Discovering Diverse Mexico: A Culture Box Adventure!

Discovering Diverse Mexico: A Culture Box Adventure!

Fulbright-Hays Seminar ABROAD in Mexico and Colombia, 2012 AUTHOR & SCHOOL: ERIN SHEPHERD, ROSEDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, HILLSBORO, OREGON

SUBJECT AREA: ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS, SOCIAL STUDIES, ART GRADE LEVEL: 3RD GRADE

TIME FRAME: APPROXIMATELY 15 SESSIONS, 45 MINUTES EACH

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Discovering Diverse Mexico: A Culture Box Adventure! Erin Shepherd

Established Goals/Content Standards CCSS ELA Standards

3.RL.2 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text. 3.W.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic. 3.W.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital resources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories. 3.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey ideas and information clearly. 3.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. 3.SL.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade three topics and texts, building on other's ideas and expressing their own clearly. 3.SL.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly and at an understandable pace.

Oregon Social Studies Standards 3.7 Use a simple grid system, symbols, and other information to locate physical and political features of places on maps and globes.

Oregon Art Standards AR.03.HC.02 Identify social, historical and cultural characteristics in a work of art. AR.03.CP.03 Create, present and/or perform a work of art that demonstrates an idea, mood or feeling.

Key Understandings ? Mexico is a culturally and geographically diverse country. ? There are similarities and differences between our lives and those of children growing up in Mexico. ? Both print and digital resources provide information to help students research, create and present.

Essential Questions ? Where is Mexico in relation to Oregon and what are its major landforms? ? What makes Mexico's culture and geography so diverse? ? How can we use print and digital resources to research Mexico? ? What can we learn from studying other cultures and why can it be helpful to our lives?

Performance Tasks Throughout the unit, students will be learning about and creating cultural and geographical "artifacts" as part of their final project, titled "Mexico Culture Box." The unit culminates in a speaking and listening opportunity and celebration of learning. Each student will be required to complete the following miniprojects for their box (refer to attached rubrics for assessment):

? Mexico flag ? Landforms of Mexico map ? Mexican folktale storyboard ? Informative travel brochure about Oaxaca, Mexico

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? Alebrije art project ? "De Colores" song and dance movements ? Two case study response pages Sequence of Learning Activities Lesson 1: Introduction to Beautiful Mexico!--PowerPoint presentation and hands-on exploration of realia. GLAD observation charts. Study of Mexican flag meaning and creation of mini-flags. Introduction of culture box project. Lesson 2: Mapping Mexico--Input chart of Mexico's key landforms. Students create their own maps. Lesson 3: Day 1, Exploring Mexican Folktales--Teacher read-aloud of the Oaxacan Folktale, "The Tale of Rabbit and Coyote." Whole-class story-structure chart. Lesson 4: Day 2, Exploring Mexican Folktales--Folktale "storyboards" using rubric to assess. Lesson 5 Day 1, Discover Oaxaca!--Interactive presentation on Oaxaca. Explore and make observations on travel brochures. Lesson 6: Day 2, Discover Oaxaca!--Print and digital resource research. Rough drafts of travel brochures. Rubric for brochure assessment. Lesson 7: Alebrije Art Adventure--Watch alebrije video and presentation from Oaxacan Village, San Martin Tilcajete. Explore the legend of alebrijes. Students create their own out of clay. Lesson 8: A Folksong of Mexico--"De Colores" song and dance movements. Lesson 9: Case Study of Mexican Children: Tlapanala Village, Puebla--PowerPoint presentation, class discussion, personal response page. Lesson 10: Case Study of Mexican Children: Escuela Secondaria 26, Veracruz--PowerPoint presentation, class discussion, personal response page. Lesson 11: Putting It All Together--Modeling and guided practice of sharing culture boxes and experiences with peers. Lesson 12: Learning Celebration--Present to peers throughout the day. Class celebration with food, song, dance.

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Lesson 1: Introduction to Beautiful Mexico!

Subject Area(s): Geography, art, social studies

Standards Addressed 3.W.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital resources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories. 3.SL.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly and at an understandable pace.

