COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is designed to engage students into critical thinking and analysis by providing them with the opportunity to engage in historian’s work. Students will examine both primary and secondary sources to reconstruct history to better understand the behavior and thinking of past people and societies. Special topics for this course include: Maya society and culture prior to European contact, Conquest and the Spanish colonial experiment, British colonialism and resistance, and Neo-imperialism. Emphasis is also placed on Guatemala’s unfounded territorial and maritime claim on Belize.
COURSE RATIONALE:
The adage states "a country's history is a reflection of its recurrent themes and struggle”. Indeed, Belize is no exception to this proverb. The purpose of this course is to educate students about our past struggles and accomplishments, and most importantly galvanize students into playing an active role in the present and future of Belize. By becoming an active citizen for change, students should develop a positive self-image and positive attitude toward Belize.
COURSE GOALS:
By the successful completion of this course students will be able to:
- Write clearly and persuasively to communicate their ideas;
- Draw correct inferences using primary source, secondary source and cultural source analysis;
- Provide a survey into Belize’s history.
- Evaluate theories and critique research within the discipline.
- Plan and execute a community outreach project.
- Teacher: Lauren Staine