SACRED HEART COLLEGE
COURSE OUTLINE
Course Title: Belizean Studies
Form: Four
Credit Hours: Three (3)
Year: August 2023 – June 2024
Teacher’s Name: Ms. Stefphoney Grinage
Contact Number: 824-2102/620-6387
E-mail Address:
[email protected]Suggested Supplemental Materials:
Smith, F. Belize Facts and Figures, 2019. InterLogic Publishers:
Belize
Course Description:
Belizean Studies is a four-year secondary-level program designed to be scheduled for a minimum
of one hundred and eighty teaching minutes per week.
Belizean Studies focuses on the geographical space contained within and culturally connected to
Belize from the time of early humans in Africa to the present day. It uses techniques and concepts
of anthropology, geography, history, literature and sociology to explore the environmental,
political, economic, social, cultural and technological origins and development of Belize in a
global context.
Belizean Studies contributes to the achievement of all the national goals of education. It strongly
contributes to the achievement of:
Goal 1: A knowledge of Belize and a commitment to an involvement in its development.
Goal 2: An appreciation and respect for different peoples and cultures and a commitment to
justice and equity for all.
Goal 3: An understanding of the economics of Belize and of the world, the appreciation of work,
the capacity to participate in economic activities, skills in design and the ability to use a range of
technologies.
Goal 4: An understanding of systems and subsystems in the physical world, including the natural
environment and the need to preserve it.
1
Goal 5: An appreciation of, and participation in, artistic ventures, particularly within the Belizean
culture.
The Importance Of Competency In Secondary Belizean Studies:
Belizean Studies embraces innovative strategies to guide students in the learning process. The
teacher is expected to use data acquired from reflecting on instructional techniques, assessment
strategies, and grading and academic reporting to improve lessons and ensure the mastery of
competencies. The competencies enable the students to learn at their own pace and be
accountable for their learning. The acquired knowledge, skills, values, and abilities will
ultimately motivate students to operate effectively in a changing Belizean, regional, and global
context.
(National Curriculum Framework, 2023)
Course Competencies: This course will enable students to:
Critical thinking and Problem Solving
Creativity and Imagination
Citizenship and Social Responsibility
Self-Efficacy and Positive Personal and National identity
Digital Literacy
Teaching Methodology and Strategy of Belizean Studies:
The syllabus is designed to assist the student to:
Belizean Studies adapts the questioning approach of inquiry to provide students with
meaningful, integrative, challenging and value-based content, activities and assessments.
Drawing on the Belizean experience, but mindful of existing social, cultural, economic,
religious and political differences, Belizean Studies respects the uniqueness of each student
by providing an arena for reflective discussions to make learning a thought-provoking and
meaningful experience for students.
The dominant methodology in Belizean Studies for extracting useful and relevant information
requires students to ‘Think Like a Belizean Explorer’. Coined by the originators of the
Belizean Studies program, this competency focused technique uses the questioning approach
to promote critical, creative and ethical thinking as students investigate and respond to the
human condition in ancient and contemporary contexts. When ‘Thinking Like a Belizean
Explorer’, the teacher provides opportunities for students to explore:
• Change and Continuity – What has changed? What has remained the same?
• Cause and Effect – What were the causes of past events? What were the effects?
• Using the Past – How does the past help us make sense of the present?
• Through Their Eyes – How did people in the past view their world?
• Turning Point – How did past decisions and actions influence future choices?
2
To promote and cement the questioning approach of inquiry in Belizean Studies pedagogy,
each strand has a ‘Big Question’ that forms the root line of study and focus for a particular
unit. This questioning framework engages students and makes learning exciting and fun with
students at the centre of the teaching-learning process and with the personal responsibility of
applying acquired competencies to construct their own knowledge and understanding.
Teachers are therefore tasked with creating a safe learning environment that supports
students’ interests, aspirations, sense of self-respect and dignity, while balancing students’
social participation in the immediate school environment with the larger social world.
(National Curriculum Framework, 2023)
Evaluation:
Assessment strategies may include and are not limited to:
Tests Quizzes
Graded assignments including S.B.A Peer Discussions
Projects Oral group presentations
Oral individual presentations News article reviews
The School Based Assessment is a requirement of CXC and will also be a part of the Research
Papers percentage grade. (This is only included in the second semester percentage)
Class Policies and Expectations:
Students are responsible for any assessment given during their absences and must complete
the assessment within ONE WEEK after their return. The teacher reserves the right to not
accept over-due work after the grace period has passed.
Late work is not encouraged. Students who will-fully opt not to submit an assessment will
automatically start losing ONE POINT per day until the assessment is submitted.
Cheating and plagiarism are serious offences and will be dealt accordingly. There will be NO
make-up grades for students caught cheating.
Disruptions, sleeping in class, chewing and eating in class, lack of textbooks, and tardiness to
class will be recorded. This may also result in after-school detention or a personal jug.
Everyone is expected to participate fully in class and group discussions. Content discussed
may be assessed at the discretion of the teacher.
