Before Columbus and Christopher Columbus Homeschool Resources
American History years prehistory-1492 (excluding Native American History, which I hope to cover elsewhere)
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Sonlight Selection:
American History Easy Make and Learn Books:
- This year, I will be using the following books, which I downloaded from the Scholastic Teacher’s Story website, as PDF versions, but you do need to create a teacher’s account to order. They are also available in print books, but are out of print and can be hard to find. I will be adding more as the year goes on, hopefully, as I find them. I chose these specifically because they are lower cost and don’t require a lot of supplies besides cardstock, scissors, and glue. Some do require a bit more, but still affordable.
- In Interactive 3D Maps, the following projects apply:
- The First People Arrive in America Map; (shows the path people took when crossing the Bering Straight, along with some of the animals along the trail
- Vikings Discover America Map; shows the map of the Viking Journey with sod huts to represent the final landing place
- Columbus Lands in America; shows the map Columbus took across the ocean,
Arts and Crafts:
- An Interesting activity about painting ships using spices
- Variety of Columbus-themed crafts all in one spot. The ship-in-a-bottle one looked especially fun.
Books: Asterisks indicate my personal favorites
Note: I have given each book a category for age that I think they will most appeal to. Many of these books will appeal to multiple age groups, so feel free to adjust as needed.
Thousands of years ago
- The Discovery of the Americas; starts with the land bridge in Siberia/Alaska, the oldest date mentioned in 20,000 years ago, and goes through the many possible discoveries of America before and after Columbus. Longer picture book. Level 6.3. Older Students
512
- Brendan the Navigator fun look at the life of an Irish saint who may have discovered America long before Columbus or the Vikings, Jean Fritz, level 810 Lexile. Younger and Middle Students.
1000
- *Before Columbus: The Leif Eriksson Expedition Landmark books historical fiction biography, level 5.9 Canada. Older Students.
- Who Was Leif Erikson? Part of the Who Was series, nonfiction. Level 6.1 Canada. Middle Students.
- Viking Adventure, a Sonlight book by Clyde Robert Bulla, historical fiction, Grade 3 Readers. Canada. Middle Students.
1415
- Around the World in a Hundred Years Nonfiction look at navigators and explorers from Prince Henry the Navigator to Magellan. Also includes Bartholomew Diaz, Columbus, Vasco de Gama, Pedro Álvares Cabral, John Cabot, Amerigo Vespucci, Juan Ponce de Leon, and Vasco Núñez de Balboa. By Jean Fritz, Level 6.8. Middle to Older Students.
- Explor-a-Maze, Solve mazes while learning about different world explorers. Middle Students.
1402
- *The Poet King of Tezcoco Longer picture book for older children about a Mexican king. Level 6.5 Middle to Older Students.
Younger Students: (I think these will appeal to students under age 8)
- Christopher Columbus: Step Into Reading early reader biography, level 2.7. Younger Students.
- The Cruise of Mr. Christopher Columbus A brief biography of Columbus that relates how he developed an interest in sailing and describes the journey that resulted in the discovery of America and proof that the world was round. Younger Students.
- The Story of Columbus Early Reader Level 2, Nonfiction, Level 3.8. Younger Students
- What Columbus Found: It Was Orange, It Was Round Easy Reader Level 1, Nonfiction, Level 1.6. Younger Students.
Younger to Middle Students: (I think these will appeal to children from 5-12)
- Aboard the Santa Maria; nonfiction look at the famous boat. Level 4.3. Younger to Middle Students.
- Follow the Dream Picture book, Level 5.1. Younger to Middle Students.
- The Great Adventures of Christopher Columbus: A Pop-Up Book, Younger to Middle Students.
Middle Students: (I think these will appeal most to children from 8-12)
- *1492 Year of Columbus A shorter version of the book The World of Columbus and Sons, by the same author, Genevieve Foster, this book is better suited to middle students. It looks at the famous people and places around the world in 1492, as well as a biography of Columbus. Middle students.
- Who Was Christopher Columbus (Who Was series) Nonfiction easy to read biography. Level 4.2. Middle Students.
- You Wouldn’t Want to Sail with Christopher Columbus Medium, Graphic Novel or comic style, Nonfiction, has some info about ways one could become injured or die, level 4.4. Middle students.
Middle to Older Students
- Encounter, A look at Columbus from the viewpoint of the Native Americans he encountered. Note: Some images might scare young children. Picture book. Level 4.2. Middle to Older Students.
- *If You Were There in 1492 Long, for older children, content information about life across Europe in 1492, including some discussion of how the Spanish treated the Moors, Jews, and the Spanish Inquisition, but not too detailed, level 6.3. Middle to Older Students.
- *Where do You Think You’re Going, Christopher Colombus? Long, Nonfiction, Jean Fritz, makes a great read-aloud or reader, level 5.8. Middle to Older Students.
Older Students
- *Admiral and the Deck Boy Long, Historical Fiction, Reader/Read-Aoud, similar to Pedro’s Journal, but longer and more storyline, but the child is named Carlos instead of Pedro. Older Students.
- Christopher Columbus: Across the Ocean Sea by the same author as many of Sonlight’s missionary stories. Older Students.
- *The World of Columbus and Sons Measured by the lifetime of Columbus and his sons, this book spans 1451-1539. With Columbus as the central figure of this narrative, readers will also learn the fascinating stories of Prince Henry the Navigator, Ivan III of Russia, Gutenberg, Queen Isabella, Leonardo da Vinci, Mohammed II, the African ruler Nomi Mansa, Martin Luther, Erasmus, Albrecht Dürer, Copernicus, Michaelangelo, and many others. Readers will learn of the religious, cultural, and scientific changes that ushered in a new age of exploration and discovery. Older students.
Coloring Pages:
Documentaries:
Lapbooks/Notebooking Pages/Worksheets:
- Columbus Game Pack (free)
- Columbus Lapbook
- Columbus Lapbook 2
- Columbus Notebooking Pages
- Notebooking pages
- Variety of Columbus-themed worksheets
Movies (Longer than 30 minutes) (Also see Videos)
- CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS | The entire movie for children in English | TOONS FOR KIDS | EN
- CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS: THE LAST JOURNEY full movie | for children in English | TOONS FOR KIDS | EN
Museums/Field Trips (including virtual):
- Columbus & the Santa Maria Ship/Museum
- Virtual Tour of the Smithsonian Exhibit
- Visit a replica of the Pinta (schedule
Recipes:
Songs:
- Christopher Columbus: “This Land is My Land!” | SUNG HISTORY might wish to pre-watch).
- Columbus Day Lyric Video – The Kiboomers Preschool Songs & Nursery Rhymes for Holidays
- Columbus Song – 1492
- In 1492… | Columbus Day Song For Children
- A song about Christopher Columbus
Toys/Games
Videos (1-30 minutes):
- Christopher Columbus (5 minutes)
- Horrible Histories – Christopher Columbus
- Vintagecartoon – Christopher Columbus(Schoolhouse Rock)
- Peabody’s Improbable History (un-restored) “Christopher Columbus”(Peabody and Sherman)
- For better quality, Amazon Prime has the series online, and it is Season 1, Episode 1.
Rent Christopher Columbus: An Animated Classic for $3.99 from Amazon video (full 1 hour 32 minutes). https://amzn.to/32aNghY. It also looks to be free here.
