Connecting the Spice Trade to Oil

I came across a blog by Tim Lauer on a great web site done by the Chicago Tribune.

Chicago Tribune: A Tank of Gas, A World of Trouble Oil Safari | Chicago Tribune news | Broadband

By Tim Lauer

The Chicago Tribune has recently published a special report by Paul Salopek that traces the gasoline sold at a suburban Chicago station back to its origins. The report discusses the realities of our dependence on oil consumption and discusses the issues we face because of this dependence. The accompanying multimedia materials (video interviews, maps, interactive graphics, still pictures...) are a good example of how traditional print media can enhance their content through the web. The site also includes a great little ticker that counts off US oil consumption while you are visiting the site. Those of you teaching social studies might find this site a good place for your students to begin to discuss this topic.

I have been thinking about lessons and activities that will help connect my kids to the study of Europian explorers. I've got a few ideas that should help them understand why men would get into caravels and sail out to sea when no one knew what we would find. I want the kids to consider what things they personally value, and to help them understand what the people in the 15th century valued and why different "things" were important to them.

As I previewed this site it occurred to me that this would be a good extension and modern-day connection to the early explorers. Oil certainly drives the economies of today's industrial nations, just as the spice and silk trade did in the past. And just as in the past, the relationships between nations is connected to the need for trade of this commodity.