Rethinking Columbus

The Next 500 Years

Edited by Bill Bigelow and Bob Peterson

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.

Click here to view the Rethinking Columbus, First Edition Table of Contents. Also available in .pdf format.

Click here to view the Rethinking Columbus, Second Edition Table of Contents. Also available in .pdf format.

Pricing

In this New Edition:

Updated resource listings

Classroom materials

Handouts and lesson plans

Poems

Web site listings

And much more!

First published in 1991, "Rethinking Columbus" has changed the way schools teach about the "discovery of America." This greatly expanded edition has more than 100 pages of new material, including handouts to conduct a classroom "Trial of Columbus" and other activities.