WHY IS COLUMBUS DAY IMPORTANT?
Grade Level: 1st
Extension Lesson- Social Studies/History/Civics
Sunshine State Standards
Week #8
Learning Goal: Celebrating People
From the Past
Big Ideas & Benchmarks:
SS.1.A.2.3 Identify celebrations and
national holidays as a way of remembering
and honoring the heroism and
achievements of the people, events, and
our nation’s ethnic heritage (Veteran’s Day,
Thanksgiving, MLK Day, President’s Day,
Memorial Day, Independence Day)
SS.1.A.2.1 Understand history tells the
story of people and events of other times
and places
Common Core:
R.L.1.9- Compare and contrast the
adventures and experiences of characters
in the stories.
FL Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners
Goal 1 : Thinking Creatively
Objective 1: the student identified as gifted
will be able to critically examine the
complexity of knowledge: the location,
definition, and organization of a variety of
fields of knowledge.
Goal 3: Use and manipulate information
sources
Objective 1: The student identified as gifted
will be able to conduct thoughtful
research/exploration in multiple fields.
Subject(s): (To be used during Week 8 on the 1st Grade CCPS Social Studies Curriculum Map)


Description: As a way to identify celebrations and national holidays as a way of remembering
and honoring the heroism and achievements of the people, events, and our nation’s ethnic
heritage, the students will explore the time exploration time period when Columbus sailed the
ocean blue. After watching the (Angel) Discovery Education Video Columbus Day before
Columbus Day, the class will highlight some of the major events that happened in his life. (See
history snapshot for teachers history review) Identify strong character traits that he had in order to
accomplish his goals. Perseverance, Courage, Self-Control, Heroism, Cooperation,
Responsibility and Patience (all character traits definitions are attached). Then students will
identify with one of the traits that they aspire to have and present this trait to the class dressed as
Christopher Columbus.
Closure: As you wrap up this lesson, have discussions on the strong/weak viewpoints. Then
take a moment to relate these character traits to our own lives and how they affect the choices we
make each day. Most importantly reflect how why we as a nation celebrate people and events in
our history.
Teacher Activity Sheet
Columbus's life encourages us to never give up on your dreams.
(Extra Idea: Have each student dress up like Columbus and videotape presentations)
Goal:

Celebrating people and their accomplishments as national holidays are ways for
students to learn about our history. Through strong character traits that
Christopher Columbus exhibited students will learn about his history while
identifying with a personal character trait that they admire and hope to develop.
They will present their character trait (Optional, in costume) and explain how
Christopher Columbus had this trait and why they aspire to have it.
Materials: Christopher Columbus history and Character Trait sheet printed for
each student and you can write them on large easel paper or under document
camera, high lighters optional, camera.
Procedure:
1. Introduce Character Trait Chart with students; explain that they will be introduced to the
famous explorer Christopher Columbus who had these traits.
2. Watch the (Angel) Discovery Education Video “Columbus Day” before Columbus Day.
Stop and discuss interesting points where he is showing specific character traits
according to the character trait chart.
3. Read the document Christopher Columbus and site paragraphs where the character
traits are shown. (The traits are in red, but you can delete them so that the students can
apply what they know and interpret through the video and text.) As you read you can
number the paragraphs for easy identification and In-Depth reading skills for deeper
understanding of the text. (Common Core)
4. Have each child select a character trait that they identify with and have them circle that
paragraph in the text that shows that trait. Explain that they will have to fill out the
student activity sheet and present this to the class in costume, optional.
5. You may also use the Hot-Dok Higher Order questions (at the bottom of this document)
to help with discussion starters.
Christopher Columbus
For seven years Christopher Columbus traveled around Europe looking for someone
who would finance his journey. The Kings and Queens of Europe made fun of him,
saying that it was too risky and dangerous to attempt such a voyage around the globe.
Self-Control
Finally, Columbus arrived in Spain. For many years Spain had been caught up in civil
war. As a result, they were behind much of Europe in their development. King Ferdinand
and Queen Isabella were anxious to prove that Spain could be as powerful and
successful as their neighbor Portugal. Perseverance
In August of 1492, they granted Christopher Columbus the supplies, men and ships that
he needed to carry out his expedition. Columbus was given three sailing ships. These
ships were named the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Cooperation and
Responsibility
Columbus’ men were terrified that they would be lost at sea and that they would suffer
starvation. As the days wore on these men began to turn against him. Columbus was
forced to agree to turn back if they did not find land within three days.
