Exploration

Study Unit: Exploration

Before beginning a study of exploration and explorers, it is important to have students understand the concept of exploration and why people explore. I have chosen to begin this unit of study with a true story from my own childhood. To begin, I will gather the children around the rocking chair as I relate or read this true encounter, perhaps stopping along the way to discuss any new vocabulary words.

Grammy Tobin's Attic
Melissa N. Matusevich

Today I am going to share with you a memory from my childhood. Most summers my family and I would travel by car to New Jersey to visit a myriad of relatives. We would stay with my grandmother and grandfather in their large old Victorian house, the kind of house with an expansive front porch, big rooms with high ceilings, and an attic that had its own staircase and occupied the top floor. I was enchanted by this house, and the attic in particular held a special fascination for me. Every year as we were driving the long distance north, I would think about how much fun it would be to live in a house like my grandparents' one with a large bathroom containing a huge claw-footed bathtub, a butler's pantry with a passageway from the kitchen to the dining room, and an entire top floor that was an attic. For years I longed to go up into the attic. I often heard my mother ask my grandmother, "Where is that little table that used to sit by the front door?" or "What did you ever do with Pop's old beaver hat?" The answer was always the same. "Oh, it's been up in the attic for ages," my grandmother would reply.

The attic. THE ATTIC! It held a special fascination for me partly because of all that I imagined up there. Probably the greatest enticement was the fact that the attic was off limits. We were strictly forbidden to go there. I spent sleepy afternoons in the hammock on the front porch daydreaming about the attic. What were they hiding up there? Were there treasures? Secrets? We were a well-behaved bunch, my cousins and I, and for good reason. Good behavior was expected of us, and punishment was swift and sure. Still, that attic whispered and called to me to me every time I passed the door to its staircase.

Once, my aunt went up into this treasured chamber and left the door to the staircase ajar. I stood in the doorway, craning my neck to see around the top of the stairs as they turned into the main section where all the goodies were stored. A deep musty smell met my nose as I poked it up into the empty space. But I could see nothing; my view was blocked by a large piece of furniture. When Aunt Lois descended the steps she scowled at me and asked what I thought I was doing. I beat a hasty retreat and ran downstairs to where my mother was working a crossword puzzle. "What's wrong?" my mother asked as she saw the guilty expression covering my face. "Mom, why aren't we kids allowed to go up in the attic?" I queried, trying to look pitiful so she'd feel sorry for me. "Well," she said, "my youngest brother, Paul, your uncle, was killed in the war a month before he turned eighteen. His things are up there and your grandparents don't want them disturbed." I had heard the tragic story of my Uncle Paul's death many times. I understood that sometimes adults need privacy and even sensed that my grandparents had never overcome the grief of losing their youngest child at such an early age. Still, I longed to spend a few brief moments in the museum two floors above my head.

One sultry June day, the adults all went out and left us kids home alone. The chance I had been waiting for finally arrived. I knew what a risk I would be taking by traversing those steps merely to satisfy my nosiness. My fear wasn't that the adults would come home and catch me; it was that one of my sisters or cousins would gleefully report my sin. I knew what my fate would be if that happened. I'd probably get spanked. That was a risk worth taking I told myself. But worse than any physical punishment would be the shame I would feel when my grandmother found out that I hadn't respected her wishes. I also knew the disappointment and embarrassment I would bring to my parents would be more than I could bear. Still, something inside kept goading me.

I decided, finally, that getting caught wouldn't be worth it. Then, everyone else went outside to play. They ran down the sidewalk to the park with the swings and brook. They didn't invite me to go with them; they hadn't even noticed I wasn't coming along. Feeling deeply aggrieved by their insensitivity, I decided fate was choosing my destiny. (Of course I was making excuses, wasn't I?) At any rate, I raced upstairs to the second floor and stared at the door to the attic. Finally, I grabbed the old glass doorknob and slowly swung the creaking door open, peering upward into the darkness. A chill air hit my face and my heart started pounding. "A ghost!" I thought. "A ghost lives up there. That's why the grownups made this a forbidden place. They don't want anyone to find out this well-kept secret. This house is haunted!" My heart leapt into my throat. A fleeting thought to give up on this insanity and go on outside and down the street to find the others passed through my brain. But I had gone too far. I couldn't give up now.

