BiblioPlans

Cool History for

Upper Middles
Early Modern
History
U.S. and World History from 1600 - 1850




Questions and Activities
for a 34-Week Study of Early Modern History

2014 BiblioPlan for Families Grades 6-8

COOLHISTORYFORUPPERMIDDLES
BiblioPlanYear3,Week1:COMPANION/CLASSTIMEREADINGS/GLOBEORMAP

1. In1516,twolargekingdomscombinedtoformthefar
largerKingdomofSpain.Namethosetwokingdoms.

2. ListthreemainreasonswhyChristopherColumbuswas
sodeterminedtofindanewroutetoFarEast.

3. ListsomeofChristopherColumbusmistakenbeliefsaboutworldgeography.Whatmistakenconclusiondid
hedrawfromthesemistakenbeliefs?

4. NeartheendofColumbusfirstvoyageofexploration,anaccidentforcedhimtoleavebehind39menon
Hispaniola.Whatwasthisaccident,andonwhatdaydidittakeplace?

5. Namethe1494treatythatsetaboundarybetweenSpainsdiscoveriestotheeastandPortugalstothe
west.UnknowntoColumbus,thisboundarylinepassedthroughwhatpartofSouthAmerica?

6. ExplainthechainofauthorityoutlinedintheSpanishRequirementof1513.Whostoodatthetop,whoin
themiddleandwhoatthebottom?

7. Inyouropinion,didtheconquistadorshavearighttothegoldandsilvertheydemandedfromtheIncas?
WhataboutthegoldandsilvertheylaterminedintheWestIndies,SouthAmericaandCentralAmerica?
Whyorwhynot?

8. WhatdidtheSpaniardsnamethenightwhentheAztecsofTenochtitlanslewmostofHernanCortesfoot
soldiers?

9. NametheconquistadorwhoseexplorersbecamethefirstEuropeanstoseetheColoradoRiverandthe
GrandCanyon.

10. WhenHernandodeSotoheardofawealthyNativeAmericantribelivinginwhatisnowGeorgia,he
expectedthattribetohavegold.WhatdiddeSotofindinstead?

11. WhatdohistorianscallthefeatofathleticismthathelpedPedrodeAlvaradosurvivetheAztecsattacksat
Tenochtitlan?

12. WhowasthefirstSpaniardtoenslavethenativesoftheNewWorld?

13. WhatdidSpaniardscalltheirSouthandCentralAmericanplantations?

14. NamethecruellegalsystemthatallowedtheSpaniardstotreatthenativesoftheNewWorldasifthey
wereslaves.

15. WhatSpanishpriestspentmostofhiscareerbattlingthissystem?

16. WhatwastheBlackLegend,andhowdiditdescribetheconquistadors?

17. Inyouropinion,wastheBlackLegendtrue?OrwastheBlackLegendmostlyliesinventedtomakethe
Spaniardslookbad?

BONUSQUESTION/ACTIVITY
WhatisPaititiEldorado?

COOLHISTORYFORUPPERMIDDLES
BiblioPlanYear3,Week2:COMPANION/CLASSTIMEREADINGS/GLOBEORMAP

1. ListthreemethodstheancientsmighthaveusedtocrossovertotheAmericasfromEurope,Asiaand/or
Africa.

2. DescribesomedifferencesbetweenClovispointsandFolsompoints.

3. ListthreepurposesancientNorthAmericanburialmoundsserved.

4. WhichofNorthAmericaseightmaingeographicregionsisrichestinmetalores?Whatdoesthisregions
namemean?
5. WhichofNorthAmericaseightmaingeographicregionsincludestheGreatSaltLake?

6. HowwasScotlandsclansystemdifferentfromEnglandsfeudalsystem?Whichsystemwouldyouprefer,
andwhy?

7. NamethemedievalerawarsinwhichWilliamWallaceandRoberttheBrucefoughtoffScotlandsEnglish
occupiersespeciallyKingEdwardI,theHammeroftheScots.

