Columbus Jigsaw Activity

Learning Objectives
1. Identify the goals of Columbus's voyages.
2. Describe the indigenous people Europeans encountered and the results of their contact.
3. Compare the goals of early European exploration with the results.
4. Evaluate the impact of Columbus on the indigenous people of the Americas and his
legacy.

Introduction:
● Play the Columbus overview video:
○ https://youtu.be/uGtIHZMr0vQ
● Explain that while Columbus never journeyed directly to Virginia, his explorations near
the Bahamas impacted the rest of the explorers and settlers that came to Virginia’s
shores, like the Virginia Company of London and Captain John Smith.
● Describe why it is important to learn about more about Columbus through a whole class
discussion using these driving questions:
○ What do we already know about Columbus?
○ What do you think Columbus’s legacy is?
○ What was Colmbus’s impact on Native Americans?
● Explain what we are going to do in the lesson:
○ I have gathered three documents for us to read and analyze closer.
○ Next, you will be placed in home groups so that the work can be split up. Each
person in the group will be assigned a document to become an “expert” on.
○ I will be putting each of you in “expert” groups. In each “expert” group you will get
one document to read and become familiar with. Become an “expert” on this
document. You will need to read it or listen to my recording of reading it at least
once. You will need to use the Jigsaw Organizers in Google Classroom under VA
studies to help you take notes and analyze the document that you were given.
There are a few different organizers and you can choose which one that you
want to use 1, 2, 3, or 4. But you have to use at least one of them to keep track
of your thoughts and ideas while you read. You will have 10 minutes to read,
analyze, and fill out your organizer in your expert group. Then you will have a few
minutes to talk and go over ideas about what you read in your expert groups.
○ End breakout rooms for “expert groups”. In main room, make sure students still
have their organizer from their reading. Get students to now open the “Jigsaw
Notes” in google classroom. This note sheet will help you jot down ideas that
your classmates are sharing in your next breakout room.
○ Once everyone is done reading in their “expert” groups you will come back
together with your home groups. Each person in the group will have the chance
to share what they learned about their “expert” document. While in your home
 group it is important to use the Jigsaw Notes in Google Classroom to jot down
what you learned from each document.
○ When each person in your group is done sharing in the breakout room and you
have notes written down for each document, rejoin the main room.
○ When every group is back in the main room, we will have a discussion on what
we found out by reading the documents:
■ What were the intentions behind Columbus's voyages of exploration?
■ What were the consequences in the lives of Native Americans and
Europeans?
■ What should Christopher Columbus's legacy be?
○ Wrap up the lesson by explaining that when looking at historical events and
people it is important to look at different viewpoints. Columbus was viewed as a
hero by Europeans and American settlers, but when looking through the
viewpoint of Native peoples he was a monster who took advantage of their
people and resources.
○ Students will complete the Columbus 3-2-1 Exit ticket in Google Classroom.

Jigsaw Home Groups:

Group 1: Group 2: Group 3: Group 4: Group 5:

Corbin-Doc 1 Cole-Doc 1 Jake-Doc 1 Sophie-Doc 1 Rylan-Doc 1

Cam Y-Doc 2 Litzy-Doc 2 Reese-Doc 2 Fionn-Doc 2 Cam R-Doc 2
Esperanza-Doc 3 Madison-Doc 3 Angelina-Doc 3 Ally-Doc 3 Nina-Doc 3
Chi-Doc 4 Eli-Doc 4 Brayden-Doc 4 Mrs. Sandridge & Amia-Doc 4
Lizzy-Doc 4

Expert Groups:
Doc 1: Doc 2: Doc 3: Doc 4:
Corbin Cam Y Esperanza Chi
Jake Reese Angelina Eli
Sophie Fionn Ally Brayden
Cam R Nina Mrs. Sandridge &
Rylan
Litzy Madison Lizzy
Cole Amia