Gingerly, I climbed the stairs. With each step my bravery waned, but I was determined. That musty smell filled my nostrils as I reached the top step and made the turn into the large, dimly-lit room. For some reason I grew bolder as I located the string for the light, tugging it to illuminate this secret place. A treasure-trove of curios surrounded me. I tiptoed to various parts of the room, forcing my brain to take snapshots of this forbidden world so that I would never forget what I was seeing. I was exhilarated as I cast my eyes upon the old furniture, discarded clothing, oil lamps and dome-topped steamer trunks. I felt like I was in a museum, one where the displays were haphazardly arranged.

As I carefully stepped around piles of magazines and books, I came to an old dresser. There, on top, was a stack of letters, each with a three-cent war stamp in the upper right hand corner. Curiosity got the better of me; I picked up the letters and carefully leafed through them. The neat handwriting showed they had been sent to my grandparents. I looked at the return address and found it was the same on every envelope, a naval base somewhere in Florida. The dates on the postmarks were all September and October of 1942. I soon realized that these letters had been written by Uncle Paul while he was in training, right after he had joined the navy. I longed to look inside to find out if he had been homesick, but good sense made me keep his thoughts private. His death in a training accident had occurred a few days after the last letter had been written. The seriousness of the recent war suddenly came into focus for me. I placed the letters neatly on the dresser top and continued my exploration.

Nothing else I saw seemed as impressive as those letters, but I spent another fifteen minutes or so poking around in that large dusty space. I assuaged my guilt by not opening any drawers or peeking inside any closed boxes. I felt almost self righteous as I investigated that forbidden place, the attic I had so longed to see. Finally satisfied, I turned out the light, descended the stairs, and closed the door, ensuring that it was exactly as I had found it. I went outside to the front porch, lay in the hammock, and mused over all I had witnessed. Was it worth it I wondered? Was satisfying my desire after all those years of wanting to sneak up into that attic really worth the wait and the risk? You bet it was, I thought--even if I had been caught it would have been worth it.

Questions to follow:

  1. What was it that made me determined to explore my grandmother’s attic even though I knew it was wrong to do so?

  2. As a child I did a lot of exploring--sometimes it was a new house being built in our neighborhood; other times it was the woods or the "fill" where I would search for sharks' teeth and other fossils. Or it might even be a new shelf in the library where I'd encounter books I hadn't considered before.

    Close your eyes and picture a time when you explored. Where are you? What do you see? Are there any vivid colors? Are you indoors or outside? Can you smell anything? What sounds do you hear as you relive this moment? Is anyone with you? If so, whom? How do you feel? Are you being brave? Curious? Looking for something? Spend the next minute with this memory and try to recall as many details as you can. When you are ready, open your eyes and sit quietly while you wait for the others to finish.

    When everyone's eyes are open, tell the students to go back to their seats or find a comfortable place in the room to share their stories with their partners. After, have them draw illustrations of their stories including as many details as possible. When finished, have students come back to the rug and share their pictures with you and their classmates.

  3. Think about the reasons why you explore. What are they? (Make a list on the board or on a sheet of paper to post on the wall entitled "Reasons why People Explore.") Is there anyone who doesn’t much like to explore? Will you share your reasons with us? Who else do you know that explores? Can you think of other reasons why people explore? Where do people explore today? Where will people explore in the future? What kinds of jobs would be good for people who like to explore? (If students have any trouble answering these questions, guide them.)

  4. Post these questions in a prominent place for all to see. Have students complete a "Writing to Think" piece. (These are notes for the student to use in preparing for discussion. They are not graded; in fact, they need not be collected.)

