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Sunday, August 12, 2012

Summer #4-Columbus/Lies My Teacher Told Me

Columbian Exchange - The positives and negatives of the Age of Exploration


To help students in the 2011-2012 APUSH class make sense of Chapter 2 in Lies my Teacher Told Me (1493-The True Important of Christopher Columbus), answer any or all of the following questions.  Do not hesitate to ask your own questions, or even to question or comment on something one of your classmates may post.  The only things to remember are to avoid text-like phrasing, and to remain polite.

As you read through 1493 in Lies...

*One question I had about what I read was....
*What were you thinking about as you were reading?
*What question(s) can you ask about what you read?
*While I read, I was curious about...

*What words or ideas need clarifying for you?
*What does the author want me to remember or learn from this passage?
*What is the most important information in this passage?
*What kind of “teacher” question can I ask about the main idea?
*In my own words, this is about ...

53 comments:

Matt Cosciello said...

One question I had about what I read was: Why do we worship Columbus so much if he enslaved the native Americans and took their land?

As I read I was thinking about how realistic this book seems. It does seem pretty accurate at disproving many other history textbooks, but if everyone believed what he said in Lies My Teacher Told Me, nobody would trust history textbooks anymore and nobody would use them.

Questions I can ask about what I read:
-Why do we worship Columbus so much if he's not the hero we think he is?
-Why do people pay so little attention to all of the other expeditions to America?
-If authors of history textbooks know the truth about Columbus, then why are they trying to pass on that Columbus was a hero?

While I read, I was curious about all of the other expeditions to America that people ignore, such as the ones where people sailed to America from West Africa.

The only things that really need clarifying for me are separating fact from fiction in this book. It gets a little confusing when the author takes direct quotes from other books and then suddenly proves them wrong.

I think the author wants me to learn and remember that just because we hear it, doesn't mean that it's fact. In Lies My Teacher Told Me, it shows how some history books and quickly turn the truth around into their own stories and pass it on as true information. If this keeps happening, in the future it may eventually be hard to decipher what's really true in our textbooks.

The most important information in this passage are the true facts about Columbus. This way we know the truth (at least as the author says). It's good that the author states that some things people accept for truth may be false. For example, most history textbooks accept that Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy. However, there is also evidence that he wasn't (as stated in Lies My Teacher Told Me).

A "teacher" question about the passage: "How much of this article in Lies My Teacher Told Me do you think is fact? Explain."

This is about being able to separate fact from fiction. Lies My Teacher Told Me seems to express the whole truth. It shows that there are many things historians and authors of history textbooks leave out or that are lies and are expressed as truth. It is also about showing how Columbus truly was. Some people look at him as this amazing brave hero who proved the world round (when many people never really believed it was flat in the first place) but really he was just a jerk who claimed everything he saw off his ship. It's sad that people today still look at him as this amazing person when he really brought slavery to the Americas. Columbus wouldn't be famous if it wasn't for the way Europeans reacted to the discovery of the New World.

C said...

Matt,
The big thing that "Lies" wants people to understand is historical bias. Since history can be interpreted in many ways, there is going to be bias in any history that is read. It is important, as a student of history, to determine who is writing something, their sources, their positions in life, their cultural background, and their point of view on a topic.

Our textbook, and most textbooks include the "traditional" approach. The traditional approach usually has a positive view of the United States and its history. There is nothing wrong with it. Still, students of history history should not take for granted what is presented as the only side of the story.

"Lies" comes from the area of "revisionist" history. Revisionist history takes the view of the "losers" in history. The people whose stories are rarely told because they do not have the power in the society.

The idea that history can be objectively told is extremely dubious. Keeping this in mind when talking about so-called “historical bias” in student’s textbooks is really important. Every historical account is biased towards some set of ideals.

Then, there is the "post-revisionist" style. It looks at both sides, and tries to come to some consensus. Post-revisionist history approaches every side of the argument, and tries to establish clear facts.

My intention wasn't to ruin Christopher Columbus for anyone. I think he deserves a lot of the credit he receives, because he absolutely changed the world. It wasn't his discovery that is as important as publishing what he saw.

If we remember from Civ. & Change, movable-type printing was introduced in Europe less than 50 years before Columbus's first journey. Word of his discovery spread much more rapidly than it would have in the earlier half of the 15th century.

This was also the height of the Renaissance, so people we eager to learn more and more. Humanists were exploring their intellectual boundaries, and this spread to Earth's boundaries, as well. This began true globalization involving trade.

Lastly, perspective on Columbus has changed over the last 500 years. However, what we consider such heinous acts by Europeans on Natives, we viewed in Europe as the unfortunate result of the civilizing process involving people still using Neolithic Era technology. While I don't agree with it, and feel as though it really ruined many cultures in the Americas, I recognize that the world in which we live would be nothing but a fantasy without it.
~Mr. Pags~

Cameron S said...

One question I had about what I read was, why are teachers still teaching this lie, "Europe needed spices to disguise the taste of bad meat, but the bad Turks cut off the spice trade."

As I was reading, I thought about what I was I was taught as a kid, and then came to the conclusion that this whole time we were taking Social Studies, it was really for no reason because it was just a bunch of lies.

Some questions I can ask myself about I read are:
-What does every textbook account of the European Exploration of the Americas begin with?
-Why do textbooks exaggerate the truth about history?
-Why did Columbus reward his lieutenants with native women to rape? What made him think to do so?

While I read, I was curious about why we were taught the traditional account of Christopher Columbus if it was wrong and unverifiable.

I need clarification on why we were taught lies up until high school. It doesn't make any sense that teachers would teach us information that cannot be verifiable or true.

The author wants me to remember and learn that not everything you see and hear is true. You have to actually look for the truth with a lot of research and spend some time finding the right answers. In the passage, the author tries to prove to us that information can be changed just so kids can understand it better or have an interest in it. If kids find an interest in lies they are not aware of, they will be learning lies without knowing. The author also proves that Columbus was a sick person who gave made innocent women sex slaves.

The most important information in this passage, are the things we should have learned earlier in life about Columbus. An example of truth about Columbus from the passage,is that he sent five thousand slaves across the Atlantic, more than any individual.

A "teacher" question about the passage is, "Name 2 things that you agree and disagree with in Lies My Teacher Told Me. Use details from the passage to support your answers."

This passage is about being able to pick out where the truth is hiding and what lies are covering it up. Lies My Teacher Told Me is giving you a version of information that helps students understand what is being taught, but the author then clarifies what the lies are. The passage reveals how dishonest Columbus really was and how mean he was. Teachers should be teaching the truth, not lies for no reason.

Gangsta Phil said...

1.one question i had while i was reading was why are our text books lieing to us, arent they supose to be teaching us about history not lieing about it?

2.as i was reading i couldnt help but wounder why "we dont use "lies My Teacher Told Me" as a text book instead of "the american pagent" because there is more acurate and factual information in "Lies".

3. why is colombus the one who gets all the glory for discovering america when the Nords discovered it first and the native americans befor that.

4. while i read i was curious about why my teachers in the past agreed with the false facts about colombus and continuie to teach it when it is false information

5.why cant we clarify that the romans and Phonecians where here way before colombus and what other evidence is there besides a few coins? and wher ethe coins maby brought over by the nords or colombus himself too throw people off?

6.the author wants me to learn that not everything i read in my textbook is true and some of it has no factual evidece to back it up and alot of times publishers throw stuff in there just to sugarcoat it.

7. Colombus wasnt the first person to discover america

8. how are the facts in "lies my teacher told me" proven and how do you know that the facts in "The American Pagent arent actualy right and the facts in "Lies my teacher told me" are wrong?

9. The images are explain how with colombus's discovery the population of the american continent was nearly whiped out and a whole new wave of imigrants came and took over.

Nathan H said...

One question I had about what I reading was is can historical bias be there accidentally. If people have been learning these events the same way for years won't they teach it the same way they learned? Additionally what was in the pages of the packet you didn't give us was it about other historical bias.Also While I was reading I thought, if there are so many textbooks with historical bias why do we learn from them or why not learn from a book with no bias. Is there no such thing? Is the author one hundred percent right or did he have some bias himself? There were no words or ideas that I need clarified to my knowledge since I looked up all things I had problems with. The most important thing about lies is obviously the historical bias surrounding Christopher Columbus and how there still is today and how it got that way. Now I wonder what else teachers have taught "lies" about, which makes me want to question more about information I read. In conclusion I found this excerpt intresting that it questions textbooks and mainstream teachings because some writers would be to afraid to.

