one of the most witty and insightful student work samples that I've had the pleasure of viewing! This was a student and teacher favorite!

1. A Commoner's Guide To Being A Conquistador: 10 Easy Steps

2. Step One: Birthplace And Location Europe Conquistadors are generally from Spain or Portugal. If they are not, then they are called explorers. Conquistador is Spanish for conqueror. Spain And Portugal World Map

3. Step 2:Personality Development - Greedy -Conquistadors were ruthless in their pursuit of gold and other riches. “We have a disease of the heart that only gold can cure.” said Cortes, a conquistador - Merciless - Would lie, cheat, and take advantage of people in order to get what they wanted. Ex. Cortes sinking own ships to make sure crew couldn’t desert him. - Clever - Would design and execute brilliant plans, both in battle and as a leader. Ex. Cortes defeating thousands of Aztec warriors with his 200 men and limited supplies.

4. Step 3: Equipment Armor/Helmet: Made of iron, includes breastplate, backplate, arm and leg armor, chainmail, gauntlets. Swords/Weapons: Thin, Spanish made rapier, crossbows, muskets, daggers, lances, 2 handed swords. Ship: A 2 or 3 masted Caravel, about 80 feet long, must be able to hold about 20 crew members. For big trips, use a Carrack, with 3 or 4 sails, 80 feet long, with a crew of 23, and room for cargo.

5. Step 4: Picking A Conquistador Name 1: Translate your first name to Spanish on www.behindthename.com/nmc/spa.php 2: Add your regular last name on to your new first name. 3: Add the world “de” (Spanish for “of”) and then the city you live in. Example : For Jennifer Anistan it would translate to Jennifer Anistan de Hollywood. Interesting fact: Most conquistadors were not nobility or upper class, most were normal people or middle class. In fact, only 30% came from noble heritage.

6. Step 5: Planning Planning is crucial to a successful takeover. First, plan where you want to drop anchor, even though most conquistadors end up in a place totally different from where they planned to go. You should know that the quickest route between two places is a straight line. Next, pick an appropriately sized crew, based on how many ships you have. Remember that loyalty is a huge factor while picking crew, because you don’t want to end up like Henry Hudson, who was thrown overboard by his own men. Supply your crew with an ample amount of weapons. I think that ten guns, a half dozen horses, and a sword for everyone should do. Finally, come up with a sneaky yet efficient battle plan, whether it involves an ambush attack at night or an assassination of a tribe leader. If you plan to succeed, you must succeed at planning.

7. Step 6: Attacking The thrill of battle may tempt some hardheaded amateur conquistadors to lead the charge, but my recommendation is don’t. If you are killed, the crew will be without a leader, and the mission will be pointless. Instead, ask (or force) your crew to do all the fighting, while you watch and bark commands from a safe distance. If a stubborn crew member tells you to fight and questions your authority, don’t be kind to him! Punish his insolence severely, and remember to be creative with your torture methods. I wouldn’t worry so much about losing, because if you followed Steps 5 and 3, your weaponry should trump the Native Americans’. Also, it would help to send in some devastating smallpox blankets, to weaken the opposing forces. Interesting fact: Smallpox has been eradicated from modern society since 1980. It is the only major disease that has ever been completely eradicated.

9. Step 8: Being A Tyrant The one downside of being a conquistador is the relatively short working career. You can start as a captain at about 30, and work until about 45. Some captains last longer than others, like Francisco Pizarro, who kept conquering until his mid 60’s. After your conquistador days are over, you might work as the leader of some Spanish colonies. To do this, you need tyrant skills. Being a tyrant can be both fun and rewarding if done correctly. Be sure that your subjects are taxed heavily, so you can live in luxury. Only decrease taxes if there are uprisings that threaten your life. If your community has slaves, work them diligently. Also, your personality should be fitting of a tyrant, with traits such as being coldhearted and commanding, yet lazy. With those tyrant skills, your colony is sure to flourish.

10. Step 9: Conquistador Trademarks This is the only category I cannot assist you with, but I can give examples. Every conquistador needs a trademark saying, action, or event. It is you, the conquistador’s, job to come up with his/her trademark. Pick a memorable trademark, that people will associate with you when they hear your name. Here are some examples: -Cortes’ saying “ We have a disease of the heart only gold can cure.” -Pizarro’s action of strangling the Grand Inca Athalupa -Ponce De Leon’s search for the fabled “Fountain Of Youth”

11. Step 10: Having An Epiphany Note: This step is entirely optional and does not need to be performed in order to be a famous conquistador. Having an epiphany about the injustice of conquering is an uncommon happening in the world of conquistadors. The most famous case of this is Bartolome Las Casas, a missionary (not a true conquistador) who owned slaves from his youth to his 30’s. One day, while reading the bible, he read a passage that stated that all people were created equal, and this changed his perspective. Las Casas went on to fight for Native American rights. If your conscience tells you, at any point, that what you’re doing is wrong, think about it. If you are a prominent conquistador, people will listen to you, and you could help them come to the conclusion that slave keeping is wrong. As I said before, though, this step is not usually taken and is strictly optional.

12. Sources: www.wikipedia.org Search: Conquistadors, Ponce De Leon, Cortes, Coronado, Las Casas, Carrack, Caravel, Pizarro, Smallpox http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~epf/2001/hernandez.html (Las Casas) http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/civil_n2/histscript6_n2/pizarro.html (Pizarro info) http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/spa.php (Names) http://www.bestanimations.com (Animated GIF’s) http://www.images.google.com Search: Santa Maria, Musket, Conquistador Sword