Reflection: The Silk Road and World Trade: What led to Columbus Re-Discovering the Americas?

This lesson demonstrates the biggest problem with teaching American history. Yes, I know that technically this isn't American history, but the exploration of the Americas didn't happen by chance and it is important for us to understand the economic pressures that led to sailing west. The biggest problem is there is so much content to cover.

I had originally intended this lesson to be a 100 minute lesson, but because I didn't want to just blow through it the lesson is now a 200 minute one. I spent some time storytelling around the Marco Polo trip before we watched the first video on the Silk Road. I gave the students the worksheet questions to read through and they were to choose to answer five of the nine questions. 

After watching the video the students finished up answering the questions. I then through a wrinkle in. This year the school district is focusing on literacy, not just reading but speaking so we are being encouraged to have our students talk more about what they are learning. I had the students find others in the class who answered different questions and had them share their answers with each other. After around five minutes we checked their answers. It seemed to be pretty successful since they seemed to be more enthusiastic about sharing their answers and the number of questions they got correct definitely improved over similar activities. 

This comes with a cost though, it took much longer than I had planned. So the question is, where does that time come from?

Positives:

• Kids were moving and sharing
• Enthusiastic responses when sharing answers as a whole group
• I am sure there will be better retention of information

Negatives:

• time which will have to come at the expense of another lesson over different content
• third period class is still super restless right before lunch

Map of the Silk Trade Route

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Silk_route.jpg

Marco Polo's Route

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Travels_of_Marco_Polo.svg

Voyages of Zheng He

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zheng_He.png

The trade routes that we collectively refer to as the Silk Road started as far back as 2,200 years ago. Although the types of trade goods were varied, it is called the Silk Road because of the demand created for silk from China. 

While we may tend to emphasize the economic implications of these trade routes including cities created as stopping points that became wealthy, a much more important trade was taking place throughout this period, the trade of culture. Languages, mathematics, literacy and religion were all shared throughout large areas of the world because of these trade routes. 

Essential Question: What led to the rediscovery of the Americas and its colonization?

Engage: 

• We know that Columbus 'rediscovered' the Americas, but what events led to the need for this exploration?

Explore:

• The Silk road and Ancient Trade: Crash Course World History #9 (10:30)
• Int'l commerce, Snorkeling Camels, and the Indian Ocean Trade: Crash Course World History #18 (10:14) 
• Columbus, de Gama, and Zheng He 15th Century Mariners.: Crash Course World History #21 (10:37) 
• The Renaissance: Was it a Thing?: Crash Course World History #22 (11:32)

Explain:

• Answer 5 of the 9 questions, then find others who have answered the questions you have not and have them explain the answers. Explain your answers to them as well. 
• How did trade drive the sharing of culture?
• Why did Columbus look west for a route to India?

Evaluate:

•  Video review questions. 

Reflection: What Events Led to the Writing of the Constitution?

Update Thursday: The kids muscled through the rest of the video. I have decided that next week we will do some hands on activities, even if it is outside of the district timeline. I want the opportunity to see them enjoy creating something, and that is exactly what we will do.

Have you ever tried to condense years of learning into one lesson? That is how I felt today (Tuesday). I am looking forward to students being able to discover information instead of having to feed it to them.

Positives:

• I explained my theory that all content area classes are actually foreign language classes and they need to emphasize vocabulary if they want to understand better what they are learning.
• Students had a lesson on how to dissect information so they can better understand it.

Negatives:

• Still too much talking by me.
• It will be difficult to finish the video in the next class period if I continue to add information.
• Third period is going to be a work in progress. Large classes and hungry kids make learning a bit more difficult. I will have to use different strategies for them than I probably will in the other classes.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Articles_page1.jpg

The Second Continental Congress, after signing the Declaration of Independence, had to come up with some rules with which they could govern the colonies. They created the first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, which lasted through the winning of the American Revolution. Eventually its weaknesses were exposed and was replaced by the US Constitution.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Constitution_of_the_United_States,_page_1.jpg

Essential Question: What events led to the writing of the US Constitution?

