If you are here, you will choose to either listen to a podcast debating the facts and fiction surrounding Christopher Columbus, AND/OR you will survey historical artwork depicting Columbus and and the Native peoples of the American continent. Choice A: Podcast If you would like to listen to an audio recording of a debate about Columbus, then look no further. The following podcast is by "Bazooka Joe". He's the author\creator\host of the Small World Podcast, a frequently updated (sometimes more than thrice a week) podcast on, well, whatever story tickles Joe's fancy. Bazooka Joe is hardly new to broadcasting as a pirate radio personality and long time fixture of the San Diego music scene. The goal of the Small World Podcast seems to be to bring together the most diverse collection of stories under one digital roof. Joe interviews an amazing assortment of people from all over the globe. This particular podcast was found in a directory called "Historical Podcasts" which is a directory of podcasts from various sources. Unfortunately, the author of the site is anonymous, so we are unable to determine the site's validity. However, we can gather more specific information about the individual podcasts by examining their sources. Listen to the link Columbus: Fact vs. Fiction to hear Bazooka Joe interview Dr. Dona De Sanctis of the Order Sons of Italy in America. As you listen, answer the following questions by posting in the comments section below: 1. Did Columbus ever step on the North American continent?
2. Why he is so celebrated?
3. Did Columbus commit genocide? Why or why not?
4. Is the podcast critical of the term “discovery”?
5. Who was John Cabot?
6. Who was Amerigo Vespucci?
7. How does the podcast balance the good and bad of Columbus’s voyages? Choice B: Historical Artwork Here you can browse a gallery of artwork depicting Columbus and his arrival and interactions with "The New World." This site is part of the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Therefore, the reliability of the site is high, and the archival and details regarding each print is verified. The gallery includes primarily paintings and drawings, and by clicking on the individual links you can see larger images of each print, and get information on the creator and the date the work was created. As you browse the Images of Christopher Columbus and His Voyages, pick THREE images to focus on, and provide the following information for each. Post your responses in the comments section below: 1. Title of the piece 2. Approximate date it was created 3. Summary of what is happening in the piece. Who are the people, and how are they interacting? What can you see of the setting in the piece? 4. What does the artist want you to think about Columbus in this piece? What about the art (colors, facial expressions, lightness/darkness) gives you that impression? 5. Find at least one piece that has Natives in it; what do you notice about them in comparison to the Europeans? What does the artist want you to think of them? What does the artist do to get that message across? |