8. HowdidKingHenryVIIIhopetouseyoungMary,QueenofScotstobringScotlandundertheCrownof
England?

9. WhydidCardinalBeatonorderthearrestandexecutionofGeorgeWishart?

10. JohnKnoxservedasProtestantchaplaintowhatEnglishProtestantking?

11. DescribehowthefirstantiCatholicriotinPerth,Scotlandbegan.

12. HowdidKingHenryIIofFrance,fathertoMaryshusbandFrancis,die?

13. NamethetreatywithwhichEnglandandFrancesteppedbackfromthebrinkofwarattheendofthe
ScottishReformation.

14. Listthethreemaintypesofchurchgovernment.Whogovernsthechurchundereachtype?

15. WhatdidMaryhopethathercousinElizabethwoulddoforherwhenshefledtoEngland?Whatdid
Elizabethdoinstead?

16. Inyouropinion,didQueenElizabethhavegoodreasontoexecuteMary,QueenofScots?Ifyoufound
yourselfinthesamesituation,couldyougivetheordertoexecuteyourowncousin?

17. ListthethreemainlanguagesspokenintheLowCountries.
18. WhatwastheDutchRevolt?

19. WhatwastheBeeldenstorm,andwhydidithappen?

20. NametheSpanishmilitaryleaderwhospilledmoreDutchProtestantbloodthananyother.

21. WhatimportantnewnationemergedfromtheDutchRevolt?
22. WhatthreemoderndaycountriesmakeuptheLowCountries?

23. WhattwocountriesbordertheLowCountries?

BONUSQUESTION/ACTIVITY
MostoftheevidenceusedagainstMary,QueenofScotsattrial
forthemurderofhersecondhusbandcamefromasetofletters
supposedlywrittenbyMarytoherthirdhusband.Whatarethese
letterscalled,andhowdidtheygetthatname?

COOLHISTORYFORUPPERMIDDLES
BiblioPlanYear3,Week3:COMPANION/CLASSTIMEREADINGS/GLOBEORMAP

1. DescribetwoeventsfromQueenElizabethslifethatmighthaveruinedherfaithinloveandmarriage.

2. WhywasKingJamesVIofScotlandraisedbyProtestantregentsinsteadofhisCatholicmother?

3. TheUnionoftheCrownsunitedthecrownsofwhattwocountriesin1603?

4. Whatwasarecusant?

5. ExplainwhymilitantCatholicslaunchedtheGunpowderPlotagainstKingJamesandhisgovernment.

6. RecitethefamouslineofpoetrythatJohnDonnewroteaboutdeathandpride.Whatdoyouthinkthisline
means?

7. WhywastranslatingtheBibleintomodern,everydaylanguagesparticularlyimportanttoProtestants?

8. ListthefirstthreeEnglishBiblesauthorizedbytheAnglicanChurch.

9. Explainthedifferencebetweenanestuaryandabay.

10. NamethethreemajorpeninsulasthatformVirginiascoastalongtheChesapeakeBay.

11. NamethetwocompaniesauthorizedbytheCharterofVirginiatoestablishcoloniesineasternNorth
America.

12. ExplainwhysomestorytellersmighthaveliedaboutwhofiredthefirstshotwhenEnglishandNative
AmericanmetinVirginiaforthefirsttime.

13. DescribemostAlgonquianmenshairstyle.

14. ListsomeofJamestownIslandsdisadvantagesasasiteforacolony.

15. DuringthecolonistsfirstsummerinJamestown,CouncilPresidentEdwardMariaWingfieldwasafraidto
retaliateagainsttheAlgonquianswhoattackedhispeople.Why?

16. DescribehowCaptainJohnSmithpersuadedthepeopleofKecoughtantosellhimcornatwhathe
consideredafairprice.

17. WhenChiefPowhatanheldCaptainJohnSmithcaptiveatWerowocomoco,SmithliedaboutEnglish
intentionsinVirginiainordertosavehimself.WasSmithrightorwrongtolie?IfyoucouldstandinSmiths
place,wouldyoulieashedid?

18. DescribethesymbolismtheAlgonquiansmayhaveseeninPocahontasrescueofCaptainJohnSmith.

19. WhatisthecapitalofVirginia?WhatisVirginiastwoletterabbreviation?WhatstatesborderVirginia?

BONUSQUESTION/ACTIVITY
In1618,SirWalterRaleighreturnedtotheNewWorldtolookfor
something.WhatwasRaleighlookingfor?WhatsadfatebefellRaleigh
whenhegothome?