Engage:

• What Were the Articles of Confederation? video (2:28)

Explore:

• Video The Making of the Constitution (54:08) from the series Liberty: The American Revolution published by PBS

Explain:

• How did Shay's Rebellion expose the weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
• Who were the Federalists? Anti-Federalists?
• Why did some of the Framers demand a 'Bill of Rights'? 

Evaluate:

• Student Questions PDF

Extend:

•  Liberty Episode 6 Site
• Philadelphia 1791 Newspaper

Emoticons,Bernal Diaz del Castillo and Tenochtitlán

The Aztec people used glyphs to communicate. (Here is a great page that describes their writing system.) Why then would it not be appropriate for students to learn about the process of writing about an event in their history using our own modern glyphs, emoticons?

Today I will be reading experts of the excellent article Imperial City of the Aztecs: Mexico-Tenochtitlan by Inga Clendinnen to my students. (BTW if you don't know about Common-Place you definitely need to.) In it she describes Bernal Diaz del Castillo's astonishment at the magnificent of the Aztec capital city, Tenochtitlán. If you still have any misconceptions of the ability of the people in the America's abilities to create cities you will also be amazed.

The students will be place themselves in del Castillo's boots and write his story as if it were their own. Then they will transfer that story into emoticons. Students with phones or tablets can write them there and send them to me. Those without will do as the Aztecs did, write them by hand.

There is a myriad of things I am hoping my students learn. The students will have the opportunity to internalize the amazement of del Castillo. They will have the opportunity to use glyphs to write a story and reflect on the process of using pictures to convey specific meaning. They will be exposed to the idea of using emoticons in their daily interactions as well, if they aren't already doing so. There is also the bonus of students connecting today's technology with history, and for some of my Hispanic students it is really their history. 

This Week in History October 14: How Washington Held It All Together

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/24.109.88

We will be reading Washington's Crossing a couple days a week and spend the other days continuing with our timeline. This week while I am gone on Monday the students will be reading about the colonies fighting in the Revolutionary War. The students will choose between writing a short persuasive paper from the point of view of one of two women from the time period.

• If they choose to write as Molly Pitcher their topic will be: Why Women Belong on the Battlefield 
• If they choose to write as Abigail Adams their topic will be: Why Women Deserve Suffrage

I love the story of Mrs. Adams trying to influence her husband John to step up for the women:

I long to hear that you have declared an independancy-and by the way in the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If perticuliar care and attention is not paid to the Laidies we are determined to foment a Rebelion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.

Abigail Adams, March 31, 1776

Tuesday and Wednesday we will be reading from Washington's Crossing. The focus on these two days will be on how General Washington had to change his leadership style to accommodate the different soldiers that came to the army. How difficult was it for him to take men with disparate ideas of leading and following and make them into a disciplined (enough) fighting force to survive the first year. 

Thursday the 8th grade will be on a field trip. Friday they will be reading about the little known fighting that took place in the south and the west during the Revolution. 

This Week in History October 7 Declaration of Independence and Washington's Crossing

This is a big week, we are starting out with using our Kindles for the first time of the year. We will be using them with both the Declaration of Independence and the book Washington's Crossing. The Declaration is in the textbook, but I want them to get comfortable with the Kindles before we start reading the book.

First up is the Declaration. I am starting the lesson using my friend Eric Langhorst's great break up letter.

Declaration of Independence

Break Up Letter

I'm not sure how to start this letter but I feel we need to talk. I've been thinking about us a lot lately. Things used to be so great - it was like we were M.F.E.O. I mean everyone said it was perfect. I really thought we would be together forever but then things changed.

I feel like you started to take me for granted. You just started to do whatever you wanted and never even asked me about anything or how I felt.

I've been thinking about this for a while and I don't want to hurt you but I think it is time we broke up. I mean it's just not going to work. I need some time by myself to see what it is like on my own. I'm sorry things didn't work out but I do think YOU are the one to blame. Sorry but "US" is over.

