{"content":{"sharePage":{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"44418936","dateCreated":"1318879307","smartDate":"Oct 17, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"arleen4445","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/arleen4445","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/44418936"},"dateDigested":1532760212,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Christopher Columbus ","description":"Growing up, I learned that Christopher Columbus was an excellent sailor and navigator who wanted to find the New World. He asked Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain to finance his trip. They agreed and have provided Columbus with three ships: The Pinta, The Nina, and The Santa Maria. However, nothing about Christopher Columbus was ever mentioned in my student teaching placement.
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\nIn contrast, many consider Christopher Columbus to be cruel. "If Christopher Columbus were alive today, he would be put on trial for crimes against humanity," writes Eric Kasum, in his latest article, Columbus Day? True Legacy: Cruelty and Slavery. Kasum explains how Columbus took many of the inhabitants of the New World and enslaved them.
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\nThere are two sides to Columbus' journey to the New World: one very positive side and one very negative side. Because of the two sides to this issue, how do teachers teach about Christopher Columbus in regards to a social justice education?
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\nAccording to Hackman, "social justice education does not merely examine difference or diversity but pays careful attention to the systems of power and privilege that give rise to social inequality, and encourages students to critically examine oppression on institutional, cultural, and individual levels in search of opportunities for social action in the service of social change (pg 104).
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\nHackman's 5 essential components for social justice education are important for the study and discussion on Christopher Columbus. Rather than eliminating or refusing to discuss Christopher Columbus, it is important to shed light on the issues revolving around him. All the issues should be addressed, the good and the bad. This way, students have opportunities to know and absorb factual the issues, critically think and analyze the issues, taking action for social change, personally reflecting on the issue, and becoming aware of multicultural group dynamics.
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\nTool 1: Content Mastery
\nTeachers should teach students basic facts about Columbus. What was his route to the New World? Who financed his voyage? Why did he choose the particular route that he did? Why is the holiday so important to Americans?
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\nIn contrast, students should also see be aware of other issues regarding Columbus. Why was Columbus considered cruel? What was his relationship like with the Native Americans?
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\nIt is important to know and ask questions about both sides of the issue rather than favoring one. For students to critically think, they must be given all angles to the lens.
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\nAdditionally, the more information that students are aware of, the more they are able to understand "how classroom content connects with larger issues in society" (105). Students must be presented with enough information to make connections within their environments.
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\nIn conclusion, students need to know the basic information in order to build a bigger picture of the issue.
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\nTool 2: Critical Thinking and the Analysis of Oppression
\nThe teacher can have students write two journal entries, one from the voice of the Native Americans and the other from Christopher Columbus. Some questions that students should consider: How might the Native Americans feel when Christopher Columbus and his crew landed on their territory? What do you think Christopher Columbus' motives were in coming to the New World?
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\nI would want my students to critically think about the opposing sides of the issue.
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\nTool 3: Action and Social Change
\nHow can my students come up with different ways to create social change? If you were a Native American, how might you have changed the situation? Think of ways for compromise.
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\nTool 4: Personal Reflection
\nHave you ever felt like the Native Americans before? Were you ever in a position where your felt someone was taking over?
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\nTool 5: Awareness of Multicultural Group Dynamics
\nRelate the issue of Christopher Columbus to another issue? Reflect on your own lives, the lives of your friends, and the lives of your family.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"44419642","body":"I did some extra research and looked at this article too!
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\nhttp:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/eric-kasum\/columbus-day-a-bad-idea_b_742708.html<\/a>","dateCreated":"1318879994","smartDate":"Oct 17, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"arleen4445","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/arleen4445","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"44415992","dateCreated":"1318876492","smartDate":"Oct 17, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"molly.picardi","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/molly.picardi","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/44415992"},"dateDigested":1532760212,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Columbus Day","description":"
\n I\u2019m sorry to say that I have not seen Columbus day addressed or examined in my field placement at all. At first I thought this might simply be an oversight or a result of over-emphasis on literacy and math but a recent incident got me thinking there might be a different reason. In a conversation with one of the 3rd grade teachers with whom I am placed I learned about an incident that had occurred in the week leading up to Columbus day in one of my student\u2019s speech class. The child in question was at a small group session doing a read-aloud about the upcoming holiday. One of the statements in the reading suggested that Christopher Columbus took people from America unwillingly back to Europe. The child asked what that meant and the speech teacher explained that \u201csome people think that Christopher Columbus made people leave their homes even though they did not want to.\u201d It was a brief exchange however the child went home and told his father what he had learned and that he would not be celebrating Columbus Day. The father, who is of Italian heritage, took great offense to this and directly contacted the speech therapist, calling her a \u201cmisinformed bigot.\u201d After hearing about this I realized that perhaps such reactions create a fear in teachers and the attitude seems to be that it\u2019s not worth teaching the material because the risk outweighs the benefit for the teacher.
