Age of Imperialism

Grade Level: 10
 Content Analysis

The information provided by the primary and secondary sources creates a solid foundation on which we are able to develop our

unit plan. Primary sources provide reliable firsthand knowledge of people, places, and events. And the secondary sources provide

thorough scholarly analysis of such content. For this unit plan on Imperialism, primary information from Africa, China, and Europe was

needed to develop the foundation. And the secondary analysis of this information aided us in adapting the content to fulfill the various

NYS and NCSS standards.

Week 1 – Introduction to Imperialism

When it comes to teaching an imperialism unit, two very useful sources come to mind from which to gain information. The first

source is Western Civilizations: the Continuing Experiment, by Noble, Strauss, Osheim, Neuschel, Cohen, and Roberts, and the second is

“Take up the White Man’s Burden,” by Rudyard Kipling.

The Noble book talks at length about the motivations behind imperialism which is a key theme that must be covered in this unit. It

also does a good job of displaying the differences between the old imperialism of the 18th century and the late 19th early 20th centuries

new imperialism. Kipling’s poem is a very powerful and useful primary source that does a wonderful job of illustrating the theme of

Social Darwinism and the imperial powers justification of imperialism. Both of these sources fit the New York State Learning Standards

and the National Council for Social Studies standards through an extensive analysis of the culture, the identity, and the change of these

two things over time as it pertains to those countries that were colonizing and those that were being colonized.

Week 2 – “Scramble for Africa”

There are numerous sources that one could find in relation to the “Scramble for Africa.” The difficult part is determining

what information is relevant in a 10th grade Global Studies class. The Beers High School textbook was a great starting point. It

provided a foundation of information from which to start from. The Toyin’s book is a scholarly secondary source that supplied

extra, more indebt information that the textbook did not. The scholarly work is very important in a high school classroom

because it provides students with information that cannot be found in their text. It also is an important reason for students

attend class, because their teacher is giving them information that could be on the exam but cannot be found in their textbook.

Lastly, Achebe’s book is a primary source that gives students a firsthand look of what Africans’ were feeling when the

Europeans took over their land. This is important because most books just focus on the European perspective. Either way all

three sources meet the NYS and NCCS standards in world history, geography, time, continuity, and change and also in

individual development identity, power, authority, governance, people, places, and environments.

Week 3 – European Spheres of Influence in China

The primary source that accounted for events of the 1911 Chinese Revolution allowed us to incorporate accurate historical

events (i.e. Boxer Rebellion), people (i.e. Sun Yat-sen) and places (i.e. Beijing) into our lessons (NYS 2+3: World History + Geography).

These are the more tangible aspects of the content that are taught in the lessons. And the secondary source that provided an in-depth

analysis of the Boxer Rebellion explains the more abstract aspects of the content, dealing with religious concepts, economics, and

governance (NYS 4+5: Economics + Political Science, NCSS 1+6: Culture + Governance).

Week 4 – Japan and the Meiji Restoration

Burton Beers’s World History textbook thoroughly examines the modernization and industrialization of Japan, beginning with

arrival of Commodore Mathew Perry’s Great White Fleet at Uraga Harbor in modern Tokyo Bay (NYS 2: World History, NCSS 2: Tim,

Continuity, and Change). Thereafter it explains the policies and programs that caused Japan to develop a solution to its scarcity of
resources problem (which was colonization), an industrial base, and a more modern economy (NYS 4: Economics, NCSS 7: Production,

Distribution, and Consumption). Due to the fact that Japan opened its ports, it had access to Western goods, resources, and technologies

(NCSS 8: Science, Technology, and Society). And so in relatively short order Japan began its own imperialistic policy.
 Week 1 – Introduction to Imperialism

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Topic: Background of Topic: The British East Topic: The British East Topic: Colony division Topic: wrap up and
Imperialism India Company in India India Company and the review
Sepoy Mutiny. Objective: Given roles to
Objective: Given a KWL Objective: Given a play, students will divide Objectives: Given a brief
chart, students will PowerPoint presentation, Objective: Given a up the colonies of the review of the lesson the
discuss, as a class, what students will take notes on PowerPoint presentation, world as they were known previous day, students will
they know and want to the British East India students will take notes on in the late 19th and early discuss the rationale of
know about imperialism. Company. the British East India 20th centuries. yesterday’s activity.
Company and the events
Given a teacher generated surrounding the Sepoy Description: Students will Given a worksheet,
PowerPoint presentation, Mutiny. get into groups and play students will, in pairs,
students will take notes on delegations for the identify important terms of
imperialism. Homework: Read section imperial powers. They imperialism.
2 of the textbook on the will be given sheets
British in India and answer describing what their
Homework: Read section questions 3 and 4 at the perspective country is
1 of the textbook on end of this section. Also, looking for and what the
imperialism and answer tell me 3 ways in which colonies have to offer.
questions 1 and 2 at the the Sepoy Mutiny could They will select a
end of the section. have been avoided. specified number of
colonies that would fit
their country best. At the
front of the room there will
be a map of the colonies
and the students will, as a
class, divide them up
amongst themselves.

