[RSCT] Curriculum Resources for Alternative Views on Columbus Day

[Bob Peterson]

Great resources to Reconsider Columbus Day and Rethink Columbus.

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 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.


1) A new one minute public service announcement asking people to  
Reconsider Columbus Day go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il5hwpdJMcg
or to
www.reconsidercolumbusday.org


2) The book Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years
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

http://www.rethinkingschools.org/publication/columbus/columbus.shtml


3) Unlearning "Indian" Stereotypes
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/publication/uis-dvd/

Narrated by Native American children, the DVD Unlearning "Indian"  
Stereotypes teaches about racial stereotypes and provides an  
introduction to Native American history through the eyes of children. 
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