Glastonbury Foreign Language Program
Curricular Unit: Conquest and Colonialism (Spanish)
Grade: 9
Subject/Topic Area(s): Cultures in contact
Key Words: Cristóbal Colón, Francisco Pizarro, Hernán Cortés, Moctezuma, Atahualpa, conquistador.

Standards:

Major standards—
Supporting standards—

Brief Summary of Unit (including curricular context and unit goals):

Students will study Mexico and Peru and be able to identify and name the major “players” of the conquest as well as its affect on European and Indian cultures.

Number of days for activity:

Materials and resources (including technology and multimedia):

Identifying Desired Results

•  What essential questions will guide this unit and focus teaching/learning?

What motivated Spanish exploration/conquest?
Who were the Spanish explorers/conquerors?
What did they find and what was the outcome?
How did this contact affect the two cultures?
Who benefited the most?

•  What enduring understandings are desired?

Student will understand...

Spanish exploration and conquest changed the world
Spain's empire flourished
immigration to the new world brought a new religion and a new culture
the “collision” of two cultures is not always beneficial to both parties

•  What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?

Students will know…

dates and names of important people
routes taken inland
Spanish allies
the impact of modern weapons
the role of leaders
advantages and disadvantages of the conquest

Students will be able to…

make a timeline of events
locate routes on map
discuss the allies' role
compare and contrast military tactics
identify and define major players
understand how the conquest changed both cultures

Vocabulary:
Explorador, conquistador, dios, mundo, ciudad, indio, indígena, continente, cacique, emperador, sacerdote, sacrificio, templo, caballo, cañones, armas de fuego, armas blancas, etc

Grammar:
 Numbers, descriptive adjectives, comparatives and superlatives, directions, uses of the preterite and imperfect, review of noun/adjective/verb agreement, present perfect

•  What do they already know that will help them learn new information? Where and when did they learn it?

Study of World History (7 th grade)
Introduction to Indian cultures (5 th grade)
Latin America and the Caribbean (9 th grade)

Determining acceptable evidence

•  What evidence will show that students understand?

Performance Tasks:
Create a timeline showing dates, routes, names and events as they occurred
Using a map of Mexico and South America, students will locate important cities and routes taken by the conquistadors
Students will write a paragraph comparing military weapons and tactics
Students will debate the advantages and disadvantages of the conquest - Possible roles: Cortés vs Moctezuma, Pizarro vs Atahualpa, indio vs español, mono- vs. polytheism
Students will write a persuasive essay based on information derived from debates

Quizzes, Tests, Prompts, Work Samples:
Identification of major civilization and capitals
Explain roles of major players
Uses of the preterite and imperfect

Unprompted Evidence (observations, dialogues):
Student Self-Assessment:

Lessons:


Links to Relevant Web Sites:  

Assessment Blueprint (Performance Tasks)

Task Title:
Approximate Time Frame:
Standards:
Purpose: check those that apply Formative – Summative –
Description of Task:



Evidence of desired understanding:

Criteria of judgment:

Evaluative Tools: check those that apply
Analytic Rubric –
Holistic Rubric –
Criterion (performance) list –
Checklist –

Assessment Blueprint (Other Evidence)

•  What is being assessed?

•  Describe the assessment.  

•  What is the purpose of the assessment?      

•  Criteria of judgment/evaluative tools: