When Worlds Collide
Encounter, the encomienda, the 1511 rebellion, and the African heritage at the center of Puerto Rican culture.
Question 1 of 8
On which voyage did Columbus reach Borikén?
Not three ships of explorers but seventeen, carrying soldiers, settlers, animals, tools and weapons. Spain meant to stay.
Question 2 of 8
What did the Spanish actually find when they arrived?
It was not an empty land waiting to be discovered. People had been living there for five hundred years.
Question 3 of 8
Why did Spain build El Morro where it did?
On the cliffs at the entrance to San Juan Bay. Thick walls, watchtowers, and a clear view of the water.
Question 4 of 8
What did the encomienda system do in practice?
Spain said it was to protect and teach. What it did was force people to work in mines, on farms and on Spanish construction.
Question 5 of 8
What happened in 1511?
The Spanish put it down, but it happened. The Taíno were participants in this history, not bystanders.
Question 6 of 8
Three things caused the Taíno population to collapse. Which is NOT one of them?
Disease, forced labor and conflict together reduced most of the population within about fifty years.
Question 7 of 8
In mofongo, what is the African contribution?
Taíno crops, Spanish seasoning and pork, African technique. Three peoples, one dish, and you cannot take it apart again.
Question 8 of 8
What is unusual about bomba?
Everywhere else the drum sets the beat and the body obeys. In bomba it is a conversation, and the dancer speaks first.
Take the dish apart
Every part of mofongo came from somewhere, and somebody carried it here. Sort them by who brought them.
Taíno
Already growing here
Spanish
Carried across by settlers
African
Carried by people brought by force
This is one week of eight.
The quiz and the game are free. The lessons behind them are the full unit study: 24 lessons, 360 pages, grades 4 to 8, with read-aloud scripts, hands-on activities and answer keys.
See the unit study