Resources for Learning About the Caribbean
Published:
March 10, 2021
Contributor:
Jeannette Tuionetoa
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Your students will enjoy these resources for learning about the Caribbean Islands, a vast archipelago located in the Caribbean Sea.
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Your kids will be surprised to know (OK, maybe because “I” was really surprised to know) just how many famous islands are part of the Caribbean.
I have to admit that I thought there were a lot fewer islands of the Caribbean than there really are. Even being Puerto Rican myself, and Puerto Rico being an island in the Caribbean, I didn’t know much about the area as a whole.
There are a few different regions that make up the Caribbean – the Lucayan Archipelago, the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the ABC Islands.
Although I thought there were only about 5 islands, there are, in fact, 13 sovereign states and 17 dependent territories in the Caribbean. Yet, only 2%of the islands are actually inhabited.
When we talk about the Caribbean region, we are really talking about 32 different countries, not just Jamaica, the Bahamas, Dominica, or Turks & Caicos. It is not just those famous countries at all.
Facts and a brief history of the Caribbean Islands.
The Caribbean spreads across more than 1.06 million square miles and is mostly located between North America and South America.
An interesting fact that may be confusing is that the islands are called the Caribbean, but are also called the Caribbean Islands, the Islands of the Caribbean, and the West Indies.
The West Indies name has a long history, but basically, Christopher Columbus “founded” the islands on his second voyage by mistake thinking he reached India.
From this voyage, I can share a reality that may not be so full of happiness yet it is the history of the islands that we see today.
Early inhabitants of the region were the Maya, Taino, and Kalinago tribes which were mostly destroyed by disease and war after the colonization that started in 1492.
Upon settlement, the Europeans created profitable tobacco, sugar, and cotton plantations. Therefore brought over 5 million West African slaves as unpaid laborers to the Caribbean.
The total number of slaves brought over from Africa was about 10,5 million and HALF of the slaves went to the Caribbean (about 388,000 went to North America) – PBS.org. Today, about 42.5 million of the people in the Caribbean are descendants of those 5 million West African slaves.
There are so many other facts about the Caribbean to make your geography unit intriguing, and the resources below can help.
Explore these resources for learning about the Caribbean in your homeschool:
FREE Lesson Plans, Games, Presentations about Central America & the Caribbean | Mr.Donn
Caribbean Reading Comprehension Lesson | Instructor WEB
The Caribbean History and Geography Webquest | History Wizard
Caribbean Islands Interactive Notebook | Having A Fields Day
Lesson About the Caribbean for Kids | All Around the World
Caribbean Islands Map and Satellite Image | Geology.com
The Caribbean FREE Sampler | The Gifted Writer
FREE Lesson Plan for Kids Discover Caribbean | Kids Discover
The Caribbean Countries: Printables – FREE Map Quiz Game | Seterra
ISLANDS OF THE CARIBBEAN Lesson Plan | Absolute English
FREE Worksheets and Quizzes on the Caribbean Countries & Capitals | I Stand with Ihlan
FREE (LIVE) Caribbean Worksheet | LiveWorksheets.com
Caribbean – West Indies FREE Geography Games, Maps, Pictures, Worksheets, and More | Student Handouts
Caribbean Islands Map FREE Download | Education.com
Central America and the Caribbean FREE Resources | Enchanted Learning
Caribbean Culture and Information | Kathi Mitchell
Caribbean Country Maps | Fact Monster
Have your kids learn interesting facts about the Caribbean:
Central America and the Caribbean Geography | Ducksters
Information on the Caribbean Sea | Easy Science for Kids
10 Surprising Facts About the Caribbean Sea | Loop
Caribbean Area | Wiki.Kidzsearch
10 Interesting Facts About The Caribbean Islands and FREE Quiz Questions | Wonderful Wanderings
Interesting Caribbean Facts | Soft Schools
10 Facts About the Caribbean Region | Caribbean & Co.
Facts About the Caribbean | Kids.Kiddle
Caribbean Sea Facts & FREE Worksheets | KidsKonnect
List of books to check out at the library about the Caribbean:
11 Picture Books That Celebrate the Diversity of Caribbean Heritage | We Are Teachers
The Caribbean Islands Book Collection | epic!
Crafts to add to your Caribbean Islands unit:
Caribbean Crafts for Children | eHow
Jamaican Bracelets | Crafts for Kids
Videos all about the Caribbean:
History of The Caribbean For Kids (Video) | Bedtime History
The Caribbean Explained | KhAnubis
Resources for learning about the Caribbean Islands in your homeschool:
Lucayan Archipelago – The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos.
Bahamas FREE Notebooking Page | Homeschool Helper Online
Greater Antilles
Cayman Islands
Cuba
Around the World in 12 Dishes: Exploring Cuba | Crafty Moms Share
Cuban History for Kids: Bilingual Book and Activities | Spanish Playground
Read Color and Learn about CUBA | Kindergarten Worksheets and Games
Jamaica
Jamaica Information | National Geographic
Puerto Rico
Resources to Teach Kids About Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Coloring Pages | Kindergarten Worksheets and Games
Lesser Antilles
Leeward Islands – Anguilla, Antigua, British Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Saba, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius, Saint Kitts, and Nevis, and the US Virgin Islands.
Windward Islands – Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Martinique, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago.
ABC Islands – Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao
Share these free printables and resources about the beach to share with your kids alongside your Caribbean Island unit.
The Caribbean Islands are, no doubt, some of the most beautiful sites of God’s creation. Your kids will enjoy learning about these exotic islands and the history of the Caribbean Islands. Hopefully, someday they will even get to visit a few.
Get the most out of your Caribbean Island unit with our Daily Skill Building Geography Activity Pack and the awesome resources below.
Recommended Resource: Geography Activity Pack
Students will explore every independent country in the world plus discover the most significant mountains, deserts, rivers, and lakes with this huge Geography Activity Pack.
Geography Notebooking Research Journals
Incorporating Geography with Other Subjects
Geography Scramble Series
Budget-Friendly Ways to Explore Geography
How to Teach Geography to the Child Who Hates Geography
Big List of FREE History/Geography Apps
How to Teach Geography without Using Curriculum
