Best Practices for Supporting Students with Special Needs

Best Practices for Supporting Students with Special Needs Veteran teacher and TeacherVision Advisory Board Member Tina shares her tips for helping students with special needs reach their fullest potential. by Tina Wheeler When teachers hear the term special needs, the most common type of educational disability probably comes to mind: a learning disability. This term, however, includes a host of diagnoses that can affect students in very specific, albeit very different, ways. A learning disability affects how kids process and comprehend information, and it can be expressed in a number of different ways. Students may demonstrate difficulty with spelling, writing, speaking, thinking, listening, or performing mathematical calculations. As a teacher, it is impossible to be an expert about every single possible educational obstacle your students might encounter. Therefore, it is crucial that you take the necessary steps to help your students reach their fullest potential. Take a look at some of the strategies I have used in my classroom to help my students with special needs achieve success. Read the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) This one seems like a no-brainer, but many teachers overlook the obvious when there are just so many things to do. Reading a student’s IEP is a definite first step that should not become an oversight. The IEP provides so much helpful information that you can use to guide your instruction for that child. Does it take time? Yes. But it is well worth the time and effort needed to tackle this often intimidating document. If you truly cannot spare the time, at the very least become familiar with each student’s disability diagnosis, educational goals, and accommodations and modifications. Work in opportunities to practice any listed goals that fit naturally into different areas of the curriculum. For example, if a student’s IEP lists a goal related to using who, what, where, when, why, and how questions, see if you can create an assignment that focuses on using question words. Understanding Accommodations and Modifications Each student’s IEP will include an accommodations and modifications page. This will list the all the modifications and/or accommodations that a student needs to assist him or her in receiving a fair and appropriate public education. Understanding what accommodations and modifications are, however, can be a bit confusing. Accommodations are changes in how information is taught to a student. Teachers can accommodate how information is presented to the student, how students are allowed to respond to assignments/assessments, the setting in which students learn or test, or the amount of time given to complete a task, just to name a few. Accommodations allow students to follow the same curriculum and meet the same expectations as their peers. Modifications, on the other hand, modify, or change, what information is taught to a student. Both assignments and curriculum requirements can be modified to fit a student’s needs. This allows students to learn similar skills and concepts as their peers, but the materials to do so are modified to match the student’s ability level. The accommodations or modifications for students are carefully selected by the IEP team to help students perform at their best ability levels. The goal is not to make schoolwork easier, but to “level the playing field” for students so they can receive a comparable education to their peers. It is important to note that any teacher can provide accommodations or modifications for students if he or she sees a true need, even without an educational diagnosis. Become Familiar with Common Difficulties Each educational diagnosis comes with its own set of difficulties that your student may struggle with. It is vital to know what those difficulties are, but also become well versed in the best practices to tackle those obstacles with your student. Students with dyslexia struggle with reading and understanding what they’ve read. This may be related to phonemic awareness (how sounds work in words), phonological processing (processing spoken and written language), or a number of other issues, such as fluency or spelling. Students with dyslexia often fall far behind in developing reading skills. Dyscalculia describes students who have complications with mathematical calculations. These complications can range from ordering numbers and simple addition to transposing and omitting numbers from equations. This can lead students to make very slow or very small gains in mathematical reasoning and understanding. Students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, have trouble with focusing their attention, staying on task, and becoming distracted. Students with ADHD find many things in their environment interesting, so their attention is constantly being pulled away from what they are supposed to be focusing on. Dysgraphia is also a common disability. Students with dysgraphia may have trouble with physically writing, such as not being able to hold a pencil properly. Dysgraphia is also diagnosed when students have difficulties with written expression, like an inability to organize thoughts, use grammatical structures properly, or understand basic sentence structure. This can cause difficulty in English language arts assignments, but also in many other core subjects as an increasing focus is being put on writing. Many other educational diagnoses exist, and the above outlined just a few. If your particular student’s special need is not on this list, do a bit of research to find out all you can, so you can work to help your student learn and grow. Provide Opportunities for Success Having high expectations for your students is wonderful, but there are times that kiddos need a little help. Take a look at the list below. By adopting some of these suggestions, you might just be providing that little nudge that your student needs to get him or her to the top. Create a classroom environment that is as free of distractions as possible; Operate a very structured classroom, with some times reserved for unstructured activity; Show an example of appropriate classroom behaviors, as many students with special needs will not necessarily “just know” how to do things; Allow students to use an alternative seating arrangement, even if it’s simply letting students complete their work on the floor; Use music or timers to help with transitions throughout the classroom; Provide directions to assignments, activities, or assessments in a variety of ways, such as verbal and written; Break information up into smaller, more manageable tasks; Highlight, or give students permission to highlight, important information on assignments or in textbooks; Use alarms or apps to help students manage their time appropriately; Help students keep track of assignments by teaching them how to use a planner, organizer, or folders; Check often for understanding throughout the lesson or throughout the day and provide immediate redirection when needed; Differentiate your learning to include learners that excel in a variety of ways. As an educator, you know how different each child can be. Get to know any students you have with special needs. Understand their abilities and their limits. Have high expectations, but do not have unrealistic ones. Our goal is to help each student reach his or her full potential, no matter what. It may be hard, it may take time, but in the end, isn’t it all worth it? Do you have tips for working with special needs students? Share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Tina Wheeler is an elementary teacher in a combined 3rd/4th grade classroom at a small private school in Cuba, Missouri. She has been an educator since 2005, working in both the general and special education classrooms with students ranging in ages from 3 years old to adulthood. When Tina is not teaching, she works as a freelance writer. She also shares teaching tips and tricks on her blog at Miss Tina’s Room.

