Last updated: January 12, 2023
Lesson Plan
Pre and Post Field Trip Activities
- Grade Level:
- Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
- Subject:
- Literacy and Language Arts,Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 60 Minutes
- Common Core Standards:
- 4.L.1, 4.L.3, 4.L.4, 4.L.4.a, 4.RF.3, 4.RF.3.a, 4.RF.4, 4.RF.4.c, K.RI.1, K.RI.2, K.RI.3, K.RI.4, K.RI.7, K.RI.9, 4.SL.1.a, 4.SL.2, 5.SL.1
- State Standards:
- SS.3.A.1.1
SS.3.A.1.2
SS.3.C.2.1
SS.4.A.1.1
SS.4.A.1.2
SS.4.A.3.1
SS.4.A.3.2
SS.4.A.3.3
SS.4.A.3.5
SS.4.A.3.6
SS.4.A.3.7
SS.4.A.3.9
SS.4.A.3.10
SS.4.A.9.1
SS.5.A.1.1
SS.5.A.1.2
SS.5.A.3.2
SS.5A.3.3
SS.5.A.4.1
SS.5.A.6.6
SS.5.C.2.4
SS.5.C.2.5
Essential Question
How can Fort Matanzas be used as a primary source to identify St. Augustine's significance?
Objective
Students will use primary and secondary sources to prepare for their field trip and use discussion questions to reflect on their experience.
Background
The Timucua were the Native Americans living in Florida before the arrival of the Europeans. Learn more about the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve or Timucuan Technology. Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon arrived in Florida in 1513 and others soon followed. Pedro Menendez established the first permanent settlement in St. Augustine in 1565. The settlement's first nine earthen and wooden forts were destroyed by fire, weather, and pirates. Under direction from the Spanish government, a stone fortress was constructed to protect St. Augustine and the Atlantic trade route. The Spanish, Native Americans (Timucuan, Guale, Apalachee), free and enslaved Africans, and English prisoners built Castillo de San Marcos from 1672-1695. Then the Spanish built Fort Matanzas (1740-1742). The coquina stone fort replaced the wooden watchtower and helped protect the southern entrance to the City of St. Augustine.
Fort Matanzas National Monument protects approximately 300 acres of Florida coastal environment containing dunes, marsh, maritime forest, and associated flora and fauna, including threatened and endangered species. It also preserves the fortified coquina watchtower, completed in 1742, which defended the southern approach to the Spanish military settlement of St. Augustine. Visit the Fort Matanzas website for more historical information.
Preparation
1. Review the virtual tour of the fort and surrounding area.
2. Make reservations for your in-person Field Trip or contact the park to schedule live distance learning over Teams, Zoom, etc.
3. Give students access to computers to experience virtual tour or print the information from the webpage.
4. Print the comprehension activity on the next page.
Materials
Worksheet will guide students as they virtually explore Fort Matanzas.
Lesson Hook/Preview
Listen to the Many Faces of Fort Mantazas music video and/or explore the virtual tour of the fort and surrounding area.
Procedure
1) Allow students to experience the virtual tour of the fort on the computer or print the information found on this webpage.
2) Give students the comprehension activity on the next page.
3) Students will use exploratory learning to experience and read the information on the website and complete the comprehension activity.
Vocabulary
-
Primary source- an original or first-hand account from people who had a direct connection with it (examples: artifact, diary, photograph, autobiography, video, newspaper)
-
Secondary source- gives information about a primary source (examples: text book, biography, documentary, article or website written about the topic)
-
Artifact: an object made by a human being (examples: structures, tools, pottery, weapons, jewelry, metal objects)
Assessment Materials
Discussion Questions:
- Why is St. Augustine significant?
- Why can the fort be considered an artifact?
- How important are primary sources, like Fort Matanzas, when it comes to learning about the past?
- Why do you think the fort should be preserved?
- As a citizen, what are your duties or responsibilities at Fort Matanzas or in other national parks?
Supports for Struggling Learners
Work with your exceptional student education or special education teachers to modify the lesson to meet the specific needs of your students with different abilities.
Enrichment Activities
Write a letter home your family in Spain or the City of St. Augustine using the Officer's Logs or Spanish Soldier webpage as resources to depict daily life as a solider manning Fort Matanzas.
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