Columbus Discovers Gatehouse

Five hundred and sixteen years ago, the world was changed forever as Christopher Columbus set foot in a land he mistakenly thought was somewhere near Japan. In fifth grade, students are studying about the personality of Columbus. We are asking questions like: What can we tell about his character? Was he "mean", even cruel, or was he ignorant, or arrogant, or an extraordinary man who was very much a part of his times? Who was he and how much can we tell? We are also examining his perspective, the perspectives of the sailors who accompanied him and the perspectives of the people he encountered. During classes, students re-enacted life on board the ship, to help bring home the perspective of the sailors.

At the fifth grade lunch in Gatehouse, Columbus actually appeared in person. Students asked excellent, probing questions, including one particularly poignant one: "Why did you not care what happened to your crew?” and comments such as “I think you were selfish and mean to your people” to which Columbus replied that he did what he had to do - he was neither ashamed nor proud of his actions. This reenactment gives Fifth Grade students an opportunity to use one of their very best assets: their critical thinking skills. There is a lot of thinking and reflecting going on, and our students are certainly up to the challenge!