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! :)

2º British: Magellan & Elcano (Stage VI): New Zealand, a Spanish discovery?

New Zealand was the last land on Earth in being inhabitated by humans. It did not happen until 1250, when several groups of Polinesian people reached the northern island and developed the Maori culture (whose maybe more famous symbols are the tribal tattoos and the haka or warrior’s dance). You can learn more in this NZMedia video (5 minutes).

Traditionally, it is though the first European people (Pakeha in Maori) to have confirmed encounter with the Maori was the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1642...

...but what if Tasman was not the first white man in reaching New Zealand? According to the historians Ross Wiseman and Winston Cowie a “lost” Spanish or Portuguese ship may have reached New Zealand a century earlier that the official reccordings!.

There are three hypothesis:

1. The Loaísa expedition (1525-27). García de Loaísa and Elcano started a new expedition to settle and colonise the Molucas islands. The travel was quite disastreous: most part of the staff (including both captains) died and the only remaining vessel (Caravel San Lesmes) got lost and sinked in an unknown place which could be identified with NZ.

2. Captain Juan Fernández, a very skilled sailor, could reached NZ by navigating West from Chile in 1576.

3. The lost expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña de Neyra in 1595.

Which one do you think is the most historically plausible?

2º British: Magellan & Elcano (Stage V): Back home

It would be very useful too this very short video (2 minutes, in Spanish) from Desperta Ferro summarising the complete travel and its hotspots.

And if you are curious about the survivors of that long, exhausted travel you can check this conmemorative web. You can also read some excerpts from Elcano’s testament.

You are almost there, keep calm and carry on! J  

2ºBritish: Magellan & Elcano (Stage IV): Molucas, the land of spices

Let’s read Pigafetta’s diary after crossing the strait and how they met the inhabitants of the Molucas islands (later called Philippines after the King Philip II):

“Durante este lapso de tres meses y veinte días, recorrimos más o menos cuatro mil leguas en este mar, que llamamos Pacífico porque durante todo el curso de nuestra travesía no experimentamos tormenta alguna. […]

El lunes, dieciocho del mes de marzo avistamos unas islas desconocidas y después de la comida, vimos venir hacia nosotros una embarcación con nueve hombres […], el jefe de ellos se dirigió al comandante, manifestándole por ademanes el placer que experimentaba en vernos.

El comandante, viéndolos tan tranquilos, les hizo dar de comer, ofreciéndoles al mismo tiempo algunos bonetes rojos, pequeños espejos, peines, cascabeles, algunas telas, objetos de marfil y otras bagatelas semejantes. Los isleños, encantados de la acogida del capitán, le regalaron pescado, un vaso lleno de vino de palma, que llaman uroca, plátanos de más de un palmo de largo y frutos del cocotero”

Apparently, they had finally arrived to the land of the spices (with its repercussion of the gastronomy) and the relationship with the local population was friendly so... how did Magellan died several days later? The answer on this documentary video (8 minutes) or, if you prefer something funnier, this recreational film about the Battle of Mactán (2'20 minutes).

2º British: Magellan & Elcano (Stage III): Patagonia

When reaching the Patagonia the expedition started the real adventure. Patagonia was an unexplored region in Southern Argentina/Chile, extending from the Andes to the Atlantic, where Magellan met “giant people”. This is the description done by Pigafetta:

“Estos pueblos se visten, como lo he indicado ya, de la piel de un animal, y con la misma cubren sus cabañas, que transportan donde más les conviene, careciendo de morada fija, pero yendo, como los bohemios, a establecerse ya en un sitio ya en otro. Se alimentan de ordinario de carne cruda y de una raíz dulce que llaman capac. Son grandes comedores: los dos que habíamos cogido se comían cada uno en el día una cesta llena de bizcochos y se bebían de un resuello un medio cubo de agua. Nuestro capitán dio a este pueblo el nombre de patagones. En este puerto, el cual pusimos el nombre de San Julián, gastamos cinco meses, durante los cuales no nos acontecieron más accidentes”.

Or if you prefer, you can watch this Robert Sepehr’s video (5’30 minutes) and checked the Museo Chileno web. 

Pigafetta also wrote about rare black birds that could not fly: the penguins! But after those 5 interesting months Magellan and his sailors must cross a the strait and discover a new ocean: the Pacific. And it was not an easy task, actually. Not only because of the relief but also the bad weather...

2ºBritish: Magellan & Elcano (Stage II): The travels through America

The expedition of Magellan was full of risks even from the start. To begin with, they could not stop for many days in the coast of Brazil and refill their provisions properly enough because it was a Portuguese territory and someone could discover Magellan’s plans and steal the idea.

Secondly: pirates! With the demise of Spanish power (specially in the Caribbean) and the rise of other European powers there was a vacuum of power that would be filled with pirates and privateers. The Golden Age of Piracy (1650–1730) ranged from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean. Most pirates had served in the navy and were familiar with naval warfare and for years had been underpaid and survived poor conditions. Do you want to learn more? Watch this 7 minutes video from It’s History.

