Time: 50 minutes
Materials: 1) Copies of an excerpt (pg 3-5) of
Howard Zinn’s A Peoples History of the United States
2) Overhead projection of quote from Christopher Columbus an excerpt from
his journal
Optional: 3) Cassette player with tape of "The Real Slim Shady"
4) Copies of an excerpt (pg 22-23) of Carlton Jackson’s Two Centuries
of Progress
Teaching Objectives:
Key Concepts/Ideas:
-Begin with a 30 second clip of the song "The Real Slim Shady"
-Ask Rhetorically "why would I play this song at the beginning of a lesson on Christopher Columbus?"…it can be hard to truly know who someone is, especially historical figures who lived hundreds of years ago. But this doesn’t mean we can’t know them, it just means that we have to look a little more deeply. My hope for today is that you can look at Christopher Columbus and begin figure out who the "real" Christopher Columbus is and what is his rightful place in history. How should we look at him and how should we judge his deeds. Would we know the real Chris Columbus, the real Columbus, if he stood up?
-What things do we not really know much about? What would we like to know more about?
The Untold Story: Getting it on the table (10 minutes)
-Well I don’t have the answers to all of your questions
but I do have some information that may be new to many of you.
-Show the quote on the overhead "I could conquer the whole of them with fifty men and govern them as I please". This was what Christopher Columbus wrote in his journal about his first trip to the so called "New World" and that’s exactly what he did. He conquered and governed, but unfortunately for the native peoples, Christopher Columbus’ governance was less than ideal.
-I’m going to hand out a passage and we’ll read it aloud (Howard Zinn excerpt).
The Untold Story: Processing new information (20)
-Let’s start with a free write and then we’ll have a
discussion. Write on anything, your general reaction to this passage or
whatever comes to mind. Remember just keep writing whatever comes to mind.
-Now let’s talk a bit together about the passage
*What is your reaction to this passage?
*How is this information different from what you already knew?
*Why do you think that this information was left out of your previous education (or left out of your text book? (hand-out selection from text book if time and then ask this question)
*Who might gain and who might lose from not having this information in the textbook?
*How would you describe Christopher Columbus to a friend?
-Transition:
*Tomorrow we will pick up on the idea of national myths.
We will explore questions like "what is a national myth? What purposes
might it serve? "What are some other national myths that might be worth
finding out more about".
-Before we go let’s look back on the things that we want
to know more about. Is there anything to add to that list? Are there any
things that we feel like we can remove from the list?
2. ACTIVITIES:
A. Group discussion in a circle at the beginning of class
(5 minutes)
· Ask students to talk about a time when they
were in a disagreement with a friend, moderated a dispute with friends
or had a different perspective on something with a friend, parent or teacher.
· Ask them to point out both sides of the disagreement,
if they can.
B. Lecture (10 minutes)
· Overview of facts of Christopher Columbus’ voyage
to the America’s taken from Student’s Textbook
v European race for foreign trade
v Columbus’ planned voyage to Asia
v Spain helped when Portuguese would not (old belief
that the world was flat—going to Mars in the year 2000?)
v Columbus landed in the Canary Islands and then again
in the Bahamas
v Columbus thought he was close to China and Japan and
had found new route to Asia until the day he died (ask student to show
all countries listed above on map)
v Discovery of gold in Americas=flock of Europeans to
look for treasures
v Spanish priests went to spread Christianity
v What if the Native American’s sailed east before the
Europeans sailed west…who would be the “discovered” and the “new world?”
v Americas came to be called the Land of Opportunity,
but at what price? Some came for freedom but who lost their freedom?
Opportunity is a wonderful thing, but it is a double-edged sword—who suffers
at someone else’s opportunity?
C. Group work (15 minutes)
· Divide groups into Native Americans and Europeans
(two or four groups) to answer the following question and be ready to debate
later:
· Discuss the positive and negative ramifications
of Columbus’ voyage to the Americas from your assigned perspective. (Instructions
to class: use your former knowledge as well as information from the handout
I give you)
v Hand out positive article on Columbus to Europeans
(pg. 84, Column 1)
v Hand out negative article on Columbus to Native Americans
(pg. 84, Column 2)
v Give each group a poster size paper with which to write
their viewpoints.
· Students should be coming up with:
v Positive Columbus voyage: discovery of the new world,
not looking for immediate gain but looked to civilizing the natives, building
cities, introducing law, order and religion; potential trading partners
and economic expansion; democracy
v Negative Columbus voyage: Objective was slaves
and gold, taking Native Americans as captives and as slaves when no gold
was found, slaves died in captivity, brutal violence against native americans
when no gold was found, by 1650 no original Arawaks were left on the island
of Haiti
D. Large group debate question (10 minutes)
· Discuss the positive and negative ramifications
of Columbus’ voyage to the Americas from your assigned perspective. (Instructions
to class: use your former knowledge of Columbus as well as information
from the handout I give you)
· Have students debate their perspectives.
