One of the most debated topics in my past history courses, high school and college, has been the topic of Christopher Columbus. Almost every instructor has of course mentions the man and his contributions to history, but often avoids the controversies that surround him. To begin a lesson on Columbus one my all-time favorite teachers from junior high put a list of names on one side of the board and Christopher Columbus's name on the other side of the board. He asked us all what was the difference between the two lists, and after multiple failed guesses, he finally told us that Christopher Columbus has a national holiday and these other influential historical figures did not.We had read the chapter on Columbus the night before so we had a pretty good "textbook summary" of who he was and what he did. I thought it was a very unique way to introduce the lesson, and got us to analyze him for more than the man in the textbook that discovered America. He was the only instructor I have ever had to explore and analyze the man he was, the controversies surrounding him, and his actual accomplishments.
One controversy is that we do not even know what he looks like. Is this really him below?
On page thirty-seven Loewen asks, "Who were these textbooks written for?", and he believes it is the decedents of Europeans, but what do you readers believe? How do history textbook authors and publishers want their audiences to perceive these different historical figures?
Columbus Day Activities or Lessons
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