\n In comparison, I realize that although we \u201clearned\u201d about Columbus day in my Elementary school, it was not really meaningful or in depth. From my recollection we read a poem or short story every year presenting the holiday as a fun celebration of history and sometimes we decorated pictures of boats. Similar discussion was also held surrounding Thanksgiving. It was only through my parents and reading on my own that it occurred to me that these holidays might be more complex than the seemingly simplistic slice of patriotic history I had thought of them as.
\n This is something I will bear in mind as I start having my own classroom and students. Unlike, my one sided education and the lack of education on such topics that I see in my placement, I will try to bring a multicultural perspective to the ways that I teach history and culture. I will remember that \u201chistory is written by members of dominant groups and the need for a broad representation of history is essential." This is something I would like for my students to think about and interpret. Perhaps with younger children a way to do this would be to share multiple sources and perspectives on issues such as Columbus coming to America then talking about why such perspectives might not all be the same. I would also like to discuss why some people may view different events in different ways with my students. So, with a holiday like Columbus Day I would like my students to understand why some people choose to celebrate it and why some people do not. I would like for them to discuss the implications of Columbus\u2019 journey. Moreover I would like this discussion to be ongoing. Columbus Day is a great place to start discussing conquest, historical perspectives on diversity, colonialism, and the implications of these things to this day locally, nationally, and internationally. However, those topics are heavy and often hard to understand and think about, especially for young children so the discussion would absolutely have to be ongoing, interwoven with an awareness of current events, history, literature, etc\u2026","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"44400380","dateCreated":"1318867423","smartDate":"Oct 17, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"snp241","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/snp241","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1317051397\/snp241-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/44400380"},"dateDigested":1532760212,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Columbus Day","description":"Christopher Columbus was discussed in terms of individuals coming from the New World in the Social Studies lesson, but that was only for one day that I was there, and other explorers were mentioned as well. The reasons for why he came over were discussed more in details than my education up until high school. In elementary school, I only remember people saying the popular rhyme and that he discovered America. In this placement, they thoroughly discussed the natives already living there and the detriments they faced when new people came into their lands. Also, it was treated like a holiday in other senses too.
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\nIn the Hackman piece, the major concepts of successful social justice education were discussed. Rather than having just a read-aloud, I would have the students learn more about other cultures and people who have faced similar issues as the Natives, how it compares to what some of the students see in their own lives today, and how it relates to the parents of the students. Also, I would have students reflect and contextualize what they have learn and then try to create some sense of empowerment within the children after having them realize their part in an even greater story within history. I could potentially use the \u201cclass-dynamic\u201d to create a live-action rehearsal of role-playing within the classroom and have one group of students act as the explorers from Europe and have one group act as the natives. Finding empathy, and feeling how others would be treated, and then reversing the roles would be an effective way of seeing how people were treated. This would give students an opportunity to reflect. If applicable, it would be great, also, to have some parents come in to discuss times in their lives, or grandparents lives, when their homes were compromised because of something happening in history.
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\nIt wasn\u2019t until high school that I thoroughly learned about all of the blood-shed from the Spanish and the countless number of attacks that the Natives had to endure. Even so, learning that Columbus wasn\u2019t the most important of all of the explorers was a big moment for me. Introducing some of the ideas sooner into the students\u2019 lives would benefit them because they would have a more worldly view of what actually happened, and not a picturesque ideal that so many people want to believe.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"44783066","body":"I love the idea of live-action role-playing because this teaches real life schema to build on later on in history lessons, and this would work for students for a various level of grades. This can be a tough one to zone in on, so a kenetheic activity that uses children's schema to generate discussion can really be effective. I really wish they introduce the truth in historical references to Columbus much sooner than in traditional curriculum.