Week 2 – Scramble for Africa

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Introduction Berlin Conference People Boers &War Essay

Objective - Given a Objective - Given Objectives - Given Objectives - Given a Objective - Given the
skeleton note sheet students will break up students brief notes on teacher lead lecture via person that the
and a teacher lead into groups, they will how to properly cite, PowerPoint, students students researched,
lecture, students will be assigned a European they will then be given will take notes, on students will write an
take notes on the country that took part one person who the… who, what, were, essay on that person
introduction to the in the conference, and became famous during when, and how the regarding how they
“Scramble for Africa,” each group will the “Scramble for Boer War began. were involved in the
and fill in a map of negotiate the rules and Africa” to research. “Scramble for Africa.”
Africa. regulations of the Homework – students
conference. Homework – students will brainstorm on the
Homework – students will have to properly person they
will read the “Scramble cite where they got researched. They will
for Africa” section in their information. then organize their
their text, while notes from the past
answering the three days into an
questions on the outline; focusing on
homework sheet that their person.
was provided for them Optional HW – students
at the end of class. will have the option to
write a mock essay to
~They should also guide them though the
finish their map if they essay they will have to
did not finish it in class. write during class time
on Friday.
 Week 3- European Spheres of Influence in China

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Topic: Treaty of Nanjing Topic: Boxer Rebellion Topic: Sun Yixian and the Topic: Multiple Perspectives Topic: Multiple Perspectives
and the Opium Wars Chinese Revolution Toward Imperialism: Toward Imperialism: long-term
immediate/long-term changes effects in Europe and the rest of
made under European rule the world
Objectives: Objectives: Objectives:
Given a historical Given a brief Given a twenty Objectives: Objectives:
image analysis and teacher-led lecture, guided
minute video segment Given the teacher Given teacher
student-led reading aloud notes displayed via
about Sun Yixian and the designation of small generated guided notes,
from the text, students will overhead projector, and 1910-11 Chinese groups, students will students will take notes
take notes and engage in a selected readings from the
Revolution (courtesy of research (from the about the effects of
question and response text book, students willthe History Channel), and textbook, in class) effects European imperialism in
activity about the causes take notes about the a related teacher generated of European imperialism China on Europe and the
and effects of the Opium causes and effects of the
worksheet, students will on China, write their rest of the world, and
Wars. Boxer Rebellion, as wellanswer worksheet findings on 18’’ x 24’’ thereafter use whiteboards
as about the Rebellion questions as the video sheets of paper (provided to individually present
itself. progresses. Thereafter by teacher), and briefly answers during a teacher-
Homework: students will engage in a present their work to the led question and response
It involves a chart Homework: teacher led discussion class. activity, reviewing guided
which the students must Students must about the immediate and
notes content.
fill out, in sections, as they completely fill out the long-term effects of the Homework:
progress through this week Boxer Rebellion column Revolution. Students must Homework:
of the unit. Due for the of the chart. completely fill out the far None
next class, students must Homework: left column of the chart.
completely fill out the far Students must
right column. completely fill out the
Opium Wars column of
the chart.

Week 4 – Japan and the Meiji Restoration

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Topic: The Opening of Topic: Modernization / Topic: Unit Review. Topic: Unit Review Topic: Unit Final
Japan Industrialization Assessment
Objective: Given time in Objective: Given the
Objective: Given a variety Objective: Given the class, students will ask teacher designation of Objectives: Given a
of historical images, teacher designation of questions on topics of groups, students will teacher generated test,
students will discuss the small groups, students will imperialism on which they participate in a review students will answer all
significance of the arrival research (from the are unclear. game called History Feud. multiple choice questions
of the Great White Fleet in textbook, in class) and analyze all documents
Japan, and how that methods of Japanese Description: If students Description: Students will to the best of their
affected the Kanagawa modernization and do not have questions the be divided up into two knowledge and ability.
Treaty. industrialization, write teacher will lead a teams. They will answer
their findings on 18” x 24” discussion on the major questions with the help of
sheets of paper (provided topics of the final their team. A correct
by teacher), and briefly assessment, using notes answer is worth on point
present their work to the and the textbook. but if they answer the
class. question wrong the other
team has a chance to steal
it and earn the point. The
winner will receive five
extra credit points on the
test.
 Introduction to Imperialism
Standards:
NYSLS: 1. The study of world history requires an understanding of world cultures and civilizations including an analysis of important ideas,
social and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions. This study also examines the human condition and the connections and interactions of people
across time and space and the ways different people view the same event or issue from a variety of perspectives.
2. Establishing time frames, exploring different periodizations, examining themes across time within cultures and focusing on important turning
points in world history help organize the study of world cultures and civilizations.
3. Study of the major social, political, cultural, and religious developments in world history involves learning about the important roles and
contributions of individual groups.
NCSS: 1. Culture – the interaction of different societies with each other.
3. People, places, and environments – the colonization of countries
4. Individual development and identity – the colonized forming an identity based on the actions of the colonizers.
9. Global connections – forced interdependence
40 minute lesson
Objectives:
Given a KWL chart, students will discuss, as a class, what they know and want to know about imperialism.
Given a copy of the poem “Take up the White Man’s Burden,” by Rudyard Kipling, students will take turns reading the poem allowed to the
class and then analyze it as it applies to the topic of imperialism.
Materials/Equipment: Computer, premade PowerPoint presentation, projector, teacher’s notes, dry erase markers, and a KWL chart for each
student.
Anticipatory set: Students will take five minutes to fill in what they know and what they want to know about imperialism. For the next five to
ten minutes they will tell me out loud as a class what they wrote down and I will write it on the board. In the meantime students will be writing
down what is on the board on their charts.
Procedures:
1. Teacher will distribute KWL chart
2. Students will fill in K and W sections of chart
3. Teacher will ask students to read what they wrote
4. Teacher will write responses on board
5. Students will take notes on chart
6. Students will put away charts and take out notebooks
7. Teacher will open up PowerPoint presentation and begin to lecture
8. Students will take notes
9. Teacher will distribute individual copies of “Take up the White Man’s Burden”
10. Students will follow along as fellow classmates read poem
11. Teacher will pose questions to the students about the poem relating it to imperialism. Some of these questions would include: What is
Kipling trying to say here? How does this reflect the thoughts of late 19th early 20th century Europeans on “foreign” peoples? How does this help
to explain imperialism?
11. Students will write on a half sheet of paper one thing they learned in the lesson
12. Students will give teacher half sheet of paper as ticket out the door
Concluding Activity: Ticket out the door – students will write one thing they have learned from class on half sheet of paper.
Alternative Activities: If PowerPoint does not work use board or prepare guided notes.
Method of Evaluation: Ticket out the door and their ability to answer the discussion questions about Kipling’s poem.
Homework: Read section one on imperialism, pgs. 231 – 242, and answer questions 1 and 2 at the end of the section
Self-evaluation: How much do students already know about imperialism and how much do they want to know about imperialism? Did the
students take notes? How effectively did the students answer questions on Kipling’s poem? Is everyone able to write one fact that they learned
on a half sheet of paper?
 Imperialism - “Scramble for Africa”

