"A Year Long Voyage of Investigation" Lesson Plan by Mary Ann Barnard in OAH "Magazine of History" (Vol. 5, No. 4, Spring 1991, pp. 36-40) Rationale The events of October 1492 united four continents in a web of complex and, in many cases, disastrous relationships. Those who have benefitted from the contact will celebrate and commemorate; those who have been harmed will be angry and hurt. Only by using the quincentenary year as an opportunity to carefully investigate the historic record of the past five hundred years can we justify such attention to the Columbian theme. During this year, we shall challenge the notion of "incontrovertible" history and through this inquiry we shall discover other perspectives on events which we in the United States have considered the "truth" about our history. We may, for instance, come to understand the truly global aspects of our past thereby learning to value the countless contributors to our multi-cultural society. Themes 1. "What's your bias?" Objective history may not exist. Even primary sources must be challenged and examined carefully for the beliefs and values of the writer. We must also understand our own frame of reference, our own values and beliefs, as interpreters of the past. 2. "Watch your language! Words are loaded guns." Language provides a powerful tool for historians. To investigate the legacy of Columbus, we must carefully evaluate the source's meanings, as well as our own concepts of words such as "civilization," as contrasted to concepts such as "savagery," "barbarism," or "conquest"; also, "invasion" and "imposition." We might, furthermore, consider the notion of "discovery" as opposed to the revelation of what already exists. 3. "Hail the Conquering Hero!" Humans value the concept of "hero." We must question why and how humans create heroes, whom they choose, and how they use them. Columbus and other conquerors, as well as others who revere them, deserve study. 4. "R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Find Out What It Means to Me." Respect results from understanding and appreciating the values and beliefs of others, as expressed through their culture, even if it differs from one's own. Different does not mean inferior, and must never be used to justify discrimination, subjugation, or destruction. From this perspective, we need to study all the peoples involved in the Columbian enterprise and its enduring aftermath. 5. "Who's the Boss? Does Might Make Right?" The concepts of conversion, acculturation, and assimilation can only be studied in conjunction with a survey of the dominant groups who have claimed the "natural rights" of assumed superiors over perceived inferiors. 6. "The Price of Progress: Is the Past our Future?" Traditional concepts of the philosophical and technical triumph of Eurocentric civilization must be investigated. Procedures A. Schoolwide 1. Have every student in the school read from a selection of quincentenary titles during the summer. 2. At a parents' meeting and at a separate faculty meeting, detail the total program so that the entire school environment will be involved. 3. In a pre-registration mailing, include the attached, anonymous "Values Survey" and "Ancestral Survey" to be turned in on the first day of school. The surveys are to be in duplicate; one to be kept by the student for future reference in classes during the year, and one to be recorded statistically for a school-wide profile. The Ancestral Survey results will be charted on a world map in the display case of the school's main corridor. School profiles of the Values Survey, as well as volunteered, individuals surveys, will be used in the classroom units as springboards for carrying out the program. 4. Use hall bulletin boards and display cases with information related to the themes. 5. Work with the school librarians and media specialists to gather and display all materials connected to the themes and to have them on reserve for students and faculty. B. Social Studies/History Classrooms 1. Before beginning the year-long study, have students employ the "Values Survey Sheet" to analyze themselves, their parents, and their grandparents regarding those values and opinions which essentially shape our lives. 2. Depending on the course and the students' grade level, teachers or students themselves may choose aspects of the theme. For example, a course in World History might focus on "Columbus: Heir of the Renaissance or Champion of the Medieval World View?" The class would, therefore, investigate all the values that shaped Columbus into the person he was. Or the class might consider the meaning of such terms as "civilization," "conquest," "domination," "conversion," "enslavement," "acculturation," and "assimilation," within the context of the several differing cultures involved in the contacts of 1492. A United States history course, for example, could study the early contact period with reference to the peoples presently living in the areas conquered and colonized by Spain. They might explore how the contact experience shaped those societies and, in turn, shaped United States foreign policy toward them. An economics class could investigate Western European economies of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries or the effect these expeditions had on the development of capitalism and mercantilism. A civics or government class might compare some of the leadership structures of the indigenous peoples first encountered by the Europeans in the Americas, as well as the colonial governmental patterns which succeeded them. 3. In class lectures, presentations, and in all study of primary and secondary sources, teachers should encourage students to be aware of the frame of reference of the writers, encouraging students to analyze and criticize materials under consideration. In this connection, the "Values Survey Sheet" may prove to be a very useful teaching instrument. 