A First Try: Columbus and the Tainos

The best way to start anything is from the middle, in media res, as it were.

Bearing that in mind, here are some tweets generated from my IB MYP 7th and 8th graders for our unit based on the trial of Christopher Columbus from Rethinking Columbus. Students were given a few dates to illustrate and then tweet; at the bottom you can find a quick phone pic of the timeline. Enjoy.

The next 9 tweets are from @SoundviewSchool’s #ibmyp 7th and 8th graders. They are a timeline of Columbus’s contact with the Tainos.
— Matt Stenovec (@mattsteno) October 30, 2013

800 BC-The Taino Arrive. 1451 Columbus's born. 1492 Columbus “discovers” the Caribbean. Never mind the people already there…@RethinkSchools
— Matt Stenovec (@mattsteno) October 30, 2013

1300BC. Tainos in Caribbean. Columbus - born. Hard 2 trade. Spain/Granada @ war. Columbus @ sea. Rulers evict Jews. 1483. @RethinkSchools
— Matt Stenovec (@mattsteno) October 30, 2013

Columb tells ‘bella and king of Portugal abt his plans & gets #rejected. Forced Xtianity begins Spain forces out the Jews @RethinkSchools
— Matt Stenovec (@mattsteno) October 30, 2013

Spain evicts 130,000 Jews, #Columbus lands ships, takes captives and names an island Espanola in #1492. @RethinkSchools
— Matt Stenovec (@mattsteno) October 30, 2013

1492-1495: #Columbus looks for gold, strands his men and slaughters the natives. Returns home and plans second trip. @RethinkSchools
— Matt Stenovec (@mattsteno) October 30, 2013

1493: #Columbus begins his second voyage with many ships and men. Many Caribs are killed by Columbus’s men. @RethinkSchools
— Matt Stenovec (@mattsteno) October 30, 2013

1494: Mass conflict stirs between the Spaniards and the Tainos; Columbus further explores Jamaica and Cuba. @RethinkSchools
— Matt Stenovec (@mattsteno) October 30, 2013

1495-1498: #Columbus takes gold and 30 Tainos to Spain. He begins a third voyage in search of the mainland. @RethinkSchools
— Matt Stenovec (@mattsteno) October 30, 2013

1498-1542: The King & Queen allow Columbus 1 more voyage. He dies in 1506. In the end, 3mil Tainos reduced to 200 souls. @RethinkSchools
— Matt Stenovec (@mattsteno) October 30, 2013

Looking back in time...