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\n-Dawny","dateCreated":"1319336180","smartDate":"Oct 22, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"dawnyaddicted2life","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/dawnyaddicted2life","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1318117565\/dawnyaddicted2life-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"44399754","dateCreated":"1318866915","smartDate":"Oct 17, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"JasmineAllyce","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/JasmineAllyce","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/44399754"},"dateDigested":1532760212,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Columbus Day","description":"I haven't seen or heard anything relating to Christopher Columbus in my placement. In fact, the only time I heard about Columbus this year, was through witty comments and pictures my friends posted on facebook. When I was in fifth grade, we didn't celebrate Columbus Day. We went to school, and then avoided the topic because my teacher "has issues with the way America worships a thief." I think that the topic of Christopher Columbus was avoided in my placement, so that awkward conversations about what Columbus really did could be avoided.
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\nIn a class room where multi-culturalism\/anti-racism is taught, I think that Columbus Day would be used as day of deep discussion and exploration. Teachers could set up activities where students would experience what it's like to have your property stolen from you, and then to be told what you can have. At the same time, I think that these teachers would do activities where the students could understand what Columbus did for our country. The teachers in these rooms wouldn't be afraid to make the students think, feel, and discuss.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"44400552","body":"I agree Jasmine, I actually wrote the role-playing activity too, because it's a great way to get a new perspective on the story. I liked that you also incorporated the value of Christopher Columbus as well. There are a lot of confusing ideas that people believe, and having the truth I think would be wonderful for all of the students.","dateCreated":"1318867566","smartDate":"Oct 17, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"snp241","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/snp241","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1317051397\/snp241-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"44396110","dateCreated":"1318864232","smartDate":"Oct 17, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"colleen.ouyang","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/colleen.ouyang","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/44396110"},"dateDigested":1532760212,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Columbus Day","description":" My current placement did not have any instruction or reference to Columbus day. When I inquired about this, my cooperating teacher replied that there is nothing good to teach about him. I was surprised that my current placement didn't show Columbus's voyages (one of his four) as a way to practice reading maps and memorizing oceans since that is the current social studies curriculum. While this may reinforce the image of Columbus, we can avoid portraying him as a hero by presenting both sides' perspectives.
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\n Thinking back to my own childhood, the holiday served as a break for academic learning. Usually the teacher would read one story book about Columbus that portrayed the voyage of 1492 in a merry way. Then, we would draw and color the infamous ships or the meeting of Columbus and the Native Americans. This is further reinforced when Thanksgiving came around and I assumed that after Columbus's journey, pilgrims magically decided to come here more than a century later. Outside of the classroom, there were many rumors about Christopher Columbus's actions to indigenous people. My older brother had described some of his cruel acts and the enslaving of natives. I remember how it was taboo among my classmates and I to mention these injustices to teachers. Comparing this to the viewpoints of my cooperating teachers, it seems just as difficult for teachers to share Columbus's injustices to children. Indeed, throughout my New York public education, Columbus's injustices were never formally taught to me. Even in high school, history teachers were so focused on following the textbook that even Columbus is portrayed neutrally. As Lies My Teacher Told Me shares, textbooks are fixed on upholding the \u201cheroes\u201d in American history.
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\n If I am to introduce Columbus from a social justice-multicultural education perspective, then I would start by mapping the country of origin of my students and their family. From discussion, I already know that three out of nine of my students have some cultural identity from Puerto Rico. Moving from there, I would show maps of the three journeys of Christopher Columbus and thus point out that he reached modern day Caribbean though he really wanted to go to India. After explaining the notion of West Indies and East Indies using the map as well as the purpose of the voyage, I would give an entry from Columbus's journal or an accurate depiction of his actions and let the students work together in a group to decipher it with the ultimate product of presenting a skit. They have the option of showing Columbus's perspective or from the indigenous people there. From this, we would debunk on how each side felt. In a follow-up lesson, I would want to show how D\u00eda de la Raza is celebrated in Caribbean countries.
