Encourage students to use a ruler and the scale bar on the map to measure the distance between Amsterdam and New York City. Explain that this is a popular destination for planes and boats traveling across the Atlantic Ocean. Explain to students that this is a city in Europe where many planes and boats leave to travel across the ocean-both today and during the colonial period. Ask students to point out where they live on this map. Point out that the landmass on the right (east) side of the map is the continent of Europe, and the land on the left (west) is North America. Then read aloud its label: Atlantic Ocean. Distribute copies of the worksheet Crossing the Atlantic.Īsk students if they know what the large body of water is in the center of the map.

Ask: Why is making the same journey today much faster and easier? Elicit from students that ships no longer rely on wind and that airplanes are now the fastest way to make the same journey.ģ. They often became sick and even died while making the crossing. Tell students that people traveling from Europe to North America during the colonial period of 1600-1799 faced a long, dangerous journey.

Discuss the differences between ocean crossings hundreds of years ago and today.Įxplain to students that hundreds of years ago people often crossed the Atlantic Ocean to explore new places and move from one place to another. Ask: What type of transportation might you take to cross the ocean? (plane, boat)Ģ. Ask students to imagine that they will be taking a trip across the Atlantic Ocean. Encourage students to think about why people would want to move from one side of the ocean to the other and resettle.

Introduce the concepts of ocean travel and ocean crossings.Īsk: Why might people want to travel all the way across the ocean? Elicit student responses, such as to visit family and friends to explore new sites on vacation to trade goods and to move or resettle.

7 days to die fast travel