Vasco de Gama
Statement of Purpose/Goal: The purpose of this activity is for students to understand the differences between reliable sources on the internet and unreliable, untrustworthy sources. Students should be able to learn that the internet is filled with millions of resources but they must be verified cautiously. After this exercise, students should be able to verify reliable resources on the internet, themselves. Once they are familiar with legitimate websites, they will be able to decipher accurate information versus falsely claimed information, furthering their knowledge of navigating the internet.
Proposed Context: 6th grade classroom setting in which students are learning about explorers and how to effectively conduct accurate research on said explorers.
Activities and Procedures:
1. Assign the students to read about Vasco de Gama on All About Explorers: Vasco de Gama and highlight the main points of the text.
2. Have students read about Vasco de Gama on the reliable source, Encyclopedia Brittanica. Ask them to compare their findings by answering the questions below:
a. Vasco de Gama was born in the city of Sines. Verify what country Sines is in and compare your answer to the countries listed in both sources. Was he born in Germany or Portugal?
b. The second source, Encyclopedia Brittanica, explains that Vasco de Gama ran into unfavorable winds and bad currents when sailing to the Cape of Good Hope. However, the first source, All About Explorers, explains that Vasco de Gama sailed West because of the high tech instruments that had been developed by IBM. When was IBM founded? Could his boat have such high-tech instruments?
c. The first source mentions that in 1502, trade routes had expanded and commerce had shifted to rail and air. Research the dates of the first train and the first plane. How many years ago were both dates from 1502?
3. After answering these questions, students should be able to debate which source was more credible in researching Vasco de Gama. Ask the students if they believed the information on All About Explorers before they read the Encyclopedia Brittanica. Reinforce the idea of checking sources and the importance of using multiple sources to verify claims.
