Age of Exploration Game

AGE OF

EXPLORATION

A look at how explorers made the world smaller as they took to the seas in search of new trade routes. As cultures interacted, humans became more connected and dependent on each other.

Objectives:

• What was the motivation for explorers?
• How did the Age of Exploration transform the world?

EXPLORE

BACKGROUND

Europeans began to search for new routes to Asia in the 1400’s-1700’s, hoping to avoid the existing land routes that were costly, dangerous, and took a long time. With new technology and countries willing to finance the expeditions, the world became a lot smaller as new sea trade routes were found. Trade increased and money flowed to those nations that capitalized on the new markets and controlled the seas, making them incredibly powerful.

“It isn't that life ashore is distasteful to me. But life at sea is better"

Next

Back

Gold

Explorers were expected to find precious metals such as gold and silver

3 G’s

God

Why Explore?

To spread religion and convert people

Glory

To make their country more powerful through trade and colonies

Next

Back

Gold

Explorers were expected to find precious metals such as gold and silver

3 G’s

God

Why Explore?

To spread religion and convert people

Glory

To make their country more powerful through trade and colonies

Next

Back

Explorer Game

Go through the game and see how you would fare as explorer. You will start of the coast of Portugal, which emerged as a leader in the age of exploration, with 12 ships and thousands of sailors. Make your choices carefully, and may the winds be in your favor.

SOUTH

NORTH

Decision #1: What direction will you start in?

Sorry, you didn’t make it

You foolishly went North towards the arctic circle. After two weeks, a snow storm hit your ship, destroying it. You and a small group of survivors made it ashore where you tried to hunt a pack of walruses in desperation. You were the first to be killed when you tripped and a walrus rolled on top of you. You will be remembered in history books as the worst explorer.

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Good choice!

You sail south along the coast of Africa. After two weeks of sailing, you notice a port city that appears to have lots of activity. You are getting low on supplies and your crew is already upset at the little they have to eat.

Decision #2: Do you stop and make contact with the port city to resupply, or continue sailing south?

CONTINUE

RESUPPLY

Mutiny!

Good news, you no longer have to deal with all the stress of being a captain. Bad news, your crew revolted after running out of food. After 3 days of starvation, you suggested they look on the bright side of things as it was helping some of them with their diet goals. This did not go over well. You were thrown overboard and never seen again.

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You were able to resupply your ship and made a new trading partner. However, because of this, Portugal will use this new city as their main port to transport slaves from Africa to around the world.Your king is pleased with you as it will make the country richer, but you question what you have just done.

Good & the Bad

Next

Decision #3

As you make your way around the southern tip of Africa, you experience rough seas. Should you keep going, or wait a day for the storm to pass?

Risk it for the biscuit, full speed ahead

Play it safe, wait a day then continue

Hope you brought enough diapers on the voyage you big baby. You waited out the storm and continue on your way, but your crew has lost a little faith in you.They started calling you names. While childish, being called Captain Underpants for the 40th time hurts. Being an explorer just isn’t for you. You abandoned ship and live out your days in South Africa as a farmer.

No Guts No Glory

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Fortune Favors the Brave

You have earned the respect of the Portuguese king while making great time. He decides to promise you more gold upon your return.

Next

Decision #4

You spot another vessel sailing off in the distance. You are a privateer, meaning were given permission by the crown to steal from other ships.You spot another vessel sailing off in the distance, what do you do.

Not worth the fight, keep on sailing.

Arrgh, it’s pirate time.

You kept on sailing, which turned out to be the right choice. Countries during this time were building up their navies to compete with other nations. Spain created a navy that could take on the Ottoman Empire, and soon after England created one to take on Spain.Controlling the seas meant controlling trade, since 90% of trade is done via water. The seas became increasingly dangerous, and ships carrying treasure rarely traveled without other ships for protection.

Fight or flight…

Next

1 vs 5

While you attack the ship, you missed the 4 other ships that were miles behind. You are easily overwhelmed by the superior fire power and are captured. They throw you overboard, to become fish food. While the sharks are happy, you are not.

Try Again

Decision #5

You reach India and begin trading for spices. You can decide to stay an extra week in order to set up a church for the locals, or you can move on as there is more money to be made?

Continue in search of riches

Set up a church

Bad Move

The king and queen hear that you had a chance to convert people and chose not too. They write to you informing you that you will no longer be paid, and that you have been exiled. You will not be able to return to your home in Portugal ever again. If you return, you will be tortured and punished.

Wait wait wait...hold up. They had the chance convert the native people and they chose not to? What part of God in Gold, God and Glory aren’t they getting?

What was that noise?

Try Again

Smart move!

Your king is pleased with your decision of imposing his religious beliefs on others. After spending time building a church, you move on to your final destination, China. You hope to open up trade talks when you arrive to an island, the locals reject your trade offer. You can either try to send another messenger hoping to negotiate, or take the island by force and demand trade. They have about 5,000 people on the island, you have around 300.

TALK MORE

Decision #6: Do you negotiate more, or go in guns blazing and take the city?

CONQUER

WRONG

Guys...I think i might have scurvy

Why didn’t you fight???

You try and negotiate for days, but they will not change their minds. You respect their decision and return home.The king does not understand why you did not just take them over. You are labeled a coward. You lose your house and everything you own.

What a wimp!

Try Again

Although outnumbered, Europeans like yourself had two advantages: guns and experience. Europe and got very good at fighting because they had so many neighbors to fight with. This led them to inventing advanced guns while other areas of the world (China, Japan, Americas), had no need for advanced weapons.You successfully conquered the island and your king is very pleased with your expedition.

Success

Final Decision

Final Choice

Area that the locals call the “golden land”

You have covered the God, you have gotten new trading posts and covered Glory, will you find the gold? Choose one location to see if your expedition ends in ultimate success or not

Uncharted territory, nothing is known

Island that an old map has marked as having gold

Congratulations

You did it. You discovered a giant trove of gold on land was called “golden land”...pretty obvious decision.The king is glad he made the right choice in choosing you to lead the expedition. You will go down in history as at least a top 300 hundred explorers all time.You successfully covered all 3 G’s on your journey.

Home

Better luck next time

With no idea where you were going, you ran your ship aground. You try to swim to your other ships but forgot you are not really good at swimming. You perish beneath the waves.

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Better luck next time

Turns out the old map you were using minterepreteated the native word for “coconuts” as “gold”. You return with ships full of coconuts to an unhappy king.

Try Again