South Carolina ETV

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Columbia, SC 29201-4761
Phone: 803-737-3545

Spanish Influence in the U.S. (Grade 8)

Master Teacher

Libia V. Raines

Time Allotment

One 45-minute class period

Overview

Students will learn about the first Spanish conquistadors that explored and colonized large areas in what are known today as the southern and western regions of the United States.

Subject Matter

Spanish/Geography

South Carolina Standards

These Standards can be found online at Office of Curriculum Standards.

Standard 3.1

Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language. Identify and use in the target language previously acquired concepts from geography.

Transfer and apply information and skills common to both the target language and other subject areas; e.g., map skills, graphing.

Standard 3.2

Students acquire information and perspectives through authentic materials in the foreign languages and within the cultures. Extract information from authentic resources for the use in a variety of subject areas.

Standard 4.2

Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparison of the culture studied and their own. For example, to compare social structures such as schools.

Standard 5.1

Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting. For example, establish connections with the target cultures through the use of technology, media and authentic sources.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

use the Internet as a tool
write an essay about each explorer and why he is remembered in American history
identify which explorers came to the United States during 1492-1682
identify words in the English language stemming from words that originated in the Spanish language
identify the major cities and states with names originating from the Spanish language

Media Component

Web site

Little Explorers by Enchanted Learning Software. Students will use an English-Spanish picture dictionary format to link to over 400 carefully chosen, fun educational activities.

Explorers. Students will learn about early Spanish explorers.

Spanish Explorers Treasure Hunt. Spanish explorers treasure hunt for Florida's early history.

Spanish Exploration on the Colorado Plateau. Students will find and establish a route to the Spanish mission in California.

Materials

one computer per student

equivalent words worksheet per student (attached)

maps from various Spanish-speaking countries (1 per group of two)

newspapers, brochures, books, magazines (1 per group of two)

Prep for Teacher

Bookmark sites on each computer.

Make a copy of the equivalent words worksheet for each student.

Assemble the maps and reference materials needed.

When using media, provide students with a Focus For Media Interaction, a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites, or other multimedia elements.

Introductory Activity

Step 1: Utilizing the Think, Pair, Share method, pose the inquiry question: How can early Spanish influence still be seen throughout the United States? For example, names of cities such as Santa Fe, New Mexico and El Paso, and states such as Arizona, Montana, Colorado, and Florida, were taken from the Spanish language. Have students in groups of two. Students will think about the question, then have them share their thoughts with the class.

Step 2: The students will go to the computer lab to use www.littleexplorers.com. Provide the students with a Focus for Media Interaction by telling them to look at the routes that each Spanish explorer made through the western and southwest region of the United States.

Step 3: Distribute Activity Sheet 1: Equivalent Words. Have students write the English equivalent for as many words as they can.

Learning Activity

Step 1: Provide a Focus for Media Interaction by telling students to go to the computer lab to research and write an essay about why each explorer is remembered in American history. Students will log on to Spanish Explorers Treasure Hunt. This Web site focuses on questions such as: "Who first landed on the Florida Coast?" "What did Ponce de Leon name it and why?" "Who sailed the Appalachia Bay?" "Who sailed the entire Gulf coast?"

Step 2: Provide a Focus for Media Interaction by telling students they are going to do additional research at another Web site. Have the students visit the Spanish Exploration on the Colorado Plateau Web site, which also focuses on the Spanish explorers who explored the southwestern and western parts of the United States. For example, Juan Ponce de Leon discovered the east coast of Florida and named it Pascua Florida for the Easter feast of flowers. Hernando de Alarcon sailed up the Gulf of California and into the Colorado River. Francisco Vazquez de Coronado explored the Southwest of America; he also explored the area north of the Rio Grande.

Garcia Lopez Cardenas discovered the Grand Canyon; Juan Cabrillo explored the California Coast; Giovanni de Verranza sailed the coast of North America in 1524 and discovered New York and Narragansett Bay. He also explored from around Cape Fear, NC to at least the Maine Coast. Hernando de Soto explored the Mississippi River, the expedition continued into Arkansas and to the current Oklahoma boarder. The Web site also gives you the first name of the new continent which was "Nueva Espana" (New Spain). The teacher will observe and assist.

Culminating Activity

Step 1: Give students the books, magazines, newspapers, brochures, and maps from various Spanish-speaking countries. Each group of students will create a classroom reference table and rotate groups of students at 10-minute intervals to investigate similarities and differences between U.S. culture and those of Spanish-speaking countries. Each group must list 3 similarities and differences, then each group will compile the list on the board.

Cross-Curricular Extension

Geography: Divide the class into groups of 3. Student one is the researcher, student two is the recorder, and student three is the spellchecker. Each group has 15 minutes to fill in a blank map of names of states or cities that are derived from Spanish words such as Montana, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc. Students will also fill in the names of as many Spanish-speaking countries as they can. The groups then will present their maps in class.

Activity Sheets:

Activity Sheet 1: Equivalent Words