Lesson Three: Analyzing “Intercepted Intelligence”

• Papal Bull Document
• Papal Bull Document (teacher version)
• Early Modern Period documents

As in the previous lesson, students are broken up into groups of three based on an assigned Early Modern empire (Ashanti Kingdom, English Empire, Dutch Empire, Mughal Empire, Ottoman Empire, Qing Empire, Russian Empire, Safavid Empire, Spanish Empire). In their groups, students play the role of diplomats who are gathering intelligence in order to build a mutually beneficial trading relationship between their assigned empire and another empire.

Activity 1. Analyzing a Primary Source

In this lesson, student-diplomats analyze a primary source document, which we present as “intercepted intelligence.” To analyze the source, students complete the worksheet, which guides the through an analysis of the document.

Activity 2. Ranking Significance

After reading the document students use a white board to rank how significant the information in the document is for their assigned empire. Students will rank it as “1” if they think the document has no bearing on their empire and “10” if they think the document is critically significant. They must give reasons for their ranking.

Once they have complete the document analysis in class, students complete a second document analysis for homework. Students choose to work on a document from the Early Modern Period from the Internet History Sourcebook that will give insight into an empire they are interested in building a relationship with at the diplomatic reception. They need to come prepare for class with a short four point analysis of the document.