2ºBritish: Magellan & Elcano. First circumnavigation of the Globe

As required, here you have our second gamification experience of the academic year. We will conmemorate the 5th anniversary of the First circumnavigation of the Globe (1519-1522). 

In the first term we studied the most famous travellers of Medieval Age (Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta and Zheng He). Modern Age was the time of the Great Explorations: the discovering of America (Juan de la Cosa made the first map of the new continent in 1500) and the circumnavigation of the Globe. Let’s study it by playing!

This learning-game can be done individually or in pairs but it is mandatory. All missions and activities has to be done on the specifical date. If you fail to do it, do it out of time or just copy&paste from internet, you will be penalised and will loose marks (with the repercussion that it will have for reaching the highest rank in the navy and its benefits...). In case someone does not reach the minimun score required (50 marks), he/she will have to do a conventional, written exam.

But I am sure that you will do your best to have fun... and to learn!

How does it work? 

First of all, you will need a player card. You can use this free-online-creator: https://www.mtgcardmaker.com/. This part is mandatory and will give you your first 2 marks for the game. Send your player card, in PDF format, before Monday, 25 January to acarriles@educa.jcyl.es. 

Basic things you HAVE TO include in your Player-card:

Your nick-name and your photo (real one!)

Your city and kingdom (real ones from Medieval Iberian Peninsula)

Languages you speak 

Two strong point (This is really important, as it can gives you extra marks in certain missions... Think carefully about that!).

One weak point (Again, think carefully as you can loose a couple of marks in a mission... This is a game and sometimes you have to take risks!)

Both strong and weak points have to be chosen from the following list:

- Learning new languages
- Map reading
- Diplomacy
- Militar strategy
- Negociation and sale skills
- Astronomy and sailing skills
- Calligraphy
- Music and fine arts
- Drawing
- Medicine
- Mathematics
- Biology and Botany

Secondly, each player (or team) will need a small notebook. Why? Because the missions of this game will have the form of a ON BOARD DIARY, that is, as mariners, you will have to write a full chronicle of everything than happen during the expedition. That was exactly what Antonio Pigafetta did during the real circumnavigation.

For some of your missions you will need to read some extracts from the orginal Pigafetta’s on board diary. It is a word document of a hundred pages but do not panic! You will NOT have to read it complete, just some lines... The index (page nº3) works with hyperlinks so you can click on the one you need (the most relevants are marked in bold) and go directly to it.

The teacher will release the pertinent worksheet of each mission/stage and you will have to solve the activities in your ON BOARD DIARY and give it to the teacher for the correction. Sometimes you will need to draw something or stick a photo in it, please have colour pencils and glue prepared in advance: this is what is called “scrap-notebook”, as it would be a mixture of hand-writting and collage items.

Besides, as sailors you must be prepared to take quick decissions and fix problems with limited material resources. It means that this is a very problem-solving oriented activity: can you find out on internet the information or imagens required fast enough? 

As you can imagine, an adventure like this is not easy: getting marks to upgrade your condition will be slightly more difficult. Your laboral progress will be the following:

Start. You are a cabin boy 

20 marks. Mariner

40 marks. Naval oficer. As now member of the high rank staff, in the next mission you will receive 2 extra points as bonus!

50 marks. Captain. Congratulations! You have triumphed: your exam is convalidated by 9. Hooray!

60 marks. Almirant. This is the highest ranks possible in the navy so... you have a 10. Congrats! :)

Ready for the adventure? Let’s watch carefully the following TED-ed video about Magellan’s adventure (about 6 minutes, in English) and a good revision from Diálogos-AcademiaPlay (17 minutes).

These are the stages and obstacles you will find on your way:

1. Preparation for the adventure (Sevilla)
2. The travels throught America
3. Patagonia and the Land of Fire
4. Molucas: the land of Spices
5. Back home
6. New Zealand: a Spanish discovery?

Ready? Steady? ... go! :)