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Puerto Rico: Intermediate Lesson

Title: Puerto Rico: The 51st State?

Arizona State Standards:

  • Reading: Strand 2- Concept 1 (identify main ideas, author’s purpose) Strand 3- Concept 1(analyze non-fiction) Strand 2- Concept 2 (Compare and contrast historical and cultural perspectives)
  • Writing: Strand 2-Concepts 1,2,4,5 (Grades 4 & 5) Strand 2 Concepts 1,2,5 (Grades 6, 7, 8) Strand 3-Concept 1 (Creative writing) Strand 2- Concept 1 (Grades 4 & 5), Strand 3-Concept 2 (Grades 5-8) Strand 3- Concept 2 (Grades 5-8) Concept 6 (Grades 6-8) (Summarize info) Strand 2-Concept 1 (Grades 4 & 5) Strand 3-Concepts 2 & 6 (Grades 4-8) (Research Skills)
  • Listening and Speaking: LS-E1, LS-E2, LS-E4 (shares, presents, responds), VP-E1-E3 (analyze, plan, develop, compare and contrast)
  • History: 1SS-E8(research tools)
  • Geography: 3SS-E4 (using geographic tools) 3SS-E5 (regions) 3SS-E6 (social interaction, migration) 3SS-E8 (applying skills)
  • Arts: 1AM-E3/E4 (musical performance) 2AV-F1 (communication through art) 2AV-F2/F3/E3/E4/3AV-E3(cultural & historical expression)

Goals & Objectives: Students will...

  • Locate Puerto Rico on a map and identify its capital city.
  • Identify some characteristics of Puerto Rican music, its genres and influences.
  • Compare and contrast the status of a U.S. state and of a Free Associated State like Puerto Rico.
  • Explain the advantages and disadvantages of holding this political status.

Length of lesson: Two one hour periods or one block period

Materials & Preparation:

  • handouts,
  • samples of Puerto Rican music,
  • stop watch for the class debate

Lessons

First Period:

  • What is Puerto Rico? Locate Puerto Rico on a map. Is it a country or a state?
  • Ask students to conduct a Web search or a library search to find out: what is the official name of Puerto Rico? What is the population of Puerto Rico? What is the capital of Puerto Rico and where is it located? What is the Puerto Rican currency? Where do most Puerto Ricans who migrated to the United States live? What is the word many Puerto Ricans use to describe Puerto Ricans living in New York? Jennifer Lopez for example, is a Newyorican Puerto Rican!
  • Ask students to read handout #2 on the music of Puerto Rico. Play different examples of Puerto Rican music and have students identify the genre; describe the instruments and the feelings in the songs. For homework ask students to find out where the mysterious island of Borinquén is located. Borinquén is the name that the Taíno Indians had for Puerto Rico.

Second Period:

  • Ask students again if Puerto Rico is a country or a state. Give students sometime to explain their answers. Tell the class that Puerto Rico is a Free Associated State. What do they think that means? Distribute copies of handout #1 and ask students to make a list of the differences between Puerto Rico and U.S. states.
  • Puerto Rico, despite not being its own country, has a strong and well-differentiated culture from the United States. Many people would say that Puerto Rico is in fact, a Latin American country. The country’s population is divided in its political preferences for the future. Some would prefer that Puerto Rico become its own country, others would like full statehood, and others prefer the situation as it is now. Distribute handout #1 and ask students to work in groups for a debate. Each group should defend a different position.
  • Students take the role of journalists and write an article on their impressions of the debate, explaining their personal preference and what they learned from the experience. Do they think the United States would want to give Puerto Rico its statehood? Why or why not? What about independence? The articles can be published in the school newspaper.

Evaluation:

  1. Assess students’ individual and group participation;
  2. Give students a grade for finding the answers to the questions about Puerto Rico and for participation in the music activity;
  3. Assess group performance in the debate based on everyone’s participation, strength and communication of their arguments;
  4. Grade the individual papers based on content, information, grammar and clarity.

Extensions:

  1. Invite a Puerto Rican to speak to the class and share his/her opinion on the political status of Puerto Rico.
  2. Ask students to create a travel guide to a specific city in Puerto Rico. The travel guide should include historical, economic, political, geographical and cultural information (museums, restaurants, popular celebrations) about their selected city as well as pictures.