Author:
Connecticut Department of Education
Subject:
Arts and Humanities, U.S. History, World History
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Level:
High School
Grade:
9, 10, 11, 12
Provider:
CT State Department of Education
Tags:
Language:
English
Media Formats:
Text/HTML

Lesson 2.1: The Tainos, Aztecs, Incas, and the Mayans: The critical hidden figures in Puerto Rican and Latino history

Lesson 2.1: The Tainos, Aztecs, Incas, and the Mayans: The critical hidden figures in Puerto Rican and Latino history

Overview

Big Ideas/Topics to be Addressed, including Key Concepts and Terms 

  • Who are the Tainos, Incas, Aztecs, and Mayan?  

  • Indigenous [Tainos, Incas, Mayan Kalina, Triple Alliance (Aztec), Olmecs, Mayas] presence in Puerto Rican and other Latino/a cultures 

  • Contributions of Indigenous societies  

  • Empires of the Tainos, Aztec, Incan and Mayan people 

Materials/Resources/Speakers

The Tainos 

Indigenous Myths Activity (SLIDES) 

Indigenous Myths Activity (ANSWER KEY) 

Article from the book Caribbean Connection entitled, The Taino people of Boriken (hyperlink to be added)  

The Last Taino Documentary  

Lost History: Rediscovering the Taíno People 

survivors of a 'paper genocide' 

Learning Unit 2: Tainos  

The Individualist Legacy in Latin America

Moscoso, Francisco, 1949-: Caciques, aldeas y población taína de Boriquén (Puerto Rico), 1492-1582 / 1. ed. San Juan, P.R.: Academia Puertorriqueña de la Historia, 2008 

Recommended Learning Activities, including UDL Principles/Scaffolded Supports and Asynchronous and Synchronous Learning Opportunities

Day 1 

Initiation: Introduce the purpose and the objectives of the unit with a pre-assessment.  Have students brainstorm names of Indigenous tribes, and what they know about Indigenous and African populations. Ask the class, do these tribes still exist? Why or why not? Discuss. 

Activity: Students break down the origin of Indigenous American myths using the Indigenous Myths Slides and Activity that introduces the basic idea of Native Americans, known stereotypes, and lies people have been taught throughout history.  Students match the 1491 excerpt to the myth it disproves to provide the counterstory.  

Closing: Students share the most shocking fact they learned about Indigenous populations. 

Day 2 

Initiation: Students discuss any Indigenous tribe that they are familiar with, focusing on Latin America. As a class, create a list of the major tribes:  Tainos, Arawaks, Kalina, Caribs, Triple Alliance (Aztecs), Olmecs, Mayas, Incas. 

Activity: Explore/View/Discuss Lost History: Rediscovering the Taíno People (8:33) Students watch/listen and write individual notes to answer: Who are the Taíno People?  What are two interesting facts you learned?  

Closing: Students Pair-Share-Square interesting facts. 

Day 3-5 

Initiation: Focus on the lives of the Taino tribe by viewing The Last Taíno [full documentary]  through Edpuzzle Edpuzzle: The Last Taino Documentary and answer the guiding questions. (This can be given for homework after Day 2.) 

Activity: Students explore other major Indigineous groups of Latin America by creating an on-line museum Indigenous American Museum Project or a news broadcast Indigenous America News Broadcast for a particular Indigenous group. 

Activity: Students review each other's online museum or news broadcast using Evaluation of Museum and News Broadcast Activity to provide feedback and facilitate class discussion about Indigenous populations. 

Closing: Exit Slip - How would you rewrite history based on what you know now? 

Options for Content Continuity Across History Courses and Interdisciplinary Integration

Students read and write a monologue or a poem about what they think “Four Hundred Years of Solitude” is about (Chapter 2 of the book “War Against ALL Puerto Ricans”) 

Rewriting History—for the Better- Students think about how the information learned relates to Native Americans in the U.S. 

Extensions/Experiential Opportunities

Speaker to talk about the Tainos, Incas, Mayas, and/or Aztecs