Perseverance/Courage
On the night of the second day, just before he would have had to turn around, land was
sighted. Columbus and his men discovered an island in the Caribbean, which they
named Hispanolia. This island is the location of the present day nations of Haiti and the
Dominican Republic. Perseverance
Columbus did not realize that he had arrived in a new part of the world. He was
convinced that he was in India. For this reason, he called the natives who lived on these
islands the Indians. Cooperation/Kindness
Christopher Columbus discovered America!
Character Traits
Perseverance- To persevere means to complete a task even when it becomes
difficult, boring, or discouraging.
Attributes: Working hard toward goals; Overcoming obstacles; Not giving up
easily
Self-Control- To be self-disciplined means to control one’s behaviors and
emotions and when necessary, to postpone immediate needs/desires for long
term benefits.
Attributes: Demonstrating self-control; Exercising moderation; Demonstrating
effective habits; Demonstrating patience
Kindness- To be kind means to treat other people, as you want to be treated.
Attributes: Showing compassion; Showing empathy; Being considerate; Being
friendly
Courage- To have courage is to be brave and to have a personal strength to
face difficulties, obstacles and challenges.
Attributes: Working through real or imagined fear; Facing mistakes and learning
from them; Standing up for what is right even when others make fun of you
Responsibility- To be responsible means to be accountable for one’s own
actions, and to know and follow laws/rules/conduct codes.
Attributes: Thinking before acting; Accepting consequences for your actions;
Meeting commitments; Being dependable
Cooperation- To cooperate means to be polite and have respect for each
other.
Attributes: Willingness to compromise to reach a common goal; Showing
courtesy and kindness to others; Respecting the rights and feeling of others
Student Activity Sheet
Columbus's life encourages us to never give up on your dreams.
Pick a Character Trait
Cooperation
Responsibility
Courage
Self-Control
Perseverance
Kindness
Write the character trait: _________________________
How did Christopher Columbus show this trait?
_____________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Why did you pick this character trait?
_____________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Dear Parents,
I have decided to celebrate Columbus Day in a very
special way. I identify with Christopher Columbus’
_____________________ character trait and will be
presenting this to my class on _________________.
I would like to honor him by dressing up like him,
would you help me? It can be as easy as making a
hat, putting white knee socks over my pants, or even
dressing up completely! Please help me practice what
I am going to say to my class. My teacher is going to
film our presentations and share it with you. I can’t
wait to share what I know about this famous explorer
and how I want to be like him.
Love, ____________________________
Teacher Background Knowledge to help with Learning Objectives
1)
Know about the life of Christopher Columbus.
a)
Christopher Columbus was born in Italy in 1451.
b) He did not want to be a weaver like his father but was interested in sailing instead. For years, he studied
maps and charts, talked to sea captains, and went out on boats with fishermen. At the age of 14, while
sailing to get wool for his father, he learned about sails, masts, ropes, compasses, and everything else
needed in sailing.
c) Christopher Columbus believed he could get east by sailing west because he believed the world was
round. Most people did not believe him.
d) On one voyage, pirates attacked his ship. He fought the pirates all day until his ship caught on fire. He
was forced to jump into the sea, which caused him to hurt his leg. Eventually, fishermen dragged him out of
the water and brought him to Lisbon, Portugal. While there, he learned Portuguese (the language of sailors at
that time) and Latin (the language used in many books).
e) Soon after this, he and his brother Bartholomew started their own shop where they made and sold maps.
f)
At the age of 28, he married. He and his wife had a son named Diego.
g) He went to the king of Portugal to ask for money, promising to make the king rich. King John told him to
leave his maps so his men could study them to determine if the plan were good or not. Christopher
Columbus waited many months with no word from the king. King John had tricked him. The king sent his
own captain out to sea using Columbus's maps and charts. Columbus felt betrayed; however, King John's
captain failed in his voyage because he was too afraid to sail into the unknown.
h) Columbus's wife died. He and his son left Portugal to travel to Spain.
i) While in Spain, he left his son with monks and went to see the king and queen. He asked Ferdinand and
Isabella to fund a voyage. They promised to think about it. After waiting six years, he hadn't heard from them.
j) He decided to try going to France to get money. When he went to get his son from the monks, Father
Perez begged him not to go. He said he would help Columbus get the money by writing to the king and
queen of Spain asking if they would see Columbus again. Queen Isabella wrote back and said that she would
see him. She agreed to give him the money he needed for his voyage.
