History at key stages 1 and 2 (Year 5/6)

Unit 19: What were the effects of Tudor exploration?
Section 1: How did knowledge of the world change during the Tudor period?

Objectives

Children should learn:

to compare the knowledge of the world that people had in Tudor times with what is known today
the context of the voyages of Tudor explorers
that exploration in the sixteenth century led to better knowledge of the world

Activities

Outcomes

Children:

Give the children copies of maps from the period of the Tudor exploration and ask them to identify European countries and countries and areas from the wider world such as Australia, Africa, America and the Caribbean. Ask them to make a list of three countries that do not appear on the map and to identify other differences between the Tudor maps and present-day maps.

Give the children a copy of a map dating from the period before the voyages of exploration and ask them to compare it with the Tudor map to note the countries that had been added. Ask the children to suggest reasons why the maps changed during Tudor times. Establish that it was a period when sailors, particularly from Europe, went on voyages of exploration and, as a result, knowledge of the world developed. They could use a template of a map of the world today and colour code it to contrast the knowledge of the world before and after the voyages of exploration with the world today. The changes over time could be placed on a time line.

identify differences between medieval, Tudor and modern maps of the world
identify ways in which knowledge of the world during Tudor times was more accurate than in the Middle Ages
make the link between voyages of exploration and more accurate maps

Points to note

This unit builds on children's knowledge of place in geography. Teachers will need a clear modern map of the world. There are a number of maps from Tudor times that might be used: Martellus's map of 1489, Robert Thorne's map of 1527, Sir Humphrey Gilbert's map of 1566.

This activity could be developed by asking children to use reference materials, eg encyclopedias, CD-ROMs to find out the names and countries of origin of the European explorers who first sailed to the countries appearing for the first time on the maps dating from Tudor times. The names and countries of origin could be added to the time line.

More support could be given by asking direct questions, eg Can you find X on the map?

When discussing exploration, it should be remembered that the lands discussed were already known to the people who lived there.

Sections in this unit

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This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.


	1. How did knowledge of the world change during the Tudor period?
	2. Why did the Tudors explore outside Europe?
	3. How did people explore the world in Tudor times?
	4. Why did Drake circumnavigate the world?
	5. Why did the Roanoke settlement fail?
	6. What were the effects of the English settlement on the people living in America?
	7. What impact has Tudor exploration had on our lives today?