All resources in Wisconsin Act 31 American Indian Studies

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What Was Columbus Thinking?

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Most students recognize the name Christopher Columbus. They may be aware that his voyages ushered in the first period of sustained contact between Europeans and the Americas and its people. They may not know, however, why Columbus traveled to the New World or what happened to the native people he encountered. In this lesson, students read excerpts from Columbus's letters and journals, as well as recent considerations of his achievements. Students reflect on the motivations behind Columbus's explorations, his reactions to what he found and the consequences, intended and unintended, of his endeavor.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: EdSiteMent

Why Do We (Still) Celebrate Columbus Day?

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In this lesson, students will address misconceptions they likely have about Christopher Columbus and the colonization of what is now the United States. Students will watch a video to dispel some of the myths associated with Columbus and gain a better understanding of how Columbus Day became a national holiday. Students will then read interviews with Indigenous youth and identify the reasons that celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of Columbus Day matters to them. This lesson can be taught on Columbus Day or leading up to it.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Learning for Justice

Act 31 Lesson Plan -- Indian Civil Rights Movement.pdf

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The following lesson is designed to help students explore the emergence of the American Indian Movement (c.1968 and beyond) in the context of the push for self-determination by native people, and within the broader movement for Civil Rights in American Society. This resource would be appropriate for high school students, during a study of the Civil Rights Movement. It provides primary source materials for students to analyze using the APPARTS process. This aligns to WI AIS Enduring Understanding #9 "American Indians and U.S. Citizenship".

Material Type: Formative Assessment, Lesson, Lesson Plan, Primary Source, Reading, Reference Material, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: Paul Rykken