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\n-Colleen","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"44400260","body":"I am interested to know if your CT meant that there is nothing good to teach about him because of Columbus did to the native people or because he doesn't connect to any subject matter worth teaching? For some odd reason it does seem like topics like Columbus Day and Thanksgiving usually lead to coloring. I agree Thanksgiving is also another celebrated day that should be considered in a multicultural lens. I like your ideas of how to teach about this holiday in your placement. It's a great idea to directly relate it to the students in your class and to provide a hero from a different country. Primary artifacts are a great way to gain information and analyze.","dateCreated":"1318867323","smartDate":"Oct 17, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"brittanyhan","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/brittanyhan","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"44416764","body":"I love the idea of using a primary text (or texts) to teach about Columbus in the classroom especially since it could really get students thinking about the different layers of interpretation that historical events go through based on those recording them and those that analyze those recordings and so forth.
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\nI also think it might be interesting to look at some of the other events going on in the world at this time to start thinking about what the motivations for Columbus' actions might be and in what ways societal norms perpetuated the actions he committed that now seem so questionable. I feel like that could lead into some great discussion about the present.","dateCreated":"1318877171","smartDate":"Oct 17, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"molly.picardi","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/molly.picardi","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"44394406","dateCreated":"1318862590","smartDate":"Oct 17, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"brittanyhan","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/brittanyhan","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/44394406"},"dateDigested":1532760212,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Columbus Day","description":"The week leading up to Columbus Day and the Tuesday after, Columbus Day was not mentioned or discussed in my placement. It was simply acknowledged as a day off from school. Maybe because they were preoccupied with publishing their writing to go on the bulletin board and my CT was absent, Columbus Day was not addressed. However I feel that even if this was not the case it still might not have been discussed.
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\nFrom what I can remember, I was taught that Columbus was a great man who discovered America. I never really heard about his encounters with indigenous people or anything negative. Since Columbus Day is assumed to be learned about in the younger grades, even as I got older I never knew differently and I never took it upon myself to learn the both sides of the story. Sadly more and more it simply became a day that I didn't have to go to school. Last year on Columbus Day my friend who is passionate about indigenous peoples' rights posted a video on facebook that taught me a new perspective on this holiday and made self-reflect what it meant and my role in it.
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\nhttp:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=yQzxk9w83ok<\/a>
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\nThis video is a great resource for teaching students and ourselves about Columbus Day. It provides a different perspective, makes you consider your role, and encourages you to make a change in yourself and in society. As Heather Hackman writes, it is important for us to gain as much information on all sides of the story, analyze, think critically, and self-reflect on the information, be empowered with tools for social action and change, and connect it with the unique students in your class. Reframing the meaning and context of Columbus Day is important for educators to do for their students so that they are not passively supporting something they might not support after learning the other side.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"44391206","dateCreated":"1318860178","smartDate":"Oct 17, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"klb409","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/klb409","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/44391206"},"dateDigested":1532760212,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Columbus Day","description":"This past weekend everyone had off for Columbus Day. Surprisingly, however, no one in my class seemed to know the reason why we had off. The students were not given an explanation as to what the significance of the day was. To be quite honest, I think part of that is my fault. I cover the Social Studies unit in my class and I have the freedom to design it as I want. We were talking about the Geography of New York and starting moving into the people that used to live there, the Indians. Our readings mention that a good way to begin to get students looking at the founding of America is to talk about it through the eyes of the Indians and how they must have felt. It could have been a great way to incorporate Columbus Day into the lessons. Although, to be quite honest, I don't know if this would have been too heavy for my students. They didn't even know what Columbus Day was about, let alone understand the negative consequences for the Indians.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"44389008","dateCreated":"1318858999","smartDate":"Oct 17, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"francescaneedham","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/francescaneedham","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/44389008"},"dateDigested":1532760212,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Columbus Day","description":"In my placement, I haven't seen any mention of Columbus Day yet, although we have had discussions of other explorers and the students generally have a good grasp of the concept that not every explorer was generally good and deserves praise - we are studying Jamestown and the students are able to relate to the fact that the explorers stole from the Native Americans and brought disease and corruption. Some students also pointed out that it wasn't really "nice" that the English took their land and often forced Native Americans out of the spots they had lived in for thousands of years. We also discussed a little about the lack of communication between the two groups
\nI was glad to see that, because in my experience in elementary school Columbus Day was always just singing some song about the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. I think we made paper boats and decorated them and that was it. I think we may have had some small discussion about the impact of Columbus' discovery on Native Americans and a bit of his "dark side", but definitely not til high school and even then, it was not really stressed. In fact, I feel like 99% of resources (informational texts, fiction, etc...) for elementary schooles about Columbus or other explorers is from the explorer's point of view. While we are teaching Jamestown, I know my CT wants us to talk about the three cultures there - the Powhatans, the english, and the Africans. We've found good historical fiction for the English POV, the African, but really nothing for the Powhatans except for Pocahontas books.
