Culture Clash: New World Meets Old Teacher s Guide

Transcription

1 Culture Clash: New World Meets Old Teacher s Guide Grade Level: 6 8 Curriculum Focus: World History Lesson Duration: Two class periods Program Description The Hunt for Society (5 min.) Traces the physical and cultural development of early humans from hunter-gatherers to the first great civilizations. Mesoamerican Conflict (4 min.) See how the Maya, Inca, and Aztec civilizations maintained their power through warfare. Peru s Past (5 min.) Profiles the Inca, who overcame their environment to create great stone cities and an advanced civilization. Columbus: Secrets From the Grave (32 min.) Examines the many myths surrounding the man credited with discovering the New World, separating truth from mere speculation. Onscreen Questions Why did early humans migrate to different parts of the world? How did Aztec rulers help bring down their empire? How did the Incas adapt to their mountainous environment? Why might Christopher Columbus try to conceal his identity? Lesson Plan Student Objectives Demonstrate understanding of basic facts about Christopher Columbus and different theories regarding his background. Discuss the different experts and resources involved in trying to solve the mystery of Columbus background. Write their own opinion about Columbus background, focusing on three pieces of evidence. Materials Culture Clash: New World Meets Old video and VCR, or DVD and DVD player Computer with Internet access

2 Culture Clash: New World Meets Old: Teacher s Guide 2 Resources on Columbus Procedures 1. After watching Culture Clash, discuss basic facts about Christopher Columbus. Talk about what is known and what is unknown about his life. (His country of origin and background are unknown. What is known are facts about his life surrounding the voyage to the New World, as well as facts about his marriage, his brothers, his son.) Which country funded his voyages to the New World? (Spain) According to most history books, what is Columbus background? (He was the son of a poor weaver from the Italian town of Genoa.) 2. Next, talk about some of the theories regarding Christopher Columbus background. For each theory, discuss why Columbus might have hid this information. For example He was a Catalan mercenary who had fought against the Spanish. If his secret was revealed, the Spanish monarchs may not have financed his voyage. He was Jewish, and changed his identity to escape the Spanish Inquisition. His parents were not married, and he hid his past to escape the stigma of illegitimacy. He was, as he claimed, the son of a Genoese weaver, and hid his modest childhood because he was ashamed. 3. Ask students to name the types of experts that the historian Charles Merrill consulted while trying to solve the mystery of Columbus background. For each expert, talk about the materials or resources analyzed. For example: DNA expert (bones of Columbus, his son Hernando, and his brother Diego) Forensic anthropologist (bones of Columbus, his son, and his brother) Handwriting expert (Columbus personal letters and journals) Forensic linguist or linguistics engineer (Columbus personal letters and journals) Psychological profiler (history and known facts about Columbus life) Specialist in Portuguese history (facts about Columbus marriage) 4. Have students name any historic materials that Merrill consulted in his research, such as Columbus personal writings Columbus son s biography of his father s life Historical records in Genoa and Catalona Facts about the Colom family of Barcelona 5. Tell students that their assignment is to write an essay offering their own opinion about Columbus background. They should use at least three statements from experts or pieces of evidence to support their opinion. Encourage them to use additional resources to supplement

3 Culture Clash: New World Meets Old: Teacher s Guide 3 what they learned in the video. They may want to begin with the Discovery site called Explore the Evidence : 6. Have students share their completed essays with the class. 7. Discuss the essays as a class. Which theory was most popular? What additional evidence would help support or oppose this theory? Assessment Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students' work during this lesson. 3 points: Students demonstrated a strong understanding of the facts, mysteries, and theories about Christopher Columbus background; wrote a clear, engaging essay supported by at least three experts or pieces of evidence. 2 points: Students demonstrated a satisfactory understanding of the facts, mysteries, and theories about Christopher Columbus background; wrote a competent essay supported by three experts or pieces of evidence. 1 point: Students demonstrated a weak understanding of the facts, mysteries, and theories about Christopher Columbus background; wrote an incomplete or inaccurate essay supported by less than three experts or pieces of evidence. Vocabulary DNA Definition: The molecule that carries genetic information in all living things; the chemical basis of heredity (deoxyribonucleic acid). Context: By comparing Columbus DNA with his brother Diego's, Lorente can find out if they had different mothers. forensic Definition: Relating to or dealing with the application of scientific knowledge to legal problems. Context: Professor Miguel Botella is an expert in forensic anthropology. His expertise enables him to find secrets within bones. hominid Definition: One in the scientific family of bipedal, primate mammals including modern humans and early humanlike ancestors. Context: Many scientists believe that the earliest hominids, or members of the human family, lived in Africa. ice age Definition: A period in Earth s history when ice sheets covered vast regions of land. Context: Earth s last ice age ended about 12,000 years ago.

