Unit: Mexico History and Culture
Overview: The lessons are designed to build background for the story Elena, by Diane Stanley. It is in the Baltimore County 5th Grade Houghton Mifflin Reading Series and is available in book stores. Set in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution, it shows how the war affects a family. In order to teach this lesson you do not need the reading series or county curriculum. The lessons do not need to be presented as a unit, but individual lessons can be used for teaching art, history through art, Mexican life today, Mexican History and the Mexican Revolution
Cross Curriculum areas and topics:
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· Mexican Revolution
· American Revolution
· Immigration
· Art
· Mural Painting
· Diego Rivera
· Mexican Music
· Social Studies/History
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Themes:
• Cultures may be different, but people are similar and often face the same types of challenges in life.
• To form an understanding of another culture and compassion for another culture.
• To build an interest in Mexico so students will want to choose to learn Spanish when they have the opportunity to learn a foreign language.
State Standards:
· Reading Standards 5th grade: 1.E. 1, 2, and 3, 3.1. 1, 2, and 3
· Art Standards 1 and 2
· Music – Standards 1 and 2
· Social Studies: Standard 2.0 People of the Nation and World, 5.0 History Related Subjects
Reading Comprehension skills: Compare and contrast, author’s viewpoint, artist’s viewpoint in text features, character traits
Materials and Power Point Presentations: All Power Points and plans can be found on the Fulbright Hayes Partners in Education wiki site:
http://partnersineducation-mexico.wikispaces.com/
Unit: Mexico History and Culture
Lesson: 1- Children’s Activities in Mexico
Objective / Students will use photographs to identify similarities and differences between school children in Mexico and themselves in order to discuss and describe them in a written response.Grade Levels/
Subject Areas / 5th grade Reading, Elementary Art, Elementary Social Studies, Reading, Language Arts, and Music from other cultures
State Standards/
Curriculum / · Reading Standards 5th grade: 1.E. 1, 2, and 3, 3.1. 1, 2, and 3
· Art Standards 1 and 2
· Music – Standards 1 and 2
· Social Studies Standards 2.0 People of the Nation and World, 5.0 History
Building background/
Exploration / · Where is Mexico? Use a world map and the maps on the L1 Power Point to identify neighbors, geography of mountains, rivers, and borders. Explain that much of the western USA was once part of Mexico. Until 1832, 7 current US states were considered part of Mexico's territory. They are: California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
· What language do they speak in Mexico? There are many different tribes of indigenous people who live there. Spanish is the most widely spoken language and was introduced during the Spanish Conquest in the 1500’s. The second is the indigenous language Nahuatl. There are an estimated 62 native languages.
· Who in the class has been there? What was it like?
· Who has family from Mexico? Where do they live?
Experiencing Mexico / · Sounds of Mexican songs and music- listen to two different types of songs from Mexico. One can be a traditional mariachi song and another one a contemporary popular song. Students have a sheet of paper folded in half. Listen to a part of each piece with their eyes closed. Students take a few minutes afterwards to write a thought or draw a picture of what they saw. Turn and talk to a partner, or share with the class their impressions. This helps set a mood and gives the students a chance to use their auditory and visual skills.
· Power Point L1- A visit to children in Mexico. The Power Point slides have teacher notes so a printout of the Power Point with the notations and suggestions will be helpful.
· Venn diagram or chart for note taking (resource handout). As the students view and discuss the pictures and information, they can keep track of similarities and differences on the accompanying chart, or on a Venn diagram.
Assessment / · Note taking chart
· Describe some ways the lives of the children in Mexico are similar to your life, and some ways that their lives might be different. Use your notes to support your answers with specific details.
· Using details from what you saw and heard, explain why you would, or would not, like to take a trip to Mexico.
Handouts/
resource s / · Mexico Note taking Chart
· Written Response Questions (resource sheet)
Power Point/
L1 / Wiki address:
http://partnersineducation-mexico.wikispaces.com/
Websites and / Safari Montage topics: Mexico
Author / Andrea Naft, Fulbright- Hays Partners in Education Group Studies in Mexico, Summer 2010
Homework / Ask your parents why they or their ancestors came to the USA? If they do not know, find out why their families came to Baltimore in order to share this information with the class tomorrow.
Name: ______Date: ______
Lesson 1: Mexico Note Taking Resource Sheet
Only in my city / Similar in both cities / Only the Mexican CityName: ______Date: ______
Lesson 1: Written Response Resource Sheet
Describe similarities and differences between school children in Mexico and yourself. Use your notes to support your answers with specific details.