Learning Standards:
NYSLS:
World History
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes,
developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.

Geography
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of the
interdependent world in which we live—local, national, and global—including the distribution of people, places, and
environments over the Earth’s surface.

NCSS:
1. Time, Continuity, and change
• To understand their historical roots and to locate themselves in time.
• Such an understanding involves knowing what things were like in the past and how things change and develop.
• Students also learn to draw on their knowledge of history to make informed choices and decisions in the
present.
2. Individual Development and Identity
• Examination of various forms of human behavior.
3. Power, Authority, and Governance
• Understanding the historical development of structures of power, authority, and governance and their evolving
functions in contemporary U.S. society and or the world.
• Learners develop an understanding of how groups and nations attempt to resolve conflicts and seek to
establish order and security.
4. People, Places, and environments
• Geographic concepts across a wide range of fields.
• Central to students understanding of global relations as they expand their knowledge of diverse cultures.
5. Power, Authority, and Governance
• Understanding the historical development of structures of power, authority, and governance.
• Civil competence is important to create responsible citizens

Time: 40 Minutes

Objectives:
Given a skeleton note sheet, a blank map, and a teacher-led lecture, students will take notes on the introduction to the
“Scramble for Africa,” and fill in a map of Africa.

Content:
This lesson will focus on introduction to the “Scramble for Africa,” by determine the… who, what, where, when, and why
it all happened along with the consequences.

Materials / Equipment:
Lecture Notes
Guided notes
Text book and atlas
Map worksheet
Black Sharpies
Colored pencils
Over head projector

Anticipatory Set:
It will begin by showing 2-3 political cartoons on the Scramble for Africa. As a class, they are expected to discuss what
they see and why it was significant.
At first the students will have to tell me what they see, just tell me the basic description of the cartoon (Africa, men
pulling on the continent.) They will then be asked to look deeper into picture and tell me what the cartoon means. Why was the
cartoon important to that time period? Why do you think the artist drew it, and who his intended audience was?
The cartoons will be presented in a PowerPoint and will also be in a hand out, while we are discussing the cartoon and
answering these questions, students should be taking notes next to the picture, so they can refer to it later. This should take no
longer then 10 minutes.

Procedures:
• House Keeping
Attendance
• Anticipatory Set with PowerPoint and discussion
• Pass out guided notes
• Lecture / students will be taking notes on their guided note sheet
• Briefly – review the notes the students just took
- Call on students randomly to explain what they wrote on their guided note sheet
- Clear up and confusion and re-emphasize the main points
• Map assignment
 Description: Each student will get a blank map of Africa. The students should pretend that this is a map of colonial
Africa, not modern day Africa. On the map they are expected to fill in the areas that the different countries of Europe
colonized. They should refer to the example in their textbook to for help. As a class we will fill in one or two colonial
examples. They are expected to create a key for this portion. It should be colorful, neat, and done well. Students will
have the remainder of the period to work on this. If they do not finish they are expected to finish it for homework. It will
be due for a grade the beginning of next class, Tuesday.

Concluding Activities / Closure:

• Clean up and put away supplies
• Hand out homework sheet and go over it
• Bring it all together
Before the students are allowed to leave the room, as a class they need to tell me what we did in class and three
things they learned.

Alternate Activities / Emergency Fillers:

Have the students read aloud the “Scramble for Africa” section in their notebook and fill out their note sheet.

Methods of Evaluation / Assessment:

Having the students describe what they see in the political cartons will allow me to assess what they already know and
what they want to know. This will also give me a good idea of how they assess a political cartoon.
By having the students re-state what they wrote on their guided notes sheet will give me an idea of whether or not they
were paying attention, but not only that, but to see if they were able to keep up with the lecture and accurately take notes.
During the part of the class where we all come together and the students have to tell me what was done in class and
three things they learned will allow me to assess how much information they retained during the class.