E. Reverse your stance (5 minutes)
· Have groups switch their positions and talk
out loud in big group
F. Write in journals (5 minutes)
· Wrap up by speaking to class about the importance
of understanding different points of view as well as being aware that there
is not only one right answer to many questions in history. It is
important to understand who is speaking and whose side to whom you are
listening. After hearing both sides can you be prepared to make a
decision for yourself.
· Have students write in their journals: Their
decision about Columbus’ discovery of the Americas and if they think it
was a positive or negative voyage.
Far from being the exalted explorer who Americans often believe him to be, Columbus is actually a greedy imperialist who engaged in the trade and mutilation of Native American slaves.
Values/Concepts:
· History that is taught is the history of the
victor. In the case of Columbus, the Native American's point of view is
excluded. Textbooks are written from the point of view of the conqueror,
excluding the perspective of the conquered. What is commonly called
"European exploration" is in actuality genocide.
· Columbus was not motivated by a desire to "prove
that the world was round," but by the desire for material goods and fame.
Columbus was supported by Spain only in order to extend the riches and
domain of the Spanish empire.
· Indians were advanced in many ways. For example,
they understood agriculture profoundly. Indians were living in harmony
with nature, living off the land and not abusing their natural resources.
· Columbus was not the first explorer of the New
World.
· Leaf Erikson
· Southeast Asians and West Africans
· Colonization/Imperialism is bad.
· Kills and displaces people
· Disrupts ecological systems
· Often results in genocide
Activities:
1. Small literary circles for discussion
of articles - 20 minutes
Articles include sections from
· A People's History of the United States by Howard
Zinn (pages 3-5)
· 1492 Discovery Invasion Encounter by Marvin
Lunenfeld (pages 104-105)
· Exerts from Christopher Columbus' journal.
Roles required for each group:
· Recorder - notetaker for the group, keeps track
of key ideas presented by the group, presents notes to turn in at end of
discussion/class.
· Mediator/Facilitator - facilitates group discussion
and keeps group on-task and on-topic.
· Each group member would assume each role at
some point in the semester/quarter by rotating roles with each small group
discussion.
Prompts/Questions for discussion:
Why is imperialism bad?
Why is Columbus a hero in our society? Why
do we have and celebrate a Columbus Day holiday?
In what manner were the Native Americans worse off after
having been "civilized" by Columbus and other imperialists?
2. Underground Pamphlet design - 15 minutes
Pretend the United States has been invaded by a more
powerful and technologically advanced people/race/civilization. Develop
an underground pamphlet describing your tactics for collective resistance.
3. Experiences - 15 minutes
Two part exercise:
A. Write quietly in your journal for about
10 minutes. Topic: Describe an experience of your own where you felt
you had to submit to the dominant culture.
B. Briefly, write about how you think the
Native Americans (Arawaks) felt when Columbus arrived. Would they
have given in easily? What types of resistance would they have done?
If time allows, please (1) share your own experience (from
exercise 3-A) with the class or your small group and (2) describe your
answer to 3-B and discuss what measures you and your group feel could have
been done by the Native Americans.
Activities:
- Previous Night’s Homework: Before reading any outside
resources, student were asked to write down three facts about Columbus
and three opinions about Columbus. Next, they were to read the second
Taviani piece and decide whether it was fact or opinion.
10 Min. Teacher introduces main question of the day: “How do we decide if Columbus was a hero or not?” Students share fact and opinions about Columbus and thoughts on the Taviani piece (teacher records these on board). Teacher and students come up with working definition of fact vs. opinion and put on board.
10 Min. In pairs, students read Jackson and Perrone piece from text and underline key facts and star any words or phrases that they think are opinions.
10 Min. Discussion: Is this a factual piece or an opinion
piece. Together chart on the board “Reasons for Columbus’ Exploration”
and “Effects of His Exploration.”
Reasons for
Exploration Impact of Exploration
Originally wanted a new route to Asia. Thought he found
a new route to Asia.
Claim land for Spain More explorers followed.
Spain later wanted gold. Spanish invaders came to mainland.
Priests “carried Christian beliefs to Indians.” Spread
of Christian beliefs.
10 Min. Again, in pairs students read the Zinn piece and
do two things: 1) Star any opinions and underline key facts, and 2) Make
a chart of Zinn’s “Reasons” and “Effects.”
Reasons for Exploration Impact of Exploration
Gold and treasure Natives fled homes.
