Social Studies/Technology lesson
Objective: Students will research and learn about the different European explorers and why they came to America.
Common Core State Standard:
6.4.8.C.1: Discuss factors that stimulated European overseas exploration between the 15th and 17th centuries and the impact of that exploration on the modern world.
Vocabulary:
· John Cabot
· Jacques Cartier
· Christopher Columbus
· Henry Hudson
· Vasco Nunez Balboa
Materials:
· Chromebook
· Facebook template
o https://ncasdtech.wikispaces.com/file/view/Facebook_Template%5B1%5D.pdf/215839838/Facebook_Template%5B1%5D.pdf
Warm up (5 min):
· Have students watch brain pop on Christopher Columbus and ask students if they know about any other explorers that came to America.
· http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/famoushistoricalfigures/christophercolumbus/
Mini-Lesson (10-15 min):
· Motivate: Create a KWL chart to provide purpose for the lesson and create an opportunity for students to connect personal and/or prior experience to the European explorers.
o Have students share any explorers they already know about and write them in the K part of the chart. Ask students what they would like to know about explorers in the W part of the chart. Say: “We will be learning about the European explorers over the next few days and answering all of our questions together.”
· Elaborate:
o Say: “ In order to understand what made Europeans come to America, we need to investigate specific explorers who came. Today in our groups, we will be exploring the European explorers online and creating Facebook pages to understand who each explorer was and why they came. We will work with new people and vocabulary. The explorers listed on the board all came here for a certain reason. Have you ever heard of any of them? Christopher Columbus was in the brain pop video we watched earlier. Did you notice why he came to America? What happened when he came to America? Turn and talk with your partner.”
· Demonstrate:
o Say: “We are now going to split up into five groups. Each group is going to pick one explorer. Once you pick your explorer, you will use chrome books to research your explorer and find facts that will help you create each Facebook page. After you are done, we will share our Facebook pages on the Smartboard and take turns posting a comment on each page about questions or comments you have for that explorer. Some things I would like you to include on each Facebook page is the explorer’s name, where they are from, if they had family, why they came to America, what years they explored America, where they landed in America, what happened to the explorer, and any other relative information you wish to share on your explorer’s page. You will have 30 minutes and can collaborate with your group and create each page together. Have fun!
Independent Work Time (30-40 min):
· Circulate and confer with students while taking notes or working with a small group in direct instruction.
· Students work in groups to complete the assignment and create a Facebook page about their explorer.
· Once students have completed their page, they can post it on the Smartboard for other students to post comments on their wall.
Share Session (5 min):
· Have groups take turns to share their Facebook page. Guide discussion by making sure that all questions about Explorers are answered including:
o Why did your explorer come to America?
o Who sent your explorer?
o Where did your explorer live?
o In what years did they explore America?
o Where did your explorer land in America?
Reflection:
· Have students respond in their social studies notebooks what they learned about their explorer and others that were shared.
Extended Learning:
· http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/books/applications/imaps/maps/g5s_u2/
· Have students track the explorer’s route to further understand the journey they took.
Objective: Students will research and learn about the different European explorers and why they came to America.
Common Core State Standard:
6.4.8.C.1: Discuss factors that stimulated European overseas exploration between the 15th and 17th centuries and the impact of that exploration on the modern world.
Vocabulary:
· John Cabot
· Jacques Cartier
· Christopher Columbus
· Henry Hudson
· Vasco Nunez Balboa
Materials:
· Chromebook
· Facebook template
o https://ncasdtech.wikispaces.com/file/view/Facebook_Template%5B1%5D.pdf/215839838/Facebook_Template%5B1%5D.pdf
Warm up (5 min):
· Have students watch brain pop on Christopher Columbus and ask students if they know about any other explorers that came to America.
· http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/famoushistoricalfigures/christophercolumbus/
Mini-Lesson (10-15 min):
· Motivate: Create a KWL chart to provide purpose for the lesson and create an opportunity for students to connect personal and/or prior experience to the European explorers.
o Have students share any explorers they already know about and write them in the K part of the chart. Ask students what they would like to know about explorers in the W part of the chart. Say: “We will be learning about the European explorers over the next few days and answering all of our questions together.”
· Elaborate:
o Say: “ In order to understand what made Europeans come to America, we need to investigate specific explorers who came. Today in our groups, we will be exploring the European explorers online and creating Facebook pages to understand who each explorer was and why they came. We will work with new people and vocabulary. The explorers listed on the board all came here for a certain reason. Have you ever heard of any of them? Christopher Columbus was in the brain pop video we watched earlier. Did you notice why he came to America? What happened when he came to America? Turn and talk with your partner.”
· Demonstrate:
o Say: “We are now going to split up into five groups. Each group is going to pick one explorer. Once you pick your explorer, you will use chrome books to research your explorer and find facts that will help you create each Facebook page. After you are done, we will share our Facebook pages on the Smartboard and take turns posting a comment on each page about questions or comments you have for that explorer. Some things I would like you to include on each Facebook page is the explorer’s name, where they are from, if they had family, why they came to America, what years they explored America, where they landed in America, what happened to the explorer, and any other relative information you wish to share on your explorer’s page. You will have 30 minutes and can collaborate with your group and create each page together. Have fun!
Independent Work Time (30-40 min):
· Circulate and confer with students while taking notes or working with a small group in direct instruction.
· Students work in groups to complete the assignment and create a Facebook page about their explorer.
· Once students have completed their page, they can post it on the Smartboard for other students to post comments on their wall.
Share Session (5 min):
· Have groups take turns to share their Facebook page. Guide discussion by making sure that all questions about Explorers are answered including:
o Why did your explorer come to America?
o Who sent your explorer?
o Where did your explorer live?
o In what years did they explore America?
o Where did your explorer land in America?
Reflection:
· Have students respond in their social studies notebooks what they learned about their explorer and others that were shared.
Extended Learning:
· http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/books/applications/imaps/maps/g5s_u2/
· Have students track the explorer’s route to further understand the journey they took.