Critically Looking at Christopher Columbus

Grades: 4th-5th

The purpose of this lesson is to allow students to critially evaluate the Christopher Columbus and the resources available on the Internet.

Objectives

Compare the perspectives of Native American societies and the European explorers.

Technology Curriculum Standards

Technology research tools:

• Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
• Students use technology tools to process data and report results.
• Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks.

Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools:

• Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions.
• Students employ technology in the development of strategies for solving problems in the real world.

Materials

Computer Lab

Evaluation a Website Worksheet

Taking a Closer Look Worksheet

Text: Encounter, by Jane Yolen

Text: America in the Time of Columbus, by Sally Senzell Isaacs

Content Background

Native Americans were living and thriving in North America when the European explorers began claiming the land for their countries. It is believed by some that the explorers had no right to claim this land. It is also believed that the explorers did not treat the native people as human beings, but as slaves. For these reasons, some people feel that the explorers, including Christopher Columbus, should not be honored or celebrated.

In contrast, many people believe that if it were not for exploration of North America and the settlement of Europeans in America, life would be very different than it is today. Many generations of students have learned that Columbus discovered America. Students will learn in this lesson that he landed on San Salvador and explored the islands in the Caribbean Sea. On his four voyages, he never set foot on or saw land that is now considered the United States of America, but he is still considered the discoverer pf the Americas and the New World.

(Content Background Taken From the Howard County Public School System Curriculum)

Procedure

Day 1

Motivation/Activate Prior Knowledge

1. Think/Pair/Share: What do you know about Christopher Columbus?
1. Web student answers on the chalkboard

Procedure

1. Read aloud Encounter, by Jane Yolen
1. While reading stop and ask students what they learn from the text and what they see in the pictures. How does it make them feel? What is different from what the class already knew about Christopher Columbus? Does this text bring up questions in their minds? If so, what questions?
2. After reading divide students into groups of four. In their groups students should discuss what they read and make a list of different ideas that they encountered while reading the text.
3. Gather together to share what each group talked about in their small group discussion. Add any new ideas to the Christopher Columbus web.
4. In partners, have students read pages 24-29 in America in the Time of Columbus, by Sally Senzell Isaacs.
5. Students should answer the following questions on notebook paper to be turned in:
1. Why might Queen Isabella and the rest of the Spanish court be happy with Christopher Columbus?
2. How might have Christopher Columbus introduced the “gifts” he brought back from San Salvador and Hispaniola?
3. · Do you believe that Christopher Columbus should be celebrated as a hero in America? Should Columbus Day (October 12th) be celebrated everywhere in America by having a day off from work and school? (Note: Students must attend school for 180 days, so a missed day in October means another day of school in June.)

(Questions Taken From the Howard County Public School System Curriculum)

Assessment:

Student will be informally assessed through their discussion and participation.

Answers to the critical thinking questions will be collected for a grade.

Day 2

Motivation/Activate Prior Knowledge

1. Review with students what the class discussed about Christopher Columbus.
2. Write on the chalkboard: Christopher Columbus was a great person who explored the Americas. Ask students to think about that statement.
3. Explain to students that some people agree with that statement while other do not agree with that statement. There is a considerable amount of information presented on the Internet that support this statement. Students will be going into the computer lab to look critically at how people think and present Christopher Columbus on the Internet. Is Christopher Columbus a great person who explored the Americas?

Procedure

1. Bring students into the computer lab.
2. Present them with the websites for their critical exploration.
3. Allow students time to analyze each website. While students are exploring the information on the websites they should also be critically analyzing if the site is creditable. To analyze the credibility of the website, students should print out the Evaluation a Website Worksheet for each website evaluated.
4. After students have evaluated each website they are to complete the Taking a Closer Look Worksheet on line. This worksheet should be printed to be collected for a grade.

Lesson Closure

Discuss what the students discovered on the Internet.

Ask students to share how their perspective of Christopher Columbus has changed within the past two class periods.

Assessment

Check lists will be collected and informally assessed.

The Taking a Closer Look worksheet will be collected for a grade.

Web Resources

BBC: Christopher Columbus

This student friendly website was created to present students with an interactive biography about Christopher Columbus. The information presented about Christopher Columbus is written for low level for student understanding and presents limited and vague information. The website states that Native Americans were happy when Christopher Columbus and his explorers visited their regions. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the creator of this website, is the United Kingdom’s main broadcasting company. Information from the BBC is presented in television and Internet formats. The BBC states in their values that “trust is the foundation of the BBC: we are independent, impartial and honest” www.bbc.co.uk. This portion of the BBC website has been created for educators and students. This webpage has been used in this project due to the website’s target of young students.

Age of Exploration

The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Virginia posted an article based on Columbus’ exploration. The biography of Columbus states accounts of violence between the Native Americans and Columbus’ explorers. Information on the Internet suggests that the information on the Mariners’ Museum website is one of the largest Maritime library collections. Therefore, this webpage has been included in this project due to it’s creditably.

The Journal of the Admiral of the Ocean Sea

This webpage is written in a first account journal from Christopher Columbus. Passages suggest that Columbus had negative interactions with the Native Americans. The information is presented by an elementary school in Tennessee. There were no references to this website on the Internet to validate the credibly of the website.

Columbus Mythbusters

Columbus Mythbusters is a website that breaks the general publics’ ideas about Christopher Columbus. The design of the website is bland and clearly presented. The author states a myth followed by a fact that clearly up the misunderstanding of the myth. Multiple sources on the Internet point to this website as place for students to “bust” myths about Columbus. Students will have to use a search engine to find the real credibility of the site.

Encyclopedia Britannica: Christopher Columbus

The Encyclopedia Britannica’s website provides a detailed article Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the “New World”. The information is presented in a 10 page article with hyperlinks for students to learn more about specific topics relating to Christopher Columbus. Other recourses on the Internet view this website for being creditable information sources. The Encyclopedia Britannica is presented by the Encyclopedia Britannica Inc a trusted source of information.