Lesson 1: Let's Find Gold! (an introduction)
Essential Question:
Who were some of the important European explorers, and what were their reasons for exploring? (They will learn about Christopher Columbus, Juan Ponce de Leon, Jacques Cartier, and Christopher Newport).
I. Objective:
a. The students will be able to recognize that an explorer is a person who travels seeking new discoveries, and a European is a person from one of the countries in Europe. The student will pretend that they are an explorer from Europe, and they will plan an exploration in table groups to search for “gold and riches” around the room.
b. SS. 2.14. a. 1. Describe the explorations of Columbus, Juan Ponce de Leon, Jacques Cartier, and Christopher Newport, and the impact of these travels on American Indians, and identify the reasons for exploring, information gained from the explorations, individual accomplishments of the explorers, and the results of their travels.
c. 14.a.2 Define Explorer as a person who travels seeking new discoveries.
d. 14.a.3. Define European as a person from one of the countries in Europe.
e. Art Judgement and Criticism 2.16. The student will express opinions with supporting statements regarding works of art.
II. Materials:
a. Students: "Searching for Gold" worksheet, pencil, crayons, and a clipboard.
b. Teacher: Gold coins hidden around the classroom, the word explorer written on a sentence strip, the word European written on a sentence strip, tape, an easel, paintings of the famous explorers, a "Searching For Gold" worksheet of my own completed (to model and read for the students).
III. Lesson Duration: 60 minutes
IV. Procedures:
(20 minutes) Introduction:
a. I will call the students to the meeting area; I will explain to them that we are moving into a new unit about Famous Explorers! I will ask the students:
1. Do you know what an “explorer” is? I will call on volunteers. I will explain that an “explorer” is a person who travels seeking new discoveries (this definition will be written on a sentence strip). I will hang it up on the easel.
2. Do you know what a "European" is? I wil call on volunteers. I will explain that a "European" is a person from one of the countries in Europe (this definition will be written on a sentence strip). I will hang it up on the easel.
3. Do you know the names of any European explorers? I will call on volunteers. I will explain that this week and next, they are going to be learning about several different explorers, their names are: Christopher Columbus, Christopher Newport, Juan Ponce de Leon, and Jacques Cartier.
4. Do you know why these men wanted to explore? I will call on volunteers. I will explain that these men were searching for a faster way to get to the continent of Asia. They wanted to find riches and gold for their country, and some wanted to claim new land for their country! We are going to learn about these different explorers, their reasons for exploring, the country they came from, and their accomplishments.
b. Next, I will show them paintings of these famous explorers, and they will express their opinions regarding these works of art (the paintings are in a slideshow below).
c. Next, I will explain to them that, “Today, you will be pretending that you are an “explorer!” Thinking about what the word "explorer" means and what you noticed about the scenes in these paintings, you will go on an exploration of your own around the room searching for gold and riches."
d. I will explain the activity. I will show them the worksheet (this is attached below).
e. At your desk, you will write down your crew members, your exploration team name, and plan your exploration! (I will point to exactly where to write this on the worksheet).
f. You will include:
1. Where you will begin searching first? For ex. you might write, the classroom library.
2. What important places do you definitely want to include in your search? For ex. you might write, under Miss Cooper's desk.
3. What secret signal will you give your crewmates if you find the gold? You don’t want the other teams to know you’ve found the gold so it must be silent. For ex. It might be a big smile or you might touch your nose with your finger.
g. On the next page (I will flip to this page): You will write down the places you want to search, and everyone at your table group must choose a different place! For example, Eddie might choose the classroom library, Lily will look in Chris’s book box, Elena will search through her desk, Wasim might look behind the classroom computers, Kelsey might look under Mis Cooper's desk, etc.
h. Then, during your exploration, one person at a time from each table group, will take his or her clipboard and worksheet, and explore that place, and they will check off if they found gold there or not, and return to their seat. Then the next person will go explore a place, and it will continue, until someone finds the gold. Don’t forget if you find gold to use your secret signal, then that person can take the gold back to your table!
i. After your exploration, you will use your crayons to draw a map that shows that pathway YOU AND ONLY YOU took on your journey. Don’t forget to include a title, legend, and compass rose!
j. Next, you will discuss the difficulties that you came across on your search. For example, you might find that it took you a long time to explore the classroom library, or that someone was already in the spot you wanted to explore, etc.
k. Lastly, you will write if you found the gold or not!
l. Are you ready to begin? Are there any questions?
