Around the world in three years
Columbus sails west, Magellan's crew circles the globe. Students follow the journeys layer and discover how the world map itself was the discovery.
Learning objectives
- Follow Magellan's expedition route on the map and name the oceans it crossed.
- Explain why European kingdoms paid for these risky voyages.
- Describe how the world map changed between 1490 and 1550.
On the map
Open the map in 1490 and zoom out. Which parts of the world do European maps barely know at this point?
Open the map here1490 AD
Open the Journeys layer and follow Magellan's route (1519-1522). Where does the journey get dangerous? Count how many of the five ships made it home.
Open the map here1520 AD
Jump to 1550. Look at the trade routes crossing the Atlantic and Pacific. What is new compared to 1490?
Open the map here1550 AD
Discussion questions
- Why sail west to reach the east? Explain the plan - and what nobody in Europe knew yet.
- Only 18 of about 270 men survived Magellan's expedition. Why did rulers keep funding such voyages?
- What did the "discovery" of the Americas mean for the people already living there?
- Spices were worth more than gold by weight. Why?
- How did these voyages change what a "world map" even looks like?
Game round
Rule History: rule as a Spanish or Portuguese monarch around 1500. Would you fund an expedition or invest in your army? Let students defend their budget.
Open Rule HistoryWorksheet
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