4. Because interpretation is so important to these subjects, teachers may include a unit on research skills in the course outline. C. Intra-departmental Coordination. Interested teachers in other disciplines should be encouraged to relate their subject matter to the Columbian theme. Some potential allies are: 1. Mathematics--Perhaps a mathematical investigation of Columbus's calculations of his whereabouts or, more generally, the mathematical skills of navigators of the 1492 epoch. 2. Natural Sciences--The Columbian voyages could be considered within the context of the emerging sciences of the period. Biology classes could be especially enlivened by studying the ecological consequences of the contact in 1492 of two previously separate biotas. 3. Literature--Classes might focus on literary masterpieces of the Renaissance or works of the period that express early European conceptions of "The New World" and colonization. Another rich vein is the literature of those indigenous people who suddenly found themselves in continuing contact with the Westerners. 4. Language--Teachers, especially Spanish teachers, may find the Columbian theme an especially useful means of exploring the Hispanic cultures that resulted from the early contact period. 5. Religion--In religiously-affiliated schools, religion classes might productively consider some of the moral and ethical questions which flow inevitably from study of the initial encounters of Western and non-Western peoples. D. National History Day Projects 1. The National History Day theme for the 1991-92 session will be "Discovery, Encounter, Exchange in History: The Seeds of Change." Student participation in this competition, whether for credit or not, provides a unique opportunity for teachers to involve students in an exploration of the nature of history and the social studies. The competition includes students from grades six through twelve and challenges them to submit their own research in any one of several forms, such as: historical essays, media projects, displays, and even performances. Contest guidelines may be obtained by contacting: National History Day, 11201 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, 216-421-8803. 2. In many instances, a student project might cross disciplines and arrangements should be made in advance with faculty colleagues if the student is seeking a grade for the endeavor. 3. Each social studies or history class submits its best projects to the History Day competition for schoolwide recognition. Instructions for establishing the contest in your school can be found in National History Day's competition guidelines. 4. The schoolwide contest can be conducted simply as a National History Day event or a Columbian Fair which might be open to parents and the community. 5. Winners of the contest at your school should be encouraged in every way to continue in the competition at the regional level. Many systems or institutions allocate funds to insure that participating students gain broad recognition for their work. **************************************************************** Values Survey Sheet General Instructions: Please complete this survey in duplicate. Keep one copy for your own reference to be used in your history or social studies class during the course of the year. The other copy is to be turned in on the first day of classes to the Main Office. Do not put your name on this duplicate sheet since we are seeking a school profile and wish to treat your contribution in confidence. Please complete as much of the survey as you are able. POLITICAL VALUES: (party affiliations, voting, support of the present electoral process) How do you differ, if at all, on political values and beliefs from your (check one): PARENTS GRANDPARENTS __same __same __slightly different __slightly different __very different __very different Why do you think this is so? MONEY VALUES: (source of money, purpose of money, distribution of wealth) How do your values and beliefs differ, if at all, on money issues from your (check one): PARENTS GRANDPARENTS __same __same __slightly different __slightly different __very different __very different Why do you think this is so? SOCIAL VALUES: (social status, discrimination) How do you differ, if at all, on social values from your (check one): PARENTS GRANDPARENTS __same __same __slightly different __slightly different __very different __very different Why do you think this is so? INTELLECTUAL VALUES: (meaning of education, types of education) How do you differ, if at all, on intellectual values from your (check one): PARENTS GRANDPARENTS __same __same __slightly different __slightly different __very different __very different Why do you think this is so? CULTURAL VALUES: (ethnic background, cultural expressions of practical and fine arts) How do you differ, if at all, on cultural values from your (check one): PARENTS GRANDPARENTS __same __same __slightly different __slightly different __very different __very different Why do you think this is so? **************************************************************** Ancestral Survey Please fill in the appropriate information in duplicate. One copy should be retained for use during the year by your history or social studies class, while the duplicate should be submitted to your school's Main Office on the first day of classes. The United States has been populated for over four centuries by peoples from the entire world. We ask you to list the area/country or nation from which your ancestors came to the United States and note the century in which they arrived. Each student may claim up to four ancestral homes. Please make certain, however, that students note their native American heritage, if any. Original Nationality Approximate Time of Arrival (Closest Century) 1. 