Who Really Discovered America?: Unraveling the Mystery & Solving the Puzzle (Kaleidoscope Kids Books (Williamson Publishing))

This title is suitable for ages 9 to 12 years. Lifelong learning happens when kids themselves assess information, produce a visual work to 'cement' this understanding, voice their opinions, and draw their own conclusions, guided by the facts as they are known today. And that's what really does happen in this book. Facts, myths, evidence, beliefs? Kids discover firsthand within their own experiences, thoughts, imaginations, and belief systems how easy it is for hearsay to turn into fact, and how often we confuse beliefs and facts. Who writes the history books? Kids are encouraged to question what they read, to explore contradictions, and to discover how it is that ancient history can be so 'alive' and still changing today. Columbus? Making it real! Kids make a Viking ship and an amazing sod house, a Kon Tiki-style raft, petroglyphs and cave paintings; they trace ocean currents with coloured water; decipher ancient language links; write a Viking saga; build a Native American-style mini-mound city; and weigh evidence pro and con. Hart and Mantell lead kids on a wonderful, enlightening journey about truth, brotherhood, humanity, wealth, freedom, and discovery. But the best gift is that the kids who use this book will know that Hart and Mantell trust them unconditionally to draw their own honest conclusions. This title is suitable for ages 8 - 14.