4 Culture Clash: New World Meets Old: Teacher s Guide 4 linguist Definition: One who studies human speech and language. Context: Forensic linguists will try to unlock the code hidden within Columbus' writings to reveal his mother tongue. mercenary Definition: A soldier paid to fight for a country other than his or her own Context: Charles Merrill believes that Columbus was a Catalan mercenary who once fought against Spain. Mesoamerica Definition: The region in present-day Mexico and most of Central America where civilizations flourished before European contact. Context: The Maya lived in the hot, dense rain forests of southern Mesoamerica. Spanish Inquisition Definition: From 1478 to 1834 a Roman Catholic judicial institution intended to root out religious heresy, often through the use of torture and public execution. Context: There is evidence that suggests Columbus was a Jew who secretly changed his identity to escape the Spanish Inquisition. Academic Standards Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) McREL's Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K 12 Education addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit This lesson plan addresses the following national standards: World History: Era 1 Understands the biological and cultural processes that shaped the earliest human communities World History: Era 3 Understands how early agrarian civilizations arose in Mesoamerica World History: Era 6 Global Expansion and Encounter: Understands how the transoceanic interlinking of all major regions of the world between 1450 and 1600 led to global transformations U.S. History: Era 1 Understands the characteristics of societies in the Americas, Western Europe, and Western Africa that increasingly interacted after Historical Understanding: Understands the historical perspective.

5 Culture Clash: New World Meets Old: Teacher s Guide 5 The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) has developed national standards to provide guidelines for teaching social studies. To view the standards online, go to This lesson plan addresses the following thematic standards: Culture Time, Continuity, and Change Individual Development and Identity Support Materials Develop custom worksheets, educational puzzles, online quizzes, and more with the free teaching tools offered on the Discoveryschool.com Web site. Create and print support materials, or save them to a Custom Classroom account for future use. To learn more, visit DVD Content This program is available in an interactive DVD format. The following information and activities are specific to the DVD version. How To Use the DVD The DVD starting screen has the following options: Play Video This plays the video from start to finish. There are no programmed stops, except by using a remote control. With a computer, depending on the particular software player, a pause button is included with the other video controls. Video Index Here the video is divided into four parts (see below), indicated by video thumbnail icons. Watching all parts in sequence is similar to watching the video from start to finish. Brief descriptions and total running times are noted for each part. To play a particular segment, press Enter on the remote for TV playback; on a computer, click once to highlight a thumbnail and read the accompanying text description and click again to start the video. Curriculum Units These are specially edited video segments pulled from different sections of the video (see below). These nonlinear segments align with key ideas in the unit of instruction. They include onscreen pre- and post-viewing questions, reproduced below in this Teacher s Guide. Total running times for these segments are noted. To play a particular segment, press Enter on the TV remote or click once on the Curriculum Unit title on a computer.

6 Culture Clash: New World Meets Old: Teacher s Guide 6 Standards Link Selecting this option displays a single screen that lists the national academic standards the video addresses. Teacher Resources This screen gives the technical support number and Web site address. Video Index I. The Hunt for Society (5 min.) Although we do not know exactly where or when the first humans lived, scientists do have an understanding of what they were like. Examine the lives of early hominids. II. Mesoamerican Conflict (4 min.) Explore the cultures of the Maya, Inca, and Aztec civilizations, the most advanced empires in Mesoamerica. III. Peru s Past (5 min.) The Inca created a flourishing and advanced civilization in the inhospitable Andes Mountains. Take a closer look at the Inca Empire and its accomplishments. IV. Columbus: Secrets from the Grave (32 min.) Who was Christopher Columbus? Investigate the famous explorer s origins with the help of scientists, historians, and other experts. Curriculum Units 1. The Earliest Known Humans Q: Where and when do you think the first humans lived? Q: What were the early hominids like? A: Early hominids were scavengers. The little meat they got usually came from animals killed by other animals. Early humans survived mainly by eating plant foods, including nuts, seeds, and fruit. Roughly 2.5 million years ago, hominids learned how to make tools out of stone. With these they could cut meat from bones, dig up roots, cut wood, and scrape animal hides. Fire was perhaps the most important tool that early humans had. 2. The Spread of Modern Humans 1 Q: How did the community where you live develop?

