Objectives: To select four pictures from the voyage of 1492 and use them to sequence the story of the voyage Christopher Columbus made in 1492. To contribute some words that would describe how Christopher Columbus might have been feeling at each part of the story. To use these words to produce a class 'living graph' chart for Christopher Columbus on this voyage.
National Curriculum: Sequence some aspects of an event; recall some details of an event; ask and answer questions about people and events.
Resources required: Pictures from the voyage printed from the site; it is possible that the sequencing part of the activity could be online; a class outline for the living graph.
Teaching Activities: Introduction: What do we mean by 'an explorer'? Have you ever explored anywhere? Think about a place you have visited for the first time. What might it feel like to be in a strange place?
Activities:
Each child selects four pictures from the story, prints them out and places them in chronological order. Talk with the children about the pictures they have chosen. Which pictures have you chosen and why? What is happening in your pictures? How might Christopher Columbus be feeling at this time?
Introduce the living graph. Using a selection of the children's pictures, perhaps five or six altogether, ask the children to place them in chronological order just below the graph. [Make sure to include the beginning and the end of the story.] How might Christopher Columbus be feeling at each of these points? Which pictures show Christopher Columbus when he is happy? Why? Which pictures show Christopher Columbus at a time when he might be sad? Why? When is he feeling 'just O.K'? Why?
Ask the children to move the pictures vertically to show whether Christopher Columbus would be feeling 'happy', 'sad', or just O.K.
Plenary: What do we think about people who explore places for the first time? Are there any words we could use to describe these people? Why do we remember Christopher Columbus?
