The Heritage and Culture of Puerto Ricans
Rose Christoforo-Mitchell
Guide Entry to 91.02.06
This curriculum unit is intended to provide young children with a fuller picture of our pluralistic society by increasing the opportunities to learn more about Hispanic people through a study of the heritage and culture of Puerto Ricans. This will serve as a supplement to the Social Studies program in grades three and four, and may be adapted for any elementary, middle school or high school level. It is designed to show the social and cultural developments of the island of Puerto Rico and how Puerto Ricans lived and shaped their distinctive way of life. It will provide the student with an understanding of the diverse background of Puerto Rican people as well as with an understanding of how the Indian, Spanish and African cultures were integrated into the Puerto Rican culture. The activities in this unit are planned around basic concepts in history and social sciences.
The unit is divided into eleven lessons. At the beginning of each lesson is a short reading to introduce the topic to students. Students will have available a variety of resource materials in the classroom. They will be involved in a variety of learning activities such as reading, creative writing, art projects, music, dance, research and study. The culminating activities will include a display of class projects and an assembly program for Puerto Rico Discovery Day in November.
(Recommended for Social Studies, grades 3, 4, 5)
Key Words
Puerto Rican Ethnicity Hispanic History Culture General
