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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pedro Menéndez de Avilés

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Partners examine the family tree of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, a Spanish admiral and explorer who founded St. Augustine, Florida, and answer several questions about the text using a worksheet. After they've explored the family tree,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Carta de Pedro Menéndez de Avilés

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Spanish learners peek back into history by reading a copy of an original letter written in the sixteenth century by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. To show their comprehension, they respond to a series of provided questions. For writing...
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Handout
Internet History Sourcebooks Project

Fordham University: Modern History Sourcebook: Ferdinand Magellan's Voyage Round the World

For Students 9th - 10th
A recount by a member of the crew of the voyage of Ferdinand Magellan to the Philippines in the 16th century, where he was killed, and of the remaining voyage his crew took in the eastern oceans, then back to Spain.
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Website
PBS

Pbs the West: Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca

For Students 9th - 10th
A biography of this Spanish explorer who was born in 1490. Click on "route" for a map of his travels, and click on "account" for a translation of his published account of his experiences.
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Website
PBS

Pbs: Conquistadors: Franciso Pizarro

For Students 9th - 10th
Use the navigation at the left to click into more information on the Incas and the Spanish conquest by Francisco Pizarro.
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Website
PBS

Pbs: Conquistadors: Cabeza De Vaca

For Students 9th - 10th
Click on "The Marvelous Adventure" to follow Cabeza de Vaca's several year journey through the Southeast and Texas. Part of a larger site on the Spanish conquest of the Western world, these pages focus on Cabeza de Vaca. Includes de...
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Website
PBS

Pbs: Conquistadors: Francisco De Orellana

For Students 9th - 10th
This site has information on the search for El Dorado and the exploration of Amazonia by Francisco de Orellana. He travelled to the mouth of the Amazon River. The site has plenty of images, maps and video too.
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Article
Bullock Texas State History Museum

Bullock Museum: American Indians

For Students 9th - 10th
Immerse in the campfire stories of the people who defined Texas. Find out about how the two Americas: the Europeans' version, and the American Indians' version, started changing forever.
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Website
Curated OER

National Park Service: Cabrillo National Monument

For Students 9th - 10th
This website contains a wealth of information concerning the life of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the National Monument that was built in his memory, and his discovery of California.
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Website
Mariners' Museum and Park

Mariners' Museum: Juan Ponce De Leon

For Students 9th - 10th
Discover details of Ponce de Leon's expeditions in search of land for Spain in the new world. Follow the Spanish explorer's trips to present day Puerto Rico, St. Augustine, and Dry Tortugas, see a map of his journey, images featuring...
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Website
Mariners' Museum and Park

Mariners' Museum: Francisco Pizarro

For Students 5th - 8th
A not-so-nice, yet successful Spanish explorer, Francisco Pizarro is featured in a biography for conquering Peru and working his way up the Pacific coast to discover land in Central America. Check out his route and details of his...
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Lesson Plan
Huntington Library

Huntington Library: Coming to California [Pdf]

For Teachers 4th
For this lesson, 4th graders examine entries from Juan Bautista de Anza's diary and other documents to understand the experiences and obstacles he and his companions faced as they traveled from Arizona to California in 1774. Student...
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Primary
Other

American Journeys: Narrative of De Soto's Expedition

For Students 9th - 10th
Background on a narraative about Hernando De Soto's exploration of the New World, including the role played by Luis de Moscoso. The originally-Spanish narrative has been translated into English and access to that document is available...
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Unit Plan
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Harcourt: Biographies: Hernando Cortes 1485 1547

For Students 5th - 7th
Furnished is a brief summary of the life and explorations of Spanish explorer, Hernando Cortes. Take a look at the photos and maps of his journey of what today is called Mexico.
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Unit Plan
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Harcourt: Biographies: Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca

For Students 3rd - 8th
Gain insight into the life and adventures of Spanish explorer, Cabeza de Vaca, whose expeditions led him to Texas and Mexico.
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Website
University of South Florida

Exploring Florida: Hernando De Soto Arrives and Explores Florida

For Students 3rd - 8th
A description of Hernando de Soto's explorations, focusing primarily on his expedition in Florida.
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Handout
University of South Florida

Floripedia: A Florida Encyclopedia: De Narvaez, Panfilo

For Students 3rd - 8th
Information about the Spanish conquistador, Panfilo de Narvaez, taken from a 1904 book, A History of Florida. The page includes some recall questions interspersed with the original text.
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Article
Texas A&M University

Texas A&m University: Antonio Margil De Jesus

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out about the life and work of Antonio Margil de Jesus, an early missionary to Texas.
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Website
Soylent Communications

Notable Names Database|nndb: Francisco Pizarro

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Known for conquering Peru for Spain in the sixteenth century, Francisco Pizarro moved north along the coast to discover Central America. He is highlighted in this biography.
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Website
Soylent Communications

Notable Names Database|nndb: Vasco Nunez De Balboa

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief biography of one of the successful Spanish conquistadors, Vasco Nunez de Balboa. He is recognized for his discovery of the Pacific Ocean and land in the Americas.
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Article
Other

Brown Quarterly: Hernando De Soto Expedition

For Students 9th - 10th
An overview of the career of Spanish conquistador Hernando De Soto including a brief analysis of the effects his explorations in the southern portions of North America had on the natives of that region.
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Unit Plan
Texas Public Broadcasting

Texas Pbs: Texas Our Texas: Age of Contact 1519 1689

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out about the wave of exploration that began with Columbus' voyage in 1492, and reached the land that is now Texas a short time later.
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Handout
Texas State Historical Association

Texas State Historical Association: Alvarez De Pineda, Alonso

For Students 9th - 10th
An account of the Spanish expedition led by Alonso Alvarez de Pineda in 1519 that explored the Gulf of Mexico between Florida and Cabo Rojo, Mexico. The explorers tried to establish the Panuco colony but were unsuccessful.
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Article
Texas State Historical Association

Texas State Historical Association: Antonio Margil De Jesus

For Students 9th - 10th
Read a short biography about Antonio Margil de Jesus, an early missionary to Texas.