Classroom Life
Sally asked the following questions in the class:
1. Does everybody have a map?
2. Who can tell me something about Columbus’s background?
3. Can anyone tell me who influenced Columbus’s urge to explore unknown seas?
4. When did Columbus first land in America?
5. What was the name of the three ships?
6. How long did this first voyage to the New World take?
7. Why did Columbus come to the new world?
8. Who were they?
9. Who wanted the riches?
10. Why do you think Columbus was interested in making the trip?
11. What problems did the sailors have?
12. Did the sailors get sick a lot?
13. Did the sailors try to prevent scurvy?
14. What special kind of fruit was important to eat?
15. What other problems did sailors have?
To improve on these questions, I would also ask questions that were not in the book but related to the scene. I would ask questions that encourage students in the processing and responding to what they read rather than memorizing it. I would also ask questions that connect what the students have been learning in class with the scene described in the book. Examples of the questions I would ask if I was the teacher in this scenario include:
1. What do we learn from this voyage?
2. What were the political consequences of this voyage in the New World?
3. What did the sailors know about the New World?
4. What type of energy powered the ships used in this voyage?
5. Would you participate in this kind of Voyage?
6. How could you help the sailors to trace the direction of the wind so as to reduce sinking risks?
7. Was there time for the sailors to rest?
8. Did they have enough time to rest?
9. What could you do to improve this voyage?
10. Why do you think the voyage took long time?
These questions could encourage the students to think outside the box and relate the voyage of that time to the present day voyages.
mr.su
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