Homework Assignment:
For homework students will read the “Scramble for Africa” section in their text book, while answering the questions on
the homework sheet. They are also expected to finish the map assignment if they did not finish it in class.

Self-Evaluation:
What did students find interesting? Were they bored during the lecture?
How did they respond to the PowerPoint?
Did they liked or disliked about the map activity?
Was it too much to ask them to do that in a 40 minutes class?
Do I feel like I rushed through some parts but took my time with others? Why?
Were students able understand and comprehend the lecture notes?
Was the guided note sheet helpful to them?
 9/6/06 – Monday Notes

Imperialism (review Word) -

Who –

What -

Where –

When –

So What? –

Berlin Conference –

Motives
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.
 Map Assignment
Pretend that this is a map of Africa during Colonial times (time before Nation-States were formed.) Using your textbook,
fill in the regions of the map where each of the following counties colonized. (Great Britain, France, Germany, Spain, and
Portugal) You must also locate Ethiopia, Liberia (Free states,) and were King Leopold II owned land. You must create a key.
This assignment should be colorful, neat, and done well. Refer to page 490 of your textbook for help.

Key
Name:
Homework Worksheet

“Scramble for Africa”

Read the “Scramble for Africa” section in your text book, pages 488-491. Answer the following questions in complete
sentences.

1. What two countries established forts and trading posts along the African coast in the 1600 and 1700s?

2. Briefly explain why the “scramble for Africa” almost left European powers at the brink of war, and how did they settle
their disagreements?

3. Who was David Livingstone? What did he do? Why was he important to the “scramble for Africa?”

4. What two new technological developments helped Europeans expand into Africa?
 Teacher Lecture notes

Imperialism – Review word – it is when one country takes over another country, politically, economically, and or socially, they
call that country their own and have complete control over it

Who – superpowers of Europe – British, French, Portuguese, Germans, Italians, Spanish, King Leopold II (Congo Free State, his
own private property)
What – Europeans took control of Africa for their natural resources and limited them of their natural environments
Where – Africa
When – 1800s
So What? – Africa’s geographic boundaries were randomly divided up by the Europeans with no regard to what Africans had to
say
- Still this way today
- Problems – divided up many ethnic groups that wish to be together or placed many ethnic groups together that wish to stay
apart = caused, still causes much conflict among the people who reside there

Berlin Conference-
1884, Berlin
Called by Otto Von Bismarck from Germany, to bring some peace to the fighting over the areas in Africa that the
Europeans wanted
During the conference a map of Africa was presented and European powers picked what region of Africa they want, they
literally drew boundary lines on the content and picked their region to rule
Not one African was there to state their claim
It established the Berlin Act – agreements – in order to lay claim on any area in Africa a European power must occupy
that territory

Motives - 3 Gs – Gold, God, Glory

1. Nationalism
2. Political rivals, need to be the best of the best
3. Expand economically, industrial revolution was going on in Europe, people wanted finished goods, and factors
needed raw materials
4. Natural resources = $$$ - gold, diamonds, rubber, palm oil, coco, coffee, ivory
5. Humanism and religion – spreading the word of Christianity

Sources -
Toyin Falola, ed, Africa Vol. 1 African History before 1885. (Carolina: Carolina Academic Press, 2000), 44-45, 429

Burton F. Beers. World History: Patterns of Civilization. (Prentice-Hall Inc. Englewood NJ. 1986), 488-491.
 Opium Wars – China vs. Britain

Learning Standards
NYSLS: 2-History: conflict, change, imperialism.
3-Geography: human/physical geography, environment and society.
4-Economics: economic systems, factors of production.
5-Political Science: political systems, nationalism.
NCSS: I. Culture and Cultural Diversity: political ideals.
VI. Power, Authority, and Governance: legitimate authority.

Time: 40 minutes

Objectives: Given a historical image analysis (see attachment) and student-led reading aloud from the text, students will take notes and
engage in a question and response activity about the causes and effects of the Opium Wars.

Content: This lesson focuses on conveying the major concepts and significance of the Treaty of Nanjing and the Opium Wars.

Materials/Equipment: overhead projector, handouts, chalkboard, textbooks, notebooks, whiteboards, dry-erase markers

Anticipatory Set: The anticipatory set will last approximately five minutes. I (the teacher), before taking attendance, will begin the lesson
with a brief class analysis of a historical image (see attachment). I will have an image of the painting displayed on a screen in
the front of the classroom via an overhead projector (or a powerpoint projection). I will also hand out photo copies of the
painting on paper with specific analytical questions below it. While I am taking attendance, the class will visually study the
historical image of the signing of the Treaty of Nanjing and the corresponding questions.
I will then verbally review what the students observed and provoke analytical responses from them that will answer the
questions on the handout.

Procedures: 1) When the anticipatory set concludes, I will begin a fifteen minute session in which students read aloud specific sections of the
textbook that I designate: Chapter 8, Section 5 - China and the New Imperialism, 1st – 7th paragraphs under the Trade Issue
heading.

2) As the students come across vocabulary terms and key concepts in the text, I will write them on the chalkboard and explain
each as I go: favorable balance of trade, trade deficit, the Opium War, unequal treaty, indemnity, extraterritoriality.