Austin F said...

1.) One question i had while i was reading is why arent textbooks providing the correct information about what really happen? Are they still interested in glorifing Columbus, or was it unintentional due to the biases they previously learned and memorized?

2.) While i was reading there were a few things that I was really thinking about.One of those these things was why were we never taught any of this before now.The second thing that was going thorugh my mind was that so many factors ( such as the printing press, and the Crusades ) led up to Columbus, and many other people finding the "new world". All of which played a factor in the start of the "new world". It interested me because we have learned about these subjects before, but I never thought that we would see them be incorperated into future historical references.The final thing I thought about as I read was why are we using the American Pagent if there is false information inside it." Lies" even called out the Pagent on things they stated that were false. I find it hard to beleive what was written due to that, and that "Lies" was able to back up all there statements with facts. That greatly affected my beliefs on which source is more realistic,and believable.

3.) While i was reading the only question that really ran through my mind was why arent textbooks incorperating the facts about the "losers" now that they are known. Although history knows the "winners" story well, glorifing them, a change in the textbooks could also give many more student approaches to the subject, allowing them to see what happen from all sides.

4.)While i was reading i was curious about the other people who came to the new world before Columbus.Some of the people who are said to have come overs evidence seems like it could have happen at different times. For an example the people who came from indonesia around 6000 b.c, the evidence that was presented was the similarites in blowguns, papermaking, etc. Cant it be possible that they showed up after, but still utilized those tecniques, and tools? or had there culture with those tools changed over there course of the time?

5.) The only thing I need clarification on is what is fact,a and what is fiction, so I know what to believe and what not to. It makes it hard to know, especially with me beginning the essay soon.

6.) I think the author wants me to remember that not everything we hear and see is true. I also think he wants me to remember the story of the "losers" whos story is never really told. The final thing I think he wants us to remember is the entire story about the explorers, expecially Columbus, the good, and the bad.

7.) I think the most important information in this passage is the true facts about Columbus. I beleive it is good to know the entire story, from both sides,and then take the information as you please.

8.)A teacher question could be " How did Lies my Teacher Told Me proove the statements , and facts they said, about the explorers and other books throught the passage? Provide Support.

9.) In my mind these images are about the glorification of Columbus (picture on the left) and the troubles that Columbus put the people on the land he claimed.

Stefanie Ellsworth said...

Stefanie Ellsworth said...

One question I had was: Why didn't the textbooks explain arms as a cause of European world domination?

AS I was reading I was thinking that there were a lot of discoveries, the passage seems pretty much correct of the truth and readers rely on "In lies my teacher told me".

The questions I can ask about while I read:
Why do we adore Columbus so much?
Why do people consider him a hero?

While I read I was curious about why most of the textbooks were wrong and why didn't the author of "In lies my teacher told me" explain other discoveries and expeditions that were important.

The thing that needs clarifying for me is telling the difference between the lies and the truth.

I think that the author wants me to remember/learn from this passage is that most of the discoveries made many years ago were accomplishments to today's world. What we read in textbooks doesn't mean its true. Authors put their own spin on stories to make them true than they put those stories in high schooler's textbooks and we can't tell if they are lies or the truth.

The most important information in this passage are the facts about Columbus. It is important to know the truth about the man who discovered that the world is round. The author puts in his books things that are lies and the truth. One lie is that Columbus was born in Italy but "In lies my teacher told me he wasn't so that is why its hard to figure out what is the truth and what isn't.

A teacher question I can ask is How much of "In lies my teacher told me" is made up of the truth?

In my own words this is about how high school courses in American history and the textbooks used to teach them. It shows the difference between fact and fiction. There are
many Historians and authors who wrote the history textbooks so its good to know what facts are true from them. Columbus used his 3 ships to figure out that the world was round and he carried slavery here to America angering many people. Many people believe Columbus was a hero but he wouldn't be a hero if it wasn't for the Europeans and how they saw the discovery of the New World in their point of view.









Nick Yousse said...

One question i had about the reading was why do our textbooks leave out important facts about the cruelty of Columbus.

As i read i was thinking back to the reading of our textbook and how it left out important information the makes us believe Columbus is this good guy hero.

Three questions i asked myself when i read were:
* Why do we learn the unreliable version of the Columbus journey?
* How many people did Columbus actually kill?
* What is the true facts about Colombus' voyage

As i read i was curious about how long people had been living on America, and what it was like.

The thing i need clarified the most was why did Columbus commit all of these murders, was it just for money, or is there another reason?

The biggest point the Author is trying to prove is that just because someone made a discovery, doesn't mean it was the first. this is proven true because sometimes there are discoveries hat aren't recorded or go forgotten.

The most important information in this passage was to understand that Columbus is not the person the textbooks describe him as, he is really a greedy killer and it is important to not forget his actions.

A question from the teacher could be "by combining your knowledge of Columbus, how to you imagine his expeditions?"

In my opinion the image to the right is about the true facts on what Columbus did, and how he is respected and looked up to because of exaggeration and lies.

gabby zawadzki said...

One question i had was why did people not pay any attention to columbus' cruelty and why did he have to enslave the native americans?

As i was reading i was thinking about why this book was not used in class more often or at all because it makes us understand from a different point of view about what the era of columbus and finding the "new world".

One question i have is why is there so much confusion between who actually discovered america?

What i'm curious about is also why are we taught different things about who actually discovered america.

I would like clarification on why we were taught something different throughout school up until now.

The author i think wanted me to know that you shouldn't believe everything you hear or learn in the history books because some of the information is just twisted words so people must be aware of that, we could never really be sure.

To me the most important thing in Lies my Teacher Told me were the true facts about Columbus and what kind of person he was.

A teacher question: "Do you think the information in this passage is true and if not how would you actually know? explain."

This passage is about the truth about Columbus and what he has done good and bad. Also the author is showing us we should make sure we know the difference between the lies and truth there is out there.

jaskaran singh said...

1.what i read about Columbus was really shocking but if all these facts are true why Columbus day is still celebrated as a holiday or celebrating coulombs day is an insult of all that Indians who died ,committed suicide and even killed their newborns so that they don't became prey of coulombs and those who ere enslaved and sold for prostitution and labor ?
2.i was thinking that how lust for gold or material possessions turn a man into monster.To what extent a human can make other human suffer just for a piece of metal?
3.Question which i want to ask is that if african as mentioned in textbook that they may already have reached before colombus than the indian pepole might be familiar with boats. so galleons was no big suprise to them then why did they worship colombus as thier god?
4.I was curious about what effect did the crops and livestock have on the local eco system in new world as American crops changed the way of living completely in Europe,Asia and Africa?
5.Author says that we should remember that the mistakes which we have done and we have to accept them and change our attitude toward them
6 as a teacher i will like to ask ask that are these truth enough to change a myth that Columbus was a kind,brave and generous sailor or you will remain inclined to the older ones??

Unknown said...

One question I had about what I read was: When will history books we read, be changed to be more politically correct? As in tell both sides of the story.

What I was thinking about as I was reading- A major thing I thought about while reading was the complete lack of regard for life Columbus and other explorers had for the natives, it was all about the gold.

Questions I can ask about what I read-
What is the author's (Loewen) background? (previous works, education, biases, etc.)

Did any Spaniards, besides Bartolome de las Casas, seriously oppose what was happening in the Americas?

Could the exports and imports ever have been stopped?

I think the author wanted me to learn of all the previous explorers who never got any credit for discovering places that were eventually credited to the Europeans with. Also, the author wanted me to remember that popular misconceptions I have learned are not necessarily true.

I think the most important information in this article is the "real" side of conquest that is shown. Explorers weren't necessarily heroic, and humane people. More importantly, they were out to seek for glory and personal riches. That is the most important information, in my opinion.

Savannah N said...

One question I have about the reading is: Why is it that if we know so much as to what Columbus had truly done, why are we still celebrating his "discovery"?

As I read, I noticed such accuracy as to people believing the history books, rather than Lies My Teacher Told Me, where the facts are really revealed about Colubmus.

Questions I can ask about what i read:
-Why has history books not revealed much to social studies, what are we truly learning from that then?
-Why are we still having a holiday and Columbus represented as an "American Hero"?
-Is this author right or is this just his bias?

While I read, I questioned why we ignored other trips to America? Was those trips not good enough!?!

Needed help clarifying whether this is actual factual information, or this is just another bias from yet another person writing a book.

The author is trying to tell us, that we can't look at these history books and expect it to be the honest versions to every story. And if people keep changing every part to the story, pretty soon, we are going to have a load of "crap" fiction for our history books.