The American Colonies

Here is the post that I found the the break up letter at.

http://speakingofhistory.blogspot.com/2008/10/teaching-declaration-of-independence-as.html

Amazing Tour Guide Lecture at Independence Hall

This lecture is about 10 minutes long and really speaks to the history geek in me. Even if they students won't be excited about this, my excitement will definitely show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHsxjbnh5Go

We will be going through the Declaration looking specifically at the list of grievances and comparing them to the events that we examined over the past couple weeks. The students will identify a grievance they believe should have been included but wasn't. 

Washington's Crossing

Here is the picture we will be discussing, Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Washington_Crossing_the_Delaware_by_Emanuel_Leutze%2C_MMA-NYC%2C_1851.jpg

Audiobook Beginning- 1:20 Intro and Background not in the book

This isn't found in the paper edition or the Kindle edition.

1:25-22:25 Introduction- The Painting Kindle page 1 location 117

This introduces the creation of the painting as well as some of the criticism of the painting. 

NPR Ina Jaffe radio show referenced in the introduction (7 minutes) http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=1138252&m=138252

Parodies of the painting:

Obama: http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/0pzFEcf6UBw/maxresdefault.jpg

Far Side: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~cap/gw/cartoon.gif

Lord Stanley: http://images.fasocdn.com/3379_817175l+v=201212051556/lord-stanley-and-the-penguins-crossing-the-allegheny.jpg

Lichtenstein: http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2012/10/08/Style/Images/SA-LICHTENSTEIN3911349735650.jpg

My Little Pony:  http://derpicdn.net/thumbs/800/600/2013/03/23/21_21_42_177_277740__UNOPT__safe_twilight_sparkle_rainbow_dash_pinkie_pie_fluttershy_rarity_applejack_princess_luna_princess_celestia_derpy_hooves_big_macintosh_parody_artist_gennadykalugina_george_washington.jpeg

Klingon: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2O9sGIRVNFPvS3yGYJKggwTT-LxD2C1E5x-MvpNGo_4eil-DZF_QMKVoBPaqxSosjPQbaSsiB8YLwGlRIl6-daafBh3lH2tVNt-EQD_WIakf2mLnJYNs-Ppl_6Ln5aQ0UNNAhXugEnA/s1600/Klingons_Crossing_the_Delaware_by_judgefang.jpg

After reading the introduction we will listen to the NPR radio show and view some of the parodies created of the painting. The students will be tasked with creating their own parody picture.

22:25 Chapter 1 The Rebels Page 7 location 225

We will begin reading the first chapter. I will display the picture of George Washington below that is referenced in the book. We will continue reading the chapter the following Tuesday.

George Washington by John Trumbull (1780) http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/24.109.88

Explanation of the Foam Cup Printing Project With Reflection

Here is a quick explanation of how Jose created his print.

What I learned from the project:

1) Fun projects can be a great way for students to decompress.

2) When the goal of the project is to explore instead of grade, the students enjoy it more.

3) Some students don't want to do 'that' fun project but it doesn't mean they won't want to do a different fun project later.

4) Students don't always see what they create as 'real' art. I am amazed by what they create, I wish they were too.

Using Pen and Ink

Students wrote a letter to King George explaining why they did not like how he and parliament were running the colonies. After they finished their letters they transposed them using pen and ink. They all expressed how hard it was to write their letters and many showed admiration for their forefathers who had to work daily in that medium.

Road to Revolution 1763-1775 Presentation

I created this presentation for my students to follow. They will do several activities using it including creating a timeline, making a print, and writing an ode. 

The timeline's essential question is: What events led to the creation of the Declaration of Independence?

Here is a link to the presentation. I have comments open if you would like to give me a suggestion there or you can just put it in the comments here.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Hu9Twlz4Q8RV_-smV9lp6F-C4CR1EtDYlfr9eqcLU5c/edit?usp=sharing