Showing posts with label social studies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social studies. Show all posts

Monday, 26 May 2014

Juan Ponce De Leon

ponce de leon.jpgHow would you feel if you didn’t achieve your lifelong goal?
How would you feel if you lost your right hand? Juan Ponce De Leon experienced not achieving a lifelong goal and only having one hand.

Juan Ponce De Leon was a brave spanish man. He was a man who lead groups and governed multiple areas. Juan Ponce De Leon has changed and made important differences to Spain. Juan Ponce De Leon changed Spain by killing the Muslims, the leaders of Spain during that time. The muslims had been ruling spain for over 700 years. Spanish people wanted to rule Spain, it was their country! Juan Ponce De Leon also discovered the Gulf Stream in 1513, which was the quickest way to return to Europe from the west. Juan Ponce De Leon was a leader. He was a leader in the Spanish conquest of the Americas. He also became governor of Puerto Rico in the 1500s. Juan Ponce De Leon went on an adventure and found Florida. Sadly he got shot by an arrow and died thinking that Florida was an island, but it wasn’t. Juan Ponce De Leon’s actions changed Spain. He was a leader and discovered places. He is a man to remember.

In life, everyone has at least one struggle. No one’s perfect! Juan Ponce De Leon had struggles during his life. Something he struggled with was losing his right hand! So he had to learn how to type with ONLY one hand. Not only that but he couldn’t do things that need two hands. That is crazy for an explorer. Juan Ponce De Leon also had to fight Native Americans that were on Hispaniola, an island he discovered. Luckily, he got his island back. Another thing that was a struggle for Juan Ponce De Leon was that he didn’t find the Fountain Of Youth. He was searching for this Fountain for a long time. People believe that the Fountain Of Youth would heal the sick and injured. Something good about that was that he discovered many more islands when he was looking for the Fountain! Juan Ponce De Leon had many struggles that he overcame and didn’t overcame. When he struggles, he’ll solve his problems. Sometimes he overcomes his struggles and other times he doesn’t. That’s normal.

Being in Juan Ponce De Leon’s shoes is a bit of a challenge. His life was full of challenges. Juan Ponce De Leon lost his right hand, if I were in his shoes, I’d be really bummed. It would give me limitations like only typing with one hand (if computers were invented in the 1400). Also riding a horse while holding a sword would be hard because you need one hand for the sword, and one hand for controlling the horse. Basically, I couldn’t do things that requires 2 hands. Another thing he went through was that he didn’t find the fountain of youth. If I were him, I’d be sad because it was my lifelong goal and I never achieved it. It’s like planning to climb Mt. Everest and suddenly an avalanche occurred right when you were climbing. Those 6 or 7 years of training is wasted. Now you know how I’d feel if I was Juan Ponce De Leon, it’s challenging.

As you can see, Juan Ponce De Leon faces many difficulties like losing a right hand and not achieving a lifelong goal. He also changed Spain, he helped kill the muslims to make Spain a independent country. Juan Ponce De Leon also found the Gulf Stream, a quicker route back to Spain. He shall not be forgotten.