Mexico Resource Unit

By

Emily Marshall & Emily Cowell

ED 417

Introduction

With the United States becoming more culturally diverse, teachers need to explore new cultures with their students. Because of the growing diversity of our second grade classroom in Dayton, Ohio we feel the students would benefit from an eight day long study of our neighboring country Mexico.

Concepts

Cinco de Mayo Democratic process Quincera Pinata Maracas Tamales Tortillas Mariachi

Madre Padre Hermano Hermona Uno, dos, tres…….. Rojo, azul, amarillo…. Mayan temples Aztecs and Incas

Objectives

Given the correct materials and time, students will be able to:

1. Write history of Cinco de Mayo.2. Make tamales and tortillas for class

celebration.3. Name president of Mexico.4. Describe two events that the president of

Mexico has participated in here in the U.S.

Objectives cont….

5. Describe orally what a Quincera entails.6. Create a play about celebrating

Quincera.7. Construct a pinata for classroom

celebration.8. Construct and demonstrate maracas.9. Listen to Mariachi music and compare it to your favorite kind of music.

Objectives cont…..

10. Review Spanish words and create a story or poem using at least 5 Spanish words.

11. Construct a Mayan temple.

12. Make a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast Aztecs and Mayans.

Day 1 - Cinco de Mayo

Introduction - The teacher will introduce the holiday Cinco de Mayo to the class. The class will be given a verbal outline of the activities occurring over the next five days.

Outcome- The students will become familiar with the holiday Cinco de Mayo. Students will develop comprehension skills by reading and writing about the history of the holiday.

Day 1 - continued

Development - Students will create a class KWL chart to keep track of what they know, what they want to learn, and what they have learned. Students will read the story Fiesta! And visit various web sites to learn the history of Cinco de Mayo. They will then write a paragraph explaining the history of the holiday, citing at least three facts.

Day 2 - Cinco de Mayo continued

Introduction - Students will compare and contrast the holidays of Mexico and the U.S.

Outcome - Students will have a greater appreciation for the Mexican culture.

Development - Students will take a field trip to a Mexican restaurant to learn how to make authentic Mexican food, such as tamales and tortillas. Back in the classroom, students will listen to Mariachi music and construct their own maracas to play along with the music. Students will start a journal, with the first entry comparing and contrasting Cinco de Mayo to American Fourth of July holiday.

Day 3 - Spanish Words

Introduction - Students will be introduced to Spanish words by singing songs in Spanish and using the internet to translate their writing.

Outcome- Students will be able to count from one to ten in Spanish and be able to use at least five Spanish words in their writing.

Day 3 - Spanish Words Cont.

Development - The teacher will lead the students in the singing of three Spanish songs, teaching them common words such as, hermana, familia, madre, padre, buenos dias, etc. They will also learn colors and the numbers one through ten. Students will be lead to a translation site on the internet where they will type in one sentence and have it translated to Spanish. Students will also write a story or poem including at least five Spanish words.

Day 4 - Mexican Government

Introduction - Students will learn the basic form of government in Mexico.

Outcome - Students will know the President of Mexico, as well as his participation in U.S. government.

Day 4 - Government Cont.

Development - The teacher will lead in a discussion of the government of Mexico. She will tell the students that the President of Mexico is Vincent Fox and his roles and responsibilities. The students will then use the internet to go to newspaper and magazine websites where they will find three articles about the Mexican President.

Day 5 - Quincera

Introduction - The teacher will discuss growing up in Mexico and important rites of passage in Mexican children’s lives.

Outcome - Students will create and produce a play on the importance of Quincera.

Day 5 - Quincera Cont.

Development - The teacher will explain the significance of the Qincera in a Mexican child’s life. The students will then brainstorm about how their birthdays are the same and different to those celebrated in Mexico. The students will then, in small groups, create a play about Quincera that they will then perform for the class.

Day 6 - Mayan Temple

Introduction - Teacher will introduce the history of the Mayan people and their ruins that still stand today.

Outcome - Students will construct Mayan Temples based on pictures from web sites and books.

Day 6 - Mayan Temples Cont.

Development - Small groups of students will be given a wire frame replica of a Mayan Temple. They will also be given paper mache materials to cover the wire frame and create a Mayan temple. Students will have access to books and internet pictures to use as guides. On later days the students will be given the opportunity to paint their temples once they have dried.

Day 7 - Aztecs

Introduction - Teacher will introduce the Aztecs by reading and discussing the book Aztec News.

Outcome - Students will construct a class Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the Aztecs and Mayans.

Development - After reading the above referenced book and studying the Mayans on a previous day, students will construct a Venn diagram recalling information learned. Students will note the similarities of these ancient people.

