Unit of Study:            The New World – Spanish Discovery of the Americas

Lesson Title:               Our Unknown Journey

Subject Area(s):          Social Studies, Science, Writing and Arts

Grade Level:              First Grade

Authors:                     *Priscilla Sinon (primary), Mary Beth Northen, Jen Young

County:                      Montgomery County Public Schools

Length of Time:          11 days (Eight 40-minute art periods & three 40-minute Social Studies/Science periods)

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Abstract:

This unit explores the importance of considering multiple perspectives that tell the great story of history.  Students will envelop the history of Columbus discovering the new world through a variety of artistic activities and projects.  They will be expected to draw a detailed illustration, bind a book, design a native symbolic tunic, add artistic elements to a map, create a cultural relevant artifact unique to the student, dance through the parts of a letter and finally the culminating activity of piecing together a collage.  The myriad of opportunities presented to these first grade students will facilitate their own exploration and connectivity to the different cultures of both the Spanish explorers and the indigenous people of Mesoamerica.  This particular unit reaches far beyond the social studies curriculum because it collaboratively includes aspects of the first grade reading, writing, science and art curriculum.

Background:

Prior to this series of lessons students have been learning about other “leaders” and concurrently learning about how the lands of Maryland change once people arrive.
 

UNIT PLAN:

*See individual lesson plans for specific details

DAY 1: BOOKMAKING (Art Room)
Click here for Mary Beth Northen’s Lesson Plan

DAY 2: NARRATIVE (Classroom)

Materials:

Prepared booklets
Pencils
Colored pencils or crayons
Promethean flip chart (incl. narrative, D. Rivera print, see/think/wonder graphic organizer)
Items for sort/comparison circles
Sort/comparison circle yarn
           
Resources:

Select Diego Rivera Print
Artful thinking “See, Think, Wonder” graphic organizer
Promethean Activstudio software.

Standards/Learner Outcomes -

Fine Arts Standards

II.1.1.a – Observe works of art and identify ways that artists express ideas about people, places and events.
II.1.1.b – Use selected works of art as inspiration to express ideas visually and verbally about people, places and events.
III.2.1.a. – Explore ways that artists develop ideas.

Content Standards

3.A.1.b. – Use photographs and pictures to describe a place.
3.B.1. – Describe places in the environment using geographic characteristics.
3.B.1.a – Identify physical characteristics of a place (physical & human made feature)

Objectives/Skills:

Fine Arts Objectives

Students will observe a Diego Rivera print and complete an “I see, I think, I wonder” graphic organized regarding ideas about the people and places represented in the print.
Students will use the Diego Rivera print narrative as inspiration to add details to their own illustrations.

Content Objectives

Students will illustrate a geographic environment by listening to a descriptive narrative.
Students will identify physical and human made features in a given illustration. 

Keywords/Vocabulary:

human made feature
physical feature
illustrate

Motivation:

“We’ve received a note from our friend.  I wonder what he has to say?  Before I can read you the note, I need to tell you about two very important things that will help us.”

Scope and Sequence:

Teacher Directed

Introduce sort/comparison circles and materials.  Explain that they will need to watch carefully as you place items in the circles (see fig 1 below) Encourage the children to talk out loud to determine the labels that would go on each circle. 

Be certain to distinguish the difference between human made items and human made features.  Human made features help identify a particular region or location.

Clearly define the HUMAN MADE FEATURES and PHYSICAL FEATURES from what they discover amongst the item connections.

Guided Practice

Now, read the narrative to the students (from Promethean)
“What were some things that you heard or caught your attention as I read this note to you?” 
“Did you hear anything that could be a physical feature?”
“How about human made features?”
Record their notes on the board or within Promethean flip chart, indicate any human or physical features they note.
I have an idea, what if we try to illustrate this note from our friend?  Maybe we could help our friend remember where he came from?”

Independent Practice

Have the students illustrate with a pencil/colored pencils, their interpretation of the narrative passage.  The narrative may be read more than one time.
Once the students have completed their pictures, encourage them to do an “artist’s chair” and explain why they have drawn what they did.
Reveal Diego Rivera print – Palace/Mexico City:
Display the “What do you see?  What do you think?  What do you wonder?” graphic organizer, and complete with the children.
Encourage the students to add any additional details to their illustrations after viewing the original.

Assessment:

Write/illustrate one physical feature and one human made feature found in the Diego Riveras art. (with t-chart)

Closure/Reflection:

Talk with the students about how different their pictures were, different visualizing perspectives.

