Description:
In this lesson, students will locate materials about Francisco Pizarro and the Spanish conquest of the Incas. They will then read the information located in order to construct a list of the events of the Spanish conquest of the Incas, completing a form in which clues in the text that helped in making the inferences about reasons for the Spanish conquest are identified. This lesson is design to help students understand the importance of information skills and experience increased confidence in their research ability.
Goals & Objectives:
LIBRARY MEDIA SKILLS OBJECTIVES
The student will:
-locate materials about Francisco Pizarro and the Spanish conquest of the Incas.
-read information located about Pizarro and the Incas in response to a question about the Spanish conquest of the Incas.
-identify clues in the text that help in making inferences about reasons for the Spanish conquest of the Incas.
CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES:
This activity may serve as a model for making inferences about the reason for the Spanish conquest in a social studies unit on early European exploration of North and South America.
MOTIVATIONAL OBJECTIVES:
The student will:
-become interested in the research process.
-understand the importance of information skills.
-experience increased confidence in research ability
-understand the value of information skills.
-achieve satisfaction in research accomplishments.
Materials & Sources:
Resource List
Pizarro and the Incas Worksheet
Sample 'Why' Questions
| Credits: |
School Library Media Activities Monthly
Adapted for SOS by Kori Gerbig
School of Information Studies
Syracuse University
|
| Sources: |
School Library Media Activities Monthly
September 1997; 14 (1); 27-30.
http://www.schoollibrarymedia.com |
Procedures:
INSTRUCTIONAL ROLES:
-The library media specialist assists in location of resources while the teacher models how students might read for information. The teacher and libary media specialist reinforce student behavior while students read and develop their own ansers to 'why' questions.
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETION:
-This exercise focuses on how information may not always directly answer a question. Many times, students will find pieces of information that form clues from which they will infer and answer. Sometimes the students will need to rely heavily on thier own background knowledge. The exercise begins by reviewing what students already know about the early Spanish exploration of South America This exercise should not be used as an introduction to a unit.
-Follow the review by asking students to search for materials and information about Pizarro and the Incas. Provide them with a list of promising search terms that they may use in online catalogs and the Internet.
-Possible Search Terms include: Pizarro, Francisco; Explorers; Incas; Indians of South America; America, Discovery and Exploration; Latin American History; Peru, Discovery and Exploration; and Peru, History Conquest, 1522-1548.
-The teacher or library media specialist shows a videotape or audiovisual presentation about Pizarro and the conquest of the Incas. The teacher explains that there are many questions students might consider as they read more about the events that transpired. In this case, they will concentrate on 'why' questions. Usually the answer to such questions involves reasons, rationales, motives, causes, or speculations. Students may find specific reasons or they may need to put together clues.
-As the teacher and students talk about the questions and the individuals involved in this period of history, they may also talk about how they might search the texts and read for information. The teacher will wish to review with students how to read for comprehension, as sometimes questions are not answered directly in the text or sources.
-The teacher explains the difference between text and resources that are EXPLICIT, IMPLICIT, and SCRIPTALLY IMPLICIT, then selects Three passages to demonstrate these differences. A successful technique for showing this is to present a paragraph on the overhead in which the answer to the questions is stated explicitly in the text. Then show a paragraph in which parts of the answer appear in two or more places. Finally, show a paragraph in which the students might have to use their own experience to interpret the information.
-Next the teacher outlines the steps that students will use to find answers to one of the questions. She instructs the students to 1) Select a question, 2) Use the descriptors to find one or more print sources and one or more nonprint sources, 3) Locate the section or sections in the sources related to the question, and 4) Read the resources for information about the question.
-Students may use the Pizarro and the Incas Worksheet to help them in answering the questions. When students have completed the worksheet, answering the question as fully possible, they may form groups according to the question selected and discuss their answers. The teacher may ask student to write the answers in short report form.
FOLLOW-UP:
The students may:
-discuss the mental challenge for finding answers to questions that are not specifically addressed in text.
-prepare a short report on the difficulty of answering questions about historical events in which human motiviation must be determined.
Assessment:
EVALUATION:
-Students will be evaluated on their abiltity to locate materials and construct a list of the events of the Spanish conquest of the Incas. They will also complete a worksheet showing clues in the text that helped them make inferences about reasons for the conquest.
Sources:
School Library Media Activities Monthly
September 1997; 14 (1); 27-30.
http://www.schoollibrarymedia.com
