Grade: Middle
Subject: History

#2317. Explorer Project

History, level: Middle
Posted Thu Jul 19 08:27:55 PDT 2001 by Pam Jenkins (pamela.jenkins@risd.org).
Lake Highlands Junior High, Dallas, USA
Materials Required: Paper, Poster board, writing instraments
Activity Time: 3-5 regular 50 minute class periods
Concepts Taught: Role Play and Visualization

Students will wrap-up a study of the Explorers that came to Texas by creating a map, ship design, list of supplies, and a possible quotation that the explorer might have said.
Supplies:
Poster Board
Crayons, Markers, Paint; anything the student wants to use to draw with.
Previous notes on the Spanish and French Explorers
Internet ready computer
Magazines
Explorer Project
Students, to wrap-up our study of the explorers that came to Texas,you are to:
1. Choose one of the Spanish explorers that came to Texas to use for this project.
2. Pretend that you are him and that you are searching for a new route to Asia. You need to complete the following tasks in order to reach the New World.
*Create a map of your voyage on poster board.
*Identify the country where your voyage originated. Note the direction of your voyage, some of the countries you will pass, and waterways you will travel.
*Draw a picture of the type of ship you will use for your journey. List all of the supplies you will need (keep in mind the year for your voyage) and identify any person who might have helped to get your voyage started.
*Write a personal quotation that your explorer might have made.
*Identity on your map where your explorer ended his journey and any discoveries or contributions that he might have made to modern-day America.

BE CREATIVE AND HAVE FUN!

Assessment:
Student will present to the class the poster he or she created.
While presentations are made, students observing will complete an evaluation of each presentation for content.
3 Grades of 100
1. Participation-doing the project
2. Presenting the poster to the class
3. Peer evaluation-this means completion of evaluationg the students, not the students evaluations of each other. (I have found this effective in keeping order in the classroom because everyone is doing something during presentations and I do it for all my activities that require a presentation.)