ColumbusDay

[Т А Кузнецова]

Columbus Day.

The second Monday in October is celebrated as Columbus Day, you can find more if you visit

www.lessonplanspage.com

Columbus Day became an official United States federal holiday in 1970. “Since 1971, the holiday has been commemorated in the U.S. on the second Monday in October, the same day as Thanksgiving in neighboring Canada. It is generally observed today by banks, the bond market, the U.S. Postal Service and other federal agencies, most state government offices, and some school districts; however, most businesses and stock exchanges remain open.” Some Italian-Americans celebrate their heritage on this day with parades or other festivities. Many states and cities with large Native American populations do not recognize Columbus Day or celebrate “Indigenous People’s Day” or “Native American Day” instead. Many countries celebrate Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the New World under the names Dìa de la Raza (Day of the Race) or Day of the Cultures, Day of the Americas, Discovery Day, Spanish Day (Spain), or Dìa de la Resistencia Indìgena (Day of Indigenous Resistance – Venezuala).

1. Write the following poem on a large flip chart leaving the last word in each second line blank. The words to be left blank are in underlined italics below.

2. On a separate index cards write each of the missing words, one per card. Attach the opposite piece of Velcro on the back of each card.

Procedure:

Ask if any of the children know who Christopher Columbus is. Find out if they are familiar with the poem about him. The children can brainstorm things they know about him.

 

Review rhyming words, brainstorm a few.

 

Show the children the chart with the missing words

 

Re-read the poem pausing at the empty word allowing the child/group who has that word to come up and place it where it belongs. Re-read the poem together.

Carry over:

Allow the children to write their own poem about Christopher Columbus.

 

Have the children substitute the missing words with ones of their own.

The Poem:

IN 1492

In fourteen hundred ninety-two

 

Columbus sailed the ocean

 

 

blue

He had three ships and left from Spain;

 

He sailed through sunshine, wind and

rain

 

 

He sailed by night; he sailed by day;

 

He used the stars to find his

 

 

way