Spanish Explorers Chapter

Textbook Organization Committee

You are each employees of L & M Publishing. Our company has been asked to publish a history textbook and because each of you is an expert in the field of history you will be assisting with several tasks related to completing the final phases of this textbook project.

Our current task involves completion of the chapter about the early Spanish explorers in the Americas. The group looking into the early Spanish explorers has developed a list of Spanish explorers who had significant influence in the Americas during the early years of the European exploration of these continents. We must now make some important decisions regarding the list that the initial research group has put together.

Our task:

  1. Each group will:
  2. Find information about each of the explorers identified by the initial research group.
  3. Determine the ranking of the explorers using the following categories for the chapter in the book. (Note: These categories are based on the availability of space in the chapter):
  4. Threeof the explorers will receive extensive coverage in the chapter. These should be the three who had the most influence in some way(s).
  5. Three of the explorers will receive moderate coverage in the chapter. These should be explorers who had some influence but whose influence would not be considered ‘great’.
  6. The rest of the explorers will be briefly mentioned at appropriate points in the chapter.
  7. Once your group has determined the rankings that you agree on, create a presentation to make to the rest of the groups that makes the case for why your group’s decision about the rankings is the best and should be the choice for the textbook chapter.
  1. Once all groups have made their presentations, students will vote individually for the ranking that they believe most appropriate.

Explorers:

Spanish Explorers Chapter

Textbook Organization Committee

  • Vasco Nunez de Balboa
  • Pedro AlvaresCabral
  • Christopher Columbus
  • Vasquez de Coronado
  • Hernando Cortez
  • Hernando De Soto
  • Ferdinand Magellan
  • Francisco Pizarro
  • Juan Ponce de Leon
  • Amerigo Vespucci

Spanish Explorers Chapter

Textbook Organization Committee

Presentations must:

  • Clearly identify the criteria the committee used to determine the ranking of the ten explorers.
  • Clearly identify the rankings for the ten explorers.
  • Present a fact-based case for the rankings the group decided on.
  • Appeal to the audience’s emotions as well as the audience’s logic.
  • Should include some visual information that helps make the group’s case.
  • End with a conclusion that sums up the presentation.

Project Rubric
Exemplary / Good / Poor / Unacceptable / Score
Clearly explained the criteria the committee used to determine the ranking of explorers.
15 – 12 / Explained the criteria the committee used to determine the ranking of explorers, but explanations were not thorough or clear.
11.9 - 9 .75 / The criteria the committee used to determine the ranking of explorers were listed but not explained.
9.5 - 5 / Little or no criteria was listed to explain the committee’s ranking system.
4.5 - 0
Clearly identified the rankings for the ten explorers.
10 - 7 / Identified the rankings for the ten explorers, but 1) left some out, 2) didn’t include this information early in the presentation, or 3) wasn’t clear about the rankings.
6.5 - 3 / Did not identify the group’s rankings for the explorers and/or rankings were incompletely and ineffectively presented.
2.5 - 0
Effectively presented a fact-based case that references the group’s criteria for the ranking of each explorer.
35 – 26 / Presented a fact-based case that references the group’s criteria for the ranking of each explorer, but the presentation 1) failed to provide adequate facts to back-up rankings or 2) failed to adequately relate the rankings to the group’s criteria.
25.5 – 19.5 / Presented reasons for the group’s rankings but failed to adequately relate these to appropriate facts and failed to adequately relate rankings to the group’s criteria.
19 - 10 / Failed to present any reasons for the group’s ranking of explorers or most of the reasons were inadequately presented and some were missing.
9.5 - 0
Effectively appealed to the audience’s emotions as well as the audience’s logic. Presentation tied the logical reasons for the rankings directly to emotional appeals for at least the top two groups.
15 – 12 / Appealed to the audience’s emotions as well as the audience’s logic and tied at least half of the logical reasons for the rankings directly to emotional appeals for at least the top group.
11.9 - 9 .75 / Some emotional appeal was included in the presentation, although little if any was related to the facts presented.
9.5 - 5 / No emotional appeal was included in the presentation.
4.5 - 0
Included visual information that effectively helped the group present their arguments for at least the top two groups. All visuals were relevant and used effectively.
15 – 12 / Included visual information that helped the group present their arguments for at least the top group. Most visuals were relevant and used effectively.
11.9 - 9 .75 / Included minimal visual information to help the group present their arguments for a few of their rankings. Some visuals were relevant and used effectively while others might have been irrelevant and/or poorly used.
9.5 - 5 / Few or no relevant or effective visuals were included in the presentation.
4.5 - 0
Ended with a conclusion that effectively reinforced the group’s decisions.
10 - 8 / Ended with a conclusion that reinforced the group’s decisions but was not as effective as it needed to be.
7.5 – 5.5 / Ended with a conclusion that restated the group’s decisions, but failed to reinforce the decisions.
5 - 3 / Failed to adequately conclude the presentation.
2.5 - 0
Total Final Score