Day 8 - Evaluation

Students will demonstrate the knowledge learned by completing the following evaluation. Students will also receive evaluations on their participation in the previous activities.

Unit Test - Mexico

Multiple Choice (2 points each)1. What is the meaning of Cinco de Mayo?

a)Happy Mayb) Fifth of Mayc) Mexico’s Birthdayd) 15th Birthday

2. Who is the President of Mexico?a) George W. Bushb) Bill Clintonc) Vincent Foxd) Jaci Valesquez

Unit Test - Mexico

3. A pinata is filled witha) rocksb) candy and toysc) waterd) salsa

4. The Mayans lived on the shore of what ocean?a) Pacificb) Panama Canalc) Atlantic

d) Dead Sea

Unit Test - Mexico

5. With the numbers one through four in numerical order, which answer would be last?

a) dos

b) quatro

c)uno

d) tres

6. The Tulum is an ancient Mayan site. T/F

7. A quincera is your 21st birthday. T/F

Unit Test - Mexico

Short Essay

1. When and where did Cortez lead the Aztecs.

2. Write a brief (at least five sentences) history of Cinco de Mayo.

Teacher Resources

Mexican Americans Multicultural Studies. Turman, 1994.Reproducable creative writing activities expressing their opinion, introducing them to traditions and histories.

Mexico Culture Kit. Scher & Johnson, 1995Teachers books with clip art, maps, and posters.

Photo Fun Picture Packs. Edupress, 2000.Photo packs that show places, objects, people, and activities to amplify key topics.

Hands-on Heritage. Edupress, 1996.Book full of hands-on projects about Mexico.

Outline Maps. Edupress, 1995.Outline map of Mexico.

Student Resources

Our Global Village. Milliken, 1996.Books exposing them to cultural diversity.

Count Your way Through Mexico. Haskins, 1996.Count to ten in Spanish

Countries and Cultures for Young Explores. Instructional Fair, 2000Puzzles and language activities from Mexico.

Look What Came From Mexico. Harvey, 1999A look at what came from Mexico that we could not live without, like chocolate from the Aztecs.

Student Resources

Lands, People, and Cultures of Mexico. Crabtree, 2000.Photographs and simple text introduce students to the history and geography of Mexico.

Aztec News. Candlewick, 1999.History of the Aztecs in the form of a newspaper.

www.babelfish.altavista.comWebsite that allows students to put in a word and it will translate it into Spanish or English.

www.maya-art-books.orgA website about Mayan art, ruins, and history.

Student Resources

www.newsday.com

Has articles and news about Mexico. www.mexonline.com

Tells the entire history of Cinco De Mayo.

Media References

Video- Mexican American Heritage. Schlessinger, 1997.Has segments on geography , history, crafts, songs, and foods, of the Mexican American.

Video- Families of the Mexico. Arden Media, 2000.Takes students through typical days in the lives of families with small children.

Video-Multicultural Peoples of North America. Library Video, 1993.The heritage of yesterday, today, and tomorrow of the Mexican Americans.

Video- Two Mexican Boys. Inside Mexico.Two boys growing up in Mexico.

Media References

CD-Rom- Aztecs: How would you survive? 1995.First person look at the life of an Aztec Indian. Includes interactive maps, timelines, and sound effects.

CD-Rom- My First Amazing World Explorer. Dorling & Kinderlsley, 1998A great way for younger students to explore the geography of Mexico.

CD-ROM- A Simulation on Cultural Diversity. Interact, 1995Divides students into different cultural families to learn about their cultures.

CD-ROM- Maya the Blood of Kings. Time Life Books, 1998.Commentaries by historians, maps, and location footage of the Ancient Mayan temples.

Media References

CD- Mariachi from Mexico. Mexican Mariachi Band.

Actual Mariachi Music to be used in the classroom. Poster- Diverse Environments. Documentary Photo Aides.

Posters of many Mexican traditions, foods, games, and people. Maps- Central and South America. National Geographic Charts- Mexican American Ethnic Chart. Good Apple, 1997.

The celebrations and contributions of Mexican Americans. Globes- GeoSafari

Play geography games, find out about the currency, climate, and time.

Media References

Workbook- Hispanic Plays for Young People. Teacher Ideas, 1996.Plays about many Mexican traditions, Cinco De Mayo, and Quiencera.

Websites- www.thenewsmexico.com Websites- www.cyberatlas.internet.com Websites- www.nationalgeographic.com/mexico Websites- mexicanfood.about.com Websites- www.web-holidays.com/demayo Websites- www.pinatadesign.com