Grade 3 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 8, Lesson 1

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
From Sea to Shining Sea

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 8, Lesson 1: The Spanish in America (pp. 134-137)

The Big Idea
Framework Concepts: Culture, Diversity When the Spanish set up missions in California to convert the Indians to European ways, a new culture was born in New Spain.

Lead a discussion of the definition of culture on page 135. Have students brainstorm a list of the different things that make up culture (food, clothing, holidays, travel, religion, etc.). Ask students to use this list to consider the possible effects of Spanish settlement on American Indian cultures and American Indian life in general.

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Have students study the picture of Juana Inés de la Cruz on page 135. Ask them to identify ways in which this picture might reflect the culture of New Spain. Then ask students if they learned anything about New Spain that is not shown in the picture.
Have students read the description of mission life on page 137. Then ask them each to draw a picture of what they think a mission might have looked like.

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