This is a very brief overview of our unit on Christopher Columbus. First, we read 'Christopher Columbus' by Isaac Asimov. We read a few pages each day. We got a few ideas for projects from these two sites:

http://www.childfun.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=19

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/columbus/

As we read, we discussed the choices that Columbus made, and whether he was exploring for the sake of discovery, or for personal riches and glory. This unit was fun because we were able to do quite a few hands-on projects (posterboard map, egg-carton ships, making antique maps by tea-dying crinkled paper and then drawing old-world type maps on them when they were dry, making cookies shaped like globes and decorated with green and blue frosting...).  I also purchased the book 'Draw Write Now' Book 2, which begins with sketches of Columbus, his ships, and the earth. Unfortunately, my children consider themselves to be artists far superior to the lessons in that book and we did not end up using it. Each day we looked at a world map and pinpointed where Columbus was on his journey.