Major Concepts/Content: The course in Puerto Rican history will cover the periods of history from pre-Columbian to modern times. The course will focus on the impact settlements had on the Puerto Rican culture and the current status of the commonwealth.

Major Instructional Activities: Instructional activities that enable students to make comparisons of Puerto Rico during specific periods of history will be emphasized. Students will examine pre-Columbian settlements and the impact of the New World on Puerto Rico, present oral and written reports, visit museums, design diagrams, and construct graphs and maps to describe migration and patterns of settlement.

Major Evaluative Techniques: Evaluation will be comprised of tests on content material, group activity presentations, essay tests, cause and effect analysis, and assessment of student projects. Written and oral reports should include visual illustrations/representations.

Essential Objectives: Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

• Identify common elements of culture.
• Explain the effects geography has on population and culture.
• Identify the geographical conditions humans have modified to meet their needs.
• Summarize the enduring evidence of the pre-Columbian society.
• Describe the native cultural and settlement patterns.
• Explain the concept of native heritage.
• Recognize the legacy of Spain in the New World.
• Generalize the ecological consequences of the Europeans in the New World.
• Examine how natural resources were used in the New World.
• Analyze the nature of crisis and how it affects and individual.
• Summarize the economic and social changes.
• Outline major and drastic contributions and reforms.

Last Revised: July 21, 2005