TEACHERS GUIDE


ABOUT THIS BOOK

Fleeing the Spanish Inquisition, a Jewish girl disguises herself and signs on as a ship’s boy, little knowing that she is headed for unknown waters with Christopher Columbus.

Christopher Columbus sets sail from Spain in search of a new route to India on August 2, 1492. Santa Maria, the flagship, carries Admiral Columbus and a number of men who are seeking their wealth in gold. Among the men is a boy named Pedro who is hiding a life-threatening secret. Not only is he Jewish, but he is a girl named Esther who realizes that her only chance for freedom is beyond the sea. The king and queen of Spain had ordered all Jews expelled from the country, and Esther, the surviving member of her family, is convinced that she can make the voyage with Columbus without betraying her true religion or sex. She earns special status as personal servant to the admiral because of her knowledge of Latin, but she quickly learns that the crew resents her position. Danger lurks everywhere she turns, even in the cabin of Christopher Columbus.

ABOUT THIS AUTHOR

Waldtraut Lewin studied Germanic languages, theater, and Latin in Berlin and then had a career as a music dramaturge, opera director, and translator of operas by Handel. She has always been particularly interested in historical material. Her first historical novel appeared in 1972, followed by many others. Several were honored with prizes, including the Lion-Feuchtwanger-Preis, the national prize of the former German Democratic Republic.

Elizabeth D. Crawford’s translations have won many awards, including the Mildred L. Batchelder Award in 1998 for The Robber and Me by Josef Holub. She lives in Orange, Connecticut.

TEACHING IDEAS

IN THE CLASSROOM
There are many theories and myths about Christopher Columbus and his voyages to the Indies. Based on extensive research, this novel about his first voyage represents one theory. Filled with adventure, and rich with vivid detail, this novel is a perfect choice to use in the social studies curricula. In addition to social studies activities, there are suggested activities to connect the novel to the language arts, math, science, and art curriculum. The discussion questions ask students to think critically about the themes of hope, courage, deception, freedom, prejudice, and betrayal.


PRE-READING ACTIVITY
Ask students to use books in the library or sites on the Internet to find out the primary purpose of Columbus’s first voyage to the Indies. Engage the class in a discussion about why he sailed west rather than sailing east like other explorers of the time.


THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

HOPE–Ask the class to discuss what Esther means when she says, “For me the day of despair is at the same time the day of hope.” (p. 2) What is Esther hoping to find at the end of the voyage? Compare and contrast her hopes to those of the other voyagers. Why does Esther say that Columbus “sells hope”? At the end of the novel, Esther realizes that Columbus doesn’t miss her. Her new hope is that someday he will. How likely is this to happen?

COURAGE–Esther manages to get chosen for the voyage disguised as a boy, and as a page of the admiral. She says, “I’ve gotten where I am with some courage and a great deal of luck.” (p. 15) Have students discuss what they think is Esther’s most courageous moment. At what point in the novel does Esther almost lose her courage? At what point does she question her luck? How is Esther’s courage fueled by her need to survive? How might Esther’s courage be compared to the courage of the Jewish people during the Holocaust, or to the early immigrants who came to America?

FREEDOM–Esther says, “I have entered into a new freedom, a new life.” (p. 25) How might Esther define freedom? Discuss what she must sacrifice to gain freedom. Ask the class to discuss the meaning of the book’s title.

PREJUDICE–The blurb on the jacket of Freedom Beyond the Sea says that the novel “transports readers to a long-ago era with some disturbing echoes of our own times.” How might these “echoes” refer to prejudice? Discuss how the prejudices toward the Jewish people in 1400s Spain might parallel racial and religious prejudice today.

DECEPTION–Engage the class in a discussion about the deception that exists aboard the Santa Maria. At what point does Columbus realize that Pedro is a disguise? Discuss why he chooses not to reveal Pedro’s true identity. Why does Columbus keep real and false logbooks? Esther says, “Columbus lies with utter conviction. After all, I’m doing it too. We are equals in lying. The difference is that I know the reasons for my lies. They’re vital to my survival.” (p. 110) Why might Columbus say that his lies are vital to his survival as well?

