​rethink.

Lesson Created by: Stacey Brands

 

·  Lesson Overview: Lesson Two is an important lesson to expose to students about Christopher Columbus. Many students at a young age are taught that Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492 to explore the new world, which today is known as America. Christopher Columbus is looked to many as a hero, but many do not know the bad Christopher Columbus caused. This lesson is very important to students, because the majority of students have learned in the classroom only one perspective of who Columbus was. This lesson will include two perspectives, which will be taught/shown through a book in the classroom and an interview found on You Tube. Students will learn the good and bad about Christopher Columbus through the use of a book and an interview. Once students are exposed to two perspectives, the entire class will work together to make a T-chart comparing the two perspectives of Columbus based on the book and interview. Teacher will ask students thoughts and feelings about the two perspectives. Once teacher has gathered the students thoughts and feelings, teacher will introduce students to a meaningful writing activity, where students will write a letter to the author of the book. Students will write their thoughts and feelings about the book to the author, but also include in their letters what the author forgot in the book based on the interview the students have seen. The main goal of this lesson is to expose to students two perspectives of who Columbus was, which many people are not aware of.

 

Preparation: Students will be read the Christopher Columbus book, where students will have the action to view it after teacher has finished reading the book to the class. Computer/Internet acess will have to be able, where students will view the You Tube video with opposing view points of Christopher Columbus. Teacher would also need to have enough copies for a T-chart worksheet and a letter template. The letter template is meant for the students to write a letter to the author of the Christopher Columbus book, explaining what she missed about Christopher Columbus book. Teacher would want to have a letter example handy, so students have an idea to get started. Teacher would also need to make sure each student has a pen or pencil and their writing journals for the closure of the lesson. The writing journal is necessary for the lesson, because students will write their thoughts and feelings about Columbus and what didn’t know prior to the lesson.

 

·  Instruction:  Begin lesson, by asking students:  “Boys and Girls, can anyone tell me who Christopher Columbus was?”(Possible answers: Explorer, found America). Teacher will write students responses on the board. Teacher will tell students that Christopher Columbus did sail across the Atlantic Ocean and discovered America. Teacher will tell students that as a class they will be reading “Meet Christopher Columbus” teacher will gain students’ attention and excitement for the book, by stating “I wonder who Christopher Columbus was and what good he did.”

Once the class has read the story, teacher will ask students what they learned from reading the story. Many students will say the following: Christopher Columbus sailed the Atlantic Ocean four times, he was a great captain, found the New World, one of the first people to make a historical journey, etc.). Teacher will ask students of what they think of Christopher Columbus after reading the story (he was a great man, hero, etc.). Teacher will explain to students that yes, Christopher Columbus did accomplish a great thing by finding the New World, but now students will be watching a video about Christopher Columbus. Teacher will project on the board the video depicting Christopher Columbus in not the typical perspective Columbus is displayed in the classroom. Teacher will ask students what they thought of the video. Teacher will ask students what they learned from the video about Columbus (Possible answers: Columbus wiped out an indigenous population, he was a dictator, made people servants, etc.).  Teacher will hand out to students a T-chart worksheet. Together the class will compare the differences from the book and video. Teacher will display a copy of the T-chart on the board, so students can come up to the board and write facts they learned from the book and video. Teacher will go over the book part on the T-chart and ask students to volunteer responses from what happened in the book. Teacher will call on students with responses, where students will write what they know from the book on the board. The teacher will ask students if they agree with what their classmate is saying, before the student writes his or her response on the board. As students are coming to the board and writing their fact, students will write the fact on their T-chart. The same thing should be done with the video. Teacher will ask students to look at the completed T-chart, what do they see that’s different (possible responses: Columbus didn’t have slaves in the book, Columbus was a good guy in the book but not in the video, etc.). Teacher will then write the author’s name on the board (Bonnie Badar). Teacher will explain to students how he or she wants each student to write a letter to the author. The letter should address students’ thoughts and feelings about the book and tell the author what she left out about Columbus in the book. Teacher will show students his or her own example.

As students are writing their letter to the author, teacher will monitor students progress by walking around. Not only walking around, but a teacher can hold a writing conference with each student, where the teacher can ask students what they think of Christopher Columbus, what they are planning to include in the letter, etc. Overall, teacher will help students in the right direction if student is off track.

Once students have completed their letters, teacher will ask students if any of them would like to read their letters to Bonnie Badar. After hearing a few students’ responses, teacher will ask students what they thought about today’s lesson and what they learned about Christopher Columbus that they didn’t know before. To make sure students are understanding it, teacher will ask students if they can write for fives minutes in their journals about what they didn’t know about Columbus prior to today and what they thought about the two perspectives.

 

 

·  Standards:

 

·      8.1.3.B: Identify fact, opinion, multiple points of view, and primary sources as related to historical events.

 

·      R3.A.1.3.1: Make inferences and/or draw conclusions based on information from the text.

 

·      R3.A.2.5.1: Summarize the major points, processes, and/or events of a nonfictional text as a whole.

 

·      1.5.3.A: Write with a focus, with an understanding of topic, task, and audience.