Columbus Day
Background Information & Activities

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There are many misconceptions that surround Christopher Columbus and his voyages. Even today, historians argue over Columbus’ personal history, his exact route across the Atlantic Ocean, and the places where he made landfall. However, historians do agree on Columbus’ pivotal role in connecting the Old World (Europe, Asia, and Africa) and the New World (the Americas and the surrounding islands). Columbus is known and celebrated for finding a route that connected two parts of the globe that knew little about each other. The new route is also infamous for being a path that many explorers followed and the devastating impact on the millions of people already living in the Americas, as well as the expansion of the slave trade.

It is widely believed that Columbus was born in 1451 in Genoa, Italy, although not certain. As a young man he became interested in sailing and learned about the adventures of explorers like Marco Polo who traveled to Asia and brought back spices, silk, and gold. Marco Polo traveled east across Europe and India to reach the Far East, and Columbus believed he could find a faster route to Asia by going westward.

Your children may have heard that everyone believed the world was flat and Columbus was out to prove them wrong. Actually, most educated people, navigators, and sailors at the time believed the world was round, including Columbus. Navigators and mapmakers argued over the size of the world, and this is where Columbus was mistaken. We recommend watching the Earth movie together as a review. He believed the world was much smaller than many of his fellow sailors. This is part of the reason why many people believed Columbus would not be able to make the journey to Asia by going west. The journey would simply be too long and hard to go west across what is now known as the Atlantic Ocean. What most people did not know was that the Americas stood between Europe and Asia.

Ferdinand and Isabella, the King and Queen of Spain, agreed to give Columbus financial support for his voyages. They hoped to gain power for a fledgling Spain by controlling the new trade route to the Far East that Columbus would find on his journey. Columbus set sail from Spain and then down to the Canary Islands in 1492. After ten weeks across the sea, they made landfall in the Bahamas. Many historians believe they landed in San Salvador, though this has been disputed. There, Columbus met a native people, most likely Taínos. He believed he had landed in India and mistakenly called them Indians. When he traveled to other islands, including Cuba and Hispaniola, and believed he had landed in Japan and China.

Over the course of his four voyages, Christopher Columbus and his crew mistreated many of the native peoples they encountered, forcing them into slavery, stealing their food and valuables, in addition to raping and killing. Sadly, this was a common practice of most explorers at the time. Part of the process of claiming land on behalf of another country thousands of miles away was to enslave and convert its people. This was a practice that existed before Columbus and unfortunately continued long after him.

Columbus' voyages and legacy can be a scary and angering subject for many children, so it is important that you have an open discussion and address any fears and concerns directly and answer questions as honestly as possible. While you probably want to avoid graphic descriptions with young children, teaching them to look at history from different perspectives is important to their growth. Conversations about this part of history will help children to understand the world and motivate them to instigate positive changes.

Your children may have also heard that Columbus discovered the United States. This is a grave misconception. Columbus never reached the land that is known as the United States. He did land on the mainland in Central America and many Caribbean islands during the four voyages he took to the New World. Columbus never did reach India and the Far East. It is important for your children to understand that we remember Columbus because of what his route connected and how that impacted on the world.

See more lesson plans and resources: BrainPOP Educators.

Columbus Day Teacher Activities

© 1999-2012 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Map Making

Have your students draw a map of the school. Where is the playground? Where is the cafeteria? Where is the classroom? Review the cardinal directions with your students and help them create a map with a compass rose.

Students can then draw a route on their maps to a specific location in the school and have partners follow the route to get to the destination. Have students think about what might happen if their maps were incorrect or if there was a building on the school grounds they did not know about. How would this affect an explorer going there for the first time?

Columbus Log Book

Columbus, like many explorers of his time, kept records of his voyages. Have students write a log book or diary of what Columbus might have seen on his journey. How do you think he felt when he first set sail? How did he feel when he first saw land? How did he feel when he first saw the native people in the Bahamas? Encourage students to be creative and write a few log book entries from Columbus’ point of view.

Should I stay or should I go?

Have your students imagine that they are sailors in 1492. They are asked to accompany Columbus on his first journey to Asia. Would they go on this dangerous and exciting journey? Why or why not? Remind students that many of the sailors did not survive Columbus’ journey, but that those who did were celebrated as heroes and got a chance to explore a different part of the world. Moderate a debate between your students. Would they do anything different from the sailors in 1492? Encourage students to speak their ideas clearly and in complete sentences.

Columbus Day Family Activities

© 1999-2012 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Travel the World

Look through an atlas or world map together and find countries that pique your child’s interest. Where would he or she like to visit? Why? Encourage your child to look at obscure parts of the world or remote places. Then help your child research the country to find out more information. How would people travel to get to the country? What mode(s) of transportation would be necessary? Have your child draw up a travel poster for the country.

Go Exploring

Explain that when explorers visit an area they have never visited before, they make a map and record their observations. Together with your child, visit a new and unfamiliar place, such as a park or a different part of town. Map the area as you go exploring. What landmarks do you see? What path did you take? Were there people and cultures established in the places you visited- how did you respect them? Create a map and add things you see together. Your child may want to keep a log or record of things he or she sees along the way, such as plants and animals.