1. 2. 2. 3. 3. 4. 4. Bibliography Note: Materials meant for teachers only, or for very advanced or gifted students, are noted by (*). "Atlas of American History." 2d rev. ed. New York: Charles Scribner & Sons, 1984. *Banks, James A. ed. "Teaching Ethnic Studies: Concepts and Strategies." 43rd ed. Washington, DC: National Council for the Social Studies, 1973. *Bigelow, William. "Discovering Columbus: Rereading the Past." "Language Arts" (October 1989). *Bitterli, Urs. "Cultures in Conflict: Encounters Between European and Non-European Cultures, 1492-1800." Stanford University Press, 1989. Blaine, James G. "The Progress and Development of the Western World." In "Columbus and Columbia." Philadelphia: Historical Publishing Company, 1892. *Boxer, Charles. "The Portuguese Seaborne Empire, 1415-1825." New York: Alfred Knopf, Inc., 1969. Brown, James A. "America before Columbus." In "Indians in American History: An Introduction," edited by Frederick E. Hoxie. Harlan Davidson, 1988. Butterworth, Benjamin. "Scope and Purpose of the World's Fair" and "Purposes and Effects of International Fairs." In "Columbus and Columbia." Philadelphia: Historical Publishing Company, 1892. Campbell, Tony. "Early Maps." New York: Abbeville Press, 1981. Chiapelli, Fredi, et. al. eds. "First Images of America: The Impact of the New World on the Old," Vol. 1. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976. "A Columbus Casebook." Washington, DC: National Geographic Society, 1986. Crosby, Alfred W. "The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492." Westport: Greenwood Press, 1972. *---. "The Columbian Voyages: The Columbian Exchange, and Their Historians." Washington, DC: American Historical Association, 1987. Curtis, William. "Souvenir of La Rabida: World's Columbian Exposition" (1983). DeVorsey, Louis. "The New Land: The Discovery and Exploration of Eastern North America." In "North America: The Historical Geography of a Changing Continent," edited by Robert D. Mitchell and Paul A. Groves. Towota, NJ: Roman & Littlefield, 1987. Diaz del Castillo, Bernal. "Cortez and the Conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards in 1521." Hamden, CT: Linnet Books, 1988. Driver, Harold E. "Indians of North America," 2d ed. rev. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1969. Duff, Charles. "The Truth About Columbus and the Discovery of America." London: Jarrolds, 1957. Fitzhugh, William, ed. "Cultures in Contact: The Impact of European Contacts on Native American Cultural Institutions, A.D. 1000-1800." Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1985. *Gibson, Charles. "Spain in America." New York: Harper & Row, 1966. Granzotto, Gianni. "Christopher Columbus: The Dream and the Obsession." New York: Doubleday & Company, 1985. *Jennings, Francis. "The Invasion of America: Indians, Colonialism, and the Cant of Conquest." Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1975. Keen, Benjamin and Mark Wasserman. "Ancient America." In "A Short History of Latin America." Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1980. Klein, Herbert S. "Patterns of Settlement of the Afro-American Population in the New World." In "Key issues in the Afro- American Experience," edited by Nathan I. Huggins, Martin Kilson, and Daniel M. Fox. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1971. Leon-Portilla, Miguel, ed. "The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico." Boston: Beacon Press, 1962. Lockert, James, and Enrique Otte, eds. "Letters and People in the Spanish Indies, Sixteenth Century." New York: Cambridge University Press, 1976. McCarthy, Charles H. "Columbus and his Predecessors: A Study in the Beginnings of American History." Philadelphia: Joseph McVey, 1912. *Meinig, D.W. "The Shaping of America: A Geographical Perspective on Five Hundred Years of History," Vol. 1. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986. Miller, Theodore. "Graphic History of the Americas." New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1969. Morison, Samuel Eliot. "Christopher Columbus, Mariner." New York: New American Library, 1956. *---. "Admiral of the Ocean Sea, A Life of Christopher Columbus." Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1942. Natella, Arthur A., Jr. "The Spanish in America, 1513-1974." Dobbs Ferry, New York: Oceana Publications, 1975. Newby, Eric, ed. "The Rand McNally World Atlas of Exploration." New York: Rand McNally, 1975. *Pagden, Anthony. "The Fall of Natural Man: The American Indian and the Origins of Comparative Ethnology." New York: Cambridge University Press, 1982. Poma, Huaman. "Letter to a King: A Peruvian Chief's Account of Life under the Incas and under Spanish Rule." Edited by Christopher Dike. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1978. Quinn, David, ed. "The New American World: A Documentary History of North America to 1612," Vol. 1. New York: Arno Press, 1979. ---. "North America from the Earliest Discovery to First Settlements: The Norse Voyages to 1612." New York: Harper & Row, 1977. Tedlock, Dennis, trans. "Popol-Vuh: The Definitive Edition of the Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life and the Glories of Gods and Kings." New York: Simon and Schuster, 1985. *Tedlock, Dennis and Barbara Tedlock, eds. "Teachings from the American Earth: Indian Religion and Philosophy." New York: Liveright, 1975. Thatcher, John Boyd. "Christopher Columbus: His Life, His Work, His Remains." New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1904. Zinn, Howard. "A People's History of the United States." New York: Harper & Row, 1980.