    If you were selected to colonize a new planet would you go? Why or why not? If your answer is no, what could make you change your mind? What would you be giving up if you chose to go? What would you be gaining? What would be important for you to take with you? What would you hope to find?

    After conducting a class discussion, allow students to reconsider their original ideas and to add to or delete from their notes. Ask volunteers to verbalize these changes and to tell what influenced their thinking. If new ideas arise as to why people explore, add them to the class list posted on the wall. (See question 3.)

World Wide Web Exploration:

Post the following URLs on the board:

Allow pairs of students to visit the sites. Guide students in seeking more reasons why people explore. Begin a new poster entitled "Words used to describe exploring." As students come upon words such as "adventure" or "thrill," have them add the words to the chart.

Relating Exploration to Today’s Entertainment:

Create a series of class charts where students can post the names of books, television shows, and movies whose theme is exploration.

Historical Perspective:

  1. Begin this part of the study by sharing the following story with students.

    A long time ago, back in 1535, there lived a French explorer named Jacques Cartier. He and his men were on their second voyage of exploration to Canada (Trace the route from France to Canada on a large map.) where they tried to sail up the St. Lawrence River. As with most expeditions of that time, there were problems. It was quite common for men sailing long distances to have to drink rancid water, eat wormy food, and stale biscuits. Because there was no way to preserve fresh fruits and vegetables, it was not surprising that the diet of sailors was so poor that many became sick, often because of vitamin deficiencies. This is what happened to Cartier and his men as they tried to survive the cold Canadian winter on biscuits and salted meat. They became victims of the dread disease--scurvy. They did not know that a lack of vitamin C was their problem as their teeth fell out and many lost their strength to walk. But luck was on the side of these fellows. Friendly natives, the Quebec Indians, knew how to help Cartier and his party. The natives made a tea from pine needles and bark of specific trees of the area. They were unaware that pine needles are high in vitamin C. As the men soon healed, Cartier documented the incident in his log which is why we know this story. Even though vitamins have always existed, it was not until the 20th century that discoveries were made that led to the identification of vitamins. As you can see, the results of exploration can be many and varied.

    (For more information on this topic visit this site: http://lonezone.com/HEALTH/PERFECT/bark.html)

    If you had been Cartier and the Quebec natives had offered you pine needle tea or large amounts of gold, which would you have taken and why?

  2. Tell students: "While people have always explored and will continue to do so, there have been specific time periods in history when much exploration took place. One of these time periods was soon after Christopher Columbus bumped into the Americas in his efforts to find a shorter route to the East Indies. Up until that time, the existence of these two continents was relatively unknown to Europeans. Columbus made several trips to the Americas. After each expedition, he returned to Europe with resources from America and told tales of his adventures. As a result, a large number of explorers from many European countries came to what is now North and South America."

    Writing to Think: Why would the stories Columbus told influence others from many different countries to explore the Americas?

    Hold a class discussion, writing pertinent ideas on chart paper to post in the room.

  3. Put the following list of European explorers on the board:
    • Cartier
    • La Salle
    • Vasco de Gama
    • Ponce de Leon
    • Hernando DeSoto
    • Francisco Coronado
    • Marco Polo
    • Columbus
    • Balboa
    • Cortez
    • Sir Walter Raleigh
    • Bartholomew Diaz
    • John Cabot
    • Ferdinand Magellan
    • Francisco Pizarro
    • Sir Francis Drake

    Using various resources such as the World Wide Web, books, CD ROMs, etc. have students create a large class chart with the following headings:

    Name of the Explorer
    Native Country of the Explorer
    The Country he Explored for and who Sponsored (paid for) the Trips
    Where he Explored
    Reasons for the Exploration
    Results of the Explorations
    Reactions of Native Americans

    As new information is added to the chart, continue the discussions of exploration, focusing on why people explore.

