1. Was Christopher Columbus (Conquistador) a Hero or a Villain?
Every year in the United States we celebrate Columbus Day. Some students even have off school for this holiday. Have you ever thought about why we celebrate this day?
In recent years, protests from Native American groups have increased and officials have been under increasing pressure to stop celebrating Columbus Day. Those groups argue that Columbus's legacy is one of murder and theft and is not worthy of memorializing.
On the other hand, many other people feel it is unfair to judge the morality of a man who lived 400 years ago by today's standards. They argue that Columbus was a man of his times, when expansion and conquest were accepted as normal. They further argue that even if Columbus was not a moral icon, it is really the spirit of adventure, exploration, and innovation that we celebrate on Columbus Day.

2. Directions Watch video clip on Wikispaces
Research Christopher Columbus on the internet:
Complete the FRAME
Answer questions
Upload to Moodle

3. Christopher Columbus Day
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Christopher Columbus Day
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4. Themes and Generalizations
Exploration:
- requires recognizing purpose and responding to it
- confronts the unknown
- may result in new findings or the confirmation of old findings
Force
- attracts, holds, or repels
- influences or changes
- and inertia are co-dependent
- may be countered with equal or greater force
Order:
- may be natural or constructed
- may allow for prediction
- is a form of communication
- may have repeated patterns
- are reciprocals
- lead to one another
Change:
- generates additional change
can be either positive or negative
is inevitable
is necessary for growth
can be evolutionary or revolutionary
Community:
- has members
- members share a common environment
follow patterns of growth and change
when one community comes in contact with
another community, change may occur
Conflict:
- is composed of opposing forces
- may be natural or man-made
- may be intentional or unintentional
- may allow for synthesis and change
- is progressive

5. Themes and Generalizations Cont.
Power:
- is the ability to influence
- may be used or abused
- is always present in some form
- may take many forms
Structure:
- has parts that inter-relate
- parts support and are supported by other parts
- may be combined to form larger structures
is no stronger than its weakest component
Patterns
- have segments that are repeated
- allow for prediction
- have an internal order
- are enablers
Systems: - work to complete a task or a mission - are composed of sub-systems and parts - follow rules - may be influenced by other system Relationships - everything is related in some way - are powerful - change over time - have rules - are everywhere 12. Adaptation - occurs over time - can be positive or negative - leads to change - can be planned or spontaneous

6. Answer the Following Questions after you complete your research:
Do you believe that Columbus is the first true American hero? Explain.
Does his legacy resemble that of George Washington or Martin Luther King Jr.? Explain.
Should conquistadors like Columbus be celebrated? Why or why not?