MINISTERUL EDUCAŢIEI NATIONALE

LICEUL TEORETIC „WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE”

300092, TIMISOARA, str. I.L.CARAGIALE, nr. 6

www.williamshakespeare.ro

e-mail: secretariat@williamshakespeare.ro

tel: +40 256 201 247, fax: +40 256 435 188

Lesson Plan

North America's Great Waters

MINISTERUL EDUCAŢIEI NATIONALE
LICEUL TEORETIC „WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE”
300092, TIMISOARA, str. I.L.CARAGIALE, nr. 6

www.williamshakespeare.ro

e-mail: secretariat@williamshakespeare.ro

tel: +40 256 201 247, fax: +40 256 435 188

Abstract
By the time Champlain arrived in Canada, and certainly by the middle of the 17th century, First Peoples and
American Indians in many parts of North America were accustomed to interacting with Europeans. Nonetheless,
much of North America remained foreign unexplored territory to Europeans.
The 1600s was a time when Europeans—notably French, English, and Spanish—were exploring, trading,
trapping, fishing, and settling in North America. The explorers in this lesson were all French. They were responsible
for establishing French settlements and France’s dominance in what are now the eastern provinces of Canada.
Importantly, these explorers were also the first Europeans to successfully navigate the inland waterways of North
America from the North Atlantic Ocean through the Great Lakes and down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of
Mexico. These explorations gave France claim to much of the interior of the United States, called the Louisiana
Territory.

Level:intermediate
Class: 9 Real
School Subject: USA Geography
Teacher: Andreea Mal
Aims:
● To get the students interested in matters concerning North America’s first explorers and settling,
the inland waterways of North America
● To get the students express thoughts and exchange personal opinions on Geography and History
matters
Objectives
Students will be able to:

- Investigate the expeditions of four French explorers.

- Use the IT sources to look at the discovery of the Great waters of North America
- Participate in both large and small group discussion on the aspects of exploring North America
- Develop their travel journal writing skills by personalizing the topic

Time: 45 minutes
Materials: Laptops, google classroom-class platform
Photo https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?R=DC-PICTURES-R-1171
Comparing Journeys Handout which correspond to the Google Earth Story
“North America’s Great Waters”
MINISTERUL EDUCAŢIEI NATIONALE
LICEUL TEORETIC „WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE”
300092, TIMISOARA, str. I.L.CARAGIALE, nr. 6

www.williamshakespeare.ro

e-mail: secretariat@williamshakespeare.ro

tel: +40 256 201 247, fax: +40 256 435 188

Procedure
Warm-up
Technique: brainstorming
Material: laptops, google classroom platform
Time: 5 minutes
Interaction: individual work/whole class feedback

The teacher ask students: If you were embarking on an adventure into uncharted territory, but knew
that you would encounter people who already lived there, what would you bring with you, in terms of
skills and objects, that would (1) make you feel secure and (2) enable you to meet and interact with
native people in a productive and hospitable way? 

● Feedback: the teacher conducts feedback by eliciting a few of students’ ideas.

MINISTERUL EDUCAŢIEI NATIONALE
LICEUL TEORETIC „WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE”
300092, TIMISOARA, str. I.L.CARAGIALE, nr. 6

www.williamshakespeare.ro

e-mail: secretariat@williamshakespeare.ro

tel: +40 256 201 247, fax: +40 256 435 188

Activity 1 Lead-in
Technique: making predictions
Material: photograph
Time: 13 minutes
Interaction: pair work/whole class feedback

The teacher explains that students, in pairs, have to analyze the photograph on the screen to
answer the questions below.
https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?R=DC-PICTURES-R-1171

● The students perform the task on google meet. Then, the teacher introduces Samuel de Champlain, Louis
Jolliet, Jacques Marquette, and Robert de la Salle (more formally known as René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la
Salle)-see Abstract
● Feedback: The students compare their answers and check them with the teacher’s observations.

1. Who are the people paddling the canoes? Why do you think that might be?
2. In the foreground of this painting, four people are prominent; two are standing and two are seated. Who do
you think each of these individuals is? You may only be able to name one of them, but what role is each one
playing on this journey?
3. Where has the painter situated himself in the context of the painting—on shore; in a boat? Why do you think he
chose this vantage point?
MINISTERUL EDUCAŢIEI NATIONALE
LICEUL TEORETIC „WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE”
300092, TIMISOARA, str. I.L.CARAGIALE, nr. 6

www.williamshakespeare.ro

e-mail: secretariat@williamshakespeare.ro

tel: +40 256 201 247, fax: +40 256 435 188

Activity 2 Looking at the data and checking predictions

Technique: Reading for specific information and discussion

Material: Compare journeys worksheet/videos https://earth.google.com/web/@39.230577,-
83.802027,297.01641996a,6433402d,35y,360h,0t,0r/
data=CjESLxIgODlmN2UxYTMyNWU5MTFlNzg1YzAwZjM5NDFkNDI0YzMiC3Bic19nd19tZW51
Time: 20 minutes-
Interaction: small groups work/whole class feedback
The teacher https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zZaYywBsEuBly2vBaOYB6sfXw1VYDjGd/
editdistributes Comparing Journeys Handout which correspond to the Google Earth Story “North America’s
Great Waters”. In small groups, each group follows the journeys of Samuel de Champlain, Jacques Marquette,
Louis Jolliet, and Rene de La Salle, to include aspects of the journey(motivation, alliances, significant discoveries)
Feedback: T encourages the students to share their findings by presenting their screens

HOMEWORK Follow-up 5 minutes

Marquette and Jolliet arrived at the Mississippi River by traveling down what is now called the
Wisconsin River. The confluence of the two rivers is near the modern town of Prairie du Chien.
Imagine that you are in a canoe with Marquette. Your back is facing upstream the Wisconsin
River. The Mississippi River lies in front of you. Use google maps and identify where the
Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers meet. Also identify Prairie du Chien. What direction will you
next be traveling once you have steered your canoe onto the Mississippi River?
Write a travel journal and include these details. 120 words