I think the most important information in this passage is his factual evidence about Columbus, it is good to take from the history books in social studies as a child and then come to this book and get two views on his life.

Teacher Q: Do you think the author is putting a negative or positive or both bias on the history book subject? Explain.

My view on these pictures is to be able to see the fact and the fiction. As some saw him as his hero, while others did not. If Europeans did not have such a fascination to his discovery, the american way would not be much as to give him a holiday.

Airiel V said...

One question I had about what I read was "Why didn't other European explorers get the credit for finding the Americas when they found it before Columbus?"

As I was reading, I was thinking about how there seem to be many different stories on what was happening in Europe. It seems like there isn't 100% accurate information.

Questions I can ask about what I read:
~Why does Columbus have his own holiday when he wasn't the first one or only one to discover the Americas?
~Why do textbooks do a poor job of describing the changes in Europe that led to the Age of Exploration?
~Why do the textbook authors seem unaware that ancient Phoenicians and Egyptians sailed as far as Ireland and England, reached Madeira and the Azores, traded with the aboriginal inhabitants of the Canary Islands, and sailed all the way around Africa before 600 B.C.?

While I read, I was curious about who else explored the Americas and what they did when they found it. Also, I was curious about what the Phoenicians and Egyptians did while they were sailing around Africa and other continents.

The biggest thing I need clarifying on is what parts of this is fact or fiction. I'm not sure which parts are actually true or not.

I think the author wants me to remember and learn that not everything in textbooks is true. All of it couldn't be true especially the information on before civilizations because there wouldn't be any written records. Most of the history we learn about in textbooks wouldn't have been known from written records because people didn't keep records back then.

The most important information in this passage are the true facts; especially the ones about Columbus. The important information is when the author says what is well known about Columbus can be false.

A "teacher" questions could be: "Pick out what you think is real and what you think is false in this article then explain: Why do you think it to be true or false?"

This is about how not everything about Columbus is true. This article tells you what is real and what fake about Columbus and his expeditions. It makes you wonder why people would have made him look like a hero when he really wasn't one. The passage also makes you wonder if what you know about Columbus is true or not. It's all about questioning the accuracy of the textbooks.

C said...

Phil wondered, "as i was reading i couldnt help but wounder why "we dont use "lies My Teacher Told Me" as a text book instead of "the american pagent" because there is more acurate and factual information in "Lies"."

And Cameron said everything you've learned in the past is lies.

If you go back and look at my comment earlier, you'll see that neither statement is true.

Bias is all around us. WHO we read has as much to do with WHAT we read as what happened.

Think about it.

C said...

Gabby said, "I would like clarification on why we were taught something different throughout school up until now." It has to do with the point of view with which history is written. Again, this is about bias. Go and read my original comment (the 2nd one on the strand), and it should help calm all the outrage.

Alec Shackett said...

1. One question I had about what I read was: Why can't our textbooks provide multiple views on events rather than just the European view?

2. As I was reading I thought that Lies My Teacher Told Me did a good job at disproving other textbooks' European only view on history, but also could have a bias against the European view.

3. A question I can ask about what I read is: Why do textbooks vary from each other, shouldn't facts be facts?

4. While I read I was curious about what other peoples' views on who "discovered" America were.

5. What I need clarified is any history textbooks' view on Columbus correct?

6. I think the author wants me to learn that not everything we hear is a fact just because we are told it.

7. The most important information from this passage is the truth the author tells about Columbus.

8. A teacher question to ask about Lies My Teacher Told Me could be: Are there any examples that the author has bias against the European view of discovering America?

9. The image on the left, to me, shows how he is looked up to as a glorious explorer. This is true but he also has a bad side as shown by the image on the right. He did cause a lot problems in America for the Native Americans.

Joanna C said...

*One question I had about what I read was, why do the authors of our textbooks feel the need to glorify this man who, to a lot of people, clearly was not the founder of a new world. And why, even though Columbus did have accomplishments, do they rarely, if not even at all, at least incorporate the fact that there were people before columbus to discover america, even though they aren't the type of people some americans today want to look up to, or be proud of for discovering our country.
*While I was reading I was thinking about my question, and why authors of these textbooks along with a lot of other people aren't more openminded about the history of America.
*While I read I was curious about the topic altogether. I was curious about why it's not often brought up in school's or libraries, because this is the only time I have learned so much about it. I am also curious about the explorers before columbus, like afro-pheonicia or Siberia..etc.
*The author's intent in this passage was probably to make people more openminded about this topic, and to realize that what textbooks say about columbus is not entirly true, and that he is not as glorious as they make him out to be. Also that there were people before him to make a contribution to the result of America today.
*The most important info in this passage is when he puts in examples of exerpts of textbooks to make a point of his topic, when he's trying to say that they try and glorify Columbus, which he makes a point of very well.
*A "teacher question" I can ask about this article is, what is the importance of knowing that there is more to the making of america than just columbus's findings?
*In my own words this is neither about just columbus' accomplishments or the things he is less famous for, but rather the controversy they both create.

Jen Fusco said...

1. One question I had about what I read was why do textbooks have to be so biased?

2. As I was reading this, I was thinking about everything I have learned in school and how most of it was a lie. I was thinking about how much school textbooks leave out and how biased they are when it comes to race. I also thought about whom students should really trust when learning about history: their textbooks or Lies My Teacher Told Me.

3. Questions I can ask about what I read included:
-Why do textbooks focus mostly on just European Exploration?
-Why do we glorify Columbus?

4. While I read this, I was curious about what else text books could be leaving out.

5. Ideas that need clarifying is exactly what were myth and what was true. The author jumped from each type and it got confusing at times.

6. The author wants me to remember to not always believe what’s in a textbook. Make sure it is backed up with facts or documents for proof.

7. The most important information in this passage was the true facts about Columbus and the other expeditions to the Americas before Columbus.

8. A teacher question to ask about the main idea could be “Now that you’ve learned the truth about Columbus, do you think he should still be considered a hero?”

9. In my own words, this is about the truth behind Columbus and his expedition to the Americas. It is also about uncovering the truth about the other “discoverers” of America. This passage takes text about Columbus seen in school books and compares it with what’s really true.

Joseph T said...

One question I had while I read was why teachers for years have spread the lie that Columbus was a hero. While I was reading, I was thinking about all that I had learned and how most of it was untrue. Questions I can ask are why does Columbus have his own holiday and why is he this big hero if we know what he did? I can also ask why textbooks focus almost exclusively on Europeans and how "great" they were. While I read, I was curious about why the record has not been set straight about what Colombus did in many, if not all, textbooks. Some ideas that need clarifying is what is fabricated lies and what is the truth. The author wrote the article in a way that was confusing in that area. The author wants us to remember is that Columbus was not the hero he is made out to be. He was a greedy villain who killed thousands. The most important information in this passage is that most books glorify Colombus for deeds that today would be punished by death. Also, there is also dates of important battles, where Colombus went and who he killed, and the names of the native leaders. A " teacher question" I can ask is " why do most history books and articles glorify a villain like Colombus?" these pair of photos represent the two sides of the story. The one on the left shows how the story was told and how Colombus was seen to the Europeans of the time. He was seen as a great man and hero. The picture on the right shows the truth. It shows the crimes he committed, and how he is seen by people today and the natives back then. The passage is about the real story. It tells the truth that was hidden for so long. It tells about all of the crimes and misdeeds Colombus and his crew committed.

Allison F. said...

~One question I had about what I read was why don't our textbooks really tell us how cruel and mean Christopher Columbus was?

~As I was reading, I noticed that Lies My Teacher Told Me really proves how our textbooks leave out a lot of information, and how our textbooks don't tell us how cruel Christopher Columbus was. They talk about him being heroic, which in my opinion he isn't.

~A few questions I have about what I read are:
-Why don't history books include true and accurate information?
-Why do textbooks glorify Columbus when he was very selfish, and only used the Native Americans for their gold?

~While I read,I was curious about other explorers expeditions to America. Why don't we hear about other explorer's expeditions except for mainly Columbus's?

~What I need clarification on is whats true or false. It was a little confusing to understand what was fact or fiction.

~The author from this passage wants me to remember and learn that there are facts that are left out of our textbooks. We can't always believe everything we hear.

~The most important information from this reading are the true facts about Columbus. He wasn't the first person to discover America, and he only used the natives for their gold. He was very cruel and selfish, and is not heroic.

~A teacher question I could ask is: "Do you think this passage is providing true information? Explain."

