Chapter 4: The Search for a Northwest Passage

Period: 1609-1610 | Subject: History | Grade: 5

Chapter Overview

This chapter covers The Search for a Northwest Passage during the period 1609-1610.

Source Text Excerpt

2 BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON

Sleepless nights

More than 5,000 years ago, in Mesopotamia – the place, according to the Greeks, where Zeus and Prometheus created humans – a man called Kushim took delivery of a batch of barley, most probably to make beer. 1 He borrowed it for a specific timeframe: the contract specified that Kushim had two and a half years to pay back the loan. At an annual interest rate of 33.33 per cent, which was normal in Sumerian times, Kushim was on the hook. 2 Two and a half years gave him time to brew the beer, sell it, generate revenue and settle his costs, pay back his loan and start again. But obviously things could go wrong. It’s not difficult for us to appreciate Kushim’s financial anxieties. Could he get the beer made in time? Would he be paid? What rate of penal interest might apply if he failed? Given that it wasn’t unusual in ancient times for the borrower himself, or his children, to be collateral, it’s fair to say the stakes were high.

We can picture Kushim, late at night, praying for a bumper harvest. He has just borrowed barley. To pay it back, he needs to get his hands on more barley at a decent price. The last thing he needs is a poor harvest, which would push the price of barley upwards. On the other hand, when there’s a bumper crop, the price of barley falls and Kushim is quids in. The rate of interest is the crucial price here, because this is what coaxes the lender to lend Kushim the barley. It is also the price at which Kushim, the borrower, is happy to do business, and he will have factored the rate of interest into his calculation of price, cost and profit. The fluctuation of the future price of barley is the risk factor.

Imagining Kushim’s sleepless nights and his financial troubles makes him feel like one of us. The fact that he was being charged interest also implies that money had, by this time, evolved to such an extent that – even though it was something that stood for something else – it had be

Learning Objectives

• Understand the key events and figures of this period
• Analyze cause-and-effect relationships
• Compare multiple perspectives on historical events
• Develop chronological reasoning

Key Vocabulary

• Period: 1609-1610
• Key Figures: (identified in chapter)
• Key Events: (identified in chapter)

Learning Activities

1. Read & Narrate: Read the chapter aloud; student narrates back in own words
2. Timeline Entry: Add key events/dates to timeline
3. Map Work: Locate places mentioned on map/globe
4. Discussion Questions: (see Teacher’s Guide)
5. Notebook Entry: Written response to focus question

Assessment

• Oral narration
• Map quiz
• Timeline placement
• Written response to essential question

Source: The Story of the World Vol 3: Early Modern Times by Susan Wise Bauer

👩‍🏫 Teacher’s Guide — Chapter 4: The Search for a Northwest Passage

Lesson Plan at a Glance

• Topic: Chapter 4: The Search for a Northwest Passage
• Grade: 5 | Subject: History | State: OK
• Reading: Textbook: The Story of the World Vol 3: Early Modern Times, Chapter 4: The Search for a Northwest Passage
• Suggested Pacing: 4 sessions × 45 min (Read → Narrate → Activity → Notebook)

Teaching Sequence

1. Read Aloud the assigned text; have student narrate back in their own words.
2. Big Idea to Land: Core concept of this lesson.
3. Cover These Sections: (see student content for section headings)
4. Do a Hands-On Activity from the list — concrete experience before abstract.
5. Notebook: Student completes journal entry recording observations.
6. Review: Ask discussion questions orally; finish with review questions.

Discussion Questions (with what to listen for)

• Q: Whose perspective is missing from this account? (Listen for awareness of multiple perspectives.)
• Q: What caused this event? What were the effects? (Listen for cause-and-effect chains.)
• Q: How is this similar to/different from today? (Listen for historical connections.)

Vocabulary to Define Together

Materials to Gather

• Notebook/journal
• Writing utensils
• Textbook: The Story of the World Vol 3: Early Modern Times
• Map/globe (for history/geography)
• Basic lab supplies (for science)

Standards Covered

Watch For (Common Misconceptions)

• Confusing mass with weight — use the Moon example consistently.
• Skipping narration — oral retelling is where retention happens; don’t skip it.
• Activity without notebook — the journal entry IS the assessment; don’t separate them.
• Lecturing instead of questioning — aim for 80% student talk, 20% teacher talk.

Differentiation

• Struggling: Provide sentence frames for narration; allow oral responses.
• Advanced: Add extension question: “How would this change if…?”
• ELL: Pre-teach key vocabulary; use visual aids and sentence frames.

Assessment Look-Fors

• Accurate narration with key vocabulary
• Notebook entry shows observation + reflection
• Map/timeline entry accurate
• Discussion participation with evidence
• Project completion with explanation