Raising La Belle: A WebQuest

La Salle and his settlers at Fort Saint Louis, Texas 1686, watercolor by Mark Mitchell originally appeared in thechildren's history magazine Cobblestone

Only stay with the videos long enough to catch what you think is the answer. You can always go back and watch them later.

Why so much fuss about this shipwreck? (Links will take you to directly to moments with some possible good answers.) https://youtu.be/q-WkfMOon90Historic La Belle shipwready ready for Bullock Museum, KXAN news, reported by David Scott

https://youtu.be/hlPUJfK_lzYClegg Services Moves La Belle shipwreck to final location

What first brought Europeans to the "New World"?

https://youtu.be/NjEGncridoQColumbus, de Gama and Zheng He! 15th Century Mariners, John Green's Crash Course: History #121

What were the most compelling reasons they kept coming? Which do you thnk were the most important? Check out these moments from America Before Columbus, a National Geographic Documentary

https://youtu.be/UiBf8PTeAsQ?t=23m45s

https://youtu.be/UiBf8PTeAsQ?t=26m29s

https://youtu.be/UiBf8PTeAsQ?t=37m50s

https://youtu.be/UiBf8PTeAsQ?t=43m9s

https://youtu.be/UiBf8PTeAsQ?t=49m5s

https://youtu.be/UiBf8PTeAsQ?t=1h12m44s

https://youtu.be/UiBf8PTeAsQ?t=1h17m27s

https://youtu.be/UiBf8PTeAsQ?t=1h18m52s

https://youtu.be/UiBf8PTeAsQ?t=1h27m8s

https://youtu.be/UiBf8PTeAsQ 37.57

What brought the French, in particular to the New World? (Choose one video to watch for 30 seconds.)

https://www.nfb.ca/film/canada_vignettes_voyageurs

https://www.nfb.ca/film/voyageurs ( Start at 13 minutes in.)

https://youtu.be/VwCe8Caaf6cThe Life of a Voyageur - Taken from the documentary The Journey of a Blanket, Daniel Benjamin La Salle, one of Montreal's first pioneer-settlers, made a fortune as a voyageur. But instead of living a life of luxury and leisure, he plowed his profits and free time into travel expeditions.

What fur-bearing animal was the most valuable and why?(Choose one video below.)

http://www.martinezbeavers.org/wordpress/ (Don't blink, you'll miss him -- the shot lasts just a couple of seconds!)

https://youtu.be/JGoVlgcT6tM (First two minutes)

Why are beavers' teeth orange?

https://youtu.be/1cyPyEQ4OHIBeavers: Dam Fun Facts About Beavers* * * * Highly recommended SciShow episode about nature's greatest engineers: the beaver!

What is the best season of the year for beaver trapping and why?

https://youtu.be/2HHGmxQ2C4w?t=1m5sThe fur trade; Our Peoples' story

How did the fur trade change Native American society?

https://youtu.be/blg0a62mehU'

https://youtu.be/VpAGW3QBG-k

Where did La Salle grow up?

https://youtu.be/yxW6DnHfHPI

What was Canada like in 1666, when La Salle first came to Montreal Island at age 23?

https://youtu.be/I1zlWPMZOwk?t=1h27m11s

https://youtu.be/yIKaweBVj2E (first few minutes)A People's History – A History of Canada, Episode 3, Claiming the Wilderness

Your impressions of New France so far?

An earlier video referred to a starting off point for the voyageurs – a historic site named Lachine.

This was actually a little farming settlement La Salle established outside Montreal. Neighbors jokingly called it La Chine (China) because they were tired of hearing La Salle's constant, almost obsessive talk of finding, in the wilderness here, a water passage (perhaps a river?) to the Pacific Ocean and thereby to Asia and India.

North American explorers called this fabled shortcut the Northwest Passage. It was basically the same dream that had driven Columbus and so many other explorers westward.

Can you name other explorers who looked for this shortcut?

In 1969, La Salle led an impulsive expedition with nine canoes. What do you think he was looking for?

Can you name another river, besides the St. Lawrence and Mississippi that La Salle explored in his travels?

An animated GIF map of La Salle's North American expeditions:http://www.historymuseum.ca/virtual-museum-of-new-france/the-explorers/rene-robert-cavelier-de-la-salle-1670-1687/

What famous land feature did La Salle and his men find on his 1681-1682 expedition?https://youtu.be/wB6gHz8XHDI?t=52s

Bonus question:What was La Salle's other famous shipwreck? (This one remains to be discovered at the bottom of one of the Great Lakes.) https://youtu.be/e6MYOdM838Q

What's it like to paddle down the Mississippi River? Would you make the trip, if you could?

https://youtu.be/3fesCU_V76I?list=PLE2907D7AA81F6571

https://youtu.be/vKH9JEdZREcLouisiana Bayou

What was it like then? Who did La Salle meet on his way down the Mississippi?

