Exploration & Colonization: Easy Drawing Tutorials

Embarking on a journey to teach your students about exploration and colonization through the lens of easy drawing can be an exciting and educational adventure. Through creative, hands-on activities, students can engage with historical topics while developing artistic skills. Let's dive into some straightforward drawing activities that make learning about exploration and colonization simple and fun.

By incorporating drawing exercises into your history lessons, you cater to diverse learning styles and help students develop a unique perspective on the subject matter. Here, we'll explore two main topics: 'Drawing Maps of Exploration Routes' and 'Designing Colonies'. Each topic will delve into two subtopics, providing a comprehensive guide for your classroom.

Drawing Maps of Exploration Routes

At the heart of exploration is the desire to discover new lands and chart unknown territories. Helping students create maps of famous exploration routes allows them to understand the historical context while improving their cartography skills.

Before starting this activity, introduce key explorers like Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, and Vasco da Gama. Discuss their voyages, the purpose of their explorations, and the challenges they faced.

Christopher Columbus' Journey

Have students research and make a simple map illustrating Columbus' routes during his four voyages. They can begin with a blank map of the world or choose a provided outline to color and label. Encourage them to include significant landmarks, ports of call, and notable events along the way.

To extend this activity, students can create a.compare-and-contrast map showing Columbus' initial projection of the Earth's size versus the actual size. This will help them understand Columbus' misconceptions and the impact they had on his voyages.

Age of Discovery Routes

Now that students have practiced mapping one explorer's journey, challenge them to create a concise visual timeline of other major explorers' routes during the Age of Discovery. They can use different colors or symbols to differentiate between explorers and routes.

To make this activity even more engaging, have students present their maps to the class in a gallery walk format. Encourage them to discuss their findings, the complexities of map creation, and the implications of exploration on global history.

Designing Colonies

Once students understand the journey of exploration, introduce them to the concept of colonization. This topic introduces the idea of planning and designing settlements, which ties into geography, architecture, and even anthropology.

Before starting, discuss the reasons behind colonization and the impact it had on both colonizers and native populations. Highlight the importance of sustainability, infrastructure, and considering local resources while planning a colony.

Planning the Layout

To get started, have students choose a historical or hypothetical location for their colony. They should research the region's climate, terrain, and any existing structures or local tribes. Students can then create a basic sketch of their colony, including important buildings, infrastructure, and homes for the settlers.

Encourage students to think about the colony's defense, resources management, and provisions for growth. They can illustrate their plans using simple shapes, symbols, and labels to explain their choices. After completing their initial sketches, students can present their designs to the class and discuss the pros and cons of each layout.

Designing an Economy

Next, have students consider the economic aspects of their colony. They can research historical colonial economies and determine what goods would be produced and traded. Students should sketch or write about how raw materials would be harvested, processed, and shipped, and how the colony would generate income.

As an extension, students can also think about the colony's self-sufficiency and how they would meet the needs of their population. They can research agriculture, crafts, and other home-based industries that could support the colony independently. To wrap up this activity, have students explain their economic models to the class and discuss the importance of diversity in a colony's economic strategy.

At the conclusion of these drawing activities, your students will have a deeper appreciation for the complexity of exploration and colonization. To foster this growth, emphasize the importance of understanding history through creative exploration and reinforce the idea that everyone can be an artist and a historian.