As Columbus Day looms around, I began to think about how American and World History is taught. After all, history is a perspective, a viewpoint of an event based on an individual or collective re-telling. Why should history be limited to one perspective? Does one perspective have more importance over another? Who decides which perspective is told? All of these questions, fueled a unit on creating a a learning environment where all perspectives of history would be taught, beginning with the perspective of - In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue and discovered America.
Students in a 3rd and 4th grade classroom will research multiple perspectives of Columbus's history before answering the question Is Christopher Columbus a hero? Students will blog on a daily basis about their research and journey throughout this process. To our parents and friends I ask that you leave comments of support and continue to push your child's thinking and questioning forward by cultivating conversations at home about this topic.
