Unit 21400s – 1750s
Colonial Developments
Study the words
Vocabulary
Standard 7.2a — The Age of Exploration: 0 of 11 Words Mastered
11 words still to learn. You choose what counts as mastered — you can always move a word back.
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Standard 7.2a — The Age of Exploration
The Silk Road
The Silk Road was a very long trade route on land that connected China to Europe. Traders used it to exchange goods like silk, spices, porcelain, and other valuable items.
Student tip
Think of the Silk Road like an ancient “super-highway” for goods and ideas, except it was dusty, dangerous, and slow. So, some countries began to invest in a water route to China and India instead of this land route.Still learning - Still learning
Standard 7.2a — The Age of Exploration
The Printing Press
The printing press was a machine invented around 1436 by Johannes Gutenberg. It allowed people to make many copies of books, maps, and other texts quickly and cheaply. Before this, everything had to be copied by hand.
Student tip
Think of the printing press as the first big information “explosion.”Still learning - Still learning
Standard 7.2a — The Age of Exploration
The Astrolabe
An astrolabe was a small, portable tool used by sailors to help them figure out where they were at sea. By measuring how high the sun or stars were above the horizon, sailors could find their latitude or how far north or south they were.
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Standard 7.2a — The Age of Exploration
The Caravel
A caravel was a small, lightweight, and very easy-to-move sailing ship developed by the Portuguese in the 1400s. It had triangular sails that allowed it to sail faster and even travel against the wind, something older ships had trouble doing.
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Standard 7.2a — The Age of Exploration
Age of Exploration
The Age of Exploration was a time from the 1400s to the 1600s when European sailors began exploring, mapping, and taking control of lands across the world. New inventions like the caravel and astrolabe made long ocean voyages safer and easier.
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Standard 7.2a — The Age of Exploration
God, Gold, and Glory
“Gold, God, and Glory” is a phrase that historians use to explain why European nations explored and conquered lands during the Age of Exploration.
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Standard 7.2a — The Age of Exploration
The Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage was a hypothetical all-water route that European explorers believed might connect the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean through the northern part of North America. They hoped it would be a faster way to reach Asia for trade.
Student tip
Think of the Northwest Passage as the “shortcut that didn’t work.” Europeans thought it would be an easy water highway to Asia, but instead, they found ice, danger, and disappointment.Still learning - Still learning
Standard 7.2a — The Age of Exploration
Colonization
Colonization is when one country moves into another land, takes control of the people and the area, and creates a colony there. The colonizing country becomes the one in power.
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Standard 7.2a — The Age of Exploration
Colony
A colony is a country or area where people from another nation settle and live, while still being ruled by the government of their home country. The colony does not get to make its own decisions; it follows the laws of the ruling nation.
Student tip
Colonies helped European nations grow wealthy and powerful, but often harmed Indigenous peoples through disease, war, forced labor, and loss of land.Still learning - Still learning
Standard 7.2a — The Age of Exploration
Mother Country
A mother country is the nation that creates, controls, and rules a colony far away. The mother country is in charge of laws, language, trade, and government in the colony.
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Standard 7.2a — The Age of Exploration
The Columbian Exchange
The Columbian Exchange was the widespread movement of foods, plants, animals, goods, technology, diseases, and ideas between the Eastern Hemisphere (Europe, Asia, Africa) and the Western Hemisphere (North and South America) after Columbus’s voyages.
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Mastery by standard
The same colours as your packet. Pick a standard to practice just the words you are still learning in it.
Standard 7.2a — The Age of Exploration
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Standard 7.2a — The Age of Exploration: 0 of 11 terms mastered.Standard 7.2c — The Three Colonial Regions
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Standard 7.2c — The Three Colonial Regions: 0 of 14 terms mastered.Standard 7.2e — Colonial Economic Practices
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Standard 7.2e — Colonial Economic Practices: 0 of 12 terms mastered.