Expanded World: The Impact of European Explorers

Engage

Engage: Divide class into three groups for each activity. Allow ten to fifteen minutes per activity, depending upon students’ needs. Have the following directions posted on whiteboards in the areas where students will engage in the tasks. Introduce students by asking these questions to the whole group before the groups begin the task: How many of you have ever been exploring? Why did you want to go exploring? What did you do? Discuss this for about five to ten minutes, then say, “Today, we are going to begin learning about some people who where known as explorers a long time ago. I’d like to dig a little deeper to find out a little about what you know about explorers.”
1.    Please log in to your Edmodo account and look for the assignment posted to RHES 2010 from Mrs. Gillette titled, Who are Explorers? You will answer the following questions and then click on the “turn in” button:

What is an explorer? What do they do?

Why do, or did, people explore?

Do you know the names of any explorers, past or present?


2.    In your writing journals, brainstorm at least 4 words that you would use to describe an explorer. Think about a word that could complete this sentence: “An explorer is someone who is                    .  You and a friend may brainstorm together to accomplish the task. Once you have your words, go to the desktop computer at the back of class and type them in the box displayed on the computer . . . even if you see the word you thought of, type it anyway.
3.    At the smartboard, open up the notebook software with the prepared continent “puzzle”. Say to students, or post where they can read the directions, “Please rearrange these continents by dragging them to their correct spot to create the map of the world. Once you and your group have done this, please label each continent using the pen. If you want to know how to spell the continents correctly, think about the resources we have in our classroom that can help you and use them!

As students work on these tasks, move from center to center to facilitate activities, to answer questions and to assess students’ prior knowledge by observing how they manipulate the continents on the smartboard and what they are writing on Edmodo and in their notebooks by asking them these questions: What do you think people are looking for when they explore? What might people need to know or be able to do when they explore?

At the end of the engage lesson, discuss students’ responses and ideas. Take the word list on the desktop, create the wordle and broadcast it onto the board for students to discuss and react to.

Explore

Explore: Day 2 (1-2 days)  
Students begin researching different explorers to add depth to their understanding of what explorers do, or did. Students need access to computers and a variety of books to learn more. They also need access to laptops with mind mapping software, such as kidpiration to fill out a prepared Venn diagram comparing their definitions of explorers to the information they find in their research.

How do explorers compare to your definition? Visit these websites (such as Enchanted Learning.com) and read these books and articles to compare what you wrote

1.    Students investigate different explorer websites to determine similarities and differences between their definitions and the facts they uncover about a variety of different explorers (of their choice)
2.    Students read timelines and biographies about a variety of explorers.
3.    Students fill out a Venn diagram in kidspiration to share what they find out about explorers vis-à-vis their original definitions. They record any questions or surprises they uncovered in these early days of research through Edmodo, by sending a note to RHES 2010.
4.    A classroom discussion after each day of research adds new explorer characteristics to the wordle. New, important questions might arise, such as “Why can’t I find Amelia Earhart on this website?” and lead to further research such as whether or not Earhart’s work fits definition of an explorer. For students who wish to pursue these types of questions, the following days research will provide them with opportunities to gather their evidence to argue their case. If no surprising questions arise, or if students choose not to take this direction, research will continue to focus upon the four explorers mandated by Virginia standards.
5.    Additional Web resources (assignment 5) (students should hover mouse over stickies to read specific notes and instructions – need to log into Diigo first) http://www.mnh.si.edu/vikings/start.html
6.    http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/1492.exhibit/c-Columbus/columbus.html
7.    http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/c/columbus.shtml

Explain

Explain (2-3 days)

Today, as you take a look at your research, so far, you will be looking at four specific explorers (Christopher Columbus, Ponce de Leon, Jacques Cartier, and Christopher Newport).  I want you to gather information on all of these explorers and keep track of your information in your journals. Answer these questions as you learn more about these men:

Why did these men explore?
Where did they explore?
What did they find out?
How was life different after their exploration?

If you have any other questions, log into Edmodo and ask them by sending a note to RHES 2010. We will gather them and discuss at the end of each of our sessions.

If you are following a different thread (such as whether or not Amelia Earhart was an explorer), answer these questions as they apply to the 4 I’ve listed, and to Earhart as well.
I will be conferencing with you over the next two days to find out where you are in your research and to give you any, feedback, extra support or materials that you need.

Elaborate

Elaborate

These are suggestions for a final project:
•    Create a podcast about any of the 4 explorers, comparing their work with your original definition.
•    Write a short play about any of the explorers you have learned about, communicating how their exploration changed the lives of people impacted by their journeys and discoveries. Film the play for uploading to Teachertube or Youtube.
•    If you chose a person to focus on that was not one of the four mentioned above, gather the information about your person and invite another member of the class to debate whether or not your choice fits the definition of an explorer. Create your argument and four or five questions to ask your debating opponent.
•    Write a letter to me telling me whether or not we should observe Columbus Day. Whatever side you choose, give me three reasons based upon your research about Columbus.

Evaluate

Evaluate

Log into Edmodo and look for the assignment, “What I’ve Learned”. Write three things that you learned about any of the explorers you have studied. Choose the important ideas, rather than the details.

The following rubric will be used to evaluate your projects by both you, the student, and me, the teacher:


Expert    Apprentice    Novice
Project shows that you can communicate the big ideas about explorers. You have included all of the necessary parts of the assignment, and you have proven that you truly understand who the explorers were.    Project shows that you know some facts about the explorers. You included all but one of the necessary parts of the assignment, and you have proven that you can identify some characteristics of the explorers.      Project shows that you still confuse some of the facts about explorers and would benefit by continuing to learn more about them. You included all but two or more parts of the assignment.

Extend

Extend

Choose a modern day explorer to compare to any one of the European explorers. Write a comic, using Comic Life® in which these two compare the challenges and rewards of their work, or have these two debate about which of their accomplishments has altered the world for the better.