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Unit 2: How Trade and Travel Changed the World

Lesson E: Rise of Early Europe

Lesson Overview

the painting Les Tres Riches Heures du duc de berry showing the harvest during the month of June the painting Les Tres Riches Heures du duc de berry showing the harvest during the month of June

The painting Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry Showing the Harvest During the Month of June [1]

As large, powerful empires rose and fell throughout Asia and Africa during the Medieval Period, Europe remained an unstable region. The political and economic changes of the late Medieval Period were the first steps in Europe's eventual rise as a dominant region. These changes included the end of feudalism and the creation of more centralized kingdoms ruled by powerful monarchs. This shift accelerated the pace of global connectedness, allowing European states to access foreign goods and eventually influence development around the globe. These changes challenged the power held by Asia and Middle Eastern empires, and welcomed the world into the Modern Period.

Key Questions

  1. How and why did trade and interaction lead to changes in political, economic, and social systems?
  2. What factors contributed to the establishment, expansion, and decline of empires?
  3. How can there be different explanations for events in history?

Student Outcomes

  1. Analyze the role of the Black Death and Hundred Years War in the decline of European feudalism and eventual rise of nation-states.
  2. Compare the rise of individual states in Europe to centralized land based empires in Asia.
  3. Describe the role of the Italian city-states and the Portuguese in providing luxury goods such as silk and spices to Europe.
  4. Identify the author or source of historical document and explain the literal meaning of the source. (Historical Thinking Skill)
  5. Assess the uses and credibility of a source by examining personal and contextual influences and by corroborating with other historical sources. (Historical Thinking Skill)

Key Terms

Student Resources

Chart of Activities:

Activities to Complete Estimated Time
Pre-Assessment
5 minutes
Key Terms
5 minutes
Activator: The World 1300-1550
5 minutes
Opening: Early Europe's Social Struggle
10 minutes
Activity 1: Black Death, Royal War and the End of Feudalism
15 minutes
Activity 2: Changes to the Feudal World
10 minutes
Activity 3: The European Challenge
10 minutes
Activity 4: Larger Empires
10 minutes
Activity 5: Small States, Big Impact
10 minutes
Activity 6: The Impact of Portugal
10 minutes
Activity 7: The Impact of Italy
10 minutes
Activity 8: The Expansion of European Trade
15 minutes
Activity 9: The Portuguese and Italians Open Trade
15 minutes
Review and Assessment
15 minutes
Lesson Summary
5 minutes

Lesson Completion Time

The total estimated time to complete this lesson is 150 minutes.

 


Page Notes:

[1] Source: This image from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Les_Tr%C3%A8s_Riches_Heures_du_duc_de_Berry_juin.jpg is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.