Teachers Network
Translate Translate English to Chinese Translate English to French
  Translate English to German Translate English to Italian Translate English to Japan
  Translate English to Korean Russian Translate English to Spanish
Lesson Plan Search
Our Lesson Plans
TeachNet Curriculum Units
Classroom Specials
Popular Teacher Designed Activities
TeachNet NYC Directory of Lesson Plans TeachNet NYC Dirctory of Lesson Plans

VIDEOS FOR TEACHERS
RESOURCES
Teachers Network Leadership Institute
How-To Articles
Videos About Teaching
Effective Teachers Website
Lesson Plans
TeachNet Curriculum Units
Classroom Specials
Teacher Research
For NYC Teachers
For New Teachers
HOW-TO ARTICLES
TEACHER RESEARCH
LINKS

GRANT WINNERS
TeachNet Grant:
Lesson Plans
2010
TeachNet Grant Winners
2009
TeachNet Grant Winners
Adaptor Grant Winners
2008
TeachNet Grant Winners
Adaptor Grant Winners
2007
TeachNet Grant Winners
Adaptor Grant Winners
Other Grant Winners
Power-to-Learn
Math and Science Learning
Ready-Set-Tech
Impact II
Grant Resources
Grant How-To's
Free Resources for Teachers
ABOUT
Our Mission
Funders
   Pacesetters
   Benefactors
   Donors
   Sponsors
   Contributors
   Friends
Press
   Articles
   Press Releases
Awards
   Cine
   Silver Reel
   2002 Educational Publishers Award

Sitemap

Adaptor Grants Home:
Teachers Network: Adaptor Grants: Christopher Columbus Webquest

Original Project by Deirdre Kelly

Adapted By:
Danielle Taylor & Rebecca Sacra
P.S. 261

New York, NY
Principal:
Zipporiah Mills

Danielle Taylor is in her fourth year of teaching as a fourth grade teacher.  She has a Masters degree in elementary education.  Rebecca Sacra graduated in 2004 from NYU with a Masters in Childhood Special Education.  Rebecca is a fourth grade CTT teachers at PS 261.


Modifications

We created worksheets for this unit. There was a lot of reading involved. We also used primary documents including maps and pictures for students to look at. We also used read-aloud during the unit including Remember Patience Whipple by Karyn Lasky. We wanted students to get a better feel about what life was like on a ship.

Instructional Objectives

Students will:

  • Incorporate technology

  • Understand what life on a ship was like

  • Introduce Columbus and focus on instruments of navigation


Technology Integration

Technology played a major role but was balanced with read-aloud, primary documents and homework. This was a three week study. Laptops were used twice a week for about one hour.

Assessment

Students were assessed through in-class observations, homework and partnership work. We also created class charts including a KWL chart which demonstrated what they had learned. 

Tips for Teachers


We wanted students to focus on life aboard a ship, what ships looked like and important instruments used for navigations. For step 1, students mostly read about Columbus.  Step 2, we created the ship worksheets. For step 3, students wrote journal entries and the map worksheet to look at the map of Columbus’s first landing. When reading about Columbus and celestial we gave them the Astrolabe and compass worksheets.


Teacher-Created Worksheets

Download (Word document)

 

Student Work Samples

Click on each thumbnail to see a full-screen version.

 

 

 

 

 

Come across an outdated link?
Please visit The Wayback Machine to find what you are looking for.

 

Journey Back to the Great Before