Table Of ContentMANUAL IN COMMUNITY PROBLEMS FOR
PUERTO RICAN SCHOOLS
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor
of Education in the School of Education
of New York University
Juan Rodrfguez Robles
Department of Education
San Juan, Puerto Rico
19*f9
\
^ Pinal Document
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
$
The sample units contained In Part Three of this
manual were written to help the thousands of Puerto
Rican teachers who ventured Into the Community
Problems program started by Commissioner Gallardo*
I am Indebted to Assistant Supervisor Fe Davila;
to Curriculum Technicians Alice Llenza, Mercedes A*
Marchand, Carmen Castafidn, Corlnna A* Blanco, Carmen
O'Neill, and Carmen Quifiones; to Gradela Igulna,
principal of the Mufioz Rivera graded school, and other
i
central office staff members who helped me plan and
write these units; and to all local supervisors,
teachers and pupils who tried them out In the class
rooms* Without their help, this manual would never
have been written*
I am also Indebted to Supervisor Clyde Fischer,
who read and corrected portions of the manuscript, and
to the holders of/copyrights who have given permission
for quotations*
I owe eternal gratitude to Professors P* W* L*
Cox and Robert &• Speer, friends, counsellors, and
guides for their advice and help In my undergraduate
and graduate work at the School of Education of New
York University and for encouraging me to complete
this project*
C O N T E N T S
PART I
CHAPTER PAGE
Acknowledgments........................ ill
I. Some Socio-Economic Problems of Puerto
Rico............................ 1
II. The Community Problems Curriculum • • 22
PART II
^
III. The Problem............................
qV
IV. The Use of this Bulletin "3,?
V. General Teaching Procedures • • . • • *fl
VI. Methodology....................... 91
VII. The Organization and Administration of
the Community Problems Program . • • 101
VIII. Summary, Conclusions, and Recommen
dations ...................... 11*+
Bibliography ........ 139
PART III
Suggested Units: Elementary School Level
Nuestro Saldn de Clases • • • • • • • • • • • Grade I
Mejoramiento y Embellecimiento del Hogar • • Grade II
Medlos de Diversion • • • • • • • • • . • • Grade III
- :'V -
Efecto del Ambiente en la Alimentacidn del
Hombre .............................. Grade IV
Gbmunicacidn y Transportacidn ......... Grade V
El Desarrollo de Comunidades.......... . Grade VI
Suggested Units: Rural Junior High School
Abastecimiento de Agua . • • • Grade VII
Relaclones Obreras ..................... Grade VIII
Appendix
Foods We Should Eat (English translation of the
first-grade unit "Alimentos que Debemos Comer”)
Efecto del Ambiente en la Allmentacl<5n del
Hombre . . • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • Grade IV
Comunicaeidn y Trans porta ci<5n Grade V
El Desarrollo de Comunidades . . . . . . . Grade VT
Suggested Units: Rural Junior High School
Abastecimiento de Agua................. Grade VII
Relaciones Obreras • Grade VIII
Appendix
Foods We Should Eat (English translation of the
first-grade unit "Alimentos que Debemos Comer")
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Chapter Page
I - Distribution of Population.......... 2
Typical Native Diets ...................... 10
Deaths Caused by Disease .................. 11
II - General Plan for the Preparation of Source
Units.................................... 30-36
Unit:
Nuestro Saldn de Clases, Grade I, Plano de un Saldn 17
Alimentos que Debemos Comer, Grade I, (English
translation), Foods We Should E a t ............ 32
Comunicacidn y Transported<5n, Grade V, Rutas
Adreas de la Caribbean Atlantic Airlines, Pan
American World Airways y la Eastern Airways • • 139-1^1
El Desarrollo de Comunldades, Grade VI, Organiza-
ci<5n del Goblerno Municipal • • • • • • • • • . 36
Poblacldn de Puerto Rico, l899-19l*0 • • • • • • 68-71
Aumento Poblacional de Puerto ^ico, 1899-19*^0,
(map).......................................... 72
Formas de Pianos en el Trazado de Calles • • . 7*+-7?
Abastecimiento de Agua, Grade VII, Agua " que se
Toma en Puerto Rico....................... . 7
RelacioneSObreras, Grade VIII, Ingresos de la
Familia Obrera en Puerto Rico • ............ 39
Desarrollo de Algunos Implementos . . . . . . .
DEDICATION
To my wife, Georgina, and my son, Nelson,
two good scouts who willingly sacrificed our
usual pleasure trips during the trying days
this work was in preparation.
- <i -
I
P A R T I
SOME SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROBLEMS IN PUERTO RICO
In all towns and cities of Puerto Rico there is
a close relationship between the urban and rural life.
The social and economic problems of one or the other
zone are essentially the same or have a common origin*
The problems of excessive population, unemployment,
low incomes, malnutrition, and poor housing conditions
are general throughout Puerto Rico, even though there
are differences in the intensity with which they manifest
themselves in both areas*
For an essentially agricultural country Puerto
Rico Is overpopulated* With a population of 1,869,255
and an area of approximately 3500 square miles, the
island had an average of 546.1 Inhabitants per square
mile according to the 1940 census* This density of
population exceeds that of any state of the union with
the exceptions of Rhode Island and New Jersey*
According to this census, 30*3 per cent of the
?
population is urban and 69*7 per cent is rural, it is
distributed In the three general agricultural regions
as followss1
Number of People
Area —* Total
Urban S Rural {
S
$
s
t
Coffee 17,000 0 233,000 250,000
i 0 t
0
Tobacco s 82,000 s 300,000 S 382,000
0
Sugar Cane s 467,357 769,898 S 1,237,255
s
s S
s S
0 ;
0
566,357 s 1,302,898 S 1,869,255
s s
With an annual Increase of about 40,000, the popu-
1 at Ion of Puerto Hlco has twice doubled In the last 100
years* If the present rate of population growth con
tinues, It will have reached almost 2,900,000 by I960*
Within a few years Puerto Rico will have another
1,000,000 to feed - and It can not adequately feed
Its present 1,900,000*
It is easy to forsee serious difficulties for our
social and' economic life If the present rate of growth
^National Resources Planning Board, Minimum Decent
Idvljag Standards for Puerto Ricos Food* clothing,and
siKAifcM*. a»n Juan. Puerto Rico, 19"2o