The most famous English pirates in the times of Magellan’s expedition were James Alday, James Logan and William Cooke. Be aware of them! In any moment you could suffer an unpleasant surprise... ha ha ha!

Extra! Pirates attack (theme song)

2ºBritish: Magellan & Elcano (Stage I): Preparation of the adventure

Sailing the oceans is not easy, specially if you do not know yet what you will find on the other side... Because of that, you have to prepare very carefully your expedition and your vessels.

There is a first worksheet you have to complete (on your on board scrap diary). If you need some extra help for answering the questions, there is plenty of information on the IAPH dossier (in Spanish), with wonderful illustrations about what is needed on board or the different parts of an exploration ship; and also the mariners museum web, including a complete guide of the Health measures on board that will be quite useful for your task.

Ready? Steady? Go!

2º British: Game of Spanish thrones

What is gamification?

Gamification is a learning strategy based on the application of role-playing games mechanism and strutures into the educational field in order to achieve better results, either to better absorb some knowledge, improve some ability, or reward specific actions, among many other objectives.

The ludic nature of these activities facilitates the internalization of knowledge in a funnier way, generating a positive experience in the students. Because we all learn more when we have fun! J

This year, we will conduct a gamification experience at our History classes. Pay attention to the rules:

How does it work?

The title, as you can see, is “Game of Spanish thrones”. It means that we will study the topics about Iberian Península during Medieval and Modern times by playing.

During the following weeks, we will have a combination of traditional explanations and flipped classes (based on different sources: theory, videos, texts and images analysis...). When each historical stage is finished, I will release the pertinent Mission document.

Each mission will have 3 activities, with different levels of difficulty. When needed, you can do an online research to answer them; in some cases, you will have to do a small DIY o craft-work at home J

When passing the different historical stages and missions successfully, you will obtain marks and, as a consequence, you will improve your social status (We will revise the score at class after each mission). It will go as it follows:

Start: 0 marks. You are a serf.

10 marks: you will become a free man/woman.

20 marks: you are now a burgher (citizen).

30 marks: Congrats! You are a knight, member of the priviledge stament! From that moment on, you will also have the opportunity of earning some extra and useful bonus cards...

40 marks: Well done! You are now a nobleman/noblewoman.

50 marks: You got it! You are the king/queen. And that means... you are NOT taking the exam! On the contrary, it is convalidated by 9. Yes! That is the reward for your efforts! J

60 marks: You are now crowned Emperor/Empress. This is the maximun honour and it will takes you to... a 10. Wow! J

To begin with, you have to create your Player-card (and them send it as attached file to blogeducativo08@gmail.com). You can use a hand-made template or a free online generator. This part is mandatory and will give you your first 2 marks for the game. Basic things you HAVE TO include in your Player-card:

https://www.mtgcardmaker.com/

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!).

Two 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

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 Royal status and 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!

The following index list the different stages that you will have to deal with: 

Stage 1. Asturias
Stage 2. Al Andalus
Stage 3. Navarra, Aragón, Cataluña and Portugal
Stage 4. León and Castilla
Stage 5. Isabella and Ferdinad, "Reyes Católicos".
Stage 6. The Habsburg dynasty ("Los Austrias")

Ready? Steady?... go!

2ºBritish: G.O.S.T.: Final score

Congratulations to all the winners! Thank you for your constant effort and the lovely DIY you have created :) Hope that you have learnt many things during the process...

2ºBritish: G.O.S.T.- Stage 6: Emperor Charles and the Habsburg dynasty (“Los Austrias")

The "Revolt of the Comuneros" was a key event in the early reign of Charles I, grandson of the Catholic Monarchs and new king of both Castilla & Aragón (1517). Firstly, read this complete article by Geografía Infinita explaining the causes of the revolt, the battle and its consequences: 

You can also watch the following historical performance video of the battle (in Spanish). We will discus it at class and I will release the final mission for those who still need another opportunity... 

Some useful links for studying the Revolt of Comuneros are the Fundation Villalar web, the Battle development and a Historical review. 

Charles I was crowned emperor in 1519, named Charles V. Here you have a terrific video by AcademiaPlay about his life (11 minutes, in Spanish).

After Charles I, his son Philip II became king and fixed the capital city in Madrid, building the religious and palatial complex of "El Escorial". Philip II, the most powerful king in the whole world in that century, had to deal with many problems; one of the most famous episodes was the Anglo-Spanish War. That video (13 minutes) will teach you the events. 

As a curious historical event, it would be quite interesting to do some online research about the two Japanese diplomatic embassy that include the Iberian Peninsula in their official route.

Both Charles I and Philip II were also called "Austrias Mayores", because of the power and strengh. Meanwhile their heirs (Philip III, Philip IV and Charles II) were called "Austrias Menores" because, although Spain was still the largest empire in the world, things had started to change into society and the international scenario...

