Columbus: Hero vs Villain
Have students fold an 8x10 sheet of paper in half. On the top half, divide into two columns. In the left column, have students list prior knowledge of Columbus. After watching the videos, have students list new knowledge in the right column. Bottom half of the page will be used to summarize the two columns.
I recommend watching this video in its entirety.
Length: 5:38 minutes
Audience: Third grade - Adult
This is the whole first chapter of Howard Zinn's The People's History: 1492 - present. I recommend watching only the first 10 minutes or so, for classroom use
Length: 59:21 minutes
Audience: Grade 5 - Adult
Hand-out the words to the song below so students can practice the words before singing along, if they want to. Play it a couple of times to learn the tune. Play it again so students can sing along. It's a perky little tune.
Length: 1:40
Audience: Third grade - Adult
1492 :Words and music © 1991 by Nancy Schimmel
In fourteen hundred ninety-two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue,
It was a courageous thing to do
But someone was already here.
Columbus knew the world was round
So he looked for the East while westward bound,
But he didn't find what he thought he found
And someone was already here.
Chorus:
The Inuit and Cherokee,
The Aztec and Menominee,
The Onondaga and the Cree; (clap, clap)
Columbus sailed across the sea,
But someone was already here.
It isn't like it was empty space,
Caribs (Caribbeans) met him face to face.
Could anyone discover the place
When someone was already here?
Chorus
So tell me, who discovered what?
He thought he was in a different spot.
Columbus was lost, the Caribs were not;
They were already here.
Chorus