Elizabeth T. Lawrence
This unit tries to capsulize a period in our world history that many Anglo texts ignore: that is, the Spanish influence on the New World or this marvelous Western Hemisphere. The cause and effect of the discovery made by Columbus in 1492 is the primary focus of the unit but the unit also helps the student explore the many avenues (culture, language, art, religion, and socialization) that the Spanish explorers and conquistadors opened for us as direct descendants of the “New World.” I had hoped to show the students or re-educate them in the impact of the Spanish conquest. If they do not fully understand it, at least they will be knowledgeable about its existence (somewhere in their broad education they will have heard of it!). It is merely a highlighting of the period we call our American History and can be used with Hispanic or non-Hispanic students. In a bi-lingual or Spanish-dominant class, it will give the pupils a sense of pride in past accomplishments but also, I hope, give them a sensitivity to the problems of native people. It gives the teacher lesson plans and suggestions on how to implement the unit yet it is flexible enough to have each teacher expand in the sub-areas that he/she would want to emphasize.
(Recommended for Social Studies classes, grades 6-8; Bilingual History classes, grades 7 and 8; and Language Arts classes, grades 7 and 8)
Key Words
General Bilingualism Spanish English Columbus Christopher Hispanic Latin American History America Culture Colonial