3) Students will take down these vocabulary terms and key concepts in their notes (specified in 2).

4) When that concludes, I will then distribute whiteboards and dry-erase markers for the question and response activity.
 5) Each student will use the whiteboard and marker to write down his or her responses to each teacher generated question, and
hold them up when they are finished.

6) These questions will focus on the content from the sections previously read aloud and taken down in notes (semi-assessment
based activity). This activity will last approximately fifteen minutes. I can adjust the number of questions asked to accommodate
any possible time constraints. If there is extra time, I can ask more of these questions (filler activity). And if there is little time, I
will ask fewer questions.
 What is a favorable balance of trade? (more exports than imports)
 What is a trade deficit? (opposite of previous)
 When did China begin to lose its favorable balance of trade with the West? (late 1700s)
 This was due to what British trade good? (Opium)
 Where was the opium grown? (India)
 What was it traded for in China? (Chinese Tea)
 When did the first Opium War start? (1839)
 When did the Nanjing Treaty end it? (1842)
 What type of treaty was the Nanjing Treaty? (unequal treaty)
 What did it force China to give up, and to whom? (trade rights, to western powers)
 What is meant by extraterritoriality? (British citizens in China live by British laws, tried in British courts)
 What was meant by the “most favored nation clause”? (Britain automatically gets rights China grants to other nations)

Concluding Activities/Closure: To conclude the class, I will first pass out and explain the homework sheet (attached). And if there is extra
time there will be a ticket out the door activity (filler activity). In the last few minutes of class, students will
write, on scrap paper, one or two concepts or vocabulary terms that they did not quite understand, or that
they need to be explained further. They must give me their scrap papers before they are allowed to leave.
And as they leave I will verbally remind them to do the homework.

Alternate Activities/Emergency Fillers: If there is time remaining after the bulk of the lesson has passed, I could have them do the ticket
out the door activity. If there is still more time remaining I could allow students to begin the
homework assignment in class.

Methods of Evaluation/Assessment: The concluding activity is one informal method that I use to assess my students. Another informal
assessment is simply asking, with frequency, if the students have any questions, or if there is anything
that they do not understand. The whiteboard activity allows me to assess what they retained from
earlier in the lesson. Also for future lessons, checking the homework assignment below is another way
to assess their learning.

Homework Assignments: A continuing homework assignment. It involves a chart which the students must fill out, in sections, as they
progress through this week of the unit. Due for the next class, students must completely fill out the far right column
(see attachment).

Self-evaluation: How do I know if the students retained anything? How do I know what parts they are struggling with? What parts they
are not struggling with? What parts need more/better explanation?

I am unsure of my methods of assessment. Much of what I have can only be documented in my mind or jotted down on
paper. Should I use more formal approaches? Should I use something that has a grade attached?

Does this lesson adhere to my educational philosophy of a student centered learning environment? Am I doing too
much, and the students not enough? How can I assess if it adheres to my philosophy, and to what degree?
Name: Date:
10th Grade Social Studies
Unit Exam

Age of Imperialism
Directions: Answer all the multiple choice and true/false questions to the best of your ability. Even if you do not know the answer it is better to
guess then to not answer the question. There are also three DBQs that you must complete. Good Luck!

1) Why did the Imperial powers wish to take control of colonies?

A) They were searching for new markets.
B) They felt it was their duty to help the backwards natives
C) They felt it was their right as the stronger nation to do so.
D) All of the above

2) ________________________ is when one country takes over another country, politically, economically, and or socially, they call that country their own
and have complete control over it
A) Imperialism
B) Government
C) Colonization
D) Communism

3) The main difference between old imperialism and new imperialism was:
A) The amount of money earned by the imperial powers
B) The desire to be more powerful than their competition
C) The opinion that native peoples were inferior to the people of the imperial powers
D) The goods traded

4) What is Social Darwinism?

A) The idea that the strongest people deserve the land and resources that they want
B) An idea that the strongest should give their land and resources to those less fortunate
C) The modernization of Japan
D) The name of a town in British colonial India

5) What period in history was the world just coming out of that made imperialism “necessary?”
A) The Enlightenment
B) World War I
C) The Industrial Revolution
D) Old Imperialism

6) What event(s) were started by the age of imperialism?

A) Scramble for Africa
 B) Scramble for Asia
C) Both A and B
D) None of the above

4) What was one of the many motives Europe had in “the Scramble for Africa?”
A) Popularity
B) Natural Resources
C) Help improve the life of Africans
D) Knowledge

8) What two countries established forts and trading posts along the African coast in the 1600 and 1700s?
A) English and Spanish
B) Dutch and Portuguese
C) French and English
D) Spanish and Portuguese

9) What Country was the private property of King Leopold II?

A) Egypt
B) Angola
C) Nigeria
D) Congo

10) Who called the Berlin Conference?

A) King Leopold II
B) David Livingstone
C) African People
D) Otto Von Bismarck

11) What was one of the effects of “the Scramble for Africa” that Africans had to face?
A) Nothing, Africans were very happy when the Europeans came.
B) Separated families
C) Divided up many ethnic groups
D) Made the Europeans very rich

12) How was the Sepoy Mutiny started?

