Columbus Day to some, Indigenous Peoples’ Day to others
Lesson plan overview
In this lesson, students explore the complex history and modern perspectives surrounding Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the United States. The lesson encourages reflection on cultural identity, national memory, and how history is taught and celebrated. This resource is ideal for intermediate (B1–B2) ESL learners who want to improve their English skills while engaging with meaningful, real-world topics. It’s particularly suitable for students interested in history, social justice, and cultural studies, or for classrooms focusing on diversity, heritage, and civic awareness. Other lessons you might like are “Minority languages” and “Cultures are not costumes“.
Activities included in the worksheet:
Lead-in & Discussion: Students share ideas about holidays that honor historical figures, brainstorm vocabulary related to exploration, and discuss how perspectives on history can differ between cultures.
Vocabulary Practice: Learners match key terms (e.g., voyage, indigenous, colonization, trade route, heritage) with definitions, apply them in context, and build topic-related language fluency.
Reading: Students read an informative article comparing Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, analyze how public opinion has evolved, and respond to comprehension and critical thinking questions.
Listening A & B: Students watch a video called “Can Americans celebrate Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day?”, answer multiple-choice questions, and take notes on the ongoing challenges Indigenous peoples face today.
Speaking & Reflection: Learners engage in thoughtful discussions about discovery, representation, and remembrance, and express their personal opinions on how history should be commemorated.
This lesson blends historical awareness with language development, helping learners practice English through authentic content while fostering empathy, cultural understanding, and critical thinking.
For more speaking practice, you can use the printable conversation cards.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
Pre-class activities
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The pre-class activities are optional: if you choose not to assign them, or your students don’t complete them, it will not disturb the flow of the class. You can find and review the pre-class activities for this lesson plan here:
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In-class activities
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Additional resources
Each video-based lesson plan includes links to additional resources (videos and articles), which are FREE can be found online (in the pre-class activities page. These links aim to extend the learning experience, enabling students to connect classroom knowledge with real-world applications.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
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