~In my own words, these pictures show 2 sides to the story. On the left, it shows us how everyone sees Columbus; heroic. He just looks like a normal man. But, on the right it shows us that Columbus was actually wanted, and he was a cruel man.

Dianka said...

One question I had about what I read was if we all know the true important facts about Columbus and his voyages then why do we continue to study the facts in our textbooks that leave out the important facts?

As I was reading I was thinking about every year in previous grades when I was told all these things about Columbus that aren't even really true, they're kind of changed to make Columbus sound like an even bigger hero.

Questions that I can ask about what I read may be why was Columbus's cruelty never mentioned to us before? Why were we once told Columbus set out to prove the earth was not flat when in "Lies My Teacher Told Me" it mentions that most people didn't believe in flat-earth geography? Why don't the textbooks ever mention the West Africans?

While I read I was curious about Columbus and the type of person he really is. After reading "Lies My Teacher Told Me" Columbus is much different then I thought of him to be before. He isn't as much of a hero as I thought of him to be, he was cruel to the Indians and the Indian women, and it even said that we don't know exactly what Columbus looks like since a picture of him was never painted at the time making the portraits we see of him of no value.

The only thing I really need clarifying on is when do I know what part of this is true and what part is fake. It seems like all the textbooks lie but there are some parts that are true facts, how would I tell this apart and how would I know what to trust.

What the author wants me to learn from this packet is that Columbus did not discover America, he simply changed the conditions and ways in Europe. He wants me to remember that what the textbook says is only a way to make Columbus seem like a better person than he really was, in reality he was much different, and I should remember of the groups of people that visited the Americas before Columbus.

The important information in this passage is Columbus is not the hero we all thought of him to be and that he didn't really make any discovery, people such as the Phoenicians had come to the America before Columbus so he didn't really make a discovery, he just changed things throughout Europe. Also, that we don't really know as much as much as we think we do about Columbus, there are things we don't know.

A teacher question you can ask about the main idea is providing support from "Lies My Teacher Told Me" how what kind of person do you think Columbus really was and how is this description different then what you thought of him before
reading this?

In my own words this is about Columbus's "discovery" not really being a discovery and taking the history of Columbus that we have learned and picking out the lies and learning the truth that the lies cover up. Columbus was really a different person then we were once told he was and he made many changes to the life and conditions in Europe and other places as well too.

Christina Popik said...

*One question I had about what I read was why don’t textbooks show various biases on a story instead of one?

*As I was reading, I was thinking about how I have always greatly relied on textbooks to give me the best possible information and now I am starting to reconsider that. I don’t think that textbooks lie about what happened in history, but they definitely don’t give the whole truth of an event and mention everything that happened.

*Questions I can ask about what I read are…
-Why don’t people keep in mind that Columbus has done committed cruel acts?
-Why is Columbus praised for discovering the Americas when there is evidence that it probably was discovered before 1492?
-Why don’t the Africans and Afro-Phoenicians get recognition for making a permanent impact on the Americas?

*While I read, I was curious about if there were other times when I have only been told one side to a story or event in history. Before I read “Lies” I thought Columbus was a great hero. I’m not saying he’s not, but my opinion of him has changed a little bit after reading more about what was going on around the time he made his “discovery.”

*Something I need clarified is what is factual information and what is just a bias.

*The author wants me to remember or learn from this passage is that there are two sides to every story.

*The most important information in this passage is to me when it talks about the possible exploration of the Americas by the Afro-Phoenicians. According to the writer, only two of the twelve textbooks talked about the possibility of this exploration. I thought this was important enough to be mentioned in the textbooks but they aren’t because the Afro-Phoenicians weren’t white. It seems like textbooks tend to portray white people as the only ones who did great things during this time.

*A “teacher” question I can ask about the main idea is is the information featured in “Lies” factual or a bias? Explain your thinking.

*In my own words, “Lies My Teacher Told Me” is about showing people that things aren’t always as they seem. For years I thought of Columbus as this great hero, and little did I know there was a whole other side to the discovery of the New World. After reading this it kind of made me feel like textbook lie to us readers but really it’s just the writer’s point of view. I do however, think that some writers “sugarcoat” the story of Columbus to make it sound better and more interesting. This made me realize that if you’re learning about an important event in history you should view multiple sources because each one contains different information and a different point of view. Some of the information was shocking to read and it goes to show how much I really didn’t know about Columbus.

Chris "Bogey" Bogardus said...

One question I had about the reading was... Why didn't Columbus think that he would be wanted as a criminal after torturing the Indians?

As I was reading the chapter I was thinking if Columbus ever had second thoughts about what he was doing to the Indians.

Questions I can ask about what I read are... How come Columbus never had a portrait of himself?
Also, as alot of people had said already, Why do our teachers and textbooks lie to us about Columbus?

When I read, I was curious if more than just Columbus's history is a lie?

One thing that needs to be clarified for me is... Why did the people back then think the world was flat?

The author wants me to remember to not always believe what is in our textbooks, and if you don't think its true prove it wrong.

The most important information about the reading is the true facts in the chapter. For example in the reading it states that Spain did appreciate Columbus's findings.

A "teacher" question you can ask is... Why do you think the history books over the years have put in lies about Columbus?

In my own words this is about the lies and truths history books tell us. Columbus was never a hero, he was more of a villian because he killed, raped, and tortured the Indians. But in the history book is states he got along well with the Indians, but in reality he never did.

Patrick Martin said...

1. The main question that i had when i was reading was why would historians give christopher cloumbus so much credit for something that was already discorverd. Another question that i had was if people and historians knew waht happend why dont they change the history books to tell the truth.
2. As i was reading this i couldent help but wonder why most text bookes would still make up false reasons for why the europeans were expanding. This text lies my teacher told me got me thinking about how people try to make someone look good if they do something that helps out the majorty of the people by steping on others to get that goal.
3. Why would people let cloumbus day be a national holiday after all the lies that were told? If most of the US population really knew what christopher cloumbus did would he still be considerd a hero in their eyes? Will people change the standerd text book not to make columbus look good but to tell the truth?
4. As i was reading i was curious about why teachears and schools could teach the lies to kids even after they know the truth about what happed in 1492.
5. Things that i need to be clarifyed is why are there so many text books and teachers that teach young kids these lyes instead of telling the sudents what happend so history doesent repeat its self.
6. I think the author wanted to learn the fact from the fiction. His goal was to educated the reader on the acual events that happend and the main reason america is what it is today.
7. To me the most inportant information that was stated is that christopher clombus was not the first person to find the americas but that it was because of him that europe made a great deal because it was in europeas time of need.
8. Kinds of questions that a teacher would ask is what is the should we teach what christopher cloumbus stood for or what he really did.
9. The images on the left repersents what people thought was the hro and what people prasied. Th image on the right shows the true crimal that he was and how many lives he had runied for the good of himself

Pallavi Kasturi said...

* One question I had was: Why don’t our textbooks tell us who the “real” Christopher Columbus is?

* When I was reading the text, I realized that most of our textbooks portray Columbus as a big hero, and don’t show who he really is. Our textbooks don’t tell the whole truth and stretch it.

* Questions I asked myself were: Why do books not give us accurate information?

* While I was reading, I was curious about how when I was younger I was told that Columbus was a great man who discovered America. Why don’t we learn about the other explorers on their expeditions here and what they achieved?

* Something that needs clarifying to me would be now what textbook can I now trust for accurate information. Also why were we taught something different and untrue until high school?

* What the author wants me to remember from this passage is there are two different sides to a story, and you should know the fact from the fiction.

* The most important information from this packet would be that Columbus is not the person that we learned and heard about. We all thought that he was a great man who discovered America, but really there were other people that came here before him and were credited for it. Also we learned that we should know the real truth about our history and not stretch the truth.

* A "teacher question" would be: What kind of person do you think Columbus is after learning the truth about him?

* The picture on the left shows how Columbus is a heroic man and was a great champion. On the left it shows the truth about him and that he is not the man people should look up to. The “wanted sign” symbolizes that he has done so many wrong things and should not be a role model for his ways. Columbus was a man that was greatly appreciated for coming to America but, he wasn’t the only one. He was put in the glory and all the other explorers were put out in all of the fame.

Emma C said...

One question I had about what I read was...Why are our textbooks telling us that Columbus is a great man who discovered our land because he is actually a horrible man?

As I was reading I was thinking about what every teacher has taught us. They have taught us that Columbus discovered our land and he was a great man, they said that he should honor and love him. But, what they didn't tell us was the man he really was.