A) The Hindus and the Muslims decided that they didn’t like each other so they
decided to fight each other
B) The British used lard on rifle cartridges which offended the native peoples.
C) The British burned down a Hindu temple
D) The French invaded India

13) The Meiji Restoration in Japan was prompted in part by

A) A fear that Japan would be colonized by western nations
B) The failure of Japanese expansion
C) The Shogun’s conversion to Christianity
D) A desire to stay isolated

14) What was a direct result of the Opium War in 19th-century China?
A) Japan gained control of Hong Kong.
B) Kublai Khan rose to power in China.
C) Chinese ports were opened for trade with European powers.
D) Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-shek) fled to Taiwan.

15) One characteristic of the Boxer Rebellion is that it

A) Opposed European imperialism
B) Ended an established dynasty
C) Resulted in the redistribution of land
D) Instituted communist governments

16) • The east is bordered by the Yellow Sea.

• The population is concentrated along the coast and in the river valleys.
• Mountains, plateaus, and deserts dominate the western region.
To which country do all of these geographic statements apply?
A) England
B) China
C) Nicaragua
D) Philippines

17) A goal of the Boxer Rebellion in China was to

A) Promote laissez-faire capitalism
B) End foreign control
C) Develop modern industries
D) Create a totalitarian state

18) Which treaty ended the first Opium War and forcibly opened China to foreign trade?
A) Kanagawa Treaty
B) Nanjing Treaty
C) Treaty of Versailles
D) Treaty of London
19) An area or region over which a state/nation exerts some kind of indirect cultural, economic, military or political domination is called a
A) Territory
B) Colony
C) Sphere of Influence
D) Protectorate

20) A treaty that heavily favors one nation over another due to the threat of overwhelming military or economic pressure is called
A) A Non-Aggression Pact
B) A Peace Treaty
C) An Inequitable Treaty
D) An Unequal Treaty

21) The Chinese Revolutionary Alliance overthrew the Qing Dynasty in China, under the leadership of
A) Mao Zedong
B) Sun Yat-sen
C) Deng Xiaoping
D) Wang Dayuan

22) In the aftermath of being taken over by European influences, China developed industry, a business class, urban working classes, and extensive
trade relations. These developments most characterize
A) Acculturation
B) Urbanization
C) Westernization
D) Ethnocide

23) What United States President established the Great White Fleet?
A) Herbert Hoover
B) William H. Taft
C) Teddy Roosevelt
D) Woodrow Wilson

24) _____________________________ is the creation of a stable society capable of producing a high level of goods and services.
A) Industry
B) Community
C) Hard work
D) Modernization

25) True or False: The British East India Company lost control of India after the Sepoy Mutiny?
A) True
B) False

26) True or False: In terms of trade the Imperial powers would have a huge trade loss if Imperialism had never happened?
A) True
B) False

27) True or False: A buffer state was used as a way of preventing a rival imperial power from expanding and gaining too much control?
A) True
B) False

28) True or False: As a result of the treaty of Kanagawa and the incident with Matthew Perry, the Japanese decided that it would be vital to their
survival to westernize and modernize?
A) True
B) False

29) True or False: Berlin Act established an agreement that allowed European countries to lay claim on any area in Africa that a European power
already had claim over.
A) True
B) False

30) True or False: Ethiopia was colonized by the French?

A) True
B False

Extra Credit question: How many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop?

DBQs

Directions: Answer the questions to the DBQs in bullet form. Try to include as much information as possible.

Document 1- What did Colonization mean to Native people?

 "Learning civilized ways is hard work"

Document 2 - "When the whites came to our country, we had the land and they had the Bible, now we have the Bible and they have the
land." - African proverb

How did the Africans feel about the missionaries?

Document 3 - O.P. Austin, "Does Colonization Pay" The Forum, 1900

"Modern progressive nations lying in the temperate zone seek to control garden spots’ in the tropics. [mainly in Africa, Latin
America, and Asia] Under [the progressive nations] direction, these places can yield tropical produce. In return, the progressive nations
bring to the people of those garden spots the foodstuffs and manufactures they need. [Progressive nations] develop the territory by
building roads, canals, railways, and telegraphs. They can establish schools and newspapers for the colonies [and] give these people the
benefit of other blessings of civilization which they have not the means of creating themselves."
According to the author, what benefits did the colonies receive from the "modern progressive nations"?

Name: ANSWER KEY Date:

10th Grade Social Studies
Unit Exam

Age of Imperialism
Directions: Answer all the multiple choice and true/false questions to the best of your ability. Even if you do not know the answer it is better to
guess then to not answer the question. There are also three DBQs that you must complete. Good Luck!

1) Why did the Imperial powers wish to take control of colonies?

A) They were searching for new markets.
B) They felt it was their duty to help the backwards natives
C) They felt it was their right as the stronger nation to do so.
D) All of the above

2) ________________________ is when one country takes over another country, politically, economically, and or socially, they call that country their own
and have complete control over it
A) Imperialism
B) Government
C) Colonization
D) Communism

3) The main difference between old imperialism and new imperialism was:
A) The amount of money earned by the imperial powers
B) The desire to be more powerful than their competition
C) The opinion that native peoples were inferior to the people of the imperial powers
D) The goods traded

4) What is Social Darwinism?

