What motivated Europeans to explore the New World, and what effects did their exploration have on Native American populations? The second installment of a 16-part American Passages series prompts pupils to watch a video and read several...

The moment Christopher Columbus's ships touched the shores of a New World, the old world changed forever. But has it been for the better? High schoolers consider the effectiveness, benefits, and drawbacks of the Columbian Exchange with a...

Intrepid explorer or ruthless exploiter? This is the perfect video to accompany the observation of Columbus Day in your class, as well as in considering whether Christopher Columbus should or should not be credited with the discovery of...

Salman Khan corrects an incorrect calculation from the previous video. It was wrong due to the fact that there was no actual year zero. He discusses how to correctly determine the year based on the common AD, BC, or BCE abbreviations.

Sail with Christopher Columbus on a biographical reading adventure. Young explorers learn about the life of Sir Columbus as they hone their comprehension skills through guiding questions, shared reading, and fluency practice. Included in...

Students engage in a Jeopardy-style PowerPoint presentation on the life of Christopher Columbus. The categories are Columbus, Santa Maria, Nina, Pinta, Parts of a Ship. This excellent resource should lead to a firm understanding of...

By providing an in-depth and interesting overview of European exploration in the New World, this presentation would be a wonderful complement to a unit on this topic. The 17 slide presentation is both thought-provoking and informative....

What are we really celebrating on Columbus Day? The resource explores the narrative behind Columbus Day and ways for people to change the perception. Scholars also review vocabulary terms associated with the topic and how attitudes have...

How would the story of the discovery of America be different if indigenous people told it through their eyes? Individuals compare the conventional account of this moment in history to an account given by one of the native peoples. After...

It's hard to imagine a life without chocolate, popcorn, or even potatoes! And what about pizza or pasta! Class groups research the Columbian Exchange and the positive and negative influences these trade routes had on not only European...

A short video traces the practice of cannibalism through history and across cultures. Viewers may be shocked to learn the extend to which it is practiced today, even in the United States.

What is the connection between greed and mercantilism? Historians consider this question by analyzing a fairy-tale like story about King Midas from the nineteenth century. The background information and excerpt help pupils understand the...

What did it take to embark on a journey to unknown lands? Perhaps ambition, but also money! Christopher Columbus had to approach more than one European monarch for financing before he could sail the ocean blue. A read-along play and...

Who was Zheng He and why haven't we heard of him? Scholars consider the question as they compare his vast expeditionary force to that of Christopher Columbus. Young historians then ponder the intersection of science, economics, and...

Back in 1492, when Columbus sailed the ocean blue, he discovered more than a new world! Part 16 in an ongoing History of Science series explores the Columbian Exchange and other major events in the Spanish colonial period. Viewers learn...

Did you know that horses have two sets of teeth?  There is much to learn about horses, of course, and those interested in equine science will learn much from a 10-lesson agricultural science course that covers not only equine dental and...

What does parsley have to do with the 1937 Haitian Massacre? Introduce viewers to the tragic events surrounding Rafael Trujillo's ordered slaughter of Haitians living along the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The video...

Christopher Columbus: hero or villain? Prepare class members for the debate with activities that asks them to think critically about how history is reported.

Looking for resources that explore alternative perspectives of the Christopher Columbus story? Check out the images, videos, cartoons, primary source documents, and other texts in a packet designed to spark debate.        

What did Christopher Columbus have to say about his exploration of the Caribbean? Young historians have a chance to examine Columbus' own words about his voyage to Cuba and Santo Domingo. After reading Columbus' report, pupils respond to...

Native peoples established civilizations all over Central and North America. Introduce native civilizations with a unit that promotes discussion, reinforces map skills, enhances reading comprehension, and exposes young historians to the...

Christopher Columbus did not have a lot of evidence to prove that he was in India, but language arts pupils have plenty of evidence to prove that he wasn't. Delve into the world of European exploration with a reading activity about...