Questions I can ask about what I read are...
- Why don't our textbooks tell us everything about Columbus?
-Why don't we learn about other expeditions as much as the Columbus expedition, especially because the other explorers probably didn't do all the horrible things Columbus did?

While I read, I was curious about why no one has wrote a text book yet about all the horrible things Columbus has done to Native Americans and things he let his crew do to them. Why hasn't anyone wrote a book about the other explorers and their expeditions to America?

One thing I need clarification on is what part of this book is fact and what is fiction, can I even trust this book?

I believe that this author wants me to remember or learn from this passage that just because you read something about someone and people tell you things about them then you shouldn't until you know the whole story. We thought that Columbus was a great hero who discovered our land and was great and helpful to native americans, but we didn't hear the whole story, he abused and enslaved them.

I believe the most important information in this passage is the truth about Columbus. We learned that text books and teachers have been lying to us saying that we should be thankful for Columbus, but we really shouldn't because he is not a very good man at all, and I believe it is important to know all that Columbus did.

A "teacher" question about the passage that you can ask about the main idea is " Do you think Columbus day should be gotten rid of because of everything Columbus did?"

In my own words, this passage is about how if a man does one great thing, then that great thing he did can cover up all his lies. This passage is about how Columbus isn't actually a hero, he is a horrible person. The picture on the right shows how horrible he was. It tells you he was racist, he committed genocide, grand theft, he raped, tortured and, maimed many of the indigenous people. This passage is saying that the text books should tell the truth, but they don't.

Dallas OMeara said...

1)One question I had while reading was why do people say Columbus did good things although he didn't?

2)The things I were thinking about as I read were why did we learn those things about what Columbus did when most of it, if not all of it, wasn't true. We didn't learn then what set up to Columbus doing what he did.

3)The question I can ask about what I read was that why did we get taught the wrong things when we were younger about Columbus when the facts weren't true.

4)While I read, I was curious about if some other explorer would have done what Columbus did, if they first discovered America.

5)The ideas that need clarifying for me are that I still don't know why we weren't told the truth, as I stated before. Another idea that needs clarifying is what's real and what's fake about Columbus.

6) The thing that the author wants me to remember or learn from this passage is that you should have backround information on the things you hear first to determine if it is reliable information or not.

7)The most important information in this passage is learning what Columbus really did instead of what you were taught growing up.

8)The kind of "teacher" question that I can ask about the main idea is "What do you believe Columbus really did and do you think what he did was the right thing to do?"

9)In my own words, this is about determining the truth on what Columbus really did from what everybody says and believes he did.

Paul said...

One question that I had about Lies my Teacher Told Me was, if our text books aren't true, then why do teachers continue to teach us these lies?

As I was reading, i thought, why don't teachers teach Lies My Teacher Told Me? So if I was learning from the lies, why don't we learn from Lies in the very beginning of school?

Some questions I can ask while I read are...
- Is this all factual information or is it bias?
- Why do we appreciate Columbus if he was a very rotten and selfish person?

While i read i was curious about is this all our text books left out? Or are there more lies in our text books that we do not know about?

I need clarification on why are just learning about the truths now? Why couldn't we learn about this in the previous years of school?

I think that the author wants me to remember/learn from this passage is to learn the real truths about Columbus and not believe the "lies" that our teachers have taught us.

The most important information in this passage is the truths about Columbus. It is at least good know what is actually true about Columbus.

A "teacher" question I can ask about the main idea is, " What do you think of this passage? Do you think everything is true in lies my teacher told me?

In my own words, these pictures are about how some people can see Columbus as a hero, but some people can see see him as nasty person as it says, he stole, he was racist, etc.







Jimmy V said...

1. One question I had was, why do we only know Columbus when he was one the the last explorers to explore the Americas.

2. As I read, I was thinking about how many historians now say Columbus wasn't such a good person but many people are still under the impression that Columbus was a saint.

3. Questions I can ask about are, What kind of source did Loewen use to write this and what other kinds of lies have we seen in history books?

4. While I read, I was curious about why the text books don't use information from a variety of source's and at least mention the other idea.

5. Ideas that need clarifying is the fact that maps were charted in Antarctica.

6. The author wants us to learn that not everything you hear or read is true, that many events in history have to sides to a story, or are even altered.

7. That other cultures before Columbus had explored the Americas.

8. A teacher question would be, After reading "Lies My Teacher Told Me" what do you believe is true based on what you read and past knowledge.

9. In my own words, this chapter is a nontraditional textbook idea, in which it takes knowledge from our modern era contradicting ideas taught in traditional history about Columbus.

Julian F said...

One question I had about what I read was why do textbooks try to make Columbus seem like more of a hero and leave out important information?

As I was reading I thought about why Columbus day is still a National holiday when we know of things he's done from first hand accounts.

A question I can ask about what i read is why was Columbus the one who "discovered" america when other explorers before him already did?

While I read, I was curious about why this text isnt used all through America to show the truths.

As I read I was curious to how much of the article was bias and what was true information.

The author wants me to remember that not everything that you hear is true. Most of the things you hear are bias and you dont know if they're really true or not.

The most important information in this passage is the truth about Columbus. Up till now I have learned differently about him, believing he was a great man. The article changed my view on him.

A teacher question about the main idea would be, "How do you view Columbus now after reading the article? What new things have you learned about him?"

In my own words, this is about revealing the truth about Columbus and informing everyone how he really was. Its about calling out lies from historic text books that make him seem like a hero and explaining what actually happened rather than giving "lies" and "half truths".

Sean Maziuk said...

One question I had about what I read was: Instead of viewing Columbus as a hero, why can't textbooks acknowledge him the cruel acts he led against the native Americans, and why can't Pre-Columbus explorers be documented as well?

As I read I was thinking about the very useful perspective that "Lies My Teacher Told Me" gives to students who have only read from traditional history textbooks. I believe that all students should read this passage, to clarify the facts of Columbus's expedition.

Questions I can ask myself about what I read are if the given cause is legitimate. In "Lies", the author points out that many teachers give the story of Europeans needing spices for meats, although that is far from the truth.

While I read, I was curious about the number of people who had reached America prior to Columbus, and why those people aren't documented in history books. This also made me curious about whether there are other events in our country's history that's teachings are seperate from the truth.

An area of the reading that I need clarification is the reasoning behind the textbooks for not teaching the truth. If Columbus was not a hero, then why would educators image him as one, and even celebrate him?

The author wants me to learn that any story can have two sides. He stresses the bias of most textbooks of Columbus, that aren't telling the truth.

The most important information in the passage was that about Christopher Columbus. It is important that the leader learned both sides of the story, and that textbooks may lack certain truths.

A techer question could be, "After reading 'Lies My Teacher Told Me', how do you think the discovery of America should be taught to students?

This passage is about presenting the truth on Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America. It is a comparison between traditional teachings of how the western world was found, with the facts that are avoided in the classroom.

Matt Vartelas said...

One question I had about what I read was- Will the textbooks every tell both sides of historical events?

What was I thinking about as I was reading- The difference between what I learned growing up and this side of Columbus and the Native Americans.

Questions I can ask about what I read-
Approximately how many Native deaths are Columbus and his men accountable for?
Why is Columbus' expedition so much more popular to the American public when there are many expeditions that should be more appreciated.

I think the author wanted me to learn not to always believe what I read in a text book because there will always be different opinions and sides to the story that may be true.

I think the most important part is not to automatically assume that because Columbus and his men made a great discovery means that they were nice and humane people.

In my own words this is about picking which side has the most evidence and choosing your own belief on what happened.

Matt Vartelas said...

One question I had about what I read was- Will the textbooks every tell both sides of historical events?

What was I thinking about as I was reading- The difference between what I learned growing up and this side of Columbus and the Native Americans.

Questions I can ask about what I read-
Approximately how many Native deaths are Columbus and his men accountable for?
Why is Columbus' expedition so much more popular to the American public when there are many expeditions that should be more appreciated.

I think the author wanted me to learn not to always believe what I read in a text book because there will always be different opinions and sides to the story that may be true.

I think the most important part is not to automatically assume that because Columbus and his men made a great discovery means that they were nice and humane people.

In my own words this is about picking which side has the most evidence and choosing your own belief on what happened.

Brian Cusano said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Brooke H said...

One question I had when I was reading "Lies My Teacher Told Me" was, why do textbooks leave out important information on Columbus?

As I read, I was thinking that Columbus isn't as great as textbooks make him seem. They leave out the parts of the story that make him look bad and only tell us the good parts so we think of him more as a hero.