An Analysis Of Percy Jackson - 947 Words

Ethnography Percy Jackson is a twelve year old boy that lives in New York, in modern time. He has attended a few private schools for troubled students (Riordan 1). In fact, he describes himself as a â€Å"troubled kid† with dyslexia and ADHD (Riordan 7). Percy is used to being the loner of the group, after attending six schools in the past six years which probably means he doesn’t make many friends. (Schmoop). His classmates do not have a need to scramble for money. â€Å"The other guys were joking around, talking about their vacation plans. One of them was going on a hiking trip to Switzerland. Another was cruising the Caribbean for a month. They were juvenile delinquents, like me, but they were rich juvenile delinquents. Their daddies were executives, or ambassadors, or celebrities. I was a nobody, from a family of nobodies.† (Riordan 22). While the other students know their parents, specifically their fathers, Percy has never known his father. He lives with his mother, whom he thinks is the best person in the world (Riordan 29) but he has no idea who his father is. Percy’s mom has just always told him his father was â€Å"lost at sea† (Riordan 30). Later on in the chapters, Percy discovers that the modern world he lives in is not what he thinks. He finds that ancient Greek theology is very much real. He gets shipped to a camp in the middle of nowhere as a safe haven from dangers of ancient Greek mythology. This camp (Camp Half Blood) is a haven for young demi-gods to find theirShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Percy Jackson and the Olympians2772 Words   |  12 PagesThe fact that Percy Jackson has friends is incredible. It’s an unshakable fact that any friend of his within a ten mile radius will be in a life or death situation with him by dinner, and they aren’t always so lucky as him. But that ’s getting ahead of ourselves. 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Analysis Of Tim O Brien s The Things They Carried

There were many things the soldiers carried with them during the Vietnam War. They carried guns and ammo, rations and canteens, and things necessary for survival. The soldiers also carried letters, photographs and land of Vietnam itself. Tim O’Brien tells of this in The Things They Carried, a book detailing the lives of the soldiers in Vietnam through the things the men carried with them. Not everything the men carried was physical, however. The soldiers carried ghosts, memories, and burdens. Everyone carried something that shaped who they were. Above all else, however, all of the soldiers carried the themes of love and war, fact and fiction, and individuals versus the collective. When thinking of war, love isn’t often the first word one†¦show more content†¦In regards to Cross after the death of Lavender, it is stated, â€Å"He felt shame. He hated himself. He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence, Lavender was now dead†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Oâ₠¬â„¢Brien 16). This shows the problems the men faced when trying to balance love and war. Another example of the divisive coexistence of love and war can be seen in the story of Mark Fossie and his girlfriend Mary Anne, who came to Vietnam to be with him. When Mary Anne arrived in Vietnam, she was young and innocent. She quickly took a fascination with the war, however, and joined in the fighting. This vastly changed her as a person, much to the dismay of Mark. It is stated in the book, â€Å"’The girl joined the zoo. One more animal-end of story.’† (O’Brien 107) This is capitalized upon when Mary Anne came back from a night of patrol with a necklace of human tongues around her neck. Though Mark and Mary Anne were set to be married at one point, Mary Anne eventually disappeared into the night becoming more of a legend than anyone’s fiancà ©e with war winning out over love once again. The war also blurred the lines between fact and fiction for the soldiers. One such example can be seen in the actions of the men. While they woke up every day terrified of meeting their demise, they carried themselves with dignity and acted as if nothing bothered them, not because they were truly fearless, but rather