Writing Activity:

An award will be given to one explorer for outstanding achievement. Who gets the award? With your partner go over each explorer's achievements, and debate the value of each expedition. Decide which explorer you think made the most significant contribution to the world. Prepare your list of reasons and be ready to tell them before the class.

One of each pair stands and presents his/her case. After each pair's selection has been presented, allow time for rebuttal. Students wishing to speak raise their hands; the previous speaker selects someone to speak. Continue this until all ideas and rebuttals have been presented. At the end, hold a class vote and present the award to the explorer by placing a large gold star or other symbol next to his name on the class chart.

Opposing Points of View

To assist students in understanding the perspective of both the Native Americans and the European explorers, read the following introduction. Put the scenarios that follow onto index cards. Each day during the unit, have a scenario written on the board when students arrive. (Use the scenarios in order.) Allow time for writing to think so that students can prepare for discussion. Following the discussion direct students to begin a log telling how they would feel if they were in the situation. Post a rating scale on the wall numbered from 1 to 5 as follows:

  1. Feeling okay, but probably don't understand everything that is happening
  2. A little apprehensive; worrying a little
  3. Growing more concerned
  4. Becoming angry and upset and wanting to fight
  5. Ready to give up; not knowing what to do
Students can graph their response numbers at the end of the study.

Introduction:

One day a surprising event occurs in your community. It is a warm Saturday afternoon and you are attending a picnic at school with your family. The burgers are cooked and the food is spread out on many picnic tables. There are chips, pickles, potato salad, pies, fruit, and more. Everyone is hungry, and it is almost time to eat. Then, one of the younger children points to the sky and yells, "Look!" As everyone face turns upward an odd-looking object looms into view, the likes of which you have never seen. At first you think it is a funny looking airplane, but then you realize the disc-shaped object is a space craft. The craft hovers and then lands in the school yard about 100 feet from where everyone is gathered. A door opens and ladder extends downwards, coming to rest on the ground. Your heart races as you watch humans from another planet leave their vehicle and walk toward you and your neighbors. Then you breathe more easily as you notice that these beings look very much like you. They have two arms, two legs, and facial features exactly like humans on earth, but their skin appears to have a grayish cast and their hair and eyes are unusual colors. These people dress differently from you, and you find their clothing odd. When they speak, you realize that no one can understand their language, but through gestures you are able to determine that they are not threatening. In fact, you begin to feel reassured that nothing bad is going to occur. You watch closely to see what will happen.

Several of the adults motion for these strange humans to sit at the tables which are set for dinner. You watch as they appear grateful for fresh food. One of them, a woman, picks up a hot-dog and sniffs it. She looks questioningly at you, unsure whether or not to eat the strange looking food. Quickly you grab a hot dog and take a big bite, smiling while you do so. This gesture reassures the aliens and they all begin to devour everything in sight. Boy do they eat! You have never seen such hungry people. It's a good thing there is an abundance of food. After everyone has eaten, the strange humans climb aboard their craft, and you expect them to leave. But they don't. In fact, as the days go by, you grow accustomed to the large shiny disc sitting on your school yard. Weeks pass as these explorers spend much time investigating your community gathering sample rocks, plants, and other items of interest. It isn't long before they have learned a few words of English and you have learned several words in their language. You aren't sure what to make of these intruders, but you no longer fear them. Life settles back to the pace you knew previously and you are no longer bothered by their presence.

Scenario 1:

One day you are leaving school when a surprise awaits you. You notice that over in the field there are now seven large silver discs instead of just the one. As you stare into the distance you see swarms of the aliens out in the field they seem to be holding some kind of meeting. What is going to happen you wonder. What are the aliens talking about? What is the purpose of the meeting?

Scenario 2:

You awaken one night to hurried talking in the kitchen. You hear your parents' worried voices exclaiming that these visitors are no longer content to sleep in their space crafts. They have met with the community leaders and want to make a deal. Your parents express skepticism about the agreement the aliens want the mayor to sign. The mayor stated that all the aliens desire is an opportunity to share the land. He is ready to sign a document the aliens gave to him. There is one problem--the document is written in the language of the aliens and no one can translate it. Think of all the mayor's options; what should the mayor do? Should he make this decision alone? If not, who should assist him?