Some questions I can ask about what I read are...
-Why don't out textbooks tell us the whole story?
-Was this based on facts or opinions?
-Why do we celebrate Columbus as the founder of America when there were people here before him?

While I read, I was curious if anything else in our textbooks were lies. Until I read "Lies My Teacher Told Me" I thought that all textbooks told the whole story and that everything was 100% true.

I think the author wants me to learn that you can't trust textbooks or any source of information 100%. There's two sides to every story but both aren't always told.

The most important information in this passage is what wasn't already in our textbooks. We found out that Columbus isn't exactly who we all thought he was. There were other people in America before him and he wasn't the nicest guy.

One "teacher" question I can ask about the main idea is, How reliable do you think the information in "Lies My Teacher Told Me" is? Explain.

In my own words, these pictures show different points of views on Columbus. The map shows how he was a huge help in trade. The middle picture shows him in a pose like he was a great leader. The wanted picture shows how evil he really was because he was a theft, and raped and tortured Indigenous people.

Brian Cusano said...

One question I had was- Why does Columbus have a holiday for himself if he killed many Natives and made other slaves.

I was thinking when reading- I want to read a passage from a Native American perspective. Also I want to know why Columbus was treated so good. Also how accurate this book is and if it's a reliable source.

I can ask
-Why do people only care about Columbus's journey to America,
-Why do people consider Columbus a hero.

While I read I wondered how much the textbook was lying about Columbus, and why did people ignore other expeditions.

One question I had is is the reliability of the book, also why do American's idolize Columbus.

I think the author wanted us to realize that the textbooks are not always factual, and could have bias opinions.

I think the most important information is the actually rue facts about Columbus and the journals from people.

In my own words this is about retaining important information. Also deciding if the facts are true or false.

Izabella G. said...

13 One question I had about what I read is why do we continue to learn facts about history that are not completely accurate and why don’t the textbooks bother to tell us the truth?

As I was reading, I remembered all the information I learned in previous years and started to think about their accuracy. It made me start to question what other knowledge isn’t true such as other “heros” in history doing more bad than good, as Columbus had.

As I read, I questioned if Columbus had only been greedy and treated people poorly, then why do schools still teach us that he is a hero? I also questioned the author and wondered why he puts all the blame on Columbus, he had many shipmen that helped and encouraged him to pursue his actions. I also wanted to know why students don’t know all this information and are still taught inaccurate myths about the early Americas.

While I read, I was curious to learn about more explorers other than Christopher Columbus. There had to have been more explorers such as from West Africa, that had found the Americas before him. I would like to see actual proof from those times that prove that these historical figures had been there.

I need clarifying on if what I had read is the author’s opinion on what had actually happened or if this is true information. If this is accurate I would like to know how the author had learned all this when it seems that barely any others do, or why he actual believes these ideas when other scholars dismiss them.

The author wants me to remember that most of the information I learn in my textbooks does not go into depth. There have been people previous to Christopher Columbus that have discovered the Americas and all he had actually done was change the conditions in Europe from his “last discovery”. He also wants me to recognize that I must question the information I learn and try to do more research before I come to a conclusion.

The most important information in this passage is the true facts about Columbus. Students need to realize that he is not the true founder of America and he is not a true hero. They need to use this information to recognize the true founders and give them credit such as the Afro-Americans. They also need to realize that they cannot rely on their textbook to learn the truth about the past; they need to do more research in order to find out the complete truth.

A teacher question you can ask is “Using support from ‘Lies my Teacher Told Me’ and previous knowledge, what kind of person do you think Columbus actually was and if you think he was a true hero or not. Why? “

In my own words, this is about two sides to this story. The left picture shows what the people of Europe had thought of Columbus. They had seen him as a well put together guy and respect what he had done. But on the left it shows what the people of today that know the truth, actually think. Columbus had been greedy and selfish and had only been focused on gold, rather than the lives of the people of Haiti and other lands. He had killed many just to try and get closer to this goal. Through his actions he had helped the people back home but had ruined/killed the lives of hundreds of others.

Chase Desautels said...

One question I had while reading was why is Christopher Columbus celebrated with a holiday and in many other ways if he stole the Native Americans land and turn them into slaves?

As I was reading I thought why is Columbus celebrated as a hero if he did such wrong things?

Questions:
1. Why is Columbus treated as a hero if he was really a villain?
2.Why do text books put out false information about Columbus.

While I read I was curious about why the other expeditions to America were ignored compared to Columbus's.

There was not much I needed clarified, but sometimes it was hard to figure out what is the truth and what is fake.

What I think the author wanted us to learn from the passage is that everything you read isn't true and that you should not believe everything you hear.

My teacher question is do you think that Columbus is more hero or villain.

Lies my Teacher told me is really important because it tells you the whole truth about Columbus what he did.

Justine said...

1) One question I had about what I read was why do we celebrate discovers that were first and white and not the events that flowed or did not flow from their accomplishments?

2) While I was reading I was thinking about everything I was taught and I realized that I kept learning the basic information over and over again. They taught us how Columbus discovered America and how he was a nice man, but in reality, none of that is true.

3) Some questions I can ask about what I read are:
- Why do our textbooks give us false information and where do they get it from?
- Since most of the information about Columbus is a lie, then why do we celebrate a holiday dedicated to him?
- Why don’t we recognize any of the other people that actually discovered the America first?

4) While I read, I was curious about where the textbooks got the false information from and how the author got true information. I was also curious about Columbus because I was always taught that he was a great hero, but after reading, “Lies My Teacher Told Me,” he seems mean, cruel, and rude. In the passage he states that he would punish Indians and torture them if they didn’t listen to him.

5) The words and ideas that I need clarifying are why do we celebrate Columbus Day? Also, I need clarifying on what’s true and what is false because the author moved very quickly and it was sometimes hard to pick up on. Also, I didn’t really understand what the Arawaks did. The only words I didn’t know were efflorescence and ostensible.

6) From this passage, the author wants me to learn that not everything in a textbook is true and that some information is left out. He also wants me to know the truth behind Columbus and how he is not the hero everyone thinks he is. He also wants me to know that Columbus didn’t discover America.

7) The most important information in this passage is that Columbus didn’t discover America, the Afro-Phoenicians did, but they didn’t get any recognition because they weren’t white. Also, it is important to know that Columbus was a cruel man to the people that lived in America before he arrived and he just changed things in Europe.

8) A teacher might ask, “What are the five developments that caused Europe to want to discover a “new” continent?” They may also ask, “Why do you think textbooks put false information in their books? Explain.”

9) In my own words, “Lies My Teacher Told Me,” is showing how things aren’t always as they seem. They show this through the story of Columbus. We always learned that Columbus is a great man, a hero, and he discovered America, but in “Lie My Teacher Told Me,” we learned that Columbus is cruel, selfish, and he wasn’t the first person to discover America. My perspective on Columbus changed because this passage was about how history books use false information to make him seem like a good person.

Ryan D said...

One question I had as I read was, Why don't textbooks acknowledge the other side of the Columbus story we all know?

As I was reading I was thinking about how much time the author must have spent to gather all of this information and sort through it to find things we all believe to be true, but are not.

Questions I can ask about what I read:
Why do different textbooks incorporate and leave out different pieces of key information about Columbus?
Why aren't previous explorers who made expeditions West noticed in textbooks?
If the other two ship captains were smarter than Columbus, why weren't they credited?

While I read I was curious about how many more details about Columbus do we not know? Is there more than his personal journal to give us more ideas? I was also curious about other people that agree with the author and others who disagree.

Clarification: Why are there so many different views on Columbus? Why can't he be celebrated for his accomplishments but also be recognized for the awful things he did personally and allowed throughout his expeditions?

The author wants me to remember/learn that Columbus wasn't the man that everyone was taught that he was. There is a whole other side of the story that goes along with his discoveries. The things we read in textbooks can sometimes be exaggerated to make it seem more appealing.

The most important information in this passage is the other side of Columbus and the expeditions prior to Columbus' that were successful.

Teacher Question: After reading "Lies" has your view on Columbus changed? Do you believe Columbus Day should still be a recognized holiday?

This was about the other side of Columbus. It revealed everything that the textbooks do not cover and it was mostly the "bad" side of Columbus. It showed how the natives were treated when Columbus reached America and how he planned to rule them. This excerpt also pointed out the previous discoveries by earlier people. "Lies" wanted to inform the reader that some things in textbooks can't be trusted 100% of the time.

myranda williams said...

