Columbus Exploration IDU Social Studies Assessment

Name: ________________________________

Respond to the prompts to the best of your ability. Remember to use full sentences, proper sentence structure, correct spelling, and proper grammar. Please write as neatly as possible. PART I: SHORT ANSWER/SCENARIO (30 points 15 points each) Respond to two of the following four scenarios on a piece of lined paper. Be sure to signify which prompt you are responding to as well as respond to the question thoroughly. 1. A fellow student comes up to you and asks you "Who was Christopher Columbus? What did he do? When did he live?" 2. Your baseball coach asks you why you look so upset, you say that it's because Christopher Columbus was such a malicious person. She asks you to explain why he was a villain. 3. You have been begging your mom to let you go to the mall with your best friend to watch a movie. Being informed, she says you cannot go until you describe to her how Columbus brought diseases to the native people of the Americas and why they were so susceptible to them. 4. Just in time for the weekend, your cousin has invited you to his cottage. While driving listening to talk radio, you hear someone say that Columbus was the first explorer to reach the Americas. How do you dispute his claim? PART II: ESSAY (30 points) Respond to the following prompt on a piece of lined paper. Your essay should include an introductory paragraph, a well thought-out thesis, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Be sure to back up your opinion with facts to give evidence that you know what you are talking about. Should Christopher Columbus be remembered as a hero or a villain? Defend your answer. PART III: SELF-EVALUATION (no point value) Answer honestly, clearly, and concisely on lined paper. How much effort did you put into this Unit (in each of your classes)? How could this IDU be improved for next year? When you're done with the assessment, staple this to the front of your lined sheets of paper