Spanish Exploration and Colonization

Kids help hoist the sails and endure the hard life aboard a 16th-century ship as they search for the Northwest Passage. An exciting – and dangerous – life, indeed! Future historians will want to follow the trail of European exploration of the region, from the continuing search for a Northwest Passage to the founding of San Francisco in 1776.

No narrative of this period would be complete without an exploration of the missions – their goal, where they were located, the way they were organized, and the effect they had on Native Americans. In this unblinking portrait, kids take a deep dive into life at the missions, from the point of view of Native Americans as well as the missionaries. What strategies did the missionaries use to win over the Indians? What role did Indians play in the missions? How did the missions affect their lives and culture? How did they change the economic activity of the region? Thought-provoking questions lead kids to consider the life and consequences of these significant religious settlements.