Where Do You Think You're Going, Christopher Columbus?
Christopher Columbus
Subject(s): Language Arts, Social Studies
Grade Level(s): 2-3
Learning Objectives
Students will create an annotated time line of Columbus’s life and voyages.
Students will describe some of Columbus’s characteristics.
Students will compare and contrast Columbus with other European explorers.
Students will differentiate between nonfiction and fiction using a genre flowchart.
Fiction Resource
Where Do You Think You’re Going, Christopher Columbus?
By Jean Fritz
Illustrated by Margot Tomes
Grades: 2– 7; Ages: 8– 13
Lexile Level: 890; Guided Reading Level: R
Themes: European exploration, geography
Running Time: 31:37
Plot Summary: Where Do You Think You're Going, Christopher Columbus? is the story of Columbus's journey
from Spain to find a route to the "Indies." Determined to find a route to Japan, Columbus's voyage took him to
San Salvador and on to Cuba and Haiti. Convinced that he had found Japan, Columbus returned to Spain to
be received by Queen Isabella. The story outlines Columbus's trip with the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria and,
at the close, mentions other explorers, including Balboa and Magellan, whose travels led to the discovery that
a "new world" existed between Europe and Asia.
Nonfiction Resource
Christopher Columbus
By Lisa Wade McCormick
Grades: 1– 2; Ages: 6– 7
Lexile Level: 480; Guided Reading Level: I
Description: A biography of Christopher Columbus describing his major accomplishments and events in his life.
Before Viewing the Video
1. 1. Examine a world map. Have students identify the seven continents. Then, show students an example of a
map that shows how people believe the world was laid out in 1492, the year of Columbus’s journey. Use a
globe and a smaller ball or balloon to show the size that people believed the Earth was, in comparison to its
true size as we know it today. Discuss the different types of technology that allow us to understand the
geography of the Earth that people did not have in 1492.
cape: the place where a continent or large piece of land comes to a point in the ocean
coast: the land along the edge of a continent
convert: to convince a person to change from one religion to another
expedition: a long trip
geography: the study of where land and water are on the earth
interpreter: a person who speaks more than one language and helps people who don’t speak each other’s language
to communicate
merchant: a person who travels from place to place, buying and selling goods
native: a person who was born and lives in a particular place
nautical miles: miles measured at sea
scholar: a person who goes to school and studies a particular subject or subjects
2. Have children investigate what life might have been like in Italy in 1451, the year Columbus was born. Talk
with children about the kinds of homes people lived in, the foods they ate, and how they traveled from place to
place. Then have children dramatize life during this time. Students should paint a backdrop to use during their
dramatizations.
After- Viewing Activities
1. Have children trace the route Columbus followed, from Spain to San Salvador, then Cuba and Haiti, on a map.
Ask:
. What route would Columbus need to take to arrive in Japan?
. What countries would he find along the way?
. What would be the most direct route back to Spain from Japan?
Have children trace the route Magellan's crew followed taking a westerly direction around the world. Ask:
. What might be the first country Magellan's crew found after crossing the Atlantic Ocean?
™ & © 2012 Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved.
. What might be the first country Magellan's crew found after crossing the Atlantic Ocean?
. What bodies of water would they need to cross to get to Japan?
. What countries would they see before returning to Spain?
2. Did they hear the new vocabulary words? Did it help them to know what those words meant before they
watched the movie?
3. Read aloud the book, Encounter, by Jane Yolen. This book describes Columbus’s arrival on Hispaniola, from
the point of view of a native Taino boy. Discuss point- of- view with students. Ask:
. What did the boy think of Columbus?
. How did the boy feel when Columbus and his men arrived on their island?
. How did the boy’s way of life change after Columbus had left?
Paired- Text Activities
1. Define "genre" for students. Make a poster that shows a flowchart to help students identify genre by answering
a series of questions. Explain that in some circumstances it is tricky to determine genre, because two books
that seem very different may actually be the same genre. Tell students that both texts, Where Do You Think
You’re Going, Christopher Columbus? and Christopher Columbus are nonfiction books, but that they seem
very different. Guiding questions:
. Which book seems more like a story?
. What are some clues in each book that show that they are nonfiction? (Photographs, quotes)
. How are the two texts different? How are they the same? Use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the texts.
2. Have students make an annotated and illustrated time line of Columbus’s life and voyages. This project can be
completed on butcher paper or oversized construction paper. Students can use index cards to write one or two
sentences about each major event in Columbus’s life and draw a picture representing the event. The time line
should also include dates of other explorers' voyages and discoveries.
3. Use a comparison matrix to compare and contrast Columbus with other European explorers. Along the left
side of the matrix, list Columbus and at least two other explorers, such as Magellan and Diaz. Along the top of
the matrix, list the following categories: Dates of Exploration, Sponsor, Reason(s) for Exploration, Route,
Impact on Native People. Use Where Do You Think You’re Going Christopher Columbus? and Christopher
Columbus to fill in the matrix for Columbus. Have the students do independent research in the library or on the
Internet to fill in the matrix for the other explorers. Encourage students to work together and compare their
findings. As an extension, students can create explorer posters on which they detail the major
accomplishments and impacts of one explorer.
Further Research
Explore with the class the related Web links about Columbus and European explorers that accompany this
selection.
Assessment
Have the students play the Puzzlers educational games about Where Do You Think You’re Going Christopher
Columbus? and Christopher Columbus. Review their results to assess their comprehension of the words and
events in the story, as well as their ability to distinguish between fiction and nonfiction.
™ & © 2012 Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved.