

Friday, August 23, 2013

What If Columbus Sailed Today?

Open this book and set sail.
The E-book is as close as Amazon

What if Columbus was planning his voyage today?

Would you laugh and say, "How silly!"

Would you stand on the dock and shout, "Good luck?"

Or would you say, "Sign me up! I'm going with you."

Hi Ho It's A Sailor's Life For Me!

Pretend you've heard Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain are funding a voyage of exploration.  

An Italian chap named Christopher Columbus claims he's figured out a sea route to the faraway lands that produce spices and silk. It's an exciting idea because trekking overland to those places is expensive and dangerous. 

Make a list of pros and cons for why you should or shouldn't sign up to join Columbus's crew. Make sure the pros win. 

Then write a letter to your parents--or your best friend--telling you're going and why.


What animals sailed with Columbus?

If you have the book or E-book, read pages 16 and 17. Don't miss the info in the Red Box!

Look at this picture to see one of Columbus's ship getting ready to sail. List all the 
animals you see? Which were stowaways, meaning they weren’t wanted?

This cat looks like my cat "Tiger". But he hates to travel. 

Write a short story about getting ready 
to set sail with Columbus from the ship 
cat’s point of view.


Anybody Want A Biscocho? (say biz-KOH-choh)

A common sailor's fare onboard was what the Spanish call Biscocho or biscuits. 
Sailor's also called it hardtack. Bake up this recipe and you'll know how this biscuit got it's name.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
*Be sure and check with an adult that's it's okay to whip up this recipe. Have your 
adult partner take the hot tray out of the oven.

In a bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add the water and stir until it's a stiff dough. Then 
knead (push the dough, turn, and push again). Add more flour if necessary to make a 
very dry dough.

Press the dough out so it is only about 1/2 inch thick. Use a bread knife to cut into 
squares. Place the biscocho on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes. 
Remove from oven and cool. Then enjoy! (or at least try)

In Columbus's time, sailors often ate biscotto with sardines or bean soup.

Watch Out For The Sargasso Sea!
If you have the book or E-book, read pages 20 and 21. Don't miss the Sargasso Food Chain.

Columbus's ships sailed into what looked like a gold and green meadow of floating weeds, an area that is now called the Sargasso (sar-GAS-oh) Sea.  Why do you think the sailors thought this meant they were almost to land?  Look at this map to find out where Columbus and his crew really were.
The arrows show sea currents. Why do you think sailors could be trapped in this part of the ocean?

Now, dive in and explore some of the animals living in the Sargasso Sea--the ones in the picture. Next make a mini-book with a little information about any four of these animals: Mahi Mahi, Mako Shark, Dolphins, Baby Eels, Baby Loggerhead Turtles.  You can find information on-line or in books. Add pictures to bring your mini-book to life. And don't forget to give it a title.


What An Adventure!

Reaching the New World was just the beginning of the adventure.  Read pages 28 and 29 to discover some of the events Columbus and his crew shared.  Next, pretend you were there--part of Columbus's crew. Tell your story about being part of one of those adventures.


And, please share. I'd love to pass on ideas you come up with for sharing Animals Columbus Saw with your students. Or photos of your students enjoying these activities.