DAYS 3 & 4: TUNIC DESIGN (Art Room)
Click here for Mary Beth Northen’s Lesson Plan

DAY 5: MAPS (Classroom)

Materials:

Prepared booklets
Colored pencils or crayons
Cut up map puzzles prepared in envelopes (one for each student)
Glue sticks
Equity/calling sticks
           
Resources:

1562 Map of America by Diego Gutierrez
Universalis cosmographia secundum Ptholomaei traditionem et Americi Vespucii alioru que lustrations by Martin Wladseemuller
Nystrom Map
Encounter, by Jane Yolen

Standards/Learner Outcomes:

Fine Arts Standards

I.2.1.a. – Identify ways that artists represent what they see, know, feel and imagine.
I.2.1.b. – Use color, line, shape, texture and form to represent ideas visually from observation, memory, and imagination.

Content Standards

3.A.1. – Use geographic tools to locate and describe places on Earth.
3.A.1.a. – Locate the continents and oceans using maps and a globe.
3.A.1.e. – Describe where places are located on a map using relative distance and direction such as near-far, above-below, and cardinal directions (north, south, east, west)

Objectives/Skills:

Fine Arts Objectives

Students will identify representations that the map maker developed through their imagination.
Students will draw ideas derived from the map of 1562 to represent imagination.

Content Objectives

Students will use a compass rose and cardinal directions to describe where continents and oceans are on a variety of world maps.

Keywords/Vocabulary:

compass rose
continents (North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Antarctica, Australia)
cardinal directions (north, south, east, west)
distance directional words (near-far, above-below)

Motivation:

Read “Encounter” by Jane Yolen.
Columbus arrives and provides us with puzzle pieces. 
“I’m looking for someone who I think can lead me to the treasure I so desire for my Spanish queen. GOLD!”

Scope and Sequence:

Teacher Directed

How did Columbus know how to get to the America’s?  What tools do you think he would have used so long ago?
Brainstorm a list of tools he would need, be sure to lead the students to the “map” as a tool.
Display the Nystrom map.  Point out the Compass Rose and explain its purpose for cardinal directions. Using direct instruction demonstrate how North America is “north” of South America, etc.
Display the 1562 Map of America.  Point out that the Compass Rose is missing.
Have students compare/contrast these two maps.
Discuss the reason/purpose of these two different maps. 
Discuss why the person who made the 1562 Map of America put the serpents into the ocean.

Guided Practice

Using equity sticks, choose students to navigate the classroom with the teacher using the cardinal directions to maneuver them through the classroom.

Independent Practice

Students will receive an envelope with 6 map puzzle pieces.  They will correctly assemble and color it and glue it into their journal.  They will draw a serpent in an ocean.

Assessment:

Students will determine the location of the serpent they have drawn in relation to the continent of Africa using the cardinal or distance directional words.  They will also add a compass rose.

Closure/Reflection:

Why are maps so important?

DAYS 6-8: ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG (Classroom)
Click here for Jennifer Young’s Lesson Plan

DAY 9: LETTERS (Classroom)

Materials:

Prepared booklets
Pencils
Lined Letter paper to glue into journals
Glue sticks
           
Resources:

Items already presented in journal.

Standards/Learner Outcomes:

Fine Arts Standards

II.3.1.a. – Identify ways musical concepts and ideas may be express in the various art forms.

Content Standards

4.1.A.2. – Compose oral, written, and visual presentations that express personal ideas, inform and persuade.
4.1.A.2.b. – Contribute to a shared writing experience or topic of interest.

Objectives/Skills:

Fine Arts Objectives

Students will be able to recall the parts of a letter through a dance interpretation.

Content Objectives

Students will write a letter from a Mayan indigenous child to their family explaining of their experiences.  They will include the five parts of a letter.

Keywords/Vocabulary:

Date
Heading
Body
Closing
Signature

Motivation:

We’re going to pretend we are Mayan indigenous children and we’re going to write a letter back to our families explaining what we’ve seen. Before we write our letter we have to talk about what goes into a letter.

Scope and Sequence:

Teacher Directed 

Discuss the five parts of the letter and do the parts of a letter dance.
It is also important to consider who will read our letter, or our audience.  We talk to people differently.  Do you talk to your mom the same way you talk to your friends or your brothers/sisters?
Who is going to be the author of our letter? US!
Finally we need to know what our purpose is of our letter.  We can thank someone, tell them about a party, catch up, etc.
Who remembers what I said our letter’s purpose is? 

Guided Practice

Class will write the letter together, with student’s input with what the content of the letter is.
(Group letter can be labeled and displayed in the classroom to be used as a resource)

Independent Practice

Student will copy the letter into their journals on the letter paper.

Assessment:

Identify the parts of a letter.

Closure/Reflection:

How many parts are there in a letter?

DAYS 10 & 11: COLLAGE (Art Room)
Click here for Mary Beth Northen’s Lesson Plan