Columbus Day Lessons and Teacher Resources

Introduction:

Columbus Day became an official United States federal holiday in 1970. “Since 1971, the holiday has been commemorated in the U.S. on the second Monday in October, the same day as Thanksgiving in neighboring Canada. It is generally observed today by banks, the bond market, the U.S. Postal Service and other federal agencies, most state government offices, and some school districts; however, most businesses and stock exchanges remain open.” Some Italian-Americans celebrate their heritage on this day with parades or other festivities. Many states and cities with large Native American populations do not recognize Columbus Day or celebrate “Indigenous People’s Day” or “Native American Day” instead. Many countries celebrate Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the New World under the names Día de la Raza (Day of the Race) or Day of the Cultures, Day of the Americas, Discovery Day, Spanish Day (Spain), or Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance – Venezuala). Wikipedia

How does your class celebrate Columbus Day?

Lessons Plans:

• With the poem “In 1492″, you can teach Columbus Day and poetry too! (LA K-1)

• This lesson is called “Sink or Float?” and uses the book “Christopher Columbus” (Science K-1)
• Here’s a Columbus Day song and game idea (Music 2-3)
• In this lesson, students learn about Columbus Day from two perspectives (SS/LA 4-6)
• Students write a postcard from the perspective of a Spanish sailor in this lesson about Columbus’ first encounter with the Taino Indians (SS/LA 4-5)
• Here students write a letter about their “immigrant experience” after virtually exploring the Ellis Island immigration station (SS/LA 5)
• These ideas explore the complex relationships between Native Americans and European Settlers (SS 6-8)
  
• Students debate the benefits vs. effects of Westward Expansion and Manifest Destiny in this well-developed lesson (SS 8-12)
• Not many here yet. If you have any Columbus Day lesson plans to share, please add them to our site! You might also want to check our Native American Heritage Month page for a different perspective.

Videos and Other Media Resources:

• Get the real story on Columbus, his voyages and the Columbus Day holiday at History.com
• Watch this video about Columbus and other early explorers on HowStuffWorks
• This Columbus video is from Biography.com
• BBC – Famous People hosts a great slide show and interactive quiz for kids
• Find out about Columbus and his journey in this National Geographic for Kids video
• This is an 8th grade Christopher Columbus Claymation movie project
• Here are Columbus Day PowerPoints

Additional Resources:

• Find out more about Christopher Columbus and the history of Columbus Day at History.com
• “1492: An Ongoing Voyage” is a virtual exhibit from the Library of Congress showing how the events of 1492 set the stage for cultural interaction still in progress
• These are extracts from the 1492 journal of Christopher Columbus
• Here is a Columbus Day quiz
• This site dispels myths about Columbus’ expeditions
• Learn how indigenous people view Columbus Day here
• This site explains the birth of Berkeley’s Indigenous Peoples Day
• This site explains South Dakota’s Native Americans’ Day
• “Columbus Fact vs. Fiction” is a study undertaken by the Order of Sons of Italy in America in defense of Columbus and the celebration of Columbus Day
• This site also defends celebrating Columbus Day and the spread of western civilization
• Here are some great Columbus Day discussion questions
• This is a “Should we still celebrate Columbus Day” structured debate lesson with recommended sources
• Learn how Columbus’ voyage revolutionized eating habits across the globe
• The Columbus Navigation Homepage might be a interesting source for a math or science lesson and it has a great timeline
• “The Round Earth and Christopher Columbus” is another math-related site
• These are Columbus Day poems
• Find Columbus Day crafts, cards, coloring pages and nine additional lesson plans at Crayola.com
• For an extensive collection of subject-related Columbus Day activities and printables including a Reader’s Theatre and foreign language readings, go to edhelper.com