Before I begin exploring the concept of European exploration with my middle school Social Studies students, I like to spend some time looking at the why. Why did Europeans feel the need to expand beyond their borders? Why did they risk their lives and their fortunes sailing into the unknown?

This presentation is my way of introducing the economic factors that pushed Europe out of their comfort zone. The presentation contains general information, but links (using the hyper-doc philosophy) to other information sources and discussion-prompting questions.

Feel free to use this presentation as-is or as a jumping off point for your own instruction planning.

I hope this presentation will be of use to anyone trying to plan a lesson in this area. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to reach out to me.

Ed X!