Unit Plan 31 (Grade 7 Social Studies): Global Empires and Colonization
Analyze European expansion from 1500–1700—comparing colonial rule, trade networks, and global interdependence—to uncover how empires, economies, and cultures transformed through exchange, labor, and conflict.
Focus: Examine European expansion (c. 1500–1700), models of colonial rule, and the rise of early globalization through trade, labor, and cultural exchange and conflict.
Grade Level: 7
Subject Area: Social Studies (World History • Geography • Civics • Economics • Inquiry)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Students map the growth of European empires and analyze how power and legitimacy were claimed and contested in colonies. They connect trade networks (Atlantic/Indian Ocean/Manila Galleon) to interdependence, evaluate causes/effects of colonization, and consider varied experiences of colonized peoples, settlers, merchants, and rulers.
Essential Questions
- How did forms of authority (crowns, companies, local intermediaries) shape colonial rule and everyday life?
- In what ways did global trade networks create interdependence among regions? Who benefited, and who bore the costs?
- What were the key causes and effects of European expansion on politics, economies, and cultures?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Compare forms of government and authority used in empires and colonies (royal, chartered company, viceroyalty, protectorate) and how rulers justified power (Civ.1–2).
- Explain interdependence by tracing goods, labor, and information across Atlantic/Indian Ocean routes and the Manila Galleon (Econ.4).
- Analyze causes and effects of exploration and colonization (technology, markets, religion, rivalry; demographic change, new hierarchies, resistance) (Hist.2).
- Use maps and short sources to construct a supported explanation connecting governance, trade, and outcomes in one case study.
Standards Alignment — 7th Grade (C3-based custom)
- 7.C3.Civ.1 — Forms of government/authority across world history.
- 7.C3.Civ.2 — Power, authority, legitimacy in historical contexts.
- 7.C3.Econ.4 — Interdependence through trade networks.
- 7.C3.Hist.2 — Causes and effects of major developments (exploration/colonization).
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can name and describe how a colony was governed and how leaders justified their authority.
- I can trace a product or route to show how regions became economically interdependent.
- I can explain one cause and two effects of colonization with evidence from maps or texts.