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\nIf I were to implement a lesson about Columbus in my classroom, Id being with what they know - most people know he was an explorer, and that he discovered America in 1492, but I doubt I'd get any responses about how he impacted the already existing cultures here. We'd talk more from the Native Americans side - what if some stranger speaking a strange language came to your family's house and pushed you out of it? What would you feel? I'd also make sure they know that this was an important discovery for us, because we are all living here in America, but that there were many many sacrifices and hardships to get to this point - (and not just the hardships that the English suffered, but rather the hardships we caused to the Native Americans). Additionally, depending on the grade and student, it is important to try to have the students imagine why the discovery happened and why it was so difficult rather than just making friends, etc... Hackman stresses the need for a meaningful, reflective discussion and I completely agree. Without this, teaching this important part of history is jsut stating facts rather than having the students use critical thinking and synthesizing skills, and, overall, empathizing with both sides of America's discovery.
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\n- Francesca Needham","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"44396906","body":"Francesca, I really loved your multicultural education lesson! The children could really get into the mindset of the indigenous people using People of the Oppressed drama activities (we tried one in our drama course with the workers in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory).
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\nFurthermore, I think the children in your class actually know a lot about this dark side and may actually bring it up. Your teacher is really trying to point out the various perspectives. I hope that what you stated "99% of resources (informational texts, fiction, etc...) for elementary schooles about Columbus or other explorers is from the explorer's point of view" could be brought up and discussed. This could really go into how much of what we know may come from biased sources.","dateCreated":"1318864856","smartDate":"Oct 17, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"colleen.ouyang","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/colleen.ouyang","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"44385918","dateCreated":"1318856306","smartDate":"Oct 17, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"ejd283","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/ejd283","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/44385918"},"dateDigested":1532760212,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Columbus","description":"I am currently in a first grade placement and the topic of Columbus Day was not directly addressed by my cooperating teacher. However, when we were doing the calendar during morning meeting, one the students stated that we do not have to come to school next Monday. My teacher then asked if anyone new why? Many hands went up and the CT chose a student and the student said "It\u2019s when Columbus discovered America", the CT then asked what does discover mean? As a whole class, they discussed what the definition was and agreed that discovered was not the correct word because there where already people on the land.
\nMy CT then chose to discuss what behavior Columbus exhibit that made him important to remember. Then he posed the question \u201cWhat can we learn from his behavior?\u201d For example, the students came up with learning to take more risks in the classroom like Columbus took a risk on his adventure. This was very different from the way I was taught about Columbus. I remember thinking that Columbus was the first person to come to American and I remember making butter as a class to commemorate this event. I feel like I did not get clarity on what really happened until I started middle school and started taking history classes.
\nMy perspective of teaching about Columbus would include examining the occurrence from the perspective of other groups at that time. Looking at why people would want to explore new areas and how and why they might be motivated to take the actions they chose. Also, looking at the effects of their actions and what the intended and unintended consequences of those actions resulted in. Finally, looking at how the lack of knowledge and information causes people to assume something that is not true. The goal is for the students to examine any situation from various perspectives not just their own.
\nElizabe I am currently in a first grade placement and the topic of Columbus Day was not directly addressed by my cooperating teacher. However, when we were doing the calendar during morning meeting, one the students stated that we do not have to come to school next Monday. My teacher then asked if anyone new why? Many hands went up and the CT chose a student and the student said "It\u2019s when Columbus discovered America", the CT then asked what does discover mean? As a whole class, they discussed what the definition was and agreed that discovered was not the correct word because there where already people on the land.
\nMy CT then chose to discuss what behavior Columbus exhibit that made him important to remember. Then he posed the question \u201cWhat can we learn from his behavior?\u201d For example, the students came up with learning to take more risks in the classroom like Columbus took a risk on his adventure. This was very different from the way I was taught about Columbus. I remember thinking that Columbus was the first person to come to American and I remember making butter as a class to commemorate this event. I feel like I did not get clarity on what really happened until I started middle school and started taking history classes.
