Objectives and Topics for Caribbean Unit

Day 1

Goals:

1. Students will become more familiar with the intentions and ultimate goals of the entire unit.

2. Students will provide insight as to what they want to gain from this unit.

3. Students will gain an overall understanding that the whole purpose of this unit is an actual trip to the Caribbean.

Time:

30 minutes

Resources/Materials:

chalk, chalkboard, boombox, selected Caribbean music

http://www.bigwebb.com/

http://www.interknowledge.com/bahamas/bshis01.htm

http://www.all-inclusive.com/jam2.html

notebooks, pens

Procedure:

1. Begin this lesson by playing any type of Caribbean music from the selected sites or others that you can find as the students come into the classroom. This is intended to get the students excited and curious in order to plan for an ultimate class trip to the Caribbean.

2. Initiate a brief discussion of different topics and overall objectives that will be focused on in this Caribbean unit. Try to get the students to come up with some of the answers by asking them questions like "Who lives in the Caribbean?" or "Where is the Caribbean?"

NOTE: In discussion and brainstorm activities, use the chalkboard to outline the students' ideas and to bring those ideas together to show what particular ideas you will be covering in the Caribbean unit. Another option to lead into the information twould be to ask "What sorts of things would you want to know if you went to the Caribbean?"

3. Ask the students "Why would it help to know some of characteristics of the Caribbean?" The idea here is to facilitate a class goal to go to the Caribbean. The instructor may choose some appealing travel brochures of the Caribbean to generate excitement among the students such as Jamaica, Bahamas, and Puerto Rico.

NOTE: This is assuming that a real class trip is actually possible, otherwise the intention of the unit is to plan an imaginary trip or plan a trip outline for future use.

4. Stemming off of student ideas, include ideas and topics that will be covered - people/culture, maps/location, coral reefs, travel, and self-exploration. Describe the topics and specifics if you think that is necessary. The topics to be covered are relative and are subject to modification depending on time restrictions.

5. Explain to the students that people, cultures, mapping, location, coral reefs, traveling, and simulation activities will be covered. During the next few weeks the class will be planning a class trip by doing research and writing letters to island nations of their choice. This is the "plan of action" and the whole unit is intended to explore the Caribbean from the classroom while literally planning to explore it in the actual region. It is important to let the students know they will need to work together, and be cooperative with each other and the instructor to insure the best trip possible.

Assessment:

none

Curricular Strands:

Language Arts - communicating ideas

Geography - connecting ideas about what types of things make up a region

This page submitted by St. Norbert College Ocean Voyagers Program