Slaves for sex and labor Natives killed their own children
to spare them from the Spaniards. Mass suicides.
Satisfying investors Natives died in battle and en route
to Spain.
Natives made into slaves and mutilated for not
finding enough gold.
1/2 Natives on Haiti died. By 1650 Arawaks
eliminated from homeland.
10 Min. Forced choices (the teacher asks an either/or
question and students have to physically move to the side of the room representing
their answers… some students are asked to defend their choices).
Questions:
• Were both pieces (Zinn’s and Jackson & Perrone’s)
equally factual or was one more filled with opinion’s than the other?
• Were both pieces equally true or
was one more true than the other?
• Do you have enough information or do you need
more information to decide if Columbus is a hero?
Homework: In your notebook, summarize the two portraits of Columbus’ Exploration and explain which one you believe more. Write two questions that you would like to ask Columbus to help you make your decision about whether Columbus is a hero worth revering.
Looking Ahead… In the next few classes we will be
looking at Columbus’ diaries and other primary sources. Essential
questions:
-To what degree are primary sources reliable?
-How do historians decide what information to use
or not use?
-What do we, as “consumers of history,” need in
order to decide if a secondary source is reliable?
-Is it fair to judge an historical figure using
modern norms and values?
2. Activities
Four Corners: (5 minutes)
The opening activity will be to announce
four statements about
Christopher
Columbus and assign each statement to a corner in the
room. Students will
be asked to stand in the corner assigned to the statement
with which they
most strongly agree.
Statements: 1) Columbus was the first
person to discover America, 2)
Columbus brought Christianity to the Native Americans,
3) Columbus brought
destruction to the Native Americans way of life, 4) Christopher
Columbus is
an important national hero.
Journal: (7 minutes)
Before any of the literature is distributed
to the class, each student
will
be asked to write down in their journal any information
that they know about
Christopher Columbus, any opinions that they have about
Columbus, and where
they learned/obtained their information. They can
also write down any
questions that they have or any information that they
think would help them
draw opinions about Columbus.
Group Activity: (15 minutes)
Divide the class equally and fairly
into four groups. Do this by
counting off the students 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4 until every
student has a group to
join. Each group will read one of the assigned
articles. They will then
have several minutes within their group to discuss what
they thought about
their reading, and based on the article, come up with
an idea of who Columbus
was. Explain to the class how important it is to
grasp the idea of each of
the articles. One or two students who volunteer
to be the group's
reporter(s) will then share with the class what their
reading meant to them.
They can then also share what they felt about the author
of the passage and
what they, as a group, decided that the article of the
passage wanted to
convey about Columbus. It is important for every
student to hear about each
article and each author and realize how the reading vary.
Class Debate: (15 minutes)
The class will now go back to it's
regular seating arrangements, moving
out of their groups from the group activity. As
a short class discussion,
explain that the students should reflect on all of the
reports from the prior
activity. They will then have several minutes to
write ideas about Columbus
on a blank sheet of paper. It is important for
the students to analyze all
of the different aspects and characteristics of Columbus
based on each of the
different articles they heard or read about from the
different authors. Each
student will then organize one clear and thoughtful sentence
describing
Columbus. The sentence will be read to the class
as a mini debate. We hope
that having a group reflection period and a self-reflection
period after
hearing and reading several different arguments will
allow for critical
thinking and student growth.
Matrix: (8)
Each student will draw a matrix on
a sheet of paper. They will then use
the four ideas voiced about Columbus from the four corners
activity in each
corner. On their own they will place Columbus where
they feel he belongs.
After three minutes, we will draw a matrix on the white
board, and as a
class, decide where we feel he belongs and why.
The teachers will not voice
opinions; every idea will be a student's. It should
be clear that, just as
the authors in the articles we read differed in opinion,
each student can
have their own opinion based on what they feel from all
of the different
readings. This activity will close out the fifty
minute class by thinking
about different ideas and encouraging the students to
take information they
read from different sources, use their own minds, and
come to their own
conclusion.
Main ideas for students to learn:
1) Columbus was searching for a new trade route to the
East Indies because the overland trade route through the Ottoman Empire
was heavily taxed and increasingly unsafe. Thus, his purpose in sailing
was largely economic.
2) He underestimated the circumference of the earth,
and thus thought he had a fair chance at making it to Asia. Had he
known the true distance, he never would have set sail.
3) Regardless of one's view of Columbus as a man or as
an explorer, his sailing to the Americas changed the course of history.
It opened up a whole new continent to the powers in Europe, creating a
chance for more discoveries (such as gold) and exploitation (of the Indian's
land, resources, and lives).
Activities
1) Class discussion (10 min.) - What do you know about
Columbus and his "discovery" of the New World?
