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 4.2-2: Puerto Rican Resistance and Defiance Throughout History

Lesson 4.2-2: Puerto Rican Resistance and Defiance Throughout History

Overview

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

  • Las Carpetas 

  • Independence from Spain: Grito de Lares- the outcry known as “El grito de Lares” for the independence of Puerto Ricans from their Colonist occupants 

  • Las Carpetas 

  • Independence from the United States: 

  • Law 53 of 1948, better known as the Gag Law (Spanish: Ley de La Mordaza) A law used to suppress the independence movement in Puerto Rico 

  • Ponce Massacre  

 

Materials/Resources/Speakers

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

Day 1 

Initiation: Begin with a mini-lesson about “La Carpeta” framing around the themes of resistance and defiance.  

Activity: After learning about “La Carpeta”, students discuss: 

  • Why was it done?  

  • Was it ethical? 

  • Were there any other solutions or things that could have been done? 

  • Was the U.S. feeling “threatened”? 

Day 2 

Initiation: Provide a mini-lesson on La Ley De La Mordaza using Puerto Rican Flag History / Law 53 / Gag Law / La Ley De La Mordaza or The Gag Law-Ley De La Mordaza Presentation.  

Closing: Students use Exit Slip to respond to how the Puerto Ricans have demonstrated resistance through fight and flight tactics when their people, homes, identity, and culture were threatened. 

Day 3 

Activity: Students receive the PR’s Resistance Groups Activity.  Teacher reviews background and directions, and breaks students up into the three groups for research on the specific organizations: Young Lords, FALN, and Los Macheteros.  Students work on completing Google Jamboard for their group. Then they share their findings with the class.  

Closing/Evidence of Learning: Students complete and submit table demonstrating understanding and examples of these three pro-independence groups. 

Day 4 

Activity: Students watch a video on the El Grito de Lares and Ponce Massacre, and students take notes and compare and contrast using graphic organizer

Closing: Students use reflection strategy (4 things that squared with me, 3 things I learned (triangle), and 2 things still circling in my head) to reflect on what they learned about Puerto Rican resistance and defiance.

Options for Content Continuity Across History Courses and Interdisciplinary Integration

English  

U.S. History 

Political Science  

Extensions/Experiential Opportunities

Students research and investigate different national Puerto Rican Movements. In pairs, students pick one group and do quick research regarding main arguments/tactics for independence. Students engage in another boxing strategy to capture their notes on the learning.  In the outside frame, students write prior knowledge and what they want to learn by this investigation.  In the second box, they write about their new learning.  In the middle they write a summary of new learning or draw an image that synthesizes the group’s understanding of the topic and post summaries of their new learning. 

Groups:  

  • Boricua Popular Army 

  • Cadets of the Republic 

  • Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional Puertorriqueña 

  • Hostosian National Independence Movement 

  • Independence Association of Puerto Rico 

  • Liberal Party of Puerto Rico 

  • Puerto Rican Independence Party 

  • Puerto Rican Nationalist Party 

  • Revolutionary Committee of Puerto Rico Socialist Front 

  • Union Party of Puerto Rico 

Students read Big Brother in Puerto Rico: How the FBI Knew Everything About You (latinorebels.com) Then, students engage in a Four Corners Protocol in which the teacher reads a statement, students think about their answer, and students respond by moving to a corner of the room that best corresponds to their choice and discuss.  Each corner is marked by a chart (strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree).  Teachers may use statements such as: 

  • It is ethical for corporations and the government to observe us and monitor our information. 

  • The FBI should be able to collect information without a warrant issued by a judge.    

  • If you haven’t done anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about the FBI collecting information on you. 

  • The FBI must collect public and private information on people. 

  • It was fine that Las Carpetas were used to arrest people and impact reputations, careers, and families. 

  • Public Law 53 (Gag Law, Ley de la Mordaza) was wrong because it was a felony to say a word, sing a song, own a Puerto Rican flag, or whistle a tune about independence. 

  • It is not an intrusion when the government collects information on individuals. 

  • There would be negative consequences if the FBI did not collect information on people. 

  • The FBI must collect information as long as the information that is gathered is not causing harm to the individual.