IV. Essay Explaining Revisions

IV.        This lesson, Culture Shock – Christopher Columbus and the Taino People, is one of the most worthwhile social studies lessons that I have taught to young students.  It is powerful because it is usually one of the first times that an eight or nine year old actually realizes that a historical figure, honored by our culture, actually committed horrible acts against another group of people.  The technology revisions bring this lesson plan into the 21^st century for both the students and the teacher. 

The use of Google Maps as a tool for the introduction to the lesson is a valuable visual experience.  Students will be fascinated while watching the Columbus Day video presented on the Brain Pop Website.  It is colorful, properly paced, and entertaining while educational.  The map display and explanation related to Columbus’s confusion related to the existence of North America is fantastic.  This concept is challenging to demonstrate to young children who are just beginning to understand the locations and the names of the continents.  But this video includes a first class visual explanation presented by likeable characters.  The sequence activity and word wall, which are interactive board activities, enhance the learning experience and keep children actively involved in the lesson.  Most children are mesmerized while listening to their teacher read a story aloud, but the addition of scanned illustrations from the book presented on a giant screen keep even a child with attention challenges focused.  Addition of Promethean board clickers promotes participation in the multiple-choice quiz and presents an effective opportunity for discussion of the questions and concepts.

Another student teacher and I wrote this plan ten years ago when we were assigned to the same school. One problem with the original plan is the time commitment involved in preparing for the lesson.  While the actual dressing up like Queen Isabella of Spain and a Taino women worked for two student teachers, it is not practical for a regular classroom teacher who teaches without the help of a classroom aide.  Utilizing a Promethean board to present a child friendly, yet informative video from the Brain Pop Website is very efficient. 

Although this lesson is enhanced by the inclusion of technology, the continued use of some of the elements from the original lesson plan adds texture to the learning process.  Activities with movement, food related to each culture, drawing, writing letters to Queen Isabella of Spain, reading quality books aloud, and engaging the young students in group discussions make this a rich experience.