Columbus Day Activities

Columbus Day or Indigenous People’s Day is just around the corner, and if you’re like me and are looking for meaningful and true-facts ideas and resources about Columbus, then this post is just for you. I’ve gathered some discussion topics, ideas, and links to resources that can help you navigate through who Columbus was and his role in today’s social studies lessons.

When teaching about Columbus, I first like to start out with a chart to discuss ideas and questions my students might have before starting. It’s called an inquiry chart (very similar to KWL) and I use it to assess and activate background knowledge, address misconceptions, teach revision and learning as a continuous process, and to model reading/writing skills. I know…sounds like it couldn’t possibly hit up all of that stuff, but it really does! This strategy comes from the inquiry method approach to science to think, predict, and hypothesize.

I love using inquiry charts because it gives us the chance to go back after the lesson has been taught, and address the misconceptions students might have prior to the lesson.

Digging into text-rich reading passages is also a must for me. Informational passages are such a huge hit with my students and I love the quizzes that come with them. The comprehension questions are the perfect way to assess student learning.

Another use for these passages is for oral fluency practice. Once we read the passages together as a whole group, my students pair up and practice reading it out loud to each other.

Using text based evidence is something we are really working hard to master in 3rd grade. Students highlight where we found the evidence in the text.  Any reason to use highlighters makes it even more exciting for them.

You can check out the entire Columbus Day pack by clicking on the image below. 

Another great resource I’ll be using next week is BrainPOP Jr.’s Columbus Day video!

My kids LOVE when I show a Moby video. BrainPOP has tons of great video resources for all subject matters K-3. They are fun, informative, and have meaningful learning extension activities and quizzes. You can access that video {HERE}, but you’ll need to create an account or start a free trial to watch it.

I also use this chapter book to dive into more details about who Columbus really was and why it’s important to look at the true facts around his voyage and exploitation of the native people in the Caribbean. 

And I have a special freebie for you. You can grab a sample from my unit Columbus Day by clicking on the images below. These graphic organizers are great for taking notes during your Columbus Day lesson or while watching some of the informative videos linked above!