Lesson Summary Students will be introduced to the diverse country of Mexico, through a PowerPoint presentation and exploration of realia, as they complete language-rich observation charts. Students will learn the history behind the Mexican flag and create their own mini-flags. The teacher will foster excitement about the upcoming unit and will introduce their mission: To become cultural anthropologists of Mexico and create culture boxes to teach other students, teachers and their families about this incredibly diverse country!

Objectives ? Students will be introduced to Mexico's geography, culture and population information through a multimedia presentation. ? Students will understand the meaning behind the Mexican flag. ? Students will understand their mission to create a culture box of Mexico during the unit that will be used to teach others.

Evidence of Lesson Mastery/Performance Tasks ? Students will demonstrate their understanding of the introduction to Mexico presentation by participating in a discussion session. ? Students will demonstrate their understanding of Mexico's flag by completing a notes page and creating their own. ? Students will demonstrate their understanding of the mission of the unit through class discussion and receiving their culture boxes for the first time.

Vocabulary Mexico, population, anthropologist, culture, flag, observation

Materials Mexico PowerPoint (available for download from this website), chart paper, markers, sticky notes, class set of flag notes page (attached), class set wooden dowels (or straws), class set flag blacklines (attached), coloring tools for the students, class set of shoe boxes, map of Mexico, pictures and/or realia from Mexico

Student/Teacher Discussion and Activities Anticipatory set: "Today, you will begin a learning adventure! Your mission is to become cultural anthropologists, which are people who study about different cultures around the world. You will be learning many different things about Mexico and creating a very special culture box to teach others about this amazing country! Let's get started!"

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Objective share: "Today you will watch a presentation about Mexico, explore some real objects from the country and make observations and ask questions. You will also learn about the Mexican flag, create your own and obtain your culture box!"

Sequence of Activities 1. KWL chart Post KWL chart (large chart paper). Have students share as you record what they already know about Mexico and what they wonder.

2. "An Introduction to Beautiful Mexico!" section of PowerPoint presentation Discussion questions--discuss with partners:

? What was your favorite part of the presentation? ? What are you excited to learn about? ? Why is it important to learn about other cultures and countries? ? What parts of the presentation were familiar to you/brand new?

3. Explore Mexican realia Set out the following around the classroom with a piece of chart paper next to each one: large map of Mexico (preferable showing landforms), alebrijes, Mexican flag, Talavera pot, Zapotec rug. If you do not have these objects, pictures from Google Images will work.

Each student must write a question or observation about each object using sticky notes. Whole-group sharing of observations and questions from the realia.

4. Mexican flag meaning and notes page Teacher reads aloud the Mexican flag meaning: The Mexican flag (Bandera de M?xico) that we know today has gone through many changes. In 1821, when Mexico gained its independence from Spain, the tri-color flag was adopted. There is an Aztec legend that told its people to build a city when they came upon an eagle eating a serpent. That city, Tenochtitlan, is now known as Mexico City. The coat of arms in the middle of the white section is of a Golden Eagle eating a snake on top of a cactus. The three colors green, white and red do not have an official meaning. Most believe they represent the colors of the liberation army of Mexico.

Students take notes on page provided. Then, they create their own mini-flag by cutting out flag blackline, coloring it and attaching it to dowel or tongue-depressor (this will be the first item for their culture box).

5. Closure Revisit students' mission for the unit: To be cultural anthropologists of Mexico and create a culture box to share with others. For the culture boxes: Ask students to bring in shoeboxes from home. They can decorate them with symbols of Mexico throughout the unit if they finish tasks early.

Exit ticket (on sticky note): Write one question you have about Mexico and one thing you are excited to learn about.

Extension(s) Before beginning the unit, ask families who are from Mexico to volunteer to come in and speak about their region. They may bring in realia, share experiences or possibly do a language lesson.

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Flag of Mexico Notes

Name: ___________________________

What is the meaning of the Golden Eagle eating the snake on top of the cactus?

What do the three colors of the flag mean? What is the ancient city of Tenochtitlan now known as?

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Mini-Flag Blacklines

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