(Recommended for Language Arts, Social Studies)
Life In Cuba
Objectives: To further develop critical thinking and analytical skills.
To determine how point of view influences our understanding of history
To learn about growing up in Cuba in the 1970s.
Materials: Map of the Caribbean, Guest Speaker, Notebook
Procedure: Students will use a K-W-L Chart while listening. They will begin by completing the K column (What they know about life in Cuba). Students will locate the island of Cuba on the map of the Caribbean. Students will then fill in the W column (What they want to know about Cuba). Remind students that this lesson will focus on obtaining information from the Cuban’s point of view, not what is recorded in the textbook. Review various methods of note taking. As students listen to the speaker, they should note what is revealed about life in Cuba in the 1970s. Students will also seek to find answers to the questions they had written in the W column of the KWL chart. Students will either ask questions of the speaker or conduct their own research. They will then complete the L column (What they learned) of the K-W-L Chart. This lesson will culminate in a class discussion in which students will mention whether they were surprised about anything that the speaker said.
Activity: Write a narrative depicting what you learned about life in Cuba. This account should be written from the Cuban-American’s viewpoint.
Activity: Describe at least three things you learned about Cuba from the speaker. Were you surprised about anything? If yes, explain. How have these findings changed your learning experiences?