Goals:

To associate explorers with specific discoveries.

To apply research skills to learn more about the explorers.

For the culminating activity, students will feel comfortable switching roles with the instructor for the class to demonstrate what they have learned.

To instill a philosophy of cooperative learning among the students.

Content Areas:

Language Arts - writing, speaking, and research skills

Social Studies - geography, economic resources.

Materials:

Sis, Peter. (1991). Follow the Dream. New York: Random House.

Internet access

Poster board

Construction paper

Markers

Procedure: (1-2 hours M-F)

Monday: 2 hours
 
1) Introduce the week of exploration by reading Follow the Dream, by Peter Sis, aloud to the class.

2) Create a semantic web to draw out prior knowledge and establish background information about the explorers. First write the word explorers on the board. See how far the web can be expanded by the students. Suggested ideas by the students are organized by drawing lines to represent similar content.

3) From the semantic web created, a discussion with regard to the most frequently studied Spanish and Portuguese explorers can begin. Explorers should include:
 

Bartholomeu Dias (P) rounded Cape of Good Hope in 1488

Vasco da Gama (P) sailed around the Cape of Good Hope to India in 1498

Christopher Columbus (I) sets sail in search of westward route to India, reaches San Salvador in 1492

Vasco de Balboa (S) first to see Pacific Ocean in 1513

Ferdinand Magellan (P) first to voyage around the world in 1519-1521

4) Students will form groups of three or four. Groups will be allowed to choose which explorer they wish to research. Explorers can be adopted by more than one group. The students will use the next four days to research their chosen explorer for a presentation on Friday. Students will switch roles with the instructor for a day to demonstrate what they have learned this week.

5) Some ideas for culminating activities:
 
a) Ask students to use library resources, reference books, and information provided on the Internet to research types of spices explorers desired from the Orient. Each student should choose one spice and research its history and geographical origin and then relate this to Bartholomeu Dias/Vasco da Gama's explorations.

b) NEWS FLASH! Let students pretend they are television reporters in Spain in 1491. They are assigned to interview Christopher Columbus about his upcoming voyage. Questions should be based on Christopher Columbus' beliefs and his reason for wanting to make the voyage.

c) Create a bulletin board/poster board of Spanish or Portuguese explorers including a paragraph of each one's experiences.

d) As the explorer, write a journal entry to a parent or relative at home in Europe about your new experiences




Tuesday: 1 hour
 

Students will use this hour to divide work among the group members. Then they are to use the library resources to incorporate the information they research into their presentation. Encourage use of the Internet along with books and reference materials.

Wednesday: 1 hour
 
If the students do not have all of their data collected, they may go to the library again. Otherwise, students should start processing the information and deciding how to demonstrate their new knowledge.

Thursday: 1 hour
 
Students will finish up projects and rehearse for tomorrow's presentation.

Friday: 2 hours
 
1) A writing exercise. Each student should explain what he/she has learned and the importance of cooperative learning (at least one page typed).

2) The presentations will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The students become the teachers for the day.

Assessment:

The presentations on the explorers will represent the work accomplished for the teacher evaluation. Criteria for success: Clear understanding of the material presented, explorer's background, major discoveries, and reasons behind his discovery. Equal participation by all members of the group. Level of cooperation among the members of the group. (Please see rubric for peer evaluation of group work for last two criteria.)

Extensions:

With all of the information provided this week by the students, they could create their own review game by placing specific characteristics of explorers in a hat while another student chooses and tries to answer.

 This page was submitted by St. Norbert College Ocean Voyagers Program