The rush to expand empires and the ensuing age of Imperialism was fueled by a few different motivations. Not every country shared the same views, and all were competing to divide Asia and Africa up between them. In this activity, students will use a spider map to research and summarize some of the main motivations for European Imperialism in the 18th and 19th century.
Students may consider including the following motivations for European Imperialism:
Extended Activity
To further deepen their understanding of imperialism, students can select one of their motivating factors and describe why it is the most important factor using another storyboard or a short persuasive essay. Students could also put their factors in order from least to most important.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a spider map that explains the main motivations for European Imperialism.