Cahokia Moundshttps://youtu.be/P_aSBfHpytEThe 'Mississippi Culture' Native American tribes (the 'mound builders) were the ancestors of tribes La Salle encountered on his voyage down the Mississippi River and would meet again in northeast Texas.

Prairie Fire: Cahokia Mounds (WILL-TV)https://youtu.be/xVcdigJ6eLE

America's Ancient Pyramidshttps://youtu.be/N2Sc-fTZGqs

Cahokia – City of the Sunhttps://youtu.be/GAXBA2Pt9wEAn agent of the "Sun King" crosses another (former) 'empire of the sun.'

The Mound Builders cliphttps://youtu.be/Yg9ZXvulMQE

America's Ancient Pyramids (good History Channel documetary)Walls and weapons...https://youtu.be/N2Sc-fTZGqs

Do you think La Salle truly foresaw what the Louisiana Territory would lead to after he claimed the Mississippi basin for France? Why or why not?

https://youtu.be/s6KfyEIm84U

Back to France! Do you prefer life in the 'New World' or the 'Old World? Can you explain your choice?

Images from 17th Century France - with Lully musichttps://youtu.be/Ez61HsJ7ZH4

Dances from the Reign of Louis XIV: Musica Pacificahttps://youtu.be/aLu6pIHMMtg

How would you describe King Louis XIV's rulership style?

https://youtu.be/IWQfb2vtxnA?t=4m16s

Where did La Salle meet with King Louis to propose his grand plan for a port-fort at the mouth of the Mississippi River?

https://youtu.be/dzbADwDP2zw

A filmmaker in one of the earlier videos doesn't seem to respect La Salle very much.

Do you find a difference between deceptively lying – and stretching a truth to present your argument in the best light? Or do you think La Salle was deceiving himself, as well as his kingabout how close the Missississipi River was to silver mines in Mexico?

Where was La Salle's departure point for this new expedition? (He had the Belle built here at the last minute, too.)

https://youtu.be/9huX9LkR_-Q?t=1m37s

The Belle's hull timbers were of what kind of wood?

Construction of the Belle:https://youtu.be/lprEfkRVSjsHow the Belle was Built (model and CGI graphics)

https://youtu.be/KEDL8IFcTGY

A half-scale replica in Palacios (made of aluminum)https://youtu.be/PmXK0gDNP_g

Crossing the Atlantic (a quick taste.)https://youtu.be/0SrDblm4yRo

Sailing to Haiti (do you like the music?)https://youtu.be/UlNhxX2I5Hc

How did La Salle end up in Texas (instead of the Mississippi delta?)

Trailer for the 4D Texas State Museum"4D" film, Shipwreckedhttps://youtu.be/sGT0l1_mqTI

Lost At Sea: The Search For Longitude (PBS NOVA Documentary)https://youtu.be/gZmkE3iYx6E

Matagorda Bay Morning, Texas Parks and Wilflife Postcard https://youtu.be/Fq4trm4ARlw

Caddo social dance (a moment )https://youtu.be/H04z0IjsmX4?t=2m17s

Indian tribes in Texas (first 90 seconds)https://youtu.be/ZLd0JOkcu7I

Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, film by Texas Historical Commissionhttps://youtu.be/rU4_w3Nin3k

informational websitesExplore a Caddo village:http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/kids/caddo/village.htmlhttp://www.texasindians.com/caddo.htm

Matagorda Bay and Indianola's first settler, La Sallehttps://youtu.be/z1GyZbvnRMU

La Salle's last expedition:https://youtu.be/tXUNZa76LcM?t=6m11s

What do think? Did La Salle leave a legacy in North America? If so, do you feel it still affects us – or not?

Elbow Room – Schoolhouse Rockhttps://youtu.be/GfUJjWo6eO4

https://youtu.be/xv4e46lz_8M

The Louisiana Purchase – exceptional History Channel documentaryhttps://youtu.be/rY4zLkFry14

Chasing History – Lewis and Clark & the Northwest Passagehttps://youtu.be/1KubslldWVk

Lewis and Clark Expedition - AMAZING National Geographic Documentary [HD](You might have to turn up the sound.) https://youtu.be/ZL1JGuw6b7Q

Examining the pieces: What are some of your favorite moments from the excavation?

