1.  What do you know from your American History textbook about Christopher Columbus' motive for his voyages?  How does that contrast with what Columbus himself said?

2.  What academic subjects did Columbus study?

3.  Which of the following words is not usually associated with Christopher Columbus:  adventurer, discoverer of the New World, Christian, sailor.  Why do you think this is so?

4.  What most surprises you about the excerpt from Columbus' book?  Why?

5.  Columbus wrote a letter in 1493 to King Ferdinand's treasurer reporting on his voyage.  (To read the letter, go to usm.maine.edu/~maps/columbus/translation.html.)
What do you discover about Christopher Columbus that you didn't already know?