Importance of teaching nutrition in schools Essay Example For Students

Importance of teaching nutrition in schools Essay Nutrition should be taught as a part of the health curriculum because, it is important for children to learn healthy lifestyle behaviors. Nutrition is the area of health that focuses on planning a healthful diet and includes choosing a variety of foods from the Food Guide Pyramid, adhering to dietary guidelines, reading food labels, making food selections to reduce the risk of disease, making healthful selections when dining out, considering food safety, maintaining desirable weight, and avoiding harmful eating patterns, and recognizing eating disorders (Meeks,Hieght,Page 1996 p219). I believe that all of these different categories should be taught in the schools health education program. Nutrition choices that children make today can dramatically affect their health and well being tomorrow. However, many of these young people are facing an unhealthy situation. For example, eating disorders are on the rise, the rate of obesity has doubled, many childrens diets lack the recommended amounts of vital nutrients, and only 1% of children meet all of the nutrition recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid.(Teaching Adolescent Nutrition p1) This information should support the dire need for proper nutrition education in the school program today. I think that it is important to teach this topic as early as kindergarten but, I also think that it is important to continue nutrition education throughout middle school and also throughout high school. The material that I chose to teach is geared toward the middle school aged student. I believe that it is most important to teach nutrition at this age because it is the age children/preteens begin to make their own lifestyle decisions. Nutrition education can be integrated in other classes as well as health classes so the students do not think that nutrition education only has to do with health classes and not a mathematics class or a computer class. Appropriate nutrition education to recipients of child and adolescent food and nutrition programs is recognized as a key factor in health promotion/chronic disease prevention. As part of any comprehensive health program, nutrition should be integrated across the curriculum, in all subject areas (McConnel,Shaw 1996 p3). Ideas for other classes integrating nutrition education into their curriculum would be: The teacher can teach the class how to count calories, fat intake, carbohydrates, proteins. This way children can learn the importance of regulating their calorie and fat intake and utilizing the information to integrate it into their own lives. Teach the students that it is also important to count the amount of carbohydrates that they consume along with the amount of sugars that they consume also. Students can then understand that too much of something can be bad for their health, The teacher can hand out an article on diseases linked to poor exercise and nutrition. Then the class can participate in an open discussion. This way the students can feel open to discuss the topic in class with the teacher and their peers. They will be able to express their knowledge on the topic and learn new things as well. They can also write a poem on the nutrition and have a contest where the students will vote on the best most informative poem, and the winner will receive bonus points on the nest test/paper. The class can learn about how food is broken down in the body and how nutritious foods can help maintain a healthy functioning body. The students can draw a diagram and map out the pathway that foods takes to go through the body. They could learn what foods that can be eaten to prevent certain diseases, like broccoli can be a good food to eat to help prevent cancer. The students can participate in a food pyramid relay. This way the students can learn the food pyramid while they are having fun and also they will be exercising. They will be able to categorize the food groups in an easily understandable way instead of being lectured to in class for a change. The teacher can have the students paint or draw a picture of one food from each of the food groups. The students can draw or paint their favorite foods. .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf , .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf .postImageUrl , .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf , .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf:hover , .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf:visited , .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf:active { border:0!important; } .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf:active , .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ude8c0c879f8f4afc9dc595d4d50a0bdf:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Gay Parenting Controversy Essay They will also get to see others peoples favorite foods so they .

Shakespeares Hamlet free essay sample

This paper takes a look at Shakespeares character Hamlet. This well-though out paper takes an in-depth look at the character of Hamlet; it discusses his life and the factors which led him from innocence. The paper also discusses Hamlet?s feelings of being lost and out of his depth and his procrastination when facts are put before him. It, however also puts forward the argument that perhaps Hamlet is wise in not rushing to murder his step father, his intelligence coming as it does from a ghost. Much is also made of the Oedipus complex and Hamlets morbid mental struggle. From the paper: ?William Shakespeares play Hamlet is one of his most celebrated tragedies and the one play that most people are familiar with even today. The play itself is filled with murder, sex, love, suicide, hate, and revenge much like a modern day soap opera. But the truly enduring part of the play is Hamlet himself, the little boy lost, who is grieving his fathers death, feels isolated from his family, is in love with a confusing woman and is trying desperately to make things right and avenge his fathers death. We will write a custom essay sample on Shakespeares Hamlet or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page While a portion of us can identify with one or two of his plights, none of us quite know what he is facing. However, Shakespeares use of imagery and emotion endears Hamlet to the audience and gives us insight into his tumultuous soul.?