What artifact(s) found of the ship surprised you most?

La Belle Shipwreck - See the Story Unfold Live at the Bullock Museum|https://youtu.be/zVd0-OOWSt0

The Excavation: La Salle Shipwreck Project Documentaryhttps://youtu.be/tXUNZa76LcM

State marine archeologist Dr. Barto Arnold on finding the site:https://youtu.be/x8Q3cXH2T-E?t=39s

Marine Archeologist Chuck Meide, who found the first cannon https://youtu.be/x8Q3cXH2T-E?t=1m43s

Divers finding musket shot underwater:https://youtu.be/x8Q3cXH2T-E?t=53m34s

Divers with Texas Historical Commission mapping the Bellehttps://youtu.be/tXUNZa76LcM?t=9m4s

Cofferdam construction gets underwayhttps://youtu.be/tXUNZa76LcM?t=11m50s

Excavation begins:https://youtu.be/tXUNZa76LcM?t=18m40s

Texas Country Reporter feature story, a fun interview with excavation dive master Bill Pierson about guarding the cofferdam and ship at night, when the crew has returned to land.https://youtu.be/x8Q3cXH2T-E?t=1h12m49s

Early news reports, CBS news Bob McNamara reporting on excavation's early days, Bud Gillett, Fox Channel 4, Dallas fun interviews with La Belle archeologists Toni Carrell, Sara Keyes, Karen Tier https://youtu.be/BMHHefslwgo?t=8m55s

Excavation intensifies, anarobic preservation, a cobbler's shoe last, finding the skeletonhttps://youtu.be/tXUNZa76LcM?t=21m18s

Encrustration, concretions over rusted iron, working with artifacts at the Texas A&M labhttps://youtu.be/tXUNZa76LcM?t=32m43s

Indian trade goodshttps://youtu.be/tXUNZa76LcM?t=36m13s

Kitchenware on the ship:https://youtu.be/tXUNZa76LcM?t=36m28s

Firepots, like hand grenades:https://youtu.be/tXUNZa76LcM?t=37m38s

last of the artifacts, the barrels and cannonhttps://youtu.be/tXUNZa76LcM?t=38m34s

Explore the shipwreck, clickable map of the contents of the hullhttp://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/belle/explore.html

screening for tiny artifacts

https://youtu.be/tXUNZa76LcM?t=41m52s

Taking apart the hullhttps://youtu.be/tXUNZa76LcM?t=43m34s

Conservation of timbers and artifacts at Texas A&M Conservation Labhttps://youtu.be/tXUNZa76LcM?t=45m27s

Combing the dregs and cleanuphttps://youtu.be/tXUNZa76LcM?t=46m6s

The artifacts...https://youtu.be/tXUNZa76LcM?t=47m37s

More on the skeleton, Dr. Helen De Wolf talks to Mark Mitchellhttps://youtu.be/Lexml9Tl0PQ

Anchor rope and for the Indians, pocket mirrors (Helen DeWolf)https://youtu.be/iJePAihQMDs

https://youtu.be/0uTNeAnCkJkWooden model of La Belle crafted by nautical conservationist Glenn Greico of Texas A&M University. Dr. Jim Bruseth, director of the La Belle excavation, talks about the skeletal remains of a man that worked as a sailor found on the French ship. Austin American Statesman video

Freeze-drying the Belle, with the ship's conservator Dr. Peter Fixhttps://youtu.be/T83kLPtdctA

Dr. Peter Fix and the freeze drier!https://youtu.be/I87bfe88xg4

La Belle's Last Journey: Texas A&M University to Austinhttps://youtu.be/InXCqAz3qfA

Artifacts on the move, Corpus Christi Museum of Natural Science, Dr. Jim Bruseth on the traveling La Belle exhibit, Corpus Christi Caller Times videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gaTuRaWvpg

KLRU TV news segment with fine visuals about the hull being assembled as a public exhibit at the museum

https://youtu.be/tHsWwrpl5-Q

Findings from the excavation of Ft. St. Louis, on the mainlandhttp://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/stlouis/index.html

Life at the French settlementhttp://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/stlouis/life.html

Resources, bibliography for students and teachershttp://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/belle/resources.html

La Salle Odyssey Trail PDF, Texas Historical Commissionhttp://www.thc.state.tx.us/public/upload/publications/Odyssey.pdf

Resources for educators from the State History Museumhttp://www.thestoryoftexas.com/la-belle/educational-resources/for-educators

PBS Nova episode Voyage of Doom linkshttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lasalle

Excavating tLa Belle – watercolor by Mark Mitchell