Grade 7 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 17, Lesson 3

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
Across the Centuries

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 17, Lesson 3: European Expansion (pp. 464-470)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Diversity From the 1400s to the 1600s, the Portuguese, Spanish, and other Europeans competed to expand their overseas markets and colonies.

Show students a large map of North and South America. Ask students to find -- and then list on the board -- the names of cities, towns, states, or counties that indicate the presence of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, French, English, or African peoples and colonies. Discuss with students how, for a period of several hundred years, a huge influx of newcomers began arriving in the Americas, including many Europeans and as many as 12 million Africans. Discuss how this migration of settlers, merchants, and laborers greatly increased the wealth and power of the ruling European nations.

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Have students write a paragraph defining colonialism. Then have them analyze and write about the effect of colonialism on a ruling country, its colonists, and the people whose country has been colonized.
Have students create an illustrated world map showing the overseas colonies of the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, French, and English. Students should include trade routes, the resources of the colonies, and the goods exchanged in trade.

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