Use details from what you saw and heard to explain why you would, or would not, like to take a trip to Mexico.
Unit: Mexico History and Culture
Lesson 2: The Mexican Revolution
Objective / Students will know the roles men, women, and children played during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) in order to identify, discuss and write about how people’s lives were changed by the war.Grade Levels/
Subject Areas / 5th grade Reading and Language Arts, Elementary Art, Elementary Social Studies
State Standards/
Curriculum / · Reading Standards 5th grade: 1.E. 1, 2, and 3, 3.1. 1, 2, and 3
· Art Standards 1 and 2
· Social Studies Standards 2.0 People of the Nation and World, 5.0 History
Homework sharing / · Students will share how their families came to the USA or Baltimore so that later in the lesson, there can be a connection drawn between why some people moved from Mexico to the USA during the Mexican Revolution, and why people from the students’ families may have migrated or immigrated in the past.
· Discuss homework assignment from day before:
· Whose family moved here from someplace else?
-Why did your family move to the USA?
-Where did they live before moving to Baltimore?
· Some reasons people move:
-economic opportunity more work,
-better pay
-to be with family
-flee from war, danger, and natural disasters
Activating prior knowledge,
exploration / · When and why did the Americans have their revolution against the king of England? List on board. This will help the students activate prior knowledge about revolutions.
· Who fought?
· Who were the leaders and heroes?
· What were the results of the American Revolution?
Lesson: Mexican Revolution / · When and why the Mexicans had a revolution against their own government in 1910. Relate the time of the revolution by counting back generations.
· Use Power Point and accompanying notes: L2The Faces of the Mexican Revolution and why it was fought. The Power Point slides have teacher notes so a printout of the Power Point with the notations and suggestions will be helpful.
· Students take notes on their resource sheet about the people who fought in the Mexican Revolution and how it affected people’s lives as we watch and discuss the Power Point
Assessment / · Written response – Describe how the lives and roles of family members were changed by the Mexican Revolution.
Handouts/
resources / · Note taking Chart-leaders, men, women, children outcomes
· Written Response Questions
Power Point L2 / Wiki
http://partnersineducation-mexico.wikispaces.com/
Websites and resources / Safari Montage topics: Mexican Revolution
The Course of Mexican History, Meyer, Sherman and Deeds, 2007
Author / Andrea Naft, Fulbright-Hays Partners in Education Group Studies in Mexico, Summer 2010
Name: ______Date: ______
Lesson 2: Power Point note taking resource sheet
How the Mexican Revolution affected their leaders, men, women, and children
leaders / men / women / childrenName: ______Date: ______
Lesson 2: Written Response
Describe how the lives and roles of family members were changed by the Mexican Revolution. Include specific details to support your thoughts.
Unit: Mexico History and Culture
Lesson 3: Author’s and Artist’s viewpoints: How Diego Rivera used murals of the history of Mexico to show his viewpoint.
Objective / Students will interpret authors’ and painters’ viewpoints in readings about trips to a Mexican market and by viewing Diego Rivera’s murals about Mexican history in order to identify, discuss and write about viewpoints.Grade Levels/
Subject Areas / 5th grade Reading and Language Arts, Art, Elementary Social Studies, Elementary Art
State Standards/
Curriculum / · Reading Standards 5th grade: 1.E. 1, 2, and 3, 3.1. 1, 2, and 3
· Art Standards 1 and 2
· Social Studies Standards 2.0 People of the Nation and World, 5.0 History
Exploration / · Why do people paint pictures?
· How can the text features like photographs and pictures enhance a text?
Lesson / · What is “author’s viewpoint”? Class gives ideas. Use Power Point L3a about Author’s Viewpoint that incorporates reactions to the Mexican market. The Power Point slides have teacher notes so a printout of the Power Point with the notations and suggestions will be helpful.
· Students will apply what they know about author’s viewpoint to “artist’s viewpoint.” They will view and discuss the artist’s viewpoint by viewing the slide “Solo Por Siempre” by artist Octavio Ocampo. This slide shows how people see things differently when they look at it. One person may see old people, and others young Mexicans. Students can discuss what they think the author’s viewpoint n the way the subjects are painted.
· Students then view the two stories that follow, one with a negative point of view of the market, and one with a positive view.
· Learn about Diego Rivera with L3b Diego Rivera Power Point. The Power Point slides have teacher notes so a printout of the Power Point with the notations and suggestions will be helpful.
