ChristopherColumbus3rdGradeLesson

Elements of the
Lesson

AllisonKnopf
10/12/2015

Evidence that Documents the Elements

H3.0.2Explainhowhistoriansuseprimaryandsecondary
3
sourcestoanswerquestionsaboutthepast.

Standard

Objectives/Targets
&
I Can Statements

Objectives:
Students will understand how Christopher Columbus changed the map
of the world.
Students will compare and contrast current day maps of the world and
maps from Columbus time to understand why he thought he would
land in Asia.
I Can
I can describe primary and secondary sources.
I can tell a friend about why Christopher Columbus sailed the Atlantic
Ocean and how his travels changed the world map.

Lesson
Management: Focus
and Organization

This lesson includes, thinking as individuals, sharing with

partners, sharing with small groups and sharing with the whole
class. There will be small periods of explicit instruction in order
to bring the objectives of the lesson clearly to the students
minds.
I will be giving explicit instructions as well as demonstrations
for partner work and group work. This includes raising hands
when partners are gone for the day and leaning in to whisper
with a group.
I will also be demonstrating how to look at a map and make
observations and questions. This may be a new skill to some
students and I will try to make it as clear as possible what this
means.
When giving directions, I will begin with When I
say...Columbus. We often use When I say______ when
giving directions so that students know there are more
directions coming. Being able to listen to instructions all the
way through as been a bit of a struggle for this class lately, so I
may have them return to their seats and try again if the

transitions between directions and activities do not happen

well.
Introduction
(Anticipatory Set)

Think-Pair-Share: What do you already know about Christopher

Columbus and/or Columbus Day?
Students will pair with their 6 oclock partners. Before letting students
find their partners, I will review how to find partners quietly and what
to do if your partner is gone (raise your hand). I will also demonstrate
both before letting students move.

Input
(Setting up the
Lesson for Student
Success)

Task analysis:
The lesson begins with the announcement that it is
Christopher Columbus Day and therefore we are doing a
special lesson about this day. We will start with a
think-pair-share on the question: What do you know about
Christopher Columbus and/or Columbus Day? Students will
think about what they know for a moment, then share with a
clock partner, then share with the whole group. I anticipate
that one or two will know that Columbus was an explorer and
someone will say that he discovered America. This is a time for
me to get an idea of what students already know.
After this discussion I will project a copy of a world map from
1489 on the screen and hand out current day world maps to
each group (the map from 1492 lacks the American
continents). Students will then be asked to find and record 3
observations about this map and 3 questions. Seeing
differences between the two maps will help in the next
discussion. I will tell students at this point that this may be the
actual map that Christopher Columbus used when he set sail.
When we have a map like this, that was created by a person
during the time period which we are studying, it is called a
primary source. Primary sources could also be journal writings
from a time in history, or letters sent between people we are
studying. Primary sources were seen, created or written by the
people in history. Making observations and asking questions
about primary sources in history is one of the jobs of a
historian. By making observations and asking questions today,
you are all acting like historians. I will ask for one observation
and one question from each group. Questions I anticipate are:

Where is the united states? Why are there so many

decorations around the sides? Why is the world shaped so
weird?
The goal of the discussion is to determine that the Americas
are missing from Christopher Columbus map. I will tell
students that when Columbus set sail, he was trying to sail
from Europe to Asia. He wanted to set up ways to trade faster
between Europe and Asia. It took so long traveling by land that
he thought traveling by sea would be faster. He also thought
there was only ocean between Europe and Asia because that is
what his map told him. What he didnt know was that the
Americas were in the way! While having this discussion, I will
have a globe on the table to refer to. I will cover up the
Americas with blue construction paper to demonstrate
Columbus lack of knowledge of the continents.
After this discussion, I will hand out a copy of the
Waldseemuller Map to each group (this map includes the
Americas). I will tell students that they are looking at the map
that was made 15 years after Columbus bumped into the
Americas. Question for the class: what is different between
this map the the first map? The Americas! When Columbus
sailed the Atlantic Ocean, he made a very valuable
contribution to the world map. He made it so that the people
of Europe, the people from where he lived, knew about the
other side of the world. He also accomplished something
nobody else had yet, he was the first to make it across the
Atlantic Ocean! We celebrate Columbus because he
successfully sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and brought back
knowledge of the continents which would later be called the
Americas.
I will be ending the lesson by coming back to the idea of
primary sources and adding secondary sources. During this
lesson, the students will have looked at two primary sources,
the map Columbus used and the map that was created after he
returned. I will ask the class, if we wanted to learn more about
Christopher Columbus, what other primary sources could we
look for? Example: a journal from the ship that he sailed or
letters that he wrote after he returned to Europe.
I will also describe secondary sources at this point. If we
wanted to learn even more about Christopher Columbus, we
could look at secondary sources. I will tell students that
secondary sources are information about history written by

someone who was

not
there. These sources could be in a book,
in a magazine (such as Scholastic) or even in a documentary
video.
End with exit ticket.
Thinking levels:
Analyze - Students will compare and contrast a map of the world from
the current day as well as two maps from Christopher Columbus day.
Students will analyze these maps in order to understand Columbus
plan for sailing to Asia and then how he changed the world map.
How are these maps different?
How are these maps similar?
What is missing from these old maps?
Understand - Students will understand why Christopher Columbus
thought he could sail to Asia.
Looking at the 1489 map - where are the Americas? Where
should they be on the map?
Why didnt Columbus and other people from his country know
where the Americas were?
Accommodations:
Questions for groups struggling to make observations: What
color differences do you see? What shape differences to you
see? How many continents do you see? This world map is a
little funny looking! - What do you think might be on the map?
Questions for groups who are ahead: During Columbus time,
technology was nothing like it is today...how do you think
these maps were made? Where have you seen maps in your
daily life? Who uses maps? Why do they use maps?
Methods, Materials and Integrated Technology
Materials:
3 world maps: Current day, 1482 and 1507
Pencils (only one student from each group needs to write)
Thinking Like a Historian paper to record group observations
and questions.
Globe
Projector to show the 1482 world map