Each student must be equipped with folder sheets for quizzes and essay writing. Overnight
essays are to be submitted typed unless circumstances do not permit, then the essay must be
neatly written.
All school rules will be enforced and must be abided by.
(Read SHC Prospectus 2023– 2024
Grading Scheme:
A 90 - 100% C 65 - 74%
B+ 85 - 89% D+ 60 - 64%
B 80 - 84% D below 60 %
C+ 75 - 79%
3
Course Content/Schedule:
SEMESTER ONE
Week Topic (s) Objectives
• Explain & Formulate reasons why Belize is
1
described as an independent nation-state.
• Explain & defend the aims of international bodies
2 that Belize is a part of, including the UN,
CARICOM & COMMONWEALTH.
• Explain and defend the role of the United Nations,
3 Introduction to including the International Court of Justice in
Belizean Studies settling disputes between nations.
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of
Belize’s membership of international bodies and
examine the relationships with other countries.
4
• Examine and describe Belize’s position in the global
economic order, and the IMF including the nature of
the superbond and the blue bond.
• Describe different views of the nature and the role of
5
families in modern Belize.
• Investigate and debate the causes and effects of
6 changes in the roles of family members in Belizean
society.
• Summarize and describe a range of social issues
Identity & Beliefs affecting family life in modern Belize.
7 (What does it mean
to be Belizean?) • Investigate and report a contemporary social issue
affecting family life in modern Belize.
• Investigate and explain how the socialization of
8 boys in Belize impacts male exposure and evaluate
the participation in crime and violence.
• Propose and present strategies that can be employed
9
to curb the crime and violence situation in Belize.
• Compare the causes of migrations into Belize from
10 Asia and Central America from 1945 to the present
day.
Origins
4
Origins • Justify and explain the causes and impact of the
11 (Where did we come migration of Belizeans to the United States.
from?)
• Analyze and explain the impact migration has had on
12 the politics, economy, society and culture of Belize
since 1945.
• Investigate and describe the British, French,
13 Portuguese, Belgian and Spanish empires that
existed in 1945.
Transformations
14 (What were humanities big • Examine and explain how, why and when a selected
turning points?) country in Africa became independent.
15 • Describe the process of decolonization in the
Caribbean and recommend alternative processes.
16
SEMESTER TWO
Week Topic (s) Objectives
• Evaluate and explain the strengths and weaknesses
of Belize’s political and electoral system.
1
• Explain the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a
democratic state.
• Interpret the impact of representation, corruption,
nepotism, clientelism, and political victimization on
the Belizean society.
2 Society and Governance
(How can we live in • Plan and present on steps that can be taken to
harmony?) strengthen democracy and promote good
governance.
• Justify the importance of constitutional reform for
the development of a peaceful, democratic Belizean
society.
3
• Advocate for Belizeans to assume responsibility for
the importance of citizen participation to promote
democracy and good governance in Belize.
5
• Discuss the seventeen (17) Sustainable
Development goals for Belize and rearrange them in
order of priority.
4
• Identify and find solutions to threats to the
sustainable development of Belize.
• Explore the impact climate change is having on the
weather, agriculture, tourism, marine and terrestrial
environments and individual life.
5 Development & • Identify actions taken and recommend new ways by
Environment which the individuals, the community and the
(How can all Belizeans government can do to help minimize the impact of
thrive now and in the climate change for Belize’s sustainable
future?) development.
• Differentiate between beneficial and harmful
practices related to the sustainable development of
any one of the following sectors: tourism,
fisheries, agriculture & forestry.
6
• Evaluate the impact and efficiency of existing
government policies on sustainable development
in any one of the following sectors: tourism,
fisheries, agriculture and forestry.
• Prepare a narrative to describe how men and women
of the labor movement promoted nationalism.
7
• Investigate and explain some obstacles that Belize
had to overcome to become independent.
• Explore and distinguish the impact Guatemala’s
unfounded claim to Belize had in the decades
Nationhood following independence.
8 (How did Belize become
an Independent Nation- • Investigate and justify the role of the International
State?) Court of Justice in determining the borders between
Belize and Guatemala.
6
• Evaluate and describe the impact of poverty on
access to health, access to education, and crime
levels after independence.
9
• Investigate the root causes of poverty and propose
solutions to the situation in Belize.
• Discuss the importance of entrepreneurship and
organize a debate to argue the benefits to the
development of a country.
10
• Explore the challenges that small businesses face in
Belize.
Empowerment & • Discuss and explain the role that government,
Leadership financial institutions and other agencies play in
(Who creates change?) encouraging entrepreneurship among a country’s
11 citizens.
• Evaluate the effects of globalization and question
trade liberalization on consumers and businesses.
• Evaluate and explain the state of the respect for
12
human rights in Belize.
• Research and propose strategies and actions that can
13
promote inclusion and participation in Belize.
14 Wrap Up • Finalise grades for the semester.
Each semester consists of 16 weeks, course content is projected for less than 16 weeks to
accommodate in-class session for SBA tasks completion.
All students are required to submit their hard copy of the SBA on the day assigned by the teacher.