(35 Minutes) Instructional Strategies:
a I will dismiss the students by table groups to walk back to their seats. I will hand out the worksheets to each student and they can begin working.
b. They will discuss with their table group and write their crew members, exploration team name, where they will search first, important places that they want to include in their search, and their teams secret signal. On the next page, they will write down the place they plan to search. I will walk around and monitor each group’s progress.
c. When they are ready, I will ask the students to take out their clipboard and a pencil. I will tell them to clip their checklist to their clipboard. I will go over the rules for the exploration:
1. They should not run or yell.
2. If someone is in your spot to explore, go to another spot.
3. I will flick the light on and off to switch explorers.
4. They will go back to their desk, and another explorer will start.
d. I will walk around the room, and dismiss one person from each table group to start exploring, they must bring their clipboard and worksheet and pencil with them.
e. Exploration, they will have 1 minute to explore each spot before the lights turn off.
f. After the exploration, the students will discuss their checklist with their table group. For example, Eddie asks Lily, “Did you find gold in your book box?” “No,” she says. Then as a table group, they write Lily’s book box and they check, “No Gold Here!”
g. Now, they will move on to drawing their map. I will explain to them, that they are only drawing a picture of their journey. For example, if Lily went to Chris’s book box she draws her journey there. If Eddie went to the classroom library, he draws his journey there. They should include a compass rose, title, and a legend too!
*if not everyone finds a piece of gold, I will ask the students that have found gold to distribute their wealth evenly to the other students at their table. I will say, "the explorers would often find gold and riches for their country, so please share your gold with your country men and women."
5 Minute Closing I will ask the students,
V. Assessment:
a. I will ask the students questions to help activate and assess their previous knowledge. I will make informal observations of their planning, discussions, watch their exploration, look over the map that they create, and listen to them share their sentence about the difficulties that they faced.
VI. Differentiation/Modifications:
For Multiple Intelligences:
Who were some of the important European explorers, and what were their reasons for exploring? (They will learn about Christopher Columbus, Juan Ponce de Leon, Jacques Cartier, and Christopher Newport).
I. Objective:
a. The students will be able to recognize that an explorer is a person who travels seeking new discoveries, and a European is a person from one of the countries in Europe. The student will pretend that they are an explorer from Europe, and they will plan an exploration in table groups to search for “gold and riches” around the room.
b. SS. 2.14. a. 1. Describe the explorations of Columbus, Juan Ponce de Leon, Jacques Cartier, and Christopher Newport, and the impact of these travels on American Indians, and identify the reasons for exploring, information gained from the explorations, individual accomplishments of the explorers, and the results of their travels.
c. 14.a.2 Define Explorer as a person who travels seeking new discoveries.
d. 14.a.3. Define European as a person from one of the countries in Europe.
e. Art Judgement and Criticism 2.16. The student will express opinions with supporting statements regarding works of art.
II. Materials:
a. Students: "Searching for Gold" worksheet, pencil, crayons, and a clipboard.
b. Teacher: Gold coins hidden around the classroom, the word explorer written on a sentence strip, the word European written on a sentence strip, tape, an easel, paintings of the famous explorers, a "Searching For Gold" worksheet of my own completed (to model and read for the students).
III. Lesson Duration: 60 minutes
IV. Procedures:
(20 minutes) Introduction:
a. I will call the students to the meeting area; I will explain to them that we are moving into a new unit about Famous Explorers! I will ask the students:
1. Do you know what an “explorer” is? I will call on volunteers. I will explain that an “explorer” is a person who travels seeking new discoveries (this definition will be written on a sentence strip). I will hang it up on the easel.