A) The idea that the strongest people deserve the land and resources that they want
B) An idea that the strongest should give their land and resources to those less
fortunate
C) The modernization of Japan
D) The name of a town in British colonial India
5) What period in history was the world just coming out of that made imperialism “necessary?”
A) The Enlightenment
B) World War I
C) The Industrial Revolution
D) Old Imperialism

6) What event(s) were started by the age of imperialism?

A) Scramble for Africa
B) Scramble for Asia
C) Both A and B
D) None of the above

4) What was one of the many motives Europe had in “the Scramble for Africa?”
A) Popularity
B) Natural Resources
C) Help improve the life of Africans
D) Knowledge

8) What two countries established forts and trading posts along the African coast in the 1600 and 1700s?
A) English and Spanish
B) Dutch and Portuguese
C) French and English
D) Spanish and Portuguese

9) What Country was the private property of King Leopold II?

A) Egypt
B) Angola
C) Nigeria
D) Congo

10) Who called the Berlin Conference?

A) King Leopold II
B) David Livingstone
C) African People
D) Otto Von Bismarck

11) What was one of the effects of “the Scramble for Africa” that Africans had to face?
A) Nothing, Africans were very happy when the Europeans came.
B) Separated families
C) Divided up many ethnic groups
D) Made the Europeans very rich

12) How was the Sepoy Mutiny started?

A) The Hindus and the Muslims decided that they didn’t like each other so they
decided to fight each other
B) The British used lard on rifle cartridges which offended the native peoples.
C) The British burned down a Hindu temple
D) The French invaded India

13) The Meiji Restoration in Japan was prompted in part by

A) A fear that Japan would be colonized by western nations
B) The failure of Japanese expansion
C) The Shogun’s conversion to Christianity
D) A desire to stay isolated

14) What was a direct result of the Opium War in 19th-century China?
A) Japan gained control of Hong Kong.
B) Kublai Khan rose to power in China.
C) Chinese ports were opened for trade with European powers.
D) Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-shek) fled to Taiwan.

15) One characteristic of the Boxer Rebellion is that it

A) Opposed European imperialism
B) Ended an established dynasty
C) Resulted in the redistribution of land
D) Instituted communist governments

16) • The east is bordered by the Yellow Sea.

• The population is concentrated along the coast and in the river valleys.
• Mountains, plateaus, and deserts dominate the western region.
To which country do all of these geographic statements apply?
A) England
B) China
C) Nicaragua
D) Philippines

17) A goal of the Boxer Rebellion in China was to

A) Promote laissez-faire capitalism
B) End foreign control
 C) Develop modern industries
D) Create a totalitarian state

18) Which treaty ended the first Opium War and forcibly opened China to foreign trade?
A) Kanagawa Treaty
B) Nanjing Treaty
C) Treaty of Versailles
D) Treaty of London

19) An area or region over which a state/nation exerts some kind of indirect cultural, economic, military or political domination is called a
A) Territory
B) Colony
C) Sphere of Influence
D) Protectorate

20) A treaty that heavily favors one nation over another due to the threat of overwhelming military or economic pressure is called
A) A Non-Aggression Pact
B) A Peace Treaty
C) An Inequitable Treaty
D) An Unequal Treaty

21) The Chinese Revolutionary Alliance overthrew the Qing Dynasty in China, under the leadership of
A) Mao Zedong
B) Sun Yat-sen
C) Deng Xiaoping
D) Wang Dayuan

22) In the aftermath of being taken over by European influences, China developed industry, a business class, urban working classes, and extensive
trade relations. These developments most characterize
A) Acculturation
B) Urbanization
C) Westernization
D) Ethnocide

23) What United States President established the Great White Fleet?
A) Herbert Hoover
B) William H. Taft
C) Teddy Roosevelt
D) Woodrow Wilson

24) _____________________________ is the creation of a stable society capable of producing a high level of goods and services.
A) Industry
B) Community
C) Hard work
D) Modernization

25) True or False: The British East India Company lost control of India after the Sepoy Mutiny?
A) True
B) False

26) True or False: In terms of trade the Imperial powers would have a huge trade loss if Imperialism had never happened?
A) True
B) False

27) True or False: A buffer state was used as a way of preventing a rival imperial power from expanding and gaining too much control?
A) True
B) False

28) True or False: As a result of the treaty of Kanagawa and the incident with Matthew Perry, the Japanese decided that it would be vital to their
survival to westernize and modernize?
A) True
B) False

29) True or False: Berlin Act established an agreement that allowed European countries to lay claim on any area in Africa that a European power
already had claim over.
A) True
B) False

30) True or False: Ethiopia was colonized by the French?

A) True
B False

DBQs

Directions: Answer the questions to the DBQs in bullet form. Try to include as much information as possible.

Document 1- What did Colonization mean to Native people?

 "Learning civilized ways is hard work"
Document 2 - "When the whites came to our country, we had the land and they had the Bible, now we have the Bible and they have the
land." - African proverb

How did the Africans feel about the missionaries?

Document 3 - O.P. Austin, "Does Colonization Pay" The Forum, 1900

"Modern progressive nations lying in the temperate zone seek to control garden spots’ in the tropics. [mainly in Africa, Latin
America, and Asia] Under [the progressive nations] direction, these places can yield tropical produce. In return, the progressive nations
bring to the people of those garden spots the foodstuffs and manufactures they need. [Progressive nations] develop the territory by
building roads, canals, railways, and telegraphs. They can establish schools and newspapers for the colonies [and] give these people the
benefit of other blessings of civilization which they have not the means of creating themselves."
According to the author, what benefits did the colonies receive from the "modern progressive nations"?

