Seventh grade students at St. Joseph’s Regional School participated in the “Trial of Christopher Columbus” on Thursday morning at the Old Genesee County Court house at Rt. 5 and 63.
Twenty-one students in Matthew Landfried’s Social Studies class were involved in a trial/role play that asks students to determine who is responsible for the deaths of millions of Taínos Indians on the island of Hispaniola in the late 15th century.
This role play begins with a crime that was committed in the years after 1492, when possibly as many as three million or more Taínos lost their lives.
The question posed to students, who was responsible for their deaths?
Columbus, Columbus’ henchmen, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella all face murder 1st and conspiracy to commit murder charges in the trial.
Landfried has been involved with presenting the trial of Christopher Columbus to his students for five years, the last two at the Old Court House, thanks to Assistant County Manager Matt Landers.
“This gives the kids another look at history to help them work on their research skills, to introduce them to the court system, and to take a look at a different perspective because a lot of times in history we are only reading one side of the story, so this gives them the wherewithal to dig deeper,” says Landfried.
Holding the trial in an actual courtroom setting lends to the authenticity of what the kids are doing says Landfried.
“Its a great activity as a teacher. I enjoy seeing the kids on the fly asking questions ad lib, seeing them outside of a school setting, because too often we don’t get to see their true selves.”
At the end of the trial today, Columbus was found guilty by the Jury.
Judge Landfried ordered Columbus to be taken into custody and stripped of all land, titles and honors, he attempted to runaway after sentencing, but was apprehended by the Bailiff.
King Ferdinand was found guilty and sentenced to cleaning out the chalk board and erasures, Queen Isabella was also found guilty and sentenced to five Hail Marys and ten Our Fathers, the henchmen were found to be innocent and let go.
This is absolute BS….this teacher should be removed from the school.
This is history and should be left that way…whats next? Are you going to teach them that because they are white, that they owe the Indians reparations?