\nMy perspective of teaching about Columbus would include examining the occurrence from the perspective of other groups at that time. Looking at why people would want to explore new areas and how and why they might be motivated to take the actions they chose. Also, looking at the effects of their actions and what the intended and unintended consequences of those actions resulted in. Finally, looking at how the lack of knowledge and information causes people to assume something that is not true. The goal is for the students to examine any situation from various perspectives not just their own.
\nElizabeth Diamant (1st Grade Placement)","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"44395322","body":"I really like how your CT addressed his student's question. It is a common misconception that he discovered America. His spin on discussing his behavior and relating it to the students' behaviors is a interesting way to discuss Columbus Day besides just reflecting on both sides of the story. I agree with your ideas on how to teach this topic and I would also include how the people who were imposed on felt and what their actions were.","dateCreated":"1318863292","smartDate":"Oct 17, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"brittanyhan","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/brittanyhan","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"44381970","dateCreated":"1318851399","smartDate":"Oct 17, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"chrissiechua","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/chrissiechua","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/44381970"},"dateDigested":1532760212,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Columbus Day","description":"At my student teaching placement, I did not see any lessons or discussions planned for Columbus Day. My CT always like to stick to completing his writing units and getting Reading Records out of the way that focusing a lesson on Colmubus Day would have been somewhat of a waste of time for him. He's the type of teacher that loves to start a Reading Lesson as soon as the kids walk into the room.
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\nWhen I grew up, I remember we celebrated Columbus Day quite often. We would make an arts and crafts project of some sort or worked on a some fun worksheet about Columbus. My teacher would usually give us a brief history on why we celebrated Columbus Day (basically how Columbus found America and met the Native Americans who inhabited America before us--- I can still remember the image of Columbus greeting the Native Americans) and then we would work on our little fun activities. I remember just enjoying lessons on Columbus because it was basically getting free time during class since I loved coloring or making an arts\/ crafts project. Little did I know... my teacher was not teaching us the reality behind Columbus Day.
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\nHonestly, when I'm a teacher I would definitely try to create, promote, and sustain a social justice classroom. From Hackman's article, I saw the importancee of teaching Content Mastery to the class. Students need to know that "history is written by memebers of dominant groups and the need for a broad representation of history is essential." Moreover, I would teach the students how to develop a solid understanding of how a classroom connects with larger issues in society. I loved Hackman's phrase: "think globally, act locally." For Columbus Day, I would teach the children both aspects of the story so the children can reflect on it as a class. I would love to include books or articles that show the two sides and have the children explore during Independent Reading. Maybe a research project (involving writing or even the arts) should be given out so the students can further examine and discover the truths behind Columbus Day on their own. With Hackman's phrase in mind, I can tie in Columbus Day with what's happening in their own communities\/ surroundings. What can the students do in their own communities or surroundings? Should other classrooms in our school know both sides of Columbus Day as well? It's vital as a teacher to be the one who opens the door of exploration for our students and have them come back with bundles of knowledge and let them interpret the information as a class.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"44389640","body":" I had the same experience in elementary school - Columbus Day was just about crafts and maybe singing some song about him sailing the ocean blue and the nina, pinta, and santa maria. I love your tie in to Hackman's article - "history is written by memebers of dominant groups and the need for a broad representation of history is essential." This statement is key and I feel like it is hardly known - the history of the Native Americans is all too often overshadowed by previous heroic images of Columbus and rarely ever anything of his atrocities.","dateCreated":"1318859418","smartDate":"Oct 17, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"francescaneedham","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/francescaneedham","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"44400706","body":"I definitely agree with the stance to teach children that "history is written by members of dominant groups." This is such a clear concept that I wasn't taught until much later in my life and I think that having students think critically, even from a younger age, is actually pretty manageable, and will lead them to be more active learners in their futures. Being speculative and inquiring will be most beneficial for them in the future.","dateCreated":"1318867736","smartDate":"Oct 17, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"snp241","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/snp241","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1317051397\/snp241-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]}],"more":true},"comments":[]},"http":{"code":200,"status":"OK"},"redirectUrl":null,"javascript":null,"notices":{"warning":[],"error":[],"info":[],"success":[]}}