Act-It-Out: Christopher Columbus

We are currently learning about how European countries claimed and settled lands in the "New World." In this "act-it-out" students had to answer questions in the roles of Christopher Columbus and his crew, as well as the natives they encountered.

Christopher Columbus

As I mentioned in class, Europeans were well aware that the Earth was round (spherical actually) at the time of Columbus. Columbus' desire to sail westward to the Indies was actually based on two false beliefs: 1. that the Earth was actually smaller (about 2/3) than it actually is and 2.) that Asia was much larger than it is. Therefore, by his calculations he could reach Asia in just a few months by crossing the Atlantic Ocean. He, and everyone else, were also unaware that there were two continents in the way.

Here is a recreation of the map by Toscanelli that Columbus used as a reference for his voyages (the outline of North and South America was not on the original map of course).



Here is a fun, but not completely accurate, video about Columbus:



Magellan was the first explorer to lead a voyage that circumnavigated (sail completely around) the Earth. Magellan was killed about 2/3 of the way through the voyage, and only one of the five ships that originally sailed made it back to Europe.

Here's a fun video about Magellan:

Blind Passage

As our Preview for Chapter 2: European Exploration and Settlement, students participated in an activity called Blind Passage. In this activity, students were challenged to walk through a field of obstacles, blindfolded, in order to earn extra credit for their team.

After the activity, we compared what the students experienced with what early European explorers went through while searching for new trade routes and new land. We discussed their goals, challenges, the risks, and the rewards,

Here are some pictures:

The First Americans

In our first week of school we discussed how scientists believe that human beings first migrated to North America across a land bridge that once existed between Asia and present-day Alaska. We also discussed how Native Americans survived by adapting to their environment.

First Day of School in History

Why Study History?

The answer lies in the question: "why".

As young people, you are always asking why things are the way they are. History answers those questions and provides us with the knowledge we need to move forward. In order to know where you are going, you must first know who you are. In order to know who you are, you must first know where you came from.

This applies to us as individuals, as well as a community, a nation, and a world. In order to make decisions about the future, we must first understand the past.

More important to me then learning the specific details of historical events, is that you gain a sense of history, an understanding of the importance of the past in preparing for the future.

Welcome Back!

Welcome to the 2008 - 2009 school year! I'm looking forward to a great year. Please look through previous posts on this blog to see what type of activiies we'll be doing and the topics we'll be covering. E-mail me if you have any questions.

The Civil War in 4 Minutes

The Dred Scot Case

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Slave Story Quilts

We recently learned that slaves in the early 1800's used story quilts to pass on information to future generations. In order to show our knowledge of the conditions slaves lived under, and the things they did to cope with those conditions, we made our own "story quilts". The quilt squares convey information about such topics as; working conditions of slaves, living conditions of slaves, how slaves were controlled, how they resisted slavery, slave families and communities, slave churches, leisure time activities, and African American culture.

Life in the West

We are currently learning about what life was like in the West for eight different groups of people in the early to mid 1800's. Students created mini-dramas (plays) that explain why each group moved west, what hardships they faced, and what legacies they left. Groups that moved west included; the Explorers, the Mountain Men, the Californios, the Missionaries, Pioneer Women, the Forty-Niners, the Mormons, and the Chinese.

Geography Review

Students used interactive desk maps to help review the territorial acquisitions made by the United States in teh first half of the 19th century.

The United States Expands

We are currently studying U.S. expansion. Instead of simply learning about how Americans came to control new areas of land, we are judging whether or not the decisions taken to gain control of these lands were right or wrong. In a “response group” activity, students played the role of American policy-makers by reading about the events that led up specific land acquisitions (Louisiana Purchase, Texas Annexation, etc.), and then making their own decisions about what the U.S. should do. Their decisions determine whether or not students can “settle” in newly acquired lands on an abstract floor map of the United States.

James K. Polk

It was during the Presidency of James K. Polk that U.S. acuired Texas, Oregon, and the Mexican Cession. Here is an interesting music video about this President:

12 Angry Men

As a follow-up to our study of the Constitution we are watching the film 12 Angry Men and discussing how our rights, specifically those listed in the 5th and 6th Amendments often must compete with our human nature.

Here is a trailer for the film:

Supreme Court Case Study

Last week students learned more about how the Bill of Rights affects their lives. They were grouped together into mini-courts in which they read actual Supreme Court cases that dealt with issues involving the rights of students. After they read each case, each court would write their majority and minority opinions. After discussing each case as a class we talked about how the actual Supreme Court decided.

Here are some mini-courts at work:

Constitutional Law Competition

We spent last week studying the Constitution. Students reasearched the three branches; Legislative, Executive, and Judicial, and also learned about the system of Checks & Balances, the Amendment Process, and how the Federal System works. We then took the "Bar Exam", a quiz on what we have learned so far. Based on the results of their "Bar Exams", students were placed into "law firms." The "law firms" then participated in a Constitutional Law Competition in which they were presented with a number of legal dilemmas. They had to use their knowledge to come up with a solution to the problem, as well as cite where in the Constitution the anwer can be found.

How a Bill Becomes a Law

The Three Branches of Government