Christopher Columbus (Bedtime History)

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Christopher Columbus (Bedtime History)
6 min3rd4th5th6thSocial Studies
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Summary

In 1492 Columbus sailed west hoping to reach Asia and instead reached the Americas, a voyage that connected two worlds — with lasting and painful consequences for the Indigenous peoples already living there.

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Teaching resources

Discussion questions

Discussion

In 1492 Columbus sailed west hoping to reach Asia and instead reached the Americas, a voyage that connected two worlds — with lasting and painful consequences for the Indigenous peoples already living there.

  1. What was Columbus trying to find when he sailed west?
  2. Who was already living in the lands Columbus reached?
  3. Why do different people remember Columbus's voyages very differently?

Quick work-a-long

Vocabulary: voyage, explorer, Indigenous.

Try it: On a world map, trace a route from Spain across the Atlantic. Mark where Columbus thought he was going and where he actually landed.