· View and discuss Diego Rivera’s murals of the History of Mexico. Students will note how color, form, design, and mood convey the author’s viewpoint and notice what helps them from conclusions about the artist’s viewpoint.
Handouts/
resources / · Note Taking Chart- Viewpoints of husband, wife, and notes on Diego Rivera’s paintings
· Written response comparing viewpoints about the market
· Written response describing what Diego Rivera’s viewpoint about Mexican history is based on his murals in The Palace of Cortes and The Presidential Palace.
· Assessment resource page
Assessment 1
Assessment 2 / · Written responses about viewpoints.
· Make a small autobiographical sketch for a mural of three of the most important events of your life using color, form, and captions. In a few sentences, describe your viewpoint of your life in your sketch. This can be completed as homework.
Power Points L3a, L3b / Wiki
http://partnersineducation-mexico.wikispaces.com/
Websites and resources / Safari Montage topics: murals, Mexican food, Mexican markets
Diego Rivera information: http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/clas/outreach/k-12/clas_lessons/diego_rivera_murals.pdf
The Course of Mexican History, Meyer, Sherman and Deeds, 2007
Author / Andrea Naft- Fulbright Hayes Partners in Education Group Studies in Mexico, Summer 2010
Name: ______Date: ______
Lesson 3: Power Points note taking resource sheet
Words that reflect authors’ viewpoints and opinions at the market:
Husband / WifeNotes on images, color, form and subjects Diego Rivera uses to show his viewpoints and opinions about Mexico.
Name: ______Date: ______
Lesson 3: Written Responses about Viewpoints
Describe how the husband and wife’s viewpoints about the market are very different. Use words and details from their stories to support your answer.
Describe Diego Rivera’s viewpoint about Mexican history based on his murals in The Palace of Cortes and The Presidential Palace. Use specific details to support your answer.
Name: ______Date: ______
Lesson 3: Assessment
- On a separate piece of paper show three of the most important events in your life in a drawing. Show your own viewpoint about those events in your choice of color and form.
- Use at least one caption to briefly describe each event.
- Describe the viewpoint you expressed in your sketch. Explain how you showed it using color and form.
- Attach the drawing to this piece of paper.
Scoring: total of 12 points
· 1 point for each of the three events = 3 points
· 3 points for the use of color to show your point of view = 3 points
· 3 points for the use of form to show your point of view= 3 points
· 1 points for each caption= 3 points
· 3 points for your written description of your viewpoint= 3 points
Describe the viewpoint you expressed in your sketches. Explain how you used color and form to show your viewpoint.
Unit: Mexico History and Culture
Lesson 4: Elena by Diane Stanley
Objective / Students will use story (characters, setting, problem, solution) elements to understand how war affects families in order to create their own text features (drawings and captions) to retell the most important events in the story and show their viewpoint about it.Grade Levels/
Subject Areas / 5th grade Reading and Language Arts, Art, Elementary Social Studies, other cultures
State Standards/
Curriculum / · Reading Standards 5th grade: 1.E. 1, 2, and 3, 3.1. 1, 2, and 3
· Art Standards 1 and 2
· Social Studies Standards 2.0 People of the Nation and World, 5.0 History
Exploration / · Gallery walk of students’ autobiographical sketches
· Turn and talk to a partner about the sketches, events described, use of color, line, form, and their point of view the hoped to express.
· Class discussion: were you able to show your point of view about events in your life? How?
Lesson / · Read information in text about the Mexican Revolution that can be found in the Houghton Mifflin text or an age appropriate article.
· Identify and discuss text features.
· Connect what we have learned about Mexico with this article through discussion. Make a class list of new facts learned.
· Review with students what character traits are. Use the resource page on character traits and brainstorm examples.
· Students will read a story about a family during the Mexican Revolution and determine the point of view of the author about life during a revolution and what it is like for a family to immigrate to another country.
· Note the character traits of the main characters and how they react to events in their lives and what traits help them survive.
Assessment / · Retell the story by creating a visual representation (mini-mural/sketches) of the most important events in Elena.
· Show your viewpoint about the events in your drawing by using form and color.
· Use captions.
· Describe the viewpoint you tried to show in each sketch. Explain how you showed it using color and form.
Handouts/
resources / · Baltimore County Reading Curriculum Guide Grade 5, Elena
· Character traits resource page
· Written response resource page
· Assessment page
Author / Andrea Naft- Fulbright Hayes Partners in Education Group Studies in Mexico, Summer 2010
Wiki
http://partnersineducation-mexico.wikispaces.com/
Character Traits