Drake’s West Indian Voyage - Overview

Drake’s West Indian Voyage 1588-1589About this image

Lesson Plan
Drake’s West Indian Voyage 1588-1589

Overview

Students will investigate a series of maps depicting a voyage by Sir Francis Drake which involved attacks on the Spanish settlements off the coast of Africa (Santiago), Caribbean (Santo Domingo), South America (Cartagena), and North America (St. Augustine). Students will then examine a map of the entire voyage. Students will look closely at the details of each of these depictions and draw conclusions about the individual events as well as the entire voyage.

Objectives

After completing this unit students will be able to:

Analyze maps as primary sources.
Analyze individual events of the voyage in specific detail.
Create an outline of events in each town.
Examine evidence of bias and point of view in the map collection.

Time Required

Two class periods.

Recommended Grade Level

Grades 6-8

Topics

Geography & Maps
Early American Exploration

Eras

Three Worlds Meet, Beginnings to 1620

Standards

McREL 4th Edition Standards & Benchmarks

Geography

Understands the characteristics and uses of maps, globes and other geographic tools
Understands how geography is used to interpret the past

Historical Understanding

Understands and knows how to analyze chronological relationships and patterns
Understands the historical perspective

U.S. History

Understands the characteristics of societies in the Americas, Western Europe and Western Africa that increasingly interacted after 1450