Weather - Japanese Vocabulary

Weather - Japanese Vocabulary Whether you planning a trip to Japan or conversing in Japanese class, rain or shine, youll need to learn how to talk about the weather. Click the links to hear the pronunciation for each weather-related Japanese vocabulary word or phrase. Japanese Weather Vocabulary Weather tenki Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦ °â€" Climate kikou æ °â€"候 Temperature ondo æ ¸ ©Ã¥ º ¦ Sunny hare æ™ ´Ã£â€šÅ' Cloudy kumori 㠁 Ã£â€šâ€šÃ£â€šÅ  Rain ame é› ¨ Snow yuki é› ª Thunder kaminari é› · Storm arashi Ã¥ µ  Fog kiri éÅ" § Useful Expressions Related to the Weather How is the weather?Tenki wa dou desu ka.Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦ °â€"㠁 ¯Ã£  ©Ã£ â€ Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹Ã£â‚¬â€š The weather is nice.Yoi tenki desu.よ㠁„å ¤ ©Ã¦ °â€"㠁 §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š Its sunny.Harete imasu.æ™ ´Ã£â€šÅ'㠁 ¦Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š Its cloudy.Kumotte imasu.曇㠁 £Ã£  ¦Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š Its raining.Ame ga futte imasu.é› ¨Ã£ Å'é™ Ã£  £Ã£  ¦Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š Its snowing.Yuki ga futte imasu.é› ªÃ£ Å'é™ Ã£  £Ã£  ¦Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š Its hot.Atsui desu.暑㠁„㠁 §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š Its humid.Mushiatsui desu.è’ ¸Ã£ â€"暑㠁„㠁 §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š Its cold.Samui desu.Ã¥ ¯â€™Ã£ â€žÃ£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š Its warm.Atatakai desu.æšâ€"㠁‹ã â€žÃ£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š Its cool.Suzushii desu.æ ¶ ¼Ã£ â€"㠁„㠁 §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š Its windyKaze ga tsuyoi desu.é ¢ ¨Ã£ Å'Ã¥ ¼ ·Ã£ â€žÃ£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š