Modeling: I Do

After sharing from the think-pair-share I will project a copy of a world

SHOW/TELL
(Visual/Verbal Input)
HOW/WHAT
(Questioning and
redirecting)

map from 1489 on the screen and hand out current day world maps to
each group.
Introduce Primary Sources: I will tell students at this point that this
may be the actual map that Christopher Columbus used when he set
sail. When we have a map like this, that was created a long time ago, it
is called a primary source. A primary source is any document or
physical object which was written or studied during the time period
that is being studied. For example, if I wanted to learn more about my
grandparents when they were kids and I had some letter they wrote or
received from their friends, those would be primary sources. Making
observations and asking questions about primary sources in history is
one of the jobs of a historian. By making observations and asking
questions today, you are all acting like historians.
Students will then be asked to find and record 3 observations about
this map and 3 questions. Seeing differences between the two maps
will help in the next discussion. I will demonstrate what it looks and
sounds like to make observations and ask questions in regard to the
maps themselves as well as in regards to working in a group.
(Worksheet provided at the end of lesson to help structure this
process)
After about 4 minutes, or when students seem to be out of ideas, I will
ask for one observation and one question from each group. Questions I
anticipate are: Where is the united states? Why are there so many
decorations around the sides? Why is the world shaped so weird?
The goal of the discussion is to determine that the Americas are
missing from Christopher Columbus map. I will tell students that when
Columbus set sail, he was trying to sail from Europe to India. He
thought there was only ocean between Europe and India and that
traveling this way would make it a faster journey to get there. That is
what his map told him. What he didnt know was that the Americas
were in the way! While having this discussion, I will have a globe on
the table to refer to. I will cover up the Americas with blue
construction paper to demonstrate Columbus lack of knowledge of
the continents.

Checking for
Understanding

Questions:
Why are these old maps worth looking at? What can they tell us?
Ask 3 or 4 students at random before observing the 1507 map: what is
a primary source?

Guided Practice: We
Do

After this discussion, I will hand out a copy of the Waldseemuller Map
to each group (this map includes the Americas). I will tell students that
they are looking at the map that was made 15 years after Columbus
bumped into the Americas. Question for the class: what is different
between this map the the first map? I will give students 3-4 minutes
to talk with their groups again about this. Students should see that the
biggest difference is the appearance of the Americas.
Explicit Instruction: When Columbus sailed the Atlantic Ocean, he
made a very valuable contribution to the world map. He made it so
that the people of Europe, the people from where he lived, knew
about the other side of the world. He also did an amazing thing when
he successfully made it across the Atlantic Ocean. He was the first one!
We celebrate Columbus because he successfully sailed across the
Atlantic Ocean and brought back knowledge of the continents which
would later be called the Americas.

Collaborative (Your
Do Together)
and/or Independent
Practice (You Do)

(Above)

Closure

Iwill be ending the lesson by coming back to the idea of primary

sources. During this lesson, the students will have looked at two
primary sources, the map Columbus used and the map that was
created after he returned. I will still have the 1482 map on the board
and they will have their 1507 maps on their desks.
I will ask the class, if we wanted to learn more about Christopher
Columbus, what other primary sources could we look for? Example: a
journal from the ship that he sailed.
If we wanted to learn even more about Christopher Columbus, we
could look at secondary sources. This means anything that was written
about Columbus. These sources were made after the time of
Columbus. Others look at primary sources, and study them, and then
create secondary sources for others to read.

Assessment

Exit ticket - Individuals answer the questions: If a friend on the

playground asked you, what is so important about Columbus Day?
What would you say?
What is the difference between a primary source and a secondary
source?

Reflection
Questions
-
How was my speed?
-Were students able to
successfully follow my
directions (were they
clear enough?)
-What did I learn about
3rd grade students in
general through this
lesson?
-How was my material
and classroom
management?

(Revised/Edited by Elementary Team, 2014)(Altered or personal use by Allison Knopf 9/29/15)

LinktothemapChristopherColumbuslikelyusedtoplanhistriptoAsia(1487):
http://brblzoom.library.yale.edu/viewer/1040214

Ifthefirstlinkdoesnotwork,trythisone:
http://brbldl.library.yale.edu/vufind/Record/3435243

TheWaldseemullerMap(1507)MapObtainedfromtheLibraryofCongressat
http://www.loc.gov/resource/g3200.ct000725C/

ThinkingLikeaHistorian

Threeobservationsmygrouphasaboutthemapare:

1.____________________________________________________

2.____________________________________________________

3.____________________________________________________

Threequestionsmygrouphasaboutthemapare:

1.____________________________________________________

2.____________________________________________________

3.____________________________________________________

Exitticket:Name:________________

Ifafriendontheplaygroundaskedyou,whatissoimportantaboutColumbusDay?
Whatwouldyousay?

Whatisthedifferencebetweenaprimarysourceandasecondarysource?

1Iknowthisisright!
2Iamalittleunsureaboutthisanswer.
3Iamnotsureatall.

Exitticket:Name:________________

Ifafriendontheplaygroundaskedyou,whatissoimportantaboutColumbusDay?
Whatwouldyousay?

Whatisthedifferencebetweenaprimarysourceandasecondarysource?

1Iknowthisisright!
2Iamalittleunsureaboutthisanswer.
3Iamnotsureatall.