Columbus Day is not without controversy, and as teachers, we must think of how to present this holiday with balanced perspective but mindfully looking beyond the standard, basic overview given of the very complex historical figure for which the day is named. To focus solely on the standard, highly sanitized version of Columbus’ journey is ultimately doing a disservice to students by not teaching them to question beyond what they are told. Here, you will find some links to helpful sites covering the entire Columbus story, as well as information about its controversy.
Great article and resource: “What Columbus Day Really Means”
http://theamericanscholar.org/what-columbus-day-really-means/
Relatively balanced websites with mostly neutral Columbus Day themed activities:
http://blog.voki.com/2011/10/05/rediscovering-america-columbus-day-lesson-plans/
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/columbus-day/teacher-resources/6607.html
http://teachinghistory.org/nhec-blog/22951
Highlighting Columbus Day controversy (with videos!)
http://www.history.com/topics/columbus-day
“Rethinking Columbus Day” resource:
http://zinnedproject.org/2011/10/rethinking-columbus-day/
Controversy over “Rethinking Columbus Day”:
http://rethinkingschoolsblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/rethinking-columbus-banned-in-tucson/
And finally, The Oatmeal’s take on Columbus Day:
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/columbus_day
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about the author: Sarah