Scenario 3:

As your parents' concern grows, this has an effect on you. You find it hard to concentrate on your school work. More and more aliens have arrived. Every day there is an increased number of space crafts in your school yard. Now there is no space left for kids to play. Your little community is getting crowded. There are not enough resources for everyone. The aliens say some of your people will have to move. It seems the aliens have set up their own government and are completely ignoring the mayor and town council that your parents helped elect. You keep wondering why your family should have to move? You were here first. What should be done?

Scenario 4:

Things are getting desperate. When your family and friends refused to move, the aliens got very angry. You learn that they have dangerous weapons far superior to anything you have ever seen. Just yesterday they killed the mayor and said that anyone who didn’t move would be their next victim. Your parents now believe they have little choice. They ask your opinion. What do you tell them?

Scenario 5:

Everyone in your community has been forced to leave. The aliens made you abandon everything you owned. You have to go far away and find a new place to live. Your parents are worried because you won’t be in school any longer. They will have to locate a new place to settle, some place far, far away. You wonder how you will be able to get a new house. You are sorry that you ever helped the aliens in the first place. You had no idea how hard it would be to give up everything you have and start over. What things are now important for you to consider?

Scenario 6:

You hate the new place your parents have moved to. It is not beautiful and clean like your old community. Life is very hard. You no longer go to school because you have to work from sun up until sundown every day helping your parents raise enough food so that you can survive the winter. The little shack you live in now leaks, and when it rains you get wet. Wind whistles through the cracks. You are tired of living on a dirt floor with no furniture. But you are relieved a bit because there are no aliens where you are now. How will you and your family adjust to this new way of living? What things can you do to make life easier to bear?

Scenario 7:

Today you got bad news. A neighbor came over to tell you and your parents that more and more aliens have arrived, many from different planets. The different groups have gotten into fights with each other and are spreading out across the countryside. A new alien settlement was spotted only ten miles from your house. What will your family do now?

Scenario 8:

Life has changed so much in the last year you can hardly remember what it was like in your old community. You miss your school and friends. A lot of the time you feel lonely. There is no escaping the aliens now; they are everywhere. It almost seems as if this country isn’t yours any more. You have heard rumors that the aliens are kidnapping children and forcing them to go to their schools. You wonder what you will do if this is true. You try to think of solutions to this problem. What are some of your ideas?

Scenario 9:

You awaken in your stark, white room with the little cot. You look over and see your roommate is already awake. "Good morning!" you call out. Just as you finish your greeting the door flies open and an alien walks in. She comes over and hits you across the face. In her native language, the language you are learning to better understand, she tells you if she catches you speaking English again she will punish you severely. Speaking English is strictly forbidden. As she leaves you begin to cry. How can these people be human like you and yet be so cruel? They have taken away your clothing, your religion, your entire way of life. They expect you to become one of them. But when you look in a mirror, even though you see yourself wearing odd clothing, you know that can never happen. You miss your parents and wonder how things could become any worse. You realize you are helpless against these powerful beings. What is the best thing for you to do?

Scenario 10:

You lay awake in bed. It is late at night. You are so miserable you don't know if you can go on. The aliens are in total control of everything. The entire country is now theirs. Every agreement the aliens forced your people to sign has been used against them. Your people have lost everything and have been pushed onto a small piece of land, a dreadful, barren wasteland. Escape from this boarding school is on your mind constantly. But you realize escape is an almost impossible dream. Even if you could escape, where would you go? What will you do?

Interactive Slide Lecture

Project the slide of the natives watching the explorers come down the river. Ask the following questions:

Have students become participants in the scene. Using a "man on the street interview," ask questions of each person focusing on how they feel and what the believe lies in their future.

