Grade Level: 3rd

Duration: 2 classes

Goal:
To explore the variety of climates and agricultural products found in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.

Objectives:
To identify agricultural products (i.e., coconut, coffee, bananas, pineapple, etc.) grown in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.

To name these agricultural products in Spanish.

Student Activities:
1. Day One: Using a map of the Caribbean copied onto a transparency, the teacher gives a short introduction to the diverse climates found on the three islands and where specific agricultural products are grown. For example, s/he points out that in the mountainous regions, coffee is grown. In the lowlands, pineapples are grown. On the coast, coconuts are grown, etc. (See attached list of well-known products and where they are grown on each island.) As the teacher points out the distinct products, s/he names them in Spanish. Click here for the Caribbean Fruit document.

2. The teacher reviews the names of the products in English and Spanish, AND where they are grown on each island. Show students the different regions on the map of the Caribbean.

3. Play Caribbean Bingo! Each student gets a bingo board and coffee or cocoa (chocolate) beans to use as chips. The first two rounds are practice. The teacher calls out the agricultural products in Spanish while students place their "chips" on their individual boards. After naming all of the products on the board, the teacher reviews the names to make sure all of the students put their chips in the correct space. Once students are ready to play, the teacher (or a student) names various products until one student places her/his beans in a row and shouts "Bingo!" The teacher can play the game as many times as s/he feels necessary for students to learn the names. The winner can be given a Caribbean postcard or another common product from the region.

Materials:
Caribbean postcards or other prize
Map of the Caribbean copied onto transparency
Caribbean bingo game (sheets w/fruit and "chips")
Overhead protector
4x6 thick white paper to create a postcard
Fruit found in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic sheet

Assessment:
For homework, students create a Caribbean fruit postcard. On the back of the postcard, they write the following information in English and Spanish: name of the fruit, where it is found, and in what region of the country it is grown. The next day, with a map of the Caribbean on the overhead, students share their postcards with the class and describe what fruit they have drawn and where on the island it is found.