Hernando de Soto in Alabama

Before: Have students turn and talk about what they know about Native Americans in Alabama. The teacher should chart on a T-chart what students know after they complete the turn and talk discussion. 

Have students turn and talk about what they know about explorers. The teacher should chart on the T-chart what students know after the turn and talk discussion. 

Inform students that they'll be learning about Native Americans, explorers, and the impact of exploration. 

During: Divide your class into four groups. Give each student a copy of the graphic organizer. Instruct students to record the number and the focus of the graphic source, their observations, and finally, they can record any inferences based on their knowledge of history and the visuals. Encourage students to talk to their team about their observations and inferences. 

Send each group to an assigned station. Allow them approximately five minutes at each station. This will give them time to observe the visual and record their observations and thinking. While students are working, the teacher should monitor student work and discuss observations and inferences with students. The teacher should also question students if he/she notices that students aren't understanding the visual. 

Within the five minutes, students should finish their first observation and notes. The teacher should signal for the class to come to attention. Then the teacher should give directions on how to rotate to their next station. They will move to the next station and work for about five minutes to observe and record. The teacher should continue to monitor and question as appropriate.

Continue this process until students have rotated through all four stations.

Possible Observations and Inferences: weapons, dress of both groups, expressions, body language, who had horses, similarities between groups, possible interactions with other groups as he traveled the state, how de Soto is depicted in different visuals.

After: After the carousel activity, have students share their observations and inferences from the visuals. This can be done as a table discussion, a turn and talk discussion, or a whole class debriefing discussion.

"In the next part of the lesson we are going to be learning about Hernando de Soto the explorer, and his interactions with Native Americans in Alabama." At this point either collect student inferences to revisit after the lesson or reinforce strong inferences and if needed correct any illogical observations and inferences by referring back to the visual.  

At this point, you can continue this lesson or stop here and continue later. 

Before:  Remind students that in your last session you looked at visuals related to de Soto and his exploration through Alabama. If possible, project the map of his journey and discuss his route through Alabama. 

During: Have your students read the article from ReadWorks about Hernando de Soto. Consider having them read with a partner, stopping after each paragraph to discuss the text, write in the margins, highlight, underline things of importance, interest, and record questions as they read. If needed, guide students through this by focusing on one paragraph at a time, students read, annotate, and discuss; then have a whole class share. 

Then have them answer these questions on the 5W Map sheet: Who (did we read about)? What (did he do)? When (did he explore)? Where (did he go on his exploration)? Why (was he exploring)?  

The teacher should now guide students in tracing his route and identifying locations in Alabama where he explored. Students can trace his route in color as they complete this part of the lesson. The teacher should explain his route through Alabama and highlight important information about his explorations in Alabama during this part of the lesson. The teacher should use a projected copy of the map during this part of the lesson. 

If you have access to Alabama, The Making of an American State by Edwin C. Bridges, there is information about the European explorers and their impact on Alabama. Facts from this book are included in the lesson materials, you may want to share these with your students. If you do not have access to this book, please see the fact list. It will provide information about impact and the Battle of Mabila.  Additional background information is provided in an attachment "De Soto March of Destruction." The teacher may wish to share part of this document with the students as well. 

After: Have students complete an exit slip on a note card or piece of paper. What was something positive about European exploration? Why do you think this? What was something negative about European exploration? Why do you think this? Do you think other Native American groups in the southeast were impacted in similar ways? Why? 

At this point, you can also come back to the student inferences and determine which were correct and which were incorrect based on visual and text evidence. 

Also, review students work to ensure they were able to use the map to identify where he traveled in Alabama.