Teaching Spanish Explorers
Lesson: Spanish Explorers
Teacher: Samantha Shaffer/Elizabeth Morphis
Grade/Subject:7th – Texas History
Materials Needed:
Readings on the Spanish Explorers
1 Introduction per students
6 of Each explorer (5 Explorers: Juan Ponce de Leon, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, Hernando Cortes, Francisco Pizarro, Hernando de Soto)
Objectives: Students will learn about various Spanish explorers and identify key characteristics and actions that had an impact on Texas, US, and World History.
TEKS §113.19. Social Studies, Grade 7
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(1) History. The student understands traditional historical points of reference in Texas history. The student is expected to:
(A) identify the major eras in Texas history, and describe their defining characteristics, and explain why historians divide the past into eras, including Natural Texas and its People; Age of Contact; Spanish Colonial; Mexican National; Revolution and Republic; Early Statehood; Texas in the Civil War and Reconstruction; Cotton, Cattle and Railroads; Age of Oil; Texas in the Great Depression and World War II; Civil Rights and Conservatism; and Contemporary Texas;
(B) apply absolute and relative chronology through the sequencing of significant individuals, events, and time periods;
(21) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired through established research methodologies from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions;
Modifications: No accommodations needed for students in the class for this lesson.
Time & Activities
A: Mental/Anticipatory Set (7:40 3-5 min)
Which countries had explorers come to the Americas?
Who were some of these explorers?
What do you know about any of the explorers?
B: Modeling (Demonstration) (7:45 15 min)
Introduction Reading & Questions
Students will do the reading and answer the questions at the end.
As a class, we will go over the reading and summarize the key points of each section.
Students will model characteristics and actions of the explorer for their table through a skit for the class. (Juan Ponce de Leon, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, Hernando Cortes, Francisco Pizarro, Hernando de Soto)
C: Checking for Understanding
N/A Throughout the lesson I will check with the students to make sure no one is lost or confused about what we will be doing.
D: Practice (Guided/Independent) (8:00 10 min)
Students will model characteristics and actions of the explorer for their table through a skit for the class. (Juan Ponce de Leon, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, Hernando Cortes, Francisco Pizarro, Hernando de Soto)
(1-2 min each).
E: Closure (8:10 10 Min)
Discussion of Skits after all are presented.
Class Discussion Questions:
What did most of the explorers have in common?
How could we categorize the explorers?
What did/can we learn from these explorers?
Lesson Reflection
My first lesson in a middle school classroom was on the Spanish Explorers. I felt a little uncomfortable with the material at first since it had been years since I had learned about them and my classes normally focused more on the French and British settlers since I lived in more northern areas of the United States. After reading some articles to become more familiar with the material I felt more confident about the lesson I was going to teach. My CT encouraged me to try new activities in the classroom that I had never done before, so I went with a skit. I was a little nervous about having an activity where the kids leave their seats because I have had issues with classroom management when
Overall, I feel that the lesson went very well and that the students left with a firm grasp in the material. There were some issues with classroom management, but my CT and I talked about ways to improve. One of the most notable issues was finding a way to get the student’s attention. Not knowing what methods they knew (like “clap once if you hear me”), made it difficult to get their attention, especially with them working in groups talking. After my lesson, she told me which one’s they knew so I would be able to use them in future lessons. Additionally, I learned that spoken directions, no matter how simple, should be reinforced with written directions, either on the board or on a handout. I had planned to write the directions, but I was running late that morning due to traffic, and I learned that it is not as optional as I thought it was.
The class reaction to the lesson was mostly positive, with a few students who preferred not to do a skit, but they still did it anyway. One group spent half of their presentation time arguing about what they were doing in front of the class. My CT suggested that I check in with that group of students to see how their work is going and request to see what they actually have done next time. I was suppressed how well I was able to react to certain students in getting them motivated since I had only seen the A-day kids once or twice weeks before I taught the lesson and I did not have much of an opportunity to interact or learn what they were like.
My feedback from my CT was very helpful with many positive things in addition to the negatives. She gave me suggestions on ways to improve and strategies to use to maintain control of the class better. I hope to use what I learned from this lesson to improve on my next lessons this semester!
.jpg)
.jpg)