2. Do you know what a "European" is? I wil call on volunteers. I will explain that a "European" is a person from one of the countries in Europe (this definition will be written on a sentence strip). I will hang it up on the easel.
3. Do you know the names of any European explorers? I will call on volunteers. I will explain that this week and next, they are going to be learning about several different explorers, their names are: Christopher Columbus, Christopher Newport, Juan Ponce de Leon, and Jacques Cartier.
4. Do you know why these men wanted to explore? I will call on volunteers. I will explain that these men were searching for a faster way to get to the continent of Asia. They wanted to find riches and gold for their country, and some wanted to claim new land for their country! We are going to learn about these different explorers, their reasons for exploring, the country they came from, and their accomplishments.
b. Next, I will show them paintings of these famous explorers, and they will express their opinions regarding these works of art (the paintings are in a slideshow below).
- This is a painting of Christopher Columbus: Which man do you think is Christopher Columbus? Why? What do you think is happening is this painting? What are they holding? Why? How are the men on the left different from the men on the right? Who do you think the men on the left are? What do you think might happen next?
- This is a painting of Juan Ponce de Leon: Which man do you think is Juan Ponce de Leon? Why? What do you think is happening in this painting? How is it similar or different than the painting of Christopher Columbus? (I will put the paintings side by side) Who are the men on the right? Does this look like a friendly conversation or not?
- This is a painting of Jaques Cartier: What can you tell me about this painting? Which man do you think is Jaques Cartier? What is he pointing at? How are the indians in this painting different from the ones in our previous painting? What does this tell you about Jacques Cartier?
- This is a painting of Christopher Newport: Which man do you think is Christopher Newport? What is happening in this painting? What are the men doing on the right? What do you think Christopher Newport is thinking about? Do you see any indians in this painting? Do you think he will meet any indians like the previous explorers?
c. Next, I will explain to them that, “Today, you will be pretending that you are an “explorer!” Thinking about what the word "explorer" means and what you noticed about the scenes in these paintings, you will go on an exploration of your own around the room searching for gold and riches."
d. I will explain the activity. I will show them the worksheet (this is attached below).
e. At your desk, you will write down your crew members, your exploration team name, and plan your exploration! (I will point to exactly where to write this on the worksheet).
f. You will include:
1. Where you will begin searching first? For ex. you might write, the classroom library.
2. What important places do you definitely want to include in your search? For ex. you might write, under Miss Cooper's desk.
3. What secret signal will you give your crewmates if you find the gold? You don’t want the other teams to know you’ve found the gold so it must be silent. For ex. It might be a big smile or you might touch your nose with your finger.
g. On the next page (I will flip to this page): You will write down the places you want to search, and everyone at your table group must choose a different place! For example, Eddie might choose the classroom library, Lily will look in Chris’s book box, Elena will search through her desk, Wasim might look behind the classroom computers, Kelsey might look under Mis Cooper's desk, etc.
h. Then, during your exploration, one person at a time from each table group, will take his or her clipboard and worksheet, and explore that place, and they will check off if they found gold there or not, and return to their seat. Then the next person will go explore a place, and it will continue, until someone finds the gold. Don’t forget if you find gold to use your secret signal, then that person can take the gold back to your table!
i. After your exploration, you will use your crayons to draw a map that shows that pathway YOU AND ONLY YOU took on your journey. Don’t forget to include a title, legend, and compass rose!
j. Next, you will discuss the difficulties that you came across on your search. For example, you might find that it took you a long time to explore the classroom library, or that someone was already in the spot you wanted to explore, etc.
k. Lastly, you will write if you found the gold or not!
l. Are you ready to begin? Are there any questions?
