoastNot started yet
- Bartholomew Gosnold and the Naming of Cape CodNot started yet
- Samuel de Champlain: Mapping New England HarborsNot started yet
- John Smith and the Naming of New EnglandNot started yet
- How Explorers Described Native Peoples and LandsNot started yet
- Comparing 17th-Century Maps with Modern MapsNot started yet
- The Impact of Early Contact: Trade and EpidemicsNot started yet
Standards Covered
- 3.T3.1Massachusetts Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · Grade 5 (target) · Grade 5Locate North America, the Atlantic Ocean, and Europe on a map, explain how Native Peoples first came into contact with Europeans, and explain why Europeans in the 16th–17th centuries sailed westward across the Atlantic (e.g., to find new trade routes to Asia and new supplies of natural resources such as metals, timber, and fish).
- 3.T3.2Massachusetts Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · Grade 5 (target) · Grade 5Trace on a map the voyages of European explorers of the Northeast coast of North America (e.g., Giovanni Caboto [John Cabot], Bartholomew Gosnold, Giovanni de Verrazano, John Smith, Samuel de Champlain).
- 3.T3.3Massachusetts Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · Grade 5 (target) · Grade 5Explain how any one of the explorers described the Native Peoples and the new lands, and compare an early 17th century map of New England with a current one.
Curriculum Framework
2nd Grade · Social Studies · US-MA-SS
1
10 lessons
Map Skills and Massachusetts Geography
Use essential map tools and spatial thinking to locate Massachusetts, explore local communities, and identify key geographic features.
2
10 lessons
Geography of New England and North America
Locate the Northeast region, identify the six New England states, and analyze major physical landforms and bodies of water.
3
11 lessons
Native Peoples of Massachusetts and New England
Understand the history, culture, seasonal ways of life, territories, and ongoing contributions of Indigenous nations in Massachusetts and New England.
4
10 lessons
Massachusetts Towns and Cities: Past and Present
Investigate how local communities were founded, how diverse populations shaped them over time, and how historical inquiry helps us learn about community life.
5
10 lessons
Local Government and Civic Life in Massachusetts
Explain why communities need government, how city and town governments in Massachusetts are organized, and how public services are funded.
6
9 lessons
Active Citizenship and Community Action
Explore how citizens participate in civic life, stay informed, voice opinions at public meetings, and volunteer to improve neighborhoods.
7
10 lessons
European Exploration of the Northeast
Trace early European voyages across the Atlantic, evaluate explorers' motives and maps, and analyze first contacts with Indigenous peoples.
8
10 lessons
The Plymouth Colony, Pilgrims, and Native Communities
Analyze the Pilgrims' journey, the Mayflower Compact, colonial settlement challenges, and complex alliances and relationships with the Wampanoag.