Downloads
The following items are PDF documents that require you to have Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded for free at Adobe.com. Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Vocabulary Grades: 1–2, 3–5, 6–8 (all less than 300Kb) Internet Resources (PDF, 172 Kb) A Teacher Guide (PDF, 2.3 Mb)

Our education staff has developed a series of pre- and post- visit lessons to help your class achieve the maximum benefit possible from a field trip to Mission San Luis.

For background information, teachers are encouraged to read A Teacher Guide (PDF, 2.3 Mb). Background information is also provided with each lesson.  If you need additional help or wish to make reservations, call us at 850.487.3711.   You may reach the education department via e-mail at programs@missionsanluis.org.

Pre-Visit Lessons

The emphasis of the pre-visit lessons is to develop a common set of concepts, facts, and issues that will help students contextualize and organize the information they will be exposed to during their visit.  By creating heightened awareness and imparting information about Mission San Luis prior to their visit, students will be better prepared to achieve insights from their encounter with our costumed staff and the 17th century physical environment that we have re-created.

Overview of Pre-Visit Lessons

Pre-Visit Lesson #1:  From Spanish Moss to Spanish Style (Grades 3-5, 6-8, PDF, 489 Kb)

One of the most important educational objectives of visiting Mission San Luis is to demonstrate how the interaction of Spanish and Apalachee cultures induced changes in both.  The concept of cultural adaptation transcends Mission San Luis and is important in understanding the present and the past.

Through group activities, clothing is used to explore differences in Spanish and Apalachee lifestyles and the changes that occurred after the two cultures interacted at Mission San Luis.

Pre-Visit Lesson #2: My Own Time Line (Grades 1-2, 3-5, 6-8, PDF, 311 Kb)

This activity introduces the concept of time expressed on a linear grid.  History, a chronicle of the past, is a concept often difficult for children to grasp, particularly as it pertains to events that took place hundreds or even thousands of years ago.  My Own Time Line helps children understand time as a continuum that stretches backward as well as into the future. 

This lesson seeks to accomplish this objective by focusing on the importance of family histories.  Emphasis is also placed on the importance of Florida’s colonial past and the role that history plays in our present-day lives.

Pre-Visit Lesson: #3:  New Food in the Pot (Grades 3-5, PDF, 292 Kb)

This lesson consists of a reading comprehension exercise.  Students read an essay on foodways and then respond to questions.  For background information, teachers should consult A Teacher Guide (PDF, 2.3 Mb).

Pre-Visit Lesson: #4:  New Food in the Pot (Grades 6-8, PDF, 247 Kb)

Food preferences vary according to food availability (environment) and culture. New Food in the Pot compares and contrasts the foodways of the Apalachees and Spaniards. This topic is dealt with extensively at the site. Hence, this lesson encourages retention by enabling the actual visit to serve as reinforcement.  

This lesson also illustrates the impact cultures have on each other when they interact in close proximity.  Students explore cultural and environmental factors that help determine the foods that people eat.