BETRAYAL–Ask the class to define betrayal. Discuss what Esther’s father meant when he told her to never betray herself. Ask the class to discuss whether Esther’s disguise might be considered a form of betrayal. How does Esther refuse to betray her religion, even when in disguise? Discuss the many types of betrayal aboard the Santa Maria. Columbus feels that there are many “lost souls” on the ship. How does a “lost soul” lead to betrayal?


INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS

LANGUAGE ARTS–When Esther leaves the Santa Maria, it is clear that she has feelings for Columbus. Though she has none of her own writing materials, she does have the ability to write. Ask students to compose a letter that Esther would like to send to Columbus that expresses her appreciation, as well as her doubts about his mission and her fears for the future.

SOCIAL STUDIES–In 1484, Columbus first proposes his voyage to the Indies to King John II of Portugal. The King refuses the request. In 1492, Columbus receives approval for his voyage from Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. Ask students to find out why King John II refused Columbus’s request. What prompted Ferdinand and Isabella to approve the voyage? Ask students to write the refusal that King John II might have sent to Columbus. Then have them write a letter from Ferdinand and Isabella that states their charge to Columbus.

Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain, on his first voyage to the Indies in August 1492. During his lifetime, he makes a total of four voyages. Ask students to chart the courses of the four voyages on a world map. Instruct them to use a different color marker for each voyage. Which is the longest voyage? What was Columbus’s primary discovery on each of these voyages?

SCIENCE–Columbus tells Pedro that there is a system to the weather. Ask students to research how the weather affects a sailing ship. Then have them create an illustrated booklet titled Sailing with the Weather. What instruments do sailors today use to calculate weather conditions?

MATH–Columbus says, “I leased this ship for 750 leagues westward and back.” (p. 59) Have students calculate Columbus’s voyage in miles. Find out the number of days it took to make the voyage, and calculate the average number of miles that the Santa Maria traveled each day.

ART–Instruct students to record information from the novel that reveals things about the structure of the Santa Maria. Then ask them to locate a picture of the ship, and draw a cross-section of the vessel. Label important parts of the ship, such as the toldilla, crow’s nest, space for off-duty sailors, storage, etc.

VOCABULARY

Ask students to write down unfamiliar words and try to define them using clues from the context of the story. Such words may include: conspiratorial (p. 3), quay (p. 3), mulish (p. 7), heretic (p. 20), estuary (p. 23), denunciation (p. 34), impenetrable (p. 39), theorem (p. 50), tangents (p. 58), phylacteries (p. 61), dissipate (p. 102), amnesty (p. 142), maledictions (p. 185), and disconsolate (p. 262).

REVIEWS

“A gripping sea tale combining adventure, mystery and desire.”–The Horn Book Magazine


BEYOND THE BOOK

The Mariners’ Museum
www.mariner.org/age/columbus.html
A biography of Columbus and his voyages.

Timeline
www.geocities.com/columbus_website/Timeline.htm
A timeline that chronicles Columbus and his voyages.

OTHER TITLES OF INTEREST

Number the Stars
Lois Lowry
0-440-22753-4
Cultural Diversity • Frienship • Historical Fiction • Holocaust/Jewish Studies
Ages 10 up

Sing Down the Moon
Scott O’Dell
0-440-97975-7
Cutural Diversity • Family Life & Relationships • Historical Fiction • Making Choices • Prejudic • Survival
Ages 10 up

The Slave Dancer
Paula Fox
0-440-96132-7
Prejudice • Courage • Historical Fiction
Ages 10 up

War Comes to Willy Freeman
James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
0-440-49504-0
Courage • Freedom • Deception • Historical Fiction
Ages 10 up

COPYRIGHT

Prepared by Pat Scales, Director of Library Services, the South Carolina Governor’s School for Arts and Humanities, Greenville, South Carolina.