Welcome

Last year's trip to Costa Rica showed us that education can, and should, be a life-altering experience. This year, a largely new group of students, have decided to learn about and travel to Puerto Rico. With this new topic and destination in mind, we have developed a year-long interdisciplinary class that is based on the same three core principles:

1) Travel to expand students' horizons
2) An explicit connection between the classroom and real world
3) The use of sweat equity for students to see that their efforts can make a difference

During the early fall, the curriculum was largely focused on developing the 21st Century Skills of problem solving, critical thinking, decision-making, and collaboration. This was initially done using group challenges in the classroom, but then became vitally important once we started raking lawns. In addition to being our major fundraiser, this hard work put students in positions that required group problem solving, as well as perseverance and responsibility – traits that we all know are central to changing the trajectory of their lives.

During the winter and spring, each student will be developing an independent research project on a chosen aspect of Puerto Rico. We hope that you will keep checking back as we share our learning, growth and adventures.

Friday, February 3, 2012

NATIVE TRIBES OF PUERTO RICO

WOW! I have been doing research on what Puerto Rico was like before it fell under Spanish rule. I've discovered that there were two tribes, the Arawaks (Taíno) and the Caribs. The Arawaks were a more peaceful, agricultural tribe, whereas the Caribs were more aggressive and were even thought to have engaged in cannibalism. The two tribes fought often (the Carib were stronger and the result was the decline of the Taíno people. However, both the Taíno and the Carib tribes were eventually wiped out by the Spanish Conquistadors (whose claim for Spain to Puerto Rico was later usurped by the United States).
Huh! I guess it just goes to show that no matter how strong you are, there is always somebody stronger.

COMING SOON: For my next post, I will compare and contrast the two tribes (Arawak and Carib) of Puerto Rico. YAY! Looking forward to finding out more about them.
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