Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria, Edison

Christopher Columbus. When I first mentioned that name to my fourth graders, they looked at me in confusion and said, "Who's that?" It seems that Christoper Columbus has become a taboo topic in the elementary classroom. Because of the controversy surrounding Columbus's life and significance, teachers avoid the subject altogether. Should elementary school teachers teach the fake story that Columbus was a hero who discovered America? Should they teach the real story that Columbus arrived in Hispaniola, killed and enslaved Native Americans, and really did nothing to deserve his own holiday? Is there something between the two extremes that is age-appropriate?

I decided to tackle this head on and planned a lesson based on Christopher Columbus and Columbus Day. You may be thinking, "Why even mention it? Let the parents tell them about it if they think it's necessary." I, however, feel that it is my job as an educator to recognize this historical moment that led to America as we know it (both good and bad). In the lesson, I started with a video that described the true story of Christopher Columbus without the gory details. After the video, we had a class discussion about how Columbus Day is celebrated even though Christopher Columbus was not a great person. Once we got the controversial component out of the way, we moved on to what is not debated - the voyage.

Students created a large map that showed the voyage Christopher Columbus took from Spain to Hispaniola. They collaborated with peers to draw the map in detail and color. Then came the depth of the STREAM activity where students were given an Edison Robot and worked with their group to program the robot so that it would travel across the Atlantic Ocean just like Columbus. To “sail” from Spain to Hispaniola, the students could make the Edison Robot follow a line, light, or claps. Throughout the entire lesson, students were engaged and thinking critically while working with technology through the lens of STREAM.

Christopher Columbus has become taboo in the elementary classroom, but the topic should not be off-limits. Deep, authentic learning can occur in situations where there is controversy, especially when critical thinking and STREAM are involved. I will proudly say that I taught a lesson about Christopher Columbus, and I taught the truth.