Understanding Perspectives

Conduct this experiential exercise in a most serious manner.

"Today is a sad day, indeed. I have been notified that you are being moved to a new location. All you can take with you is what you can fit in one hand. You have a long march ahead of you as we walk to your new locale. Everything you leave behind will be abandoned, and no one will be allowed to come back for anything."

Refuse to answer questions as you put students into a line. Keep the tone of your voice low and somber. Lead the class on a long, slow walk outside making a circuitous route back to the room. The walk should take at least fifteen minutes. Discourage loud talking. Tell students they must realize this is a very serious situation and that loud talking won't be tolerated.

As you return to the classroom, do not answer any questions. Tell students when they go in the room they will find a small space in the back corner that has been marked off with masking tape. They are to take all their belongings and go to that space, facing the back wall. Be sure the space you create is small enough so that students are uncomfortably crowded with just enough room to sit down. Direct them to sit down with their belongings and to close their eyes.

Guided Imagery

As students sit on the floor with their eyes closed, tell them that many, many times Native Americans were forced by the United States government to move. This did not happen once but many times as natives were pushed onto reservations--desolate land with little value far from their original homes. Tell students to imagine they are Native Americans who have just walked to their new reservation. All of the things in their desks have been left behind just as the natives had to leave many of their belongings behind. What does their new land look like? How is it different from their home? Weave the recounting by making parallels between the students' march and the months-long march of the Indians. Focus on how the students feel and how they believe the natives must have felt. Then relate this incident: Once when the Indians were marching over a thousand miles, the weather grew cold--so cold that many were freezing to death. The U. S. government, in a seemingly humane gesture, gave the freezing Indians army blankets for warmth. As they sit with their eyes closed have the students wrap pretend blankets around their bodies and take turns relating how they feel. Ask students what they think of the United States government, first making them move and then providing them with blankets so they won't freeze. Direct students to open their eyes and to "come back" to the present.

Have students return to their seats and put their things back into their desks. Then, tell them the rest of the story about the army blankets. They were taken from soldiers who died from a contagious and deadly disease called smallpox. Ask them what will happen to the natives now.

Using Primary Resources

Using the photographs of the Native American chiefs, ask the following questions. Focus on one photograph at a time.

Read the excerpt from the old Indian and then show his photograph.

Show the photographs of the Indian children in their native dress. Ask these questions:

Show the "before" photographs of the adolescent boys and girls in their native dress.

Show the "after" photographs, taken after the natives were forced to attend a western school and wear western dress. Do not tell the students that the people in the photograph are the same as in the "before" photograph.

Display the "before" and "after" photographs side by side. Tell the students that the boys and girls in the photographs are the same people. Ask students to tell a story about what probably happened to these children.

Debate Based on Literature

Divide the class into two groups. One group will represent the Pilgrims; the other will represent the Wampanog Indians. Meet with each group separately. Read and discuss the sections of Thunder from the Clear Sky that relate to the group you are working with. Have students take notes of pertinent facts and details. Following, bring the groups together. Arrange chairs facing each other in two long rows. Have the Indians sit in one row and the Pilgrims in the other, so that each Indian is facing a Pilgrim and students' knees are touching. Pose this question: Who was most at fault for the problems that occurred when the first settlers came to the Massachusetts Colony in 1620? Allow students from each side to take turns speaking until all arguments have been exhausted. Transcribe opposing arguments onto large chart paper to be displayed in the room.

Lead the students to understand that issues such as this are complicated and that differences in culture and cultural understandings lead to problems. As an example, the Pilgrims thought the Indians were little more than savages because of their "primitive" way of life and their religious beliefs.

Writing to Think

Consider the history you have learned about the Age of Discovery and the settlement of the United States. Why did the European explorers and settlers often treat the Native Americans so unfairly. List as many reasons as you can. How could these problems have been avoided? If you could travel back in time, knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to the United States government about the problems between the settlers and the Native Americans?

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