South American History Lesson Plan
By: Rachel and Shae
Objectives:
--Identify a Pre-Columbian change that started most early civilizations.
--Visualize what life would be like today if the Columbian Exchange never occurred.
--Identify how the countries of South America gained their independence, who they gained it from, and when they gained it.
Essential Questions:
-- How did Pre-Columbian civilizations in South America, such as the Chavin, the Moche, and the Nazca, begin and grow?
Answer: Since man changed from food-gatherer to food-producer, people were able to stay in one place instead of constantly moving. This created settled life and the cultural development of these civilizations, so that they could begin and grow.
--How would countries around the world be different if the Colonial Exchange never occurred?
Answer: To this question there are several answers, as well as many more:
--Texas would not have any cattle (they relied on camels in the 1800s and they helped with America’s population boost)
--Ireland would not have any potatoes (they became Ireland’s staple crop)
--There would be no more Swiss chocolate (Chocolate might have only stayed in South America, and today it’s one of the world’s most popular treats)
--Native Americans would never have been able to use the horse which greatly enhanced their lives. (used them to hunt, move their village (nomadic purposes), or to fight other Native American tribes)
--France would not have any tobacco (French people like to smoke a lot and the cigarette company is one of the largest companies in the world)
--Italy would not have been able to produce their famous tomato sauce (One of the Italians favorite things to put on pasta and it was infused into their culture)
--Students will be able to think of additional answers to this question
--How did events in Europe trigger wars of independence in South America?
Answer: Because of the wars with Napolean in Europe, European countries lost control of their colonies and by the time they tried to regain control, strong South American leaders had already been developed.
Activities:
To answer the first essential question, we will play the classic game of hangman. For this game, we will need the smart board. On the smart board, we will have the appropriate blanks that say “man changed from _ _ _ _-______to _ _ _ _- ______”
(the answer being man changed from food-gatherer to food-producer). But instead of having students raise their hands and creating chaos, we will go around the class and each student will say a letter. If the student guesses a letter found in the phrase, they get a piece of candy. If not, then they don’t receive any. Gradually, the students will guess enough letters to finish the phrase. When the students figure out the phrase, they will realize that producing food is how most of the early civilizations started.
To answer the next question, we will ask them to look at the chart displayed about the Columbian Exchange as we explain about it, as it is displayed on the smart board. Then, we will begin to describe how the world today would be different if this exchange never happened, as we will give then an example or two of how a certain country in the Old or New world would be effected without this ever occuring. Next, we will divide the class up in half by having the people sitting in the front row be the New World and the people sitting in the back row be the Old World. The students will work individually, as they will choose one thing (can be anything on the chart) that their side received, and explain how their lives today would be effected if they never received it, as if the Colonial Exchange never happened. As they reflect upon their lives without these products, the students will realize how countries in both the New and Old Worlds would be effected if the Columbian Exchange never occurred.
To answer the last question, we are going to play bingo. For this game of bingo to work, the students will need to be on our wikispace looking at the chart displayed above the Simon Bolivar image that tells how, when, and from whom the countries of South America got their independence. Bingo sheets will be passed out, all with different information on them. The categories on the bingo sheets will be from whom the country gained independence from, how they gained independence, and when they gained it and the countries of South America. To play the game, countries will be drawn out of a bag. To get a space filled in, the students will have to use our chart displayed on the wiki to see if that country called has any information (who they got independence from, when they got it, and how they gained it) located on their bingo card. If so, they fill it in. We will most definitely play until there is one winner, and if time permits, more winners can be chosen. The winners receive candy.
Materials:
-the smart board (for hangman and to show our wiki)
-the macs (so they can have the wiki to look at the chart for bingo and for the Columbian Exchange activity but NOT for hangman)
Assessment:
For our assessment, we will have posted on the wiki a link to our assessment. Students will use the wiki to answer fill in the blank questions. We feel that this will give students more knowledge about the history of South America that we did not teach in the course of our lesson.