2ºBritish: G.O.S.T.- Stage 5: Isabella and Ferdinand, the Catholic Monarchs

This is a really important and revelant topic. Why? Because it was the starting point of the "Modern monarchies & Estates" (15 minutes video), finishing the feudal society, and because a New World was discovered (but... who was the first one? Watch this 10 minutes video and find it out). 

As you can imagine by this introduction, this stage of the game will take time... Keep calm and pay attention.

Thanks to TVE series, we can watch the key moments in the life of Isabella and Ferdinad. Can you put them in the correct chronological order?

Fragment: Columbus arrival to America

Fragment: Royal wedding

Fragment: Death of Isabella

Fragment: Selfproclamation as Queen

Fragment: Surrender of Granada

Do not forget to visit the TVE-Isabel official website, you will find it quite useful for the next Mission, ahem. Same for the “Marriage alliances” that they achieved: 

But no doubt the first and real trigger event was the famous “Farsa de Ávila”. What do you know about it?

Ah! We will have a very interesting class about the University of Salamanca, sponsored by Isabella and Ferdinand. Pay special attention to it!

1492 was a very important year for the Kingdom of Castilla: Columbus discovered a new continent for Queen Isabella and the "Reconquista" was finished was the conquest of Granada. 

By the way, against the common belief, there were many laws protecting the rights of natives in the Spanish America. Their status was similar to the peninsulars, as you can read in this article. Finally, on January 1514 King Ferdinand authorized by Royal Decree the legal marriage of Spaniards settlers with Native Americans which were, in fact, a usual practice there. That decree was considered too modern and open-minded for other nations. For example, until 1967 (yes! the 20th century! Can you believe it?) USA did NOT declare "unconstitutional" the racist laws that phohibited mixed marriages. 

Another relevant and also very controversial issue was the expulsion of the Jews and the beginning of the "Black Legend" of Spain, among the infamous "Inquisición"; in the following  videos of AcademiaPlay (in Spanish) you can learn all the details and historical true facts:

La Inquisición española (updated: 15 minutes)
La expulsión de los judíos (updated: 13 minutes)

Finally, the process of Royal Succession after Isabella’s death was not easy... Watch the following 8 -minutes video to learn about it.

2ºBritish: G.O.S.T.- Stage 4: León and Castilla

The relationship between those two territories was not always easy, specially after Castilla (firstly a vassal territory) achieved the independence from León and turned into a kingdom itself… As an example, León refuse to participate among Castilla into the “Crusade” of 1212, year of the famous Battle of Navas de Tolosa, where an international Christian coalition defeated the muslim troops:

There are two interesting videos about that complex evolution, until reaching the Battle of Navas de Tolosa. A good and complete revisión from Kings & Generals (13 minutes) and the Real Crusade History (22 minutes). Although probably the clearest version is the summary by ACADEMIAPLAY (14 minutes).

Another key figure in this stage was Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, known as “El Cid”. He was a Castillian knight with such a quite adventorous life that was turned into an epic poem. In 1961 a Hollywood superproduction was filmed in Spain about him.

And do not forget the importance of the Pilgrimade to Santiago de Compostela in the medieval life:

By the way! The Iberian península also suffered the Black Death pandemia. Be careful because in any moment you can suffer an unpleasant surprise… ;)

2º British: G.O.S.T - Stage 3: Navarra, Aragón, Cataluña and Portugal

The explanation provided at class will help you to study the complex and comvulsive history of those territories during the Middle ages.

PS. Do you know what is the meaning of “portolan chart”? It would be quite important when talking about King “Henry the navigator” of Portugal... And what can you remember about the meaning of medieval heraldry?

By the way, for the first activity of this stage's mission you would need to download the well-known archive with free free power point templates.

2º British: G.O.S.T - Stage 2: Al Andalus

Good news: this section will be shorter, easier and funnier as you are travelling to Córdoba very soon! J 

Meanwhile, watch carefully the following videos about the Rise of Muslim Spain (10 minutes, in English) or the one from AcademiaPlay (17 minutes, in Spanish). It includes a good revision of both the origin of Islam and the Visigoth kingdom of Toledo. 

Al Andalus was a very important stage in the History of the Iberian Peninsula. There are many now a days inventions that have a muslim origin, as they were clever scientists and investigators. Let's watch this video: library of knowledge (11 minutes).

And, of course, their aportations to music (video moaxaja), art (ArteHistoria, 10 minutes in Spanish) and gastronomy!

After watching those videos, we will discuss them at class and I will release your new mission...

2º British: G.O.S.T - Stage 1: Asturias

Watch carefully the following video about the Battle of Covadonga, the leadership of charismatic Pelagius (Pelayo) and the origin of the Kingdom of Asturias. After watching the video, we will have a special class about Prerromanesque art, a very special art style linked to the political issues of Asturias kingdom, awared as UNESCO World heritage.

Finally, I will release your first mission... Are you prepared for learning and having fun? J

PS. Do you have good diplomatic skills? Because you will need them when talking about King "Alfonso II el Casto" and his mail connection with Charlemagne...