Teaching Columbus Day in the Classroom: History, Activities, and Lesson Ideas

Why Is Columbus Day Celebrated? History, Meaning, and Classroom Activities

Columbus Day is celebrated to remember Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492. This holiday honors the Italian-born explorer whose journey across the Atlantic marked a turning point in world history. While Columbus’ exact nationality has never been confirmed, many believe he was of Italian descent, and throughout the nineteenth century, Italian-Americans celebrated his legacy with parades and festivals in U.S. cities.

In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially proclaimed October 12 as Columbus Day. Later, President Richard Nixon declared it a national holiday, observed each year on the second Monday of October.

The Controversy Around Columbus Day

Today, Columbus Day remains a controversial holiday. For many, it represents exploration and discovery. For others, it brings painful reminders of colonization and the impact on Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Because of these contrasting perspectives, teachers should approach the topic with sensitivity and respect, making sure to highlight multiple viewpoints.

One way to do this is to:

Focus on the historical events that led to Columbus’ voyage and his arrival in the Americas.

Explore the different perspectives of Columbus Day, including Indigenous voices.

Give students opportunities to share their own thoughts and reflections about the holiday.

Classroom Activities for Teaching Columbus Day

Activating Prior Knowledge

Start by brainstorming what students already know about Columbus Day. Record their ideas on chart paper or the whiteboard. From there, introduce the timeline, beginning with Columbus’ arrival in the Americas in 1492 and tracing events up to the present day.

Exploring Cultures and History

Discuss the different cultures that lived in the Americas before Columbus’ arrival and how his voyages changed history. Talk about the impact on Indigenous peoples and how those effects are still felt today. Use maps, pictures, and visuals to help students better understand the context.

Geography and Exploration

Locate Columbus’ landing sites on a world map. Talk about the three famous ships—the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María—and what role they played in his voyage. Students can label maps, create ship drawings, or make a mini timeline of Columbus’ journey.

Reading, Writing, and Discussion

Provide students with age-appropriate stories or biographies about Columbus. Afterward, guide discussions on different beliefs and perspectives about him. Students can respond by:

-Writing essays or short reflections about what they learned.

-Drawing a picture that represents their feelings about Columbus.

-Comparing Columbus’ “discovery” with a personal discovery of their own.

Creative Projects

Encourage students to create a project about Christopher Columbus or design a presentation about exploration and discovery in general. This could include posters, timelines, or short plays reenacting moments from Columbus’ life.

Sing a Song

Columbus Day 

Tune "Mary Had a Little Lamb."

Columbus sailed the ocean blue,

Ocean blue, ocean blue.

Columbus sailed the ocean blue,

In fourteen-ninety-two.

Columbus sailed the ocean blue,

Ocean blue, ocean blue.

I enjoy making discoveries, too.

How about you?

Check it out here

The Columbus story is one that should be taught in the ESL classroom because it is a story of exploration, courage, and determination. It is also a story that has been used to justify the mistreatment of Native Americans. However, it is important to teach the story of Columbus in a way that is respectful of Native Americans and that acknowledges the atrocities that were committed in the name of colonization.