One question i had abpout what i read was how come children in elementry and middle are still getting taught the story of columbus and how "he sailed the ocean in 1492" and his journey to our land if it's basically proven that it is not true.
While i was reading i still couldnt get the thought how do we know that what this packet is teaching it is not false but not altogether true also.
Question I can ask about what i read are: Who are the sources that Loewen used for this passage? And also Why do people overlook what Columbus did to the innocent people?
While i read i was curious if the Native American ever did anything to fight back or let people know.
An idea i need clarified is about it being true or fake the knowledge that i just read, because it feels as if i would never know for sure.
The author wants me to most likely remeber how Columbus wasn't a hero to our country,and to learn to check background information before beleiving what you hear.
The most important info in this passage is the real truth about Columbus instead of wht we learned when we were in elementry and middle.
A teacher question i can ask about the main passage is "Since now you've heard both sides of Columbus which one do you think should be taught in textbooks? Explain.
In my own words this is about the real truth behind Columbus and his journey to the Americas.This passage shows how the textbook and the truth can be two different things. Also it is about how there is always a story behind every hero or fairytale.

Miranda Zygmunt said...

One question I had about what I read was how do history book authors think they are helping by leaving out historical events in Columbus's expeditions or by putting misleading information in their books?

While I was reading, I was thinking about everything I learned about Columbus up to his point and how this chapter of "Lies My Teacher Told Me" proved a lot of what I learned to be wrong. We were taught all people thought the world was flat and that Columbus was the first to discover America which was proved to be untrue. I also thought about how much they left out in history books.

The questions I can ask about what I read are
- Why do we celebrate Columbus for killing and enslaving Indians?
- What history book is the most accurate about Columbus's voyages and its effects?
- What makes Columbus be considered as a hero?
- Are people aware that what they read in the history books is not all true?
- Why do we never learn about the other voyages done by Columbus?

While I read, I was curious if slavery and discrimination against races began because of how Columbus treated the Indians when he found them on the land.

The part that I need clarifying on is what to believe about Columbus's voyages.

The idea the author wants me to learn about this passage is that history books can lie about the truth in historical events. Also, this means other things we hear, even if we think they are true, they could be a lie. Also, the author wanted to prove to us that books, teachers, and everyone can be inaccurate.

The most important information in this passage is that Columbus was cruel and not as much of a hero as we thought him to be. Also, that the history books we read don't accurately recall Columbus's explorations.

The kind of teacher question I can ask about the main idea is from the information is "Lies My Teacher Told Me", do you think that most of our history books say are just myths about Columbus or can some of it be factual?

In my own words, this is about our history books having some type of bias. Also, our books have not told us how Columbus really acted towards the natives. He was cruel and used the Indians labor for selfish reasons. Columbus got all the credit for discovering America but there is evidence other voyages came across the land before Columbus got there. Lastly, this is about white people being credited in history and African Americans not being credited for their contributions because of their race.

Gavin Colwell said...

A question I had while reading was how many European Explores had already found the American continents before Columbus was credited for it.

As I read, I thought how many facts in history books are actually incorrect or just contain misleading information.

A question I can ask is how credible is the author. If he was a history major in college than I might be able to trust the information provided but any other major might not be as reliable.

As I read, I was curious about the other explorers that found the American continents and explored before Columbus.

A word that I need clarifying on is Bureaucracy.

The author wants to remind me that not everything in history books is true and that sometimes people get overlooked in history.

The most important thing about this passage was that it is all about the facts. It tells about what Columbus did do for us that change history.

A 'teacher' question could be 'Why weren't the other explorers who came before Columbus credited to finding America.

In my own words, this passage was about finding the fact about the founding and exploration of our country.

Katherine A. said...

One question I had about what I read was: When and why did history books begin to only show the positive aspects of Christopher Columbus instead of every aspect (the good and the bad)?
As I was reading, I thought about how unfairly treated the natives were, not only by Columbus but by other explorers too.
Questions that I can ask about what I read:
Will we ever truly know the entire story?
How did and when did the view and story of Christopher Columbus begin to change?
While I read, I was curious about how James Loewen developed his opinion about Columbus.
I think that the author wanted me to learn that sometimes it is always a good thing to hear both sides of a story. He wanted me to remember that textbooks do not always go into a lot of detail about specific issues.
The most important information in this passage is the facts about Christopher Columbus that most students have never learned. History books can only tell us so much about our earlier periods in time
A teacher question that you can ask about the main idea could be; “By combining everything you now have learned from multiple sources about Christopher Columbus, what can you say to be the best synopsis of what he did?”
In my own words, this is about how different people’s perspectives or studies on history events can change our own point of view. I also think this is about how we have to look at the “big picture” (good and bad) when learning about important events such as the discovering of America.

Unknown said...

One question I had about what I read in Lies was why don’t our textbooks include different possibilities of the discoveries of America? In Lies there were so many different things that have happened throughout the course of history that I have never heard about in any of my history classes which makes me wonder why.

While I was reading Lies My Teacher Told Me, I was thinking about how true some of the information was. Something that struck me was that we are a nation that sugar coat things to our liking. We choose to learn and teach about Columbus because it simply the easiest to explain, compared to all the different possibilities.

Some questions that I can ask about what I read can be do we as a nation believe only the things we want to benefit our nationalism and self worth? Why don’t teachers tell us about Columbus claiming everything in his path directly after he got off the boat? Why the possibility of a possible African or Phoenician discovery of America is never looked into? Why is there so many lies surrounding Columbus’s voyage and discovery?

While I read lies I was curious about the actual truth and the fiction behind Christopher Columbus’s character. After so many years of believing he was an American “hero”, it’s hard to believe he was so incredibly heartless to the Indians and sought after one thing, gold.

Some words that need clarifying for me are bureaucracy and euro centrism.

The author wants us to learn that Columbus was not really the discoverer of America. There were millions of people who lived in America before Columbus’s arrival. He also wants us to know that there are other possible people and cultures that could have discovered America. Also, the fact of how the world came to think that all we know today comes from Europe

The most important information in the passage is that textbooks provide “feel good history”. Text books are usually a reference that should be reliable. From Lies I learned that even those supposedly reliable sources have many misleading things in them. A lot of the information in the 12 books that the author mentions features tons of false information on just one small part of history. Imagine all the other parts of history that could have false information just to keep the history aspect in perspective and steer away from questions in the Nation’s history and character.

A teacher question about the main idea of lies could be “After everything you have read in your books and Lies, do you think Columbus Day should still be a holiday? Support your answer with three reasons why or why not.”

In my own words this is about how Columbus didn’t really discover America and how there is so much untruth surrounding his voyage and discovery. He has always been put on a pedestal to seem like such a heroic figure when he was greedy and money hungry like many other people. This whole passage was a comparison between what text books tell us and what actual facts tell us. It also allows a authors bias to be shown and thought about by the reader.

Kaitie Dow said...

1. One question that i had as i read was why do textbooks lead us to believe Columbus was a hero after all of the terrible things he did to the Indians?

2. I was thinking that if I were an author of a textbook i would want to include this information, instead of glorifying Columbus to make "feel good history". Feel good history is not reality. Students and teachers, and everyone in general deserve to know the truth about Columbus, not just enough information about him to make him sound like a hero.

3.Some question i could ask about what I read are why is Columbus a hero? How are authors able to look past what he did and make him sound like a good person? What is so bad about knowing the truth? What is the point in providing information that doesn't paint us a clear picture of our history?

4.While I was curious about if the authors that provide little information about the truth of Columbus do it because it is what they, themselves believe, or its because its what they want us to believe. I wondered why they wouldn't include information about what the people went through when Columbus got to them instead of saying Columbus found a "new world". And how could they say he discovered something that people already knew about.

5. Some ideas that need clarification for me is why textbooks was to "magnify" Columbus as a great hero, why not just tell what he did, so people see the real him, why do we have to be lied to? It doesn't make sense.

6.The author wants me to remember the real facts about what really went on in our history so that i can paint a clear picture of what might have happened, and to not always trust what textbooks say.

7. The most important information in this passage is about Columbus' involvement in slavery because no textbooks mention that he had something to do with the horrible deeds. People have no idea of what he did and this is why people see him only as a hero who discovered the "new world".

8.Why isn't this information included in textbooks? Why cant we know what Columbus actually did, or why don't they want us to know?

9. In my own words this chapter is about how textbooks often forget to include pieces of history that might destroy Columbus' reputation. They forget to include that once he got to the "new world" , as he called it, that he tool total control of the land and the people. That he put the Native Americans to work and made them slaves, shipped them to other places. Textbook authors portray him to be this "hero" when in reality there is so many missing pieces to his voyage and discovery.

