Marco Polo

[Ricardo Reyes]

https://www.biography.com/explorer/marco-polo

This website is a good starting point to pique student's interest in the contributions of Marco Polo to world history, global exploration, and the early trade routes. Having myself traveled to Venice, my gondola guide pointed out Marco Polo's residence along a canal. That visual image left a lasting impression as I wondered which canal led to his prison cell from where his exploits and stories were penned by his cell mate. It was clearly evident that his closeness to the sea turned him into an adventurer especially after yearning in wait to see and hear from his father and uncle who were Silk Road traders. As a seventeen year old, raised by relatives, he eagerly accompanied his father on a 24 year journey which in due course changed the world forever. This referenced website contains many links, videos especially, and articles on the contgroversy surrounding the challenges to Marco's veracity. This website is chock full of content and student friendly features and stunning imagery. It is a good starting point to then view a selection of the Netflix series on Marco Polo which is very time consuming. Nonetheless, the production also features Kublai Khan and his relationship with Marco Polo during the time leading up to the conquest of China. 

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marco-Polo

This next website amplifies the content appreciably in order for more detail and serious study by high school students. It gathers greater detail especially about destinations upon his travels and especially under Kublai Khan's authority. There are time period primary source illustrations and maps from visual recorders representing Marco's travel routes and timeline . Four essential questions form the opening to this website and a are a click away from an expanded response which are very suitable for secondary students. 

 

[Marcos Rico]

The other day, during class my students asked me what is an encyclopedia. After explaining the use and purpose of encyclopedias (my students describe it as Google of the past), I looked online for a picture to show them what a full set would look like. Along with the picture of the Encyclopedia Britannica, we found out that the last printed edition was on 2010 (12,000 copies of the 32 book set). Glad to know that it is still alive in the digital world.

Biography.com will be another great reasource to share with my students.

[Dennis O'Connell]

Thank you for making me aware of these websites.  As you indicate, the information is accessible and does not shy away from the controversial accusations that Marco Polo may not have traveled as extensively as he claimed.  Just reading the website information made me hope that Marco Polo was telling the truth.  Can you imagine?  Being so intimately involved in the administrations of Kublai Khan?  Can you imagine being granted authority to travel throughout Myanmar, Tibet, and India on behalf of this great leader?  The attached video clip, produced by Biography, seems appropriate for classroom use and provides vivid images to which to attach other knowledge gleaned from books and articles.  

[Heidi Kwalk]

This website is very user friendly, especially for my 4th/5th graders. It is readable and the format is attractive with images to engage young students, too. I also like the list of European explorers at the bottom of the page, all of whom are in our explorers unit. My only concern in the source. Whose website is this? Is it reliable?  Perhaps this will make for a good sourcing excercise for the students. Students could also use this website to verify facts with number of other resources about Marco Polo. 

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