Extra Credit question: How many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop?
Answer: The world may never know.

Imperialism DBQ Rubric

Rating 5
 Thoroughly addresses the social, political, and economic effects of imperialism,
utilizing most of the documents and incorporating outside information that relates to
the documents.
 Thorough discussion of the positive and negative effects of imperialism that is richly
supported with accurate facts, examples, and details.
 Clearly stated thesis that is supported by accurate interpretation and analyzes of most
of the documents and outside information that relates to the documents.
 Analysis reflects the conflicting perspectives and complexity of the issue and
document.
 The documents are analyzed, synthesized, and woven into the body of the essay.
 The conclusion summarizes key arguments and points made in the essay.

Rating 4
 Addresses most of the social, economic, and political effects of imperialism. Utilizes
most of the documents and incorporates limited outside information which may be
somewhat uneven in treatment.
 Discussion of positive and negative effects of imperialism is supported with accurate
facts, examples, and details.
 Thesis is supported by accurate interpretation, analyzes most of the documents with
limited outside information.
 Analysis reflects the conflicting perspectives and complexity of the documents. May be
descriptive or analytical.
 Conclusion summarizes key arguments and points made in the essay.

Rating 3
 Addresses some of the social, economic, and political aspects of imperialism. Utilizes
some of the documents with little or no outside information.
 Attempts to discuss the positive and negative effects of imperialism, which may be
supported with some facts and examples. Minimal factual errors may be present.
 Thesis statement may simply restate the task and not establish a position. May not fully
support the thesis statement.
 Thesis statement may be missing or not supported.
 Conflicting perspectives are acknowledged. Discussion of the documents may be more
descriptive than analytical. Paraphrasing of the documents may be present.
 Conclusion maybe a simple restatement of the task.
 Rating 2
 Attempts to address the issue of imperialism with limited use of the documents. No
outside information is apparent.
 Some recognition of the positive and negative effects of imperialism with little
discussion or use of factual knowledge.
 Thesis statement may be missing or vague.
 Discussion merely reiterates the contents of the documents. Only one perspective of
imperialism may be acknowledged.
 Conclusion may be vague or missing.

Rating 1
 Demonstrates a very limited understanding of imperialism.
 Little or no recognition of the effects of imperialism.
 No thesis statement.
 Fails to use the documents or references are vague.
 No conclusion.

Rating 0
 Fails to address the task.
 No response.
 Blank paper.

Bibliography

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, a Division of Random House, Inc., 1959.
- This is a primary source about a man from Africa named Chinua Achebe. In this book Achebe writes about what happens to his
village when Europeans arrive. It is a great first had look and feel of how Africans felt when their land was being taken from
them.

Beers, F. Burton. World History: Patterns of Civilization. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1986. 488-491.
- This is a secondary source, high school text book. Even though, it is a bit out dated the information relating to the “Scramble for
Africa” was relevant and is still information that is used today. This source provided a great map depicting the territories that
each European occupied during that time. It was also a very easy source to read and comprehend.

Ch'en, Jerome. "The Nature and Characteristics of the Boxer Movement - A Morphological Study." Bulletin of the School of Oriental
and African Studies 23 (1960): 278-308.
- This secondary source document proves useful in researching the Boxer Rebellion because the author casts it in a different light:
a religious uprising. He also does very well in showing specific factors that directly caused the Rebellion (i.e. propaganda,
religious conceptions, foreign interference). The meticulous break down of the Rebellion, all its movements and stages is most
useful.

Liang, Chin-Tung. The Chinese Revolution of 1911. Jamaica, NY: St. John's University P, 1962.
- This primary source document is very helpful in establishing the solid facts of the 1911 Chinese Revolution because it was
written by a man who experienced the Revolution firsthand. He provides accounts of events leading up to and through the
 Revolution. His explicit reason for writing this book was to stop the distortion of cultural and historical heritage of the Chinese
people by putting an end to ignorance of that heritage.

Melancon, Michael S., and Swanson John C.. Nineteenth Century Europe: Sources and Perspectives from History. New York: Pearson
Education, Inc., 2007.

- This was a book of primary sources. In it I was able to find the poem “Take up the White Man’s Burden,” by Rudyard Kipling.

Noble, Thomas F.X., et. al. Western Civilization: the Continuing Experiment. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.

- This is a secondary source that discusses the development of the western world. From this book I was able to obtain information
that pertained to the rise of imperialism.

NYS Global History Pilots, spring 1997, “Global History Sample DBQ’s,” http://www.edteck.com/dbq/dbquest/quest10.htm
(assessed October 5, 2008)

- This site provided sample questions with a rubric on DBQ’s in relation to the topic of Imperialism. We were able to use this site
when creating our unit exam.

Toyin Falola, ed, Africa Vol. 1 African History before 1885. (Carolina: Carolina Academic Press, 2000), 44-45, 429.

- This is a secondary source that strictly forces on the history of Africa. This book was very helpful because it provided a vast
amount of information about the “Scramble for Africa.” This was very helpful when trying to determine what facts the students
should know and what facts really were not that relevant.