Social Studies Bell Ringer for Grades 6–8: Packing for Columbus’s 1492 voyage
A free social studies bell ringer for grades 6–8. Put the prompt on the board as students walk in, give them three to five minutes, then go over it together. The answer and teacher notes are in the box below the prompt.
The prompt
Columbus's three ships left Spain in August 1492, and nobody on board knew how long the trip would take. If you were a sailor, what three things would you make sure to bring? Explain why for each one.
Answer and teacher notes
Answers will vary. Strong answers connect each item to a real problem: fresh water and food that won't spoil (salted meat, hard biscuits), tools to repair the ship, warm clothing, or navigation tools. The ships were the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María, and they reached an island in the Bahamas on October 12, 1492.
Source: Britannica: Christopher Columbus
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