Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years

Teaching Guide. By Bill Bigelow and Bob Peterson. 1998. 192 pages.
Readings and lessons for pre-K to 12 students which counter the myth of Columbus and on contemporary issues of indigenous rights.

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Why rethink Christopher Columbus? Because the Columbus myth is a foundation of children’s beliefs about society. Columbus is often a child’s first lesson about encounters between different cultures and races. The murky legend of a brave adventurer tells children whose version of history to accept, and whose to ignore. It says nothing about the brutality of the European invasion of North America.

We need to listen to a wider range of voices. We need to hear from those whose lands and rights were taken away by those who “discovered” them. Their stories, too often suppressed, tell of of 500 years of courageous struggle, and the lasting wisdom of native peoples. Understanding what really happened to them in 1492 is key to understanding why people suffer the same injustices today.

More than 90 essays, poems, interviews, historical vignettes, and lesson plans reevaluate the myth of Columbus and issues of indigenous rights. Rethinking Columbus is packed with useful teaching ideas for kindergarten through college.

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Published by Rethinking Schools.

ISBN: 094296120X

Individuals in US History, Native American