-Have the students answer this question to get
a feel for how much they already know. I can write their answers
up on the board as they say them. This also gets them thinking about
the topic and participating from the beginning.
2) Lecture (10 min.)
- I will lecture briefly on some of the background
leading up to Columbus' voyage, including more of the details of where
exactly his voyage took him, why he was sent by the Spanish even though
he was from Italy, why he even went in the first place, and some of the
economic impacts, both good and bad, his discovery of the New World had
on Europe.
3) Group Role Playing (30 min.)
-Break up into 4 groups. Each group will
be assigned a role: Columbus, the inhabitants of the New World, Columbus'
men, and the king and queen of Spain and Portugal.
-Give each group the set of documents in our course
reader (ideally, I would come up with a set of documents specific to each
group, expressing their experiences or point of view) and have the members
of the group read over the documents.
-Have each group discuss their respective experience
of Columbus' voyage to the New World and their reactions to the selected
documents.
-Using this information, each group would answer
a set of questions pertaining to their role and write the answers on a
poster or butcher paper to present to the class at the end of the period.
-Note: not all of the answers may be in the texts.
For some questions, I want you to come up with your own ideas and thoughts
- imagine that you were actually there; how might you have felt?
Questions for groups:
Columbus 1) What was the purpose of setting out on your
voyage?2) Where did you intend to end up and what did you expect to find
there?3) What did you actually find when you got there?
Inhabitants of New World 1) How did Columbus and his
men treat you upon their arrival?2) Did you understand why Columbus was
taking some of your people with him back to Europe?3) What was your reaction
to these foreigners?
Columbus' Men 1) Why did you go with Columbus on his
voyage to an unknown land? (adventure, excitement, economic reasons)2)
How did you treat the natives you encountered?
King and Queen of Spain and of Portugal 1) Why did you
(Portugal) refuse to support Columbus in his voyage?2) Why did you (Spain)
support Columbus when the Portuguese had refused him?
List of value, concepts, ideas and facts
· Deglorify the role Christopher Columbus in ‘discovering’
America.
· Reassess any preconceived notions of Columbus’
actions and motives.
· Explain the concept of colonization.
· Its inherent ethnocentrism and racism involved
within it.
· Colonizers’ assumptions of cultural superiority
over those colonized.
· Forced infusion of colonizers’ culture. (i.e.
religion, values, customs, beliefs, etc.)
· The monopoly of power by the colonizers
· Recognition of the original settlers of the
Americas.
· The use of Native Americans as slave labor.
· The economic incentives for Europeans. (i.e.
gold)
· Genocide of Native popluation.
2. Activities
A. Grabber Questions. Get students’ to think about
their previous knowledge of Columbus. (5 minutes)
· Pose questions to students’ preconceived notions
of Columbus, European explorers, discovery of America, etc.
· Why do we celebrate Columbus Day?
· What was Columbus’ attitude towards different
people/ cultures?
· List key concepts, words, and phrases from the
answers to ‘grabber’ questions on the board.
B. Main Concepts of Columbus’ Exploration through the
Howard Zinn article. (20 minutes)
· Present the questions for the article and then
read Howard Zinn’s article out loud as a class
· The questions are divided into three groups:
1) Treatment of Native people:
How were the Native Americans treated by the Europeans?
Do you think that the Native Americans had a choice
in their situation?
Were they treated fairly, why or why not?
2) Economic incentives
What were the economic incentives of the Europeans?
How did the Europeans attempt to reach their economic
goals?
Who suffered and who benefited?
3) Killing of Native Americans
How many Natives were killed?
How did the Europeans treat the Native women and
children?
After reading the definition of genocide in the
dictionary, was this genocide?
· Break up into small groups of four to discuss
questions, two groups dealing with one topic of questions
· Groups present summarized answers
· Teacher presents Columbus actions in Americas
as an example of colonization.
· Teacher poses question: Can you think of other
examples of colonization?
· Ask the class if their views of Columbus have
changed after reading and discussing the article.
C. Columbus views of Native Americans: Use of primary
source (20 minutes)
· Teacher pose question to class: Now that we
have read and discussed the treatment of Native
Americans by the Europeans, how do you think Columbus
viewed the Natives? Did he respect them as equals and value their culture?
Discuss students predictions (3 minutes)
· Read Columbus journal entry together as class.
Activity: Have students underline key word(s) or sentences that show a
derogatory attitude by Columbus towards the Native Americans while the
teacher reads Columbus’ journal to class. Share examples and discuss
How is attitude is connected to his disruptive actions
against the Native Americans.
D. Free write (5 minutes)
· Question for writing: Have you ever experienced
a situation where you were treated with disrespect because you were different
than them?