Historical and Cultural Thinking
This strand explores the Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean and European colonization. Students will learn about the Taíno and Kalinago people, their way of life, contributions to the region, and how European colonization affected their societies. Students will also explore the evolution of communication and transportation technology over time, developing a deeper understanding of the historical and cultural factors that have shaped the Caribbean region.
Grade Four Expectations for Historical and Cultural Thinking
Essential Learning Outcome: Indigenous Peoples
To recognize that contact with Europeans brought significant changes for Indigenous peoples.
- Identify the places in the Caribbean where the Indigenous people settled
- Describe the way of life of the Indigenous people before contact with Europeans
- Recognize that the Indigenous peoples had flourishing societies before the arrival of the Europeans
Focus Question:
What was life like for Indigenous peoples before contact with Europeans?
Specific Curriculum Outcomes
By the end of Grade Four, the learner will be expected to:
Inclusive Assessment Strategies
Assessment strategies that provide information about learning:
- Observations: Observe students during role plays, video viewing, picture inferencing, and hands-on demonstrations
- Conversations: Class discussions, brainstorming sessions, KWL activities, critical thinking exercises
- Products: KWL charts, maps, journal entries, data disks, comic strips, posters, field trip reports
Sample Assessment Tools:
- Observation checklists for role plays and demonstrations
- Rubrics for evaluating map work and journal entries
- Self-assessment forms for group participation
- Peer assessment for collaborative activities
- Fact-finding corners for assessing understanding of Indigenous societies
Inclusive Learning Strategies
Additional Resources and Materials
Multimedia Resources
- Videos on Taíno and Kalinago history and traditions
- Documentaries on Caribbean Indigenous peoples
- Videos about Christopher Columbus and the Taíno people
- Presentations on the 3Gs of Exploration (Gold, God, Glory)
- Indigenous Caribbean People
- The Kalinago Tribe | Caribs | Dominica
- Storyboard Creator Tutorial
Text Resources
- 'Lament of an Arawak Child' by Pamela Mordecai
- Information on Kalinago culture and traditions
- Maps of the Caribbean showing Indigenous settlements
- Historical accounts of European colonization
- Stories and legends from Indigenous Caribbean cultures
- Articles on contemporary Indigenous communities
- Resources on traditional Indigenous crafts and practices
Teacher Content Knowledge
The Indigenous people were the first inhabitants of the Caribbean. Taínos settled in the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico), while Kalinagos settled in the Lesser Antilles (St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica). Both groups shared Trinidad and Puerto Rico.
Indigenous societies had their own social structures and economic practices. Their communities were called Chiefdoms, religion played an important role in their way of life, and they farmed, fished, and bartered to meet their needs. Their societies practiced cultural traditions, including pottery-making and stone-carving.
The early European groups that came to the Caribbean before the 1800s include the Spanish, French, Dutch, and British. They came to seek wealth through resources like gold, to spread their religious beliefs, and to gain fame (glory).
European colonization brought both positive changes (new technology, crops, foods, animals) and negative changes (diseases, loss of traditions and customs, land appropriation, loss of freedom, forced labor) to Indigenous societies.
Today, communities of Indigenous people can be found in various Caribbean countries, including Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Belize, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Guyana. They have preserved aspects of their culture such as traditional arts and crafts, music and dance, storytelling traditions, medicinal practices, agricultural practices, and hunting techniques.