7 Culture Clash: New World Meets Old: Teacher s Guide 7 Q: How did farming help establish the first communities? A: Early humans were hunter-gatherers, moving from place to place to follow their sources of food. Once they could grow their own food they no longer had to travel as much. Farming increased the amount of food people had, which allowed them to form communities for the first time. 3. Early Cultures of the Americas Q: What do you know about early Mesoamerican cultures? Q: What were the Maya, Inca, and Aztec cultures like? A: The Maya lived in the hot, dense rain forests of Southern Mesoamerica. They lived in separated city-states that often traded and fought with one another. They built pyramids that rivaled those in Egypt. The Maya also developed one of the most advanced writing systems in the Americas. The Inca culture arose in the Andes Mountains of South America. The Inca created a wellordered society in which every citizen had a specific duty to the government. They imposed a single language and taught it to conquered peoples. They created many beautiful and useful objects out of gold, silver, and textiles. The Inca built impressive cities out of stone, developed irrigation canals and created a large network of roads. The Aztecs built the island city of Tenochtitlan, one of the most advanced cities of its time, complete with aqueducts, massive temples, and wide avenues and canals. At its peak, the Aztec Empire ruled nearly 10 million people. 4. The People of the Andes Q: What do you think would be the hardest environment to live in and why? Q: What do you think was the most impressive aspect of the Inca civilization? 5. Cuzco and Machu Picchu Q: What do you think is the heart of your community or country? Q: Describe the city of Machu Picchu. A: Located northwest of Cuzco, Machu Picchu was the mountain retreat of Inca emperor Pachacuti. It includes an area of well-built houses for the nobility, a district for scholars and artists, and, farther down the mountain, houses and terraces for the farmers. The religious center of Machu

8 Culture Clash: New World Meets Old: Teacher s Guide 8 Picchu was the mound, a sacred stone that resembles a sundial. This is where offerings were made to the sun god. 6. Questions About Columbus Past Q: Have you ever pretended to be someone or something you are not? Q: What do you think is the real story of Christopher Columbus past? 7. The Origins of Christopher Columbus Q: Do you believe Christopher Columbus was from Genoa, Italy? Q: What is the accepted theory about Christopher Columbus childhood? A: It has generally been believed that Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy to a weaver and his wife. It is said that in his youth Columbus worked in crafts, particularly in weaving. It was not until his early twenties that he was said to have become a sailor. He then became a crewmember aboard a Genoese trading ship and left Italy for good. 8. Studying Columbus Remains Q: What do you think scientists will learn from Columbus remains? Q: Do you think that it is important that we know Columbus origins? 9. Challenging Columbus Genoese Origins Q: Why might somebody keep their origins a secret? Q: What are some clues that Christopher Columbus might not have been from Genoa? A: Charles Merrill claims a document written by Columbus has been mistranslated to say his heart is in Genoa. Columbus also wrote that he began sailing at a young age, which contradicts historians accounts that he didn t go to sea until in his 20s. It is also unlikely that someone of humble Genoese origins would have been able to marry into a noble Portuguese family, as Columbus did.

9 Culture Clash: New World Meets Old: Teacher s Guide Columbus Possible Catalan Origins Q: What do you think would happen if it was proven that Columbus was not Italian? Q: Do you think Christopher Columbus was Spanish? 11. A New Approach to DNA Analysis Q: How would you go about researching the history of a secretive person? Q: Do you think the U.S. lab will have better results with Columbus bones? 12. Columbus True Origins Q: What kinds of evidence would you use to prove somebody s origins? Q: What evidence indicates that Columbus was Catalan in origin? A: Analysis shows that Columbus brother Diego is much older than the Genoese theory says, and it indicates the brothers were not part of the Genoese weaver s family. Columbus handwriting also revealed that Columbus was well educated, something a person from a Genoese weaving family would not be. Additionally, Columbus mother tongue could be Catalan. However, the DNA tests were inconclusive and the mystery remains.