1. Unit 3 Exploration and Early Colonization of Texas
Monday
Unit 3
Exploration and Early Colonization of Texas
Spanish Exploration—French Exploration
Native American Interaction

2. I can understand what motivated Spanish Explorers to want to travel to Texas.
Write that down.

3. Read the Excerpt on Christopher Columbus

4. Take out a piece of Paper and answer the following:
What conclusions can you draw about Christopher Columbus from the reading?
What is the main reason for wanting to sail west?

5. Write the era and date down.
Era: Age of Contact
Write the era and date down.

6. Alonso Alvarez de Pineda De Pineda for short.
Alonso Alvarez de Pineda was a Spanish Explorer that wanted to further the awesomeness of Spain.
Gold, Glory, God

7. De Pineda Route
Important: In 1519, de pineda sailed along the Texas coastline.
Important: First explorer to map the Texas coastline.

8. At the end of your notes
Find 3 sentences from the Christopher Columbus excerpt that explain why Spain wanted to explore west.

9. Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
Tuesday
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
After you are done writing, grab the excerpt from Cabeza de Vaca’s La Relacion out of the tray.
Today’s Objective:
I can begin to comprehend what led Spanish Explorers to search for gold in Texas.

10. Soooo Let’s Pretend… Imagine you were a Native American…
You wear an animal’s skin that your father killed and your mother carved up and fitted on you.
You run around barefoot all day in the wilderness and live in, at best, a structure made of bamboo cane and covered with more animal skin like the one you are wearing.

12. Get all the way into character….
So you’re out running around and you happen upon a cliff overlooking the Gulf of Mexico that you simply call “The Big Water” and you see this offshore.

13. What are your thoughts? What are your thoughts? How would you feel?
Notice the boat that is taking people ashore. It’s bigger than any canoe you’ve ever ridden in!!

14. What about when they come ashore?
What would you think about the metal and leather they wear? The clothing? The sword?

15. Now Switch Roles…
If you were a Spanish Explorer from one of the premier nations in the world what would you think when you saw a half naked group of humans that look just like you but live completely different.
They don’t have any technology, metal weaponry, or means of transportation.

16. Cabeza de Vaca
1537- Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca was the first explorer to write about and report on Texas.
He spent 8 years after being shipwrecked traveling through Texas and having encounters with Indians.

17. Excerpt from La Relacion
Read the excerpt from La Relacion
Discuss with your group what your thoughts are about the interactions of Cabeza de Vaca and Indians.

18. Closing Activity:
Pretend to be a Native American in You’re 12 or 13 years old in 1519.
You spot the biggest ship that you have ever seen. You’ve never seen anything like it anywhere.
Write a journal entry dated for sometime that year stating your thoughts and feelings upon seeing this huge ship.
4-5 sentences. Be creative. Work Hard

19. Inspiration for Exploration
Wednesday
Inspiration for Exploration

20. Today’s Objective Inspiration for Exploration
I can make connections on how Cabeza de Vaca’s book, La Relacion, influenced other people to explore the New World.

21. Opening Questions
What are a couple of your thoughts from your journal entry?
Why are the Spanish exploring West?
Have they figured out that the North American Continent is not Asia?
So why are they still exploring?

22. Inspiration for Exploration
Stories about the riches and limitless gold in the Seven Cities of Cibola supposedly located North of New Spain inspired Spanish led expeditions into Texas.
Cabeza de Vaca’s book, La Relacion, inspired others to continue the search for Cibola.
Other expeditions to find gold were led by Spanish Explorers, including Coronado and De Soto in Teas and Juan do Onate who settled in New Mexico.

23. What do you know about Gold in Texas?
Do you know anything about if there is gold in Texas?
Was there ever gold in Texas?
The answer is no.
What would you think as an explorer when you found out there was no gold in Texas?
What would you think if you were the Spanish Monarch when you heard that intial reports were lies?

24. Spanish lose interest Well the spanish were upset also.
The Spanish lost interest in Texas.
Multiple expeditions not only failed to find gold but a lot of explorers were killed by Native Americans
Spanish explorations ended by late 1500’s
It was not renewed until some other people came to explore from a country called France.

25. Opening Activity: Journal Entry
Write another journal entry from the perspective of the Spanish Monarch.
Describe your feelings of hearing your countryment wrecking and potentially dying in a foreign land.
Describe why you would discontinue approving exploration to the New World.

26. Make a Play Project
Thursday

27. Today’s Objective
I can effectively learn about this time period in which Spanish Explorers discovered the New World and why they did it in order to create a play for class.

28. The Horrors of Cabeza de Vaca
Read the excerpt The Horrors of Cabeza de Vaca
Take out a sheet of paper and answer the following:
What are your thoughts about Cabeza de Vaca’s experiences in this article? (2-3 Sent’s)
What are the interactions with Native Americans like? (2-3 Sentences)
When you are done with that write a Summary on the same page.
3 facts, 2 opinions from those facts, 1 question you still have. Turn it in.

29. To Make a Play, Or to not make a play….JK, You have no Choice
Groups of 4
3 people get characters
Spanish Explorer
Native American
Spanish Monarch (Speaking from Spain)
You will make a 2 min 30 sec play that you will record on video with a phone and to Coach Cullum. Or upload to Google Drive and share with Coach Cullum.
You can have them interact any way you want to as long as it’s appropriate and relevant.
Every actor must have lines in the play and one person can record and share with Coach Cullum.
The person filming must read each scene setup offscreen.
Describe the scene, scenery, and any background information that the viewer might need.
You have 2 days to complete

30. The Great Debate
The class will separate into 2 groups. One group for exploration and one group against it.
The topic of the debate is whether to continue or discontinue exploration to the New World.
After you join your group you will each research what is going on in Spain and the world from
You must know the reasons that you need to find a way around europe and an easier route to Asia.
Then when Columbus discovers the new world you must know why you should or why you shouldn’t send explorers.
I will be the Spanish Monarch and you will be trying to convince me.

31. Debate Day

32. Great Debate Questions
We are trying to compete with France in trade with Asia. Tell me how exploring a path to the west to reach Asia is or is not a good idea?
Christoper Columbus discovered a New World. There might be riches and glory in that world to enhance the glory of Spain. Tell me why it is or isn’t a good idea to send explorers to find gold and glory?

33. The great Debate
I have heard reports of people already living in this New World. We need to promote Catholicism and turn them to Christianity. Would that make us a more glorious nation or not? Why or Why not?
If we should not send explorers then tell me how were going to get past the middle men on the way to Asia and make it less expensive.