October 8 is Columbus Day and whether you believe he was someone to be celebrated or not, I firmly believe kids should learn about Christopher Columbus since he has had such a huge place in our history for so long. As such, you may be looking for a Christopher Columbus unit study to help teach your kids what they need to know. Maybe you want to teach it as part of a Columbus Day unit study or maybe you’re just working on planning your homeschool curriculum for this coming year. Either way, these items are perfect for adding to your Christopher Columbus unit study.
The items in this Christopher Columbus unit study are split pretty well between the ages. Some are great for elementary aged kids while others are middle school or high school ages. I’ve listed them in no particular order so please be sure to read before you order anything. I’d hate for you to purchase a homeschool item you can’t use.
Christopher Columbus Unit Study { Columbus Day Unit Study }
Some of the things that I’ve listed for this Christopher Columbus Unit study might not seem as if they would fit with a homeschool study. We used most of these items – except for a couple of older aged ones – when we studied Columbus in our homeschool and my Emma had a blast learning about it. I’m sure your kids will too!
Expedition Unknown – Season 2, episodes 9 and 10 both focus on Christopher Columbus and while they’re not usually considered education materials, I highly recommend them for older students of middle or high school ages. Not only are they entertaining, but they are full of fun facts that are little known. Like did you realize that the paintings and portraits of Columbus are not actually him? That’s right; we don’t know what he actually looked like. Check them out HERE.
History Pockets: Explorers of North America, Grades 4-6+
If you’re not familiar with History Pockets, they’re an amazing teaching resource. The History Pockets: Explorers of North America found HERE is great for hands on learning for around 3-6th grade depending on your students learning level.
If your students are learning Spanish, the Columbus Day Spanish Unit found HERE can be a great addition to your Columbus Day unit study.
Celebrations in My World – Columbus Day Book found HERE teaches about the holiday itself, how it is celebrated and more.
If your kids learn well with lapbooks, this pre-printed Christopher Columbus lapbook found HERE will be the perfect addition to your homeschool unit study.
Looking for other homeschool unit studies? Check out our United States Geography Unit Study HERE, ourAncient Egypt Unit Study HEREand our preschool 4th of July Unit Study HERE.
Why should a homeschool unit study be no fun? Grab this Columbus Day Fun Unit found HERE to keep the fun in learning!
We used Explorers of the New World when we studied Columbus in our own homeschool and my Emma LOVED the 22 DIY projects it had! It was amazing to see her learn in a way that let her have a blast doing something at the same time! Check it out HERE.
Remember playing with cootie catchers when you were a kid? Why not grab these Columbus Day Cootie Catchers found HERE and make it a fun and educational experience?
If you would rather have an entire unit study already planned that only needs supplements, grab THESE Columbus Day Task Cards and Activities found HERE. It comes with a booklet, task cards, word search and more!
Christopher Columbus (Step into Reading)
If you’ve got a little one, pick up a copy of Christopher Columbus (Step into Reading) HERE to help them both ease into reading and to learn more about Columbus Day and Columbus himself.
History on Christopher Columbus A Documentary
For older kids, the documentary “History on Christopher Columbus” is a good addition and refresher to what they have already learned in school. You can check it out HERE.
Columbus: The Four Voyages, 1492-1504
Another addition to your Christopher Columbus unit study that works well for older students is Columbus: The Four Voyages found HERE. This book is full of Columbus’ own journals and logs meaning your students will be sure to get a realistic view of how his journeys went.
If you’ve got a little one, pick up a copy of THIS copy of Christopher Columbus HERE to help them see a different side of the story.
A great into into who Columbus is in history, Who Was Christopher Columbus (found HERE), is great for a homeschool unit study on Christopher Columbus for 2-5 grades.
You Wouldn’t Want to Sail With Christopher Columbus!: Uncharted Waters You’d Rather Not Cross
You Wouldn’t Want to Sail with Christopher Columbus (found HERE) is another great addition to your Columbus Day unit study for grades 2-4. Kids who read it will get a realistic idea of what ship life was like and more.
Forum Novelties Children’s Christopher Columbus Costume, Large
Let your younger kids play dress up as part of their unit study with THIS Christopher Columbus costume!
Biography – Christopher Columbus: Explorer of the New World (A&E DVD Archives)
Another addition to your Columbus Day unit study for middle or high school students is THIS Biography documentary on Christopher Columbus.