k) Three wooden ships were made for the journey: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. In order to sail
the three ships, he needed 90 sailors. It was difficult finding enough sailors because many men were afraid
that if they went too far into the sea, they would fall off the earth. The king's soldiers forced some men to
sign up for the voyage, and some were released from jail to go on the ships. Along with them, Columbus
took doctors, carpenters, and experienced seamen.
l) Once the crew was in place, he loaded the ships with supplies. There was a year's worth of cheese,
biscuits, salted meat and fish, and casks of water and wine. He also took a chest loaded with things to trade
with the natives-things such as beads, mirrors, brass bells, and red caps.
m) They set sail on August 3, 1492.
n) They stopped at the Canary Islands to repair the Pinta and then set out west.
o) After sailing for a while, many men wanted to turn back. Some even wanted to kill Columbus or throw him
overboard because he was continuing the voyage.
p) Finally, on October 12, they spotted land. They planted Spain's flag on the ground and called the new
land San Salvador. They called the natives of the new land Indians because they thought they were near
India.
q) They also sailed to other islands such as Haiti, which they called Hispaniola, and Cuba.
r) After exploring the area a little bit more, they began their return to Spain. On the way back, the Santa
Maria drifted into a coral reef and was wrecked. They returned to Spain on the other two ships and were
welcomed as heroes.
s) Columbus returned to the Americas three more times but never found the Far East. He was disappointed,
but he knew that one day great men of the sea would find the route, and they did.
2)
a)
Know about Columbus Day as a holiday.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt made Columbus Day a legal holiday in 1934.
b) Columbus Day is observed in most states and Puerto Rico, some parts of Canada, some Central and
South American countries, and Italy and Spain.
c)
In the United States, Columbus Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October.
3)
Realize that one thing that can be learned from Columbus's life is to never give up on your dreams.
Teacher Resources
Hot DOK Questions 1
• Can you recall______?
• When did ____ happen?
• Who was ____?
• How can you recognize____?
• What is____?
• How can you find the meaning of____?
• Can you recall____?
• Can you select____?
• How would you write___?
• What might you include on a list about___?
• Who discovered___?
• What is the formula for___?
• Can you identify___?
• How would you describe___?
Hot DOK Questions 2
• Can you explain how ____ affected ____?
• How would you apply what you learned to develop ____?
• How would you compare ____? Contrast_____?
• How would you classify____?
• How are____ alike? Different?
• How would you classify the type of____?
• What can you say about____?
• How would you summarize____?
• How would you summarize___?
• What steps are needed to edit___?
• When would you use an outline to ___?
• How would you estimate___?
• How could you organize___?
• What would you use to classify___?
• What do you notice about___?
Hot DOK Questions 3
• How is ____ related to ____?
• What conclusions can you draw _____?
• How would you adapt____ to create a different____?
• How would you test____?
• Can you predict the outcome if____?
• What is the best answer? Why?
• What conclusion can be drawn from these three texts?
• What is your interpretation of this text? Support your rationale.
• How would you describe the sequence of____?
• What facts would you select to support____?
• Can you elaborate on the reason____?
• What would happen if___?
• Can you formulate a theory for___?
• How would you test___?
• Can you elaborate on the reason___?
Hot DOK Questions 4
• Write a thesis, drawing conclusions from multiple sources.
• Design and conduct an experiment.
Gather information to develop alternative explanations for the results of an experiment.
• Write a research paper on a topic.
• Apply information from one text to another text to develop a persuasive argument.
• What information can you gather to support your idea about___?
• DOK 4 would most likely be the writing of a research paper or applying information from one text to
another text to develop a persuasive argument.
• DOK 4 requires time for extended thinking.
Available Rubrics
Classroom Formative Assessment
Generic Rubric Design
Scale
4
3
2
1
0
In addition to exhibiting level 3
performance, the student
responses demonstrate in-depth
inferences and applications that
go beyond what was taught in
class.
The student’s responses indicate
no major errors or omissions
regarding any of the information
and/or processes taught in class.
The student’s indicate errors or
incomplete knowledge of the
information and/or processes;
however they do not indicate
major errors or omissions
relative to simpler details and
processes.
The student provides responses
that indicate a distinct lack of
understanding of the knowledge.
However with help, the student
demonstrates partial
understanding of some of the
knowledge.
The student provides little or no
response. Even with help the
student does not exhibit a
partial understanding of the
knowledge.
Student
Language
“I know it better
than my teacher
taught it.”
“I know it just
the way my
teacher taught
it.”
“I know some of
the simpler
stuff, but can’t
do the harder
parts.”
“With some help,
I can do it.”
“Even with help,
I can’t do it.”
Source: Robert Marzano, Classroom Formative Assessment and Grading