Samantha Hardiman said...

One question i had about what i read was: Why do textbooks and teachers still teach that Columbus is an American hero, and why do we still have "Columbus Day" as a national holiday when it is clear he did more negative that positive?

As I was reading, i was thinking about why for many years, schools were only teaching one perspective to students, and how the textbooks leave out so much information that is part of our countries' history. Learning now that Columbus wasn't really our countries hero after all, it made me wonder what other questionable things that we have been taught in history.

Questions I can ask about what I read:
-Why are we only learning now in high school that everything about Columbus is lies, if everyone knew the truth, then Columbus would not be considered a hero.
-Although there is bias in what truly happend in this situation, why do all text books reward Columbus, when i feel there should be some who say he is a hero but some who don't. It seems almost no books say the truth behind Columbus.

While I read, I was curious about the others, Those who could've discovered America before, or went on other expeditions across the world, when people were leaving America. I just don't understand why we are honoring a man who did nothing positive for this country, when there are several others who we should be honoring instead.

The clarification I need is whether or not this is just another biased book or a different perspective. Although this seems factual, we believed that Columbus was a hero for so long, and that turned out to be an opinion. So i just don't know which one to believe.

I believe that the author wants us to consider and question everything we are told/have read. Just because someone tells us something doesn't mean we should automatically believe it. Although this could also be put against this book, and we should then question it's reliability also.

The most important information in this passage is to know all of the facts about what was happening in Europe and about Columbus. We should not just be presented with a bunch of biased information leaning to one side, we should know all of the information.

One teacher question I have is "What makes you believe the information in "Lies my teacher told me" over the information in "The American Pageant" or vice versa?"

In my own words this is about knowing the truth about Columbus and that he wasn't actually the first one to discover America, and that everything we have learned up until now about Columbus is questionable.

Ed Companik said...

1. One question that I had while I read was, why do all of the text books in America represent Columbus as a hero if he treated everyone so badly and we know this about him?
2. What I was thinking about while I read was what would every person in this country think if they too read this instead of just listening to all of the text books. I feel like if everyone read, "Lies", then all of the people in Americas perspectives on Columbus would be different and everyone would know how cruel he actually was and not treat him as a hero anymore.
3. A question that I have about what I read is why is our country trying to shield of with the truth so much and just tell us bias? For example in this article it talks about the lies that are told about Columbus and then also even in our country right now we are still not telling everyone the truth.
4. While I read I was curious about if any other explorers had come and explored America before Columbus because we never hear about anyone else besides Columbus.
5. Some clarifying that I would like made is just helping me determine in our present day what really happened with Columbus when he came here instead of just what everyone tells you about what happened.
6. I believe what the author wants us to learn from this passage is that not everything that you have learned in your life is going to be true and people will just tell you things to make you get a better impersonation of what's going on to their liking.
7. The most important information in this passage would be just for us to learn that not everything that is told to us about foreign explorers is necessarily true. For example in this case we all know Columbus as a hero as described in text books but he really is not a hero.
8. A teacher question I could ask would be, "What information do you truly believe is true about Columbus and explain why?"
9. In my own words this is about how all throughout our lives people have tried to tell us things that are not true about Columbus in particular but also other people too. This was trying to tell us that we are not ever going to be able to believe those people because they will always try and make us think what they think because they feel they are right.

Jon Han said...

Jon Han Said......
1. One question that came up as was reading was, if Columbus is not that man that is not the man we learn about in the history books, why do we still include the same facts in the history books.
2. As I was reading, I realized that most people in the world don't know the real facts about Columbus.
3. Questions I can ask about what I read are...
- why do our teachers and textbook never teach us fully about Columbus and his acts of cruelty
- why does society teach us to praise Columbus as a hero and credit only him for "discovering" America?
4. While I was reading, I wanted to know about Columbus's voyages before making his way to America. Also his personal life and his characteristics because I wondered why he never wanted to get a portrait of himself.
5. something I needed clarification on now is, which textbooks tell the whole facts and not just parts of it
6. What the author wants me to remember from this packet is that there is always two sides to every story. textbooks is bias and makes Columbus a better and nicer person when in reality he was cruel. Therefore you have to learn from a variety of sources to research a subject. Also that he wasn't the first one to make his way to America but is still given all the credit.
7. Important facts from the passages are that Columbus is not the hero and man we learn from the history books. Also that he didn't even make any discoveries because the Afro-Americans and Phoenicians made their way to America before him.
8. a question a teacher might ask me is that, how has your opinion of Columbus changed after you've read this passage?
9. In my own words the picture on the left shows me a prestigious man who is highly respected. Also a man worthy of receiving credit for the "discovery of America. However on the right, it shows a wanted criminal who if judged in modern times would be considered one of the worst kind of criminals. Also it shows truth about a man who many people praise and honor.

Frankie M. said...

1: One question i had while reading was why don't textbooks provide the true facts on what happened with Columbus?

2: While i read Lies My Teacher Told Me, i thought the author did well at proving wrong the european views of other textbooks.

3: I wonder why it is that Columbus gets glory, and why textbooks aren't as accurate as they should be.

4: While i read i was wondering if anyone explored america before columbus, and if other people have different views or ideas on who discovered america.

5: The important parts/parts that need clarifying are seperating the truth from the fiction.

6: I think that the author wants the readers t acknowledge that not everything you see or hear is true, and that some people will bend the truth based on what they believe.

7: I think the most important facts are the expiditions before columbus, and the truth about what he actually did.

8: I think a good question would be, "knowing what columbus really did, should he still be glorified?"

9: In my own words this was about how columbus gets glory, yet what most people know about him is not the truth. Most people don't know that columbus did horrible things to the native americans, and the reason that they dont know how everything actually happened is because the people/textbooks that they learn from dont know what actually happened. People aren't taught about the things that columbus really did.

Lucas Q. said...

One question I had when I was reading was why did most textbooks only acknowledge the white European explorer's achievements when for the most part they weren't the first to do what they are known for.

As I read I was thinking how textbooks could glorify Columbus when he wasn't the first in the "new land" and he did many in-humane things to the natives.

Questions I had when I read:
- Why don't textbooks acknowledge the non-white natives that actually settled/found the land that white-Europeans are credited for finding?
- Why do we glorify Columbus so much?

As I read I was curious about the explorations of the peoples such as Afro-Phoenicians, Norse, and other aboriginals.

I just need clarifying of why textbooks focus so much on the White-European explorers.

The author I think wants me to learn/remember that there is so much more to the exploration of the world other than the white-European "Age of Exploration".

I think the most important information in this passage is the factual evidence of who Columbus really is and what he really done.

A teachers question that could be asked about the passage could be how does the article differ between facts about Columbus in your textbook.

This passage I believe is to show a completely different side of history and facts that usually get unused in regular textbooks. Also to show the bias that get portrayed by history writers.

Ruben Caiza Jr. said...

A question I had while reading was why don't teachers tell us about how Columbus raped the women and all the terrible things he did?

When I read I was thinking," This is pretty interesting how much things were not told to us."

Questions I can ask myself while I read:
-If I were Columbus what would I have done?
-What compelled Columbus to give woman to rape as a reward?
-Why don't textbooks include information such as this?

I was curios about how nobody bothered to tell us about these events and truths. Did they think it would discourage us from wanting to learn about Columbus and history?

The author wants me to remember not everyone is who they say they are. And even though he discovered America he was still a bad person.

Teacher question:
"why do you think teachers have not taught this to you and why do you think the author wanted to express the truth about Columbus?"

Nicole Thomas said...

*One question I had about what I read was....
Why didn't the textbook say this about Columbus?
*What were you thinking about as you were reading?
i was thinking about a question and the question was what is the lie the author's teacher told him about Columbus?
*What question(s) can you ask about what you read?
How can one person discover what another already knows and owns?
Is Columbus a fraud or not?
*While I read, I was curious about...
I was curious about what Columbus did and why he did them.
*What words or ideas need clarifying for you?
Why did Columbus do what he did?
*What does the author want me to remember or learn from this passage?
The author wants us to know that Columbus should not be seen as a hero, He was a bad person, and he DIDN'T discover the "new world".
*What is the most important information in this passage?
What Columbus did and the explorers that "discovered" the new world before him.
*What kind of “teacher” question can I ask about the main idea?
Why do you think that the textbooks might not include the true about Columbus?
*In my own words, this is about ...
This was about how the natives and Europeans world would not be the same after Columbus's voyage and what he did to them.