Explorer’s Desktop Project

DUE DATE: October 12, 2016

For this project you will be creating the desktop of a famous European explorer of the 15th or 16th century.

Desktop Project:

●Create your desktop on a piece of posterboard (24”x36” or smaller).

●Your desktop must be created at home.

●Your project may be 3-dimensional (including objects made out of cardboard or similar materials) or 2-dimensional (representing any objects with appropriate drawings/pictures).

oYou should not buy anything (other than a piece of posterboard) to create the project.

●In order to create your desktop you must do research—part of your grade will be for having found information about your subject and answering the research questions provided

●Please note that you are not limited to just the research questions I provide to you.

●On the grading rubric below you will find all of the items which your project must include.

oNote that written information is a big part of this project—you need to tell us about the explorer, but do it in the first person (i.e. from their point of view)!

PROJECT GRADING

ITEM/INSTRUCTIONS / Points Possible / What I think I earned / Points actually earned
PROCESS / 20%
In-class research time used productively / 5
Research Questions completed and turned in (with any additional research notes attached). Research is thorough and neat / 10
Research indicates at least two sources used / 5
DESKTOP OBJECTS / 40%
“From the Desktop of…” sign / 2
At least one letter from the Explorer to someone else(consider who and why) / 3
Map of Explorers route / 10
At least three objects that represent the Explorer in some way / 10
Overall Aesthetics: Neatness, Artistic Effort / 10
Mechanics: Grammar, Spelling, etc. / 5
INFORMATION
(these items of information must be made clear when reading the letter(s) or other objects on the desktop—they can be included in notes the Explorer wrote to themselves, on the map, or elsewhere, but must be on the desk somewhere!) / 40%
Where is the Explorer from? Who are they working for? When? / 5
What motivated the Explorer? Purpose of the expedition?
(note: this is a lot of points, so it should be one of the main things you focus on!) / 10
Challenges the Explorer encountered/dealt with
(note: this is a lot of points, so it should be one of the main things you focus on!) / 10
Experiences with other cultures? What did they bring back to Europe?
(note: this is a lot of points, so it should be one of the main things you focus on!) / 10
Other background information about the Explorer’s life
(marriages, kids, education, etc.) / 5

* ’S DESKTOP: NOTES BY *

****You may need to attach further sheets to show all of your notes****

SOURCES USED

______

______

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BASIC DATA

Where/when born? ______

Where/when lived?______

Interesting childhood/life events?______

Marriages?______

Children?______

Other important people in their life?______

When died?______

NOTES ON EXPEDITION

Who funded their expedition? Why? ______

______

What were they hoping to accomplish?______

______

Where did they go? When?______

______

Other people on the voyage?______

______

Challenges they encountered?______

______

______

______

Experiences with other cultures?______

______

______

______

______

What did they bring back?______

______

______

What did they accomplish?______

______

______