(35 Minutes) Instructional Strategies:
a I will dismiss the students by table groups to walk back to their seats. I will hand out the worksheets to each student and they can begin working.
b. They will discuss with their table group and write their crew members, exploration team name, where they will search first, important places that they want to include in their search, and their teams secret signal. On the next page, they will write down the place they plan to search. I will walk around and monitor each group’s progress.
c. When they are ready, I will ask the students to take out their clipboard and a pencil. I will tell them to clip their checklist to their clipboard. I will go over the rules for the exploration:
1. They should not run or yell.
2. If someone is in your spot to explore, go to another spot.
3. I will flick the light on and off to switch explorers.
4. They will go back to their desk, and another explorer will start.
d. I will walk around the room, and dismiss one person from each table group to start exploring, they must bring their clipboard and worksheet and pencil with them.
e. Exploration, they will have 1 minute to explore each spot before the lights turn off.
f. After the exploration, the students will discuss their checklist with their table group. For example, Eddie asks Lily, “Did you find gold in your book box?” “No,” she says. Then as a table group, they write Lily’s book box and they check, “No Gold Here!”
g. Now, they will move on to drawing their map. I will explain to them, that they are only drawing a picture of their journey. For example, if Lily went to Chris’s book box she draws her journey there. If Eddie went to the classroom library, he draws his journey there. They should include a compass rose, title, and a legend too!
*if not everyone finds a piece of gold, I will ask the students that have found gold to distribute their wealth evenly to the other students at their table. I will say, "the explorers would often find gold and riches for their country, so please share your gold with your country men and women."
5 Minute Closing I will ask the students,
- Raise your hand if you think being an explorer was hard (informal check for understanding).
- Raise your hand if you think being an explorer was easy (informal check for understanding).
- Who would like to share some of the difficulties that they faced on their exploration? I will call on volunteers. What might have made your journey easier? I will call on volunteers.
- I will explain that exploration was very hard! 500 years ago, they didn’t have all the things that we have today to help them. They had to use the stars, maps, compasses, and listen to the advice of others to help them find their way. Some thought the world was flat, and the people that lived in Europe didn’t even know that North America and South America even existed! We will be learning more about these great explorers, learn what they were searching for, and what they found, starting tomorrow with Christopher Columbus!
- I will instruct the students to put their "searching for gold" worksheets in their social studies folder, and put away their crayons, gold, and pencils.
V. Assessment:
a. I will ask the students questions to help activate and assess their previous knowledge. I will make informal observations of their planning, discussions, watch their exploration, look over the map that they create, and listen to them share their sentence about the difficulties that they faced.
VI. Differentiation/Modifications:
- I will model for the students how to complete the activity and worksheet.
- I will give them examples of what to write and where to explore.
- I will write the word Explorer and the definition for them to visually see.
For Multiple Intelligences:
- This activity will appeal to bodily-kinesthetic learners because they like movement, hands-on learning, acting out, role playing, tools, real objects, and physical activity.
- This activity will appeal to interpersonal learners because they like to interact with others, participate in group activities and group conversations and dialogues.
- This activity will appeal to logical learners because they like to experiment, solve puzzles, mysteries, and they like to participate in investigations.
- This activity wil appeal to visual learners because they like to draw, solve puzzles, read maps, and are very aware of their surroundings and environment.
- Guided Reading and Science: There is a guided reading book called, "Deep Sea Explorers" by Vanessa York (Level J). This is a non-fiction book, so you can review non-fiction text features, while exploring sea life, and tools used to explore under the sea. You can discuss the idea that exploration happens whenever and wherever you seek new discoveries (even under the sea).
- Writing: Explorer's Journal. This week during writing, they will pretend they are an explorer and answer a prompt each day on a loose leaf piece of lined paper about their journey for their sponsoring country to the "New World" I will collect these journal entries at the end of the week, and I will bind them into a book for each student to bring home. During social studies, we will discuss how some of these explorers kept journals too, and even take a look at some primary source artifacts!
Searching For Gold Packet | |
File Size: | 724 kb |
File Type: |