Biography of Diego Velazquez de Cuellar, Conquistador

Biography of Diego Velazquez de Cuellar, Conquistador Diego Velazquez de Cuellar (1464-1524) was a conquistador and Spanish colonial administrator. He is not to be confused with Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez, the Spanish painter generally referred to simply as Diego Velazquez. Diego Velazquez de Cuellar arrived in the New World on Christopher Columbus Second Voyage and soon became a very important figure in the conquest of the Caribbean, taking part in the conquests of Hispaniola and Cuba. Later, he became governor of Cuba, one of the highest-ranking figures in the Spanish Caribbean. He is best known for sending Hernan Cortes on his journey of conquest to Mexico, and his subsequent battles with Cortes to retain control of the endeavor and the treasures it produced.   Fast Facts: Diego Velzquez de Cuà ©llar Known For: Spanish conquistador and governorAlso Known As: Diego VelzquezBorn: 1465 in Cuà ©llar,  Segovia,  Crown of CastileDied: c. June 12, 1524 in Santiago de Cuba,  Cuba,  New SpainSpouse: daughter of Cristà ³bal de Cuà ©llar Early Life Diego Velazquez was born to a noble family in 1464 in the town of Cuellar, in the Spanish region of Castile. It is probable that he served as a soldier in the Christian conquest of Granada, last of the Moorish Kingdoms in Spain, from 1482 to 1492. Here he would make contacts and gain experience that would serve him well in the Caribbean. In 1493, Velazquez sailed to the New World on Christopher Columbus Second Journey. There he became one of the founders of the Spanish colonial effort, as the only Europeans left in the Caribbean on Columbus First Journey had all been murdered at the La Navidad settlement. Conquest of Hispaniola and Cuba The colonists from the Second Voyage needed land and slaves, so they set about conquering and subjugating the unfortunate native population. Diego Velazquez was an active participant in the conquests first of Hispaniola, and then Cuba. In Hispaniola, he attached himself to Bartholomew Columbus, Christophers brother, which lent him a certain prestige and helped get him established. He was already a rich man when Governor Nicolas de Ovando made him an officer in the conquest of western Hispaniola. Ovando would later make Velazquez governor of the western settlements in Hispaniola. Velazquez played a key role in the Xaragua massacre in 1503 in which hundreds of unarmed Taino natives were slaughtered. With Hispaniola pacified, Velazquez led the expedition to subjugate the neighboring island of Cuba. In 1511, Velazquez took a force of more than 300 conquistadors and invaded Cuba. His chief lieutenant was an ambitious, tough conquistador named Panfilo de Narvaez. Within a couple of years, Velazquez, Narvaez, and their men had pacified the island, enslaved all of the inhabitants, and established several settlements. By 1518, Velazquez was lieutenant governor of the Spanish holdings in the Caribbean and for all intents and purposes was the most important man in Cuba. Velazquez and Cortes Hernan Cortes arrived in the New World sometime in 1504, and eventually signed on to Velazquez conquest of Cuba. After the island was pacified, Cortes settled for a time in Baracoa, the main settlement, and had some success raising cattle and panning for gold. Velazquez and Cortes had a very complicated friendship that was constantly on-and-off. Velazquez initially favored the clever Cortes, but in 1514 Cortes agreed to represent some disgruntled settlers before Velazquez, who felt Cortes was showing a lack of respect and support. In 1515, Cortes dishonored a Castilian woman who had come to the islands. When Velazquez locked him up for failing to marry her, Cortes simply escaped and carried on as he had before. Eventually, the two men settled their differences. In 1518, Velazquez decided to send an expedition to the mainland and chose Cortes as the leader. Cortes swiftly lined up men, weapons, food, and financial backers. Velazquez himself invested in the expedition. Cortes orders were specific: he was to investigate the coastline, look for the missing Juan de Grijalva expedition, make contact with any natives, and report back to Cuba. It became increasingly apparent that Cortes was arming and provisioning for an expedition of conquest, however, and Velazquez decided to replace him. Cortes got wind of Velazquez plan and prepared to set sail immediately. He sent armed men to raid the city slaughterhouse and carry off all the meat, and bribed or coerced city officials to sign off on the necessary papers. On February 18, 1519, Cortes set sail, and by the time Velazquez reached the piers, the ships were already underway. Reasoning that Cortes could not do much damage with the limited men and weapons he had, Velazquez seems to have forgotten about Cortes. Perhaps Velazquez assumed that he could punish Cortes when he inevitably returned to Cuba. Cortes had, after all, left his lands and wife behind. Velazquez had seriously underestimated Cortes capabilities and ambition, however. The Narvaez Expedition Cortes ignored his instructions and immediately set out on an audacious conquest of the mighty Mexica (Aztec) Empire. By November 1519, Cortes and his men were in Tenochtitlan after having fought their way inland and making allies with disgruntled Aztec vassal states as they did so. In July 1519, Cortes had sent a ship back to Spain with some gold but it made a stop in Cuba, and someone saw the loot. Velazquez was informed and swiftly realized that Cortes was trying to fool him once again. Velazquez mounted a massive expedition to head for the mainland and capture or kill Cortes and return command of the enterprise to himself. He placed his old lieutenant Panfilo de Narvaez in charge. In April 1520, Narvaez landed near present-day Veracruz with more than 1,000 soldiers, nearly three times the total that Cortes had. Cortes soon realized what was going on and he marched to the coast with every man he could spare to fight Narvaez. On the night of May 28, Cortes attacked Narvaez and his men, who were dug in at the native town of Cempoala. In a short but vicious battle, Cortes defeated Narvaez. It was a coup for Cortes because most of Narvaez men (fewer than 20 had died in the fighting) joined him. Velazquez had unwittingly sent Cortes what he needed most: men, supplies, and weapons.   Legal Actions Against Cortes Word of Narvaez failure soon reached a dumbfounded Velazquez. Determined not to repeat the mistake, Velazquez never again sent soldiers after Cortes, but rather began to pursue his case through the Byzantine Spanish legal system. Cortes, in turn, counter-sued. Both sides had certain legal merit. Although Cortes had clearly overstepped the bounds of the initial contract and had unceremoniously cut Velazquez out of the spoils, he had been circumspect about legal forms once he was on the mainland, communicating directly with the king. Death In 1522, a legal committee in Spain found in favor of Cortes. Cortes was ordered to pay back Velazquez his initial investment, but Velazquez missed out on his share of the spoils (which would have been vast) and was further ordered to undergo an investigation of his own activities in Cuba. Velazquez died in 1524 before the investigation could be concluded. Legacy Diego Velzquez de Cuà ©llar, like his fellow conquistadores, had a profound impact on the trajectory of Central American society and culture. In particular, his influence made Cuba a major economic center and a location from which further conquests could be made.   Sources Diaz del Castillo, Bernal. Trans., ed. J.M. Cohen. 1576. London, Penguin Books, 1963.Levy, Buddy. Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma and the Last Stand of the Aztecs. New York: Bantam, 2008.Thomas, Hugh. Conquest: Montezuma, Cortes and the Fall of Old Mexico. New York: Touchstone, 1993.