Document Based Question Assessment

Transcription

1 Name: Date: Class: Document Based Question Assessment Background: Christopher Columbus was a famous explorer and navigator of the late 15th and early16th Century. In search of a quicker route to the Far East, Columbus sailed westward with the support of Queen Isabella & King Ferdinand of Spain. In 1492 Columbus reached what he thought was undiscovered land and found Natives already inhabiting the island. While some historians remember Columbus as a skilled sailor and navigator of his time who provided Natives with goods they did not already have access to, others remember him for his unfair and harsh treatment of the Natives he came in contact with. Inquiry Question: Was Christopher Columbus a hero or a villain? ********************************************************************** Document Analysis Directions: Review and read each of the following documents numbered 1-3. After each document, answer the questions using the space provided.

2 Document 1: The following is an excerpt from Christopher Columbus journal that he kept during his voyage. Thursday, 11 October, 1492 I presented them with some red caps, and strings of beads to wear upon the neck, and many other trifles of small value, wherewith they were much delighted, and became wonderfully attached to us. Afterwards they came swimming to the boats, bringing parrots, balls of cotton thread, javelins, and many other things which they exchanged for articles we gave them, such as glass beads, and hawk s bells; which trade was carried on with the utmost good will. -Christopher Columbus 1. According to this document, what goods did Christopher Columbus get in return for his trade? 2. According to this document, would Christopher Columbus be viewed as hero or a villain?

3 Document 2: The following was written by a Spanish priest named Bartolome De Las Casas in He witnessed Columbus treatment of the Natives....(the Spaniards) grew more conceited every day and after awhile refused to walk any distance...(they) rode the backs of Indians if they were in a hurry or were carried on hammocks by Indians running in relays...(they) thought nothing of knifing Indians by tens and twenties and of cutting slices off them to test the sharpness of their blades......they (the Spaniards) took infants from their mothers...snatching them by the legs and pitching them headfirst against the crags [a steep rock or cliff] or snatched them by the arms and threw them into the rivers, roaring with laughter and saying as the babies fell into the water, Boil there, you offspring of the devil! -Bartolome De Las Casas, A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies(1552) 1. According to this document, what did the Spanish do to the Natives? 2. What is the author s position on the legacy of Christopher Columbus?

4 Document 3: The following was written by Dr. Warren H. Carroll in He is a historian and author. This excerpt is from an article he wrote called Honoring Christopher Columbus. In all of history, only the Europeans and the Polynesians of the south Pacific have been true discoverers, sailing for the explicit purpose of finding new lands, trading with their people, and colonizing them. And of all discoverers, Christopher Columbus was the greatest, because he accomplished the most agains the highest odds. Before Columbus time all European voyages had followed coastlines, or crossed open seas to lands previously known or at least sighted by storm-driven ships. Only Columbus set off directly across a broad, unknown sea with no specific knowledge of how far it extended or what lay on the other side. -Warren Carroll, Honoring Christopher Columbus, (1992) 1. According to the document, what made Christopher Columbus discovery different than other explorers at the time? 2. What is the author s position on the legacy of Christopher Columbus?

5 Name: Date: Directions: Complete the chart below to help plan your essay. For each document: - Identify the document as primary or secondary - Include a brief note about the claim for each document or document pair - Use the agree and disagree columns to help plan how to support your claims (See example for guidance) Document Source: Primary or Secondary Claim: What position does the author present in the document? Which other documents agree? Which other documents disagree? Example: Doc. 6 Secondary Christopher Columbus was a because. Document 8 Documents 7 & 9 Doc. 1 Doc. 2 Doc. 3

6 Name: Date: Writing a Historical Argument Inquiry Question: Was Christopher Columbus a hero or a villain? Directions: Using information from the documents and your own knowledge of the topic, you will now write an argument answering the inquiry question. Be sure to: Introduce the topic with an argument Create a claim to support one side of the inquiry question Use and explain evidence from these documents to develop your argument. Introduce a counter-claim o Explain why the evidence for your position is stronger than the evidence for the opposing position. Include outside information not found in the documents to support your claim(s). Provide a concluding statement supporting your position.