The+Discovery+of+The+Americas+Reinforcing+Activity


 * Objective:**

Students will be able to synthesize information about the various groups of people that explored and settled the Americas, including Stone Age Hungers, ancient Native American civilizations, the Vikings, and European explorers by creating posters illustrating the differences of each group of settlers.


 * Materials:**
 * Copy of the book __The Discovery of the Americas__
 * Sections of the book photocopied for each group to use to reference their given group of explorers or enough copies of the book for each group
 * Enough poster boards so that each group will have one (groups consist of 2-3 students)
 * Markers/pencils/pens
 * Blank paper for drawing
 * Tape and/or glue


 * Procedure:**

Begin the activity by asking the students a few questions to activate background knowledge prior to reading the book. Some possible questions are: - Who do you think was the first person/people to discover the Americas? - Who were the first settlers of the Americas? - What were some of the groups of people that lived here before we did?

After accessing a decent understanding of the students’ background knowledge on the discovery of the Americas, begin reading the book to them while taking the time to discuss the images that go along with the text. By taking the time to discuss and show the images on the pages, the students can begin to formulate their own images that could go along with the ones already on the pages, which will help them in the activity after the reading.

Once the reading is done, divide the students into groups of two or three. These groups will be responsible for illustrating a certain section of the book on a small poster board that is provided. The number of groups will depend on how much information the teacher would like the student to be responsible for. __Possible idea for group responsibilities:__ - Illustrate the nomads and the Stone Age hunters, their movement or migration, and the climate at the time. - Illustrate some of the ancient Native American civilizations (i.e. Mayans) - Illustrate the Vikings discovering the New World. Include important people like Bjarni Herjolfsson and Leif Ericsson, and also their experiences on Greenland. - Illustrate what inspired the exploration by the Europeans, and the early beginnings of exploration by the Portuguese and Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco De Gama. - Describe Christopher Columbus through illustration by including what led up to his exploration and also his explorations. - Illustrate John Cabot, Amerigo Vespucci, Vasco Nunez de Balboa’s explorations. - Illustrate Ferdinand Magellan and his explorations. - Illustrate the outcomes of the European exploration of the New World.

The groups will be randomly assigned a group of explorers to illustrate on their poster board. While the students are working on their illustrations in their groups, the teacher can walk around and guide them with what else they might be able to include in their posters.

When the students are done with their illustrations, the teacher can then ask them to have one group member from each group line themselves up along the classroom wall by the order in which their illustrations occurred. Once the students are confident with their order, the teacher may then ask questions to guide them into the correct order if they aren’t already. Next, when the students are in the correct order, each group representative will present their illustration to the rest of the class and explain what it represents.

After each student presents their illustration, it is important to include facts they might’ve missed and ask leading questions to have the students sitting down participate in the discussion. Including facts, asking questions, and creating discussion will then create multiple tiers to the already existing illustrated timeline the students produced. Continue these steps until the end of the timeline is met, and make sure all questions by the students have been answered.


 * __Other Possible Content Standard(s) the Activity Could Meet: __**


 * __Grade:__** 5
 * __Theme:__** Regions and People of the Western Hemisphere
 * __Topic:__** Historical Thinking and Skills
 * __Conten____t__ __Statement:__** 2. Early Indian civilizations (Maya, Inca, Aztec, Mississippian) existed in the Western Hemisphere prior to the arrival of Europeans. These civilizations had developed unique governments, social structures, religions, technologies, and agricultural practices and products.


 * __Grade:__** 5
 * __Theme:__** Regions and People of the Western Hemisphere
 * __Topic:__** Historical Thinking and Skills
 * __Content Statement:__** 3. European exploration and colonization had lasting effects which can be used to understand the Western Hemisphere today.