Rationale
I have long been interested in the Spanish language, yet I can't speak a word. Maybe it's just nosiness on my part but I want to know what so many people have to say. They are so very expressive as they communicate with one another. Also have you ever looked at the Spanish speaking population in America? They don't look alike. This is not to say that all of them must resemble, but if you group them there are almost familial differences in the groups of people you see. This made me wonder about the backgrounds of Spanish speaking people from different countries. What is their history? Where did they originate? With what other ethnic groups have they mixed and mingled through time? The faces of our cities are changing as these new people move into our neighborhoods. I can remember a time when the only time I saw someone of Spanish descent or heard the speaking of Spanish was when I visited Florida or New York. Now I can just walk around in the city in which I live and encounter these new neighbors.
Many of these new neighbors have come in large part because they are attending one of the four universities or three colleges located in Pittsburgh. The children of these students often become students in the public school system where they come under my watch.
When these new young people enroll in Rogers I am frequently disappointed at the reaction of some students with these new members of the community who exhibit different language, accents, and customs. I know children often parrot the opinions of the adults in their lives. And I am aware that these opinions filter down, to come out of the mouths of babes, and hurt the feelings of others. So one of my reasons for writing this unit is to help students who have lived here all of their lives become more knowledgeable about this growing group of people. Spanish speaking people are, after all, becoming a major force in all areas of our lives.
I had once before had an opportunity to study the people of ancient Mexico, but I approached it from a different perspective. And there was so much I still didn't know. Therefore when the opportunity to be a part of the seminar on Art and Identity in Mexico was offered I felt this was a fortuitous chance to further my understanding of the people who spoke the language I was interested in. The fact that I would be able to study them from the historical point of where it all started was, for me, a blessing. As part of my classes the students must study the history of folks before we try to copy their clothing. What I knew and understood about Mexico historically up to this point would not have been much help for the unit I envisioned. We would have been doing lots of learning together. This second round of study has taught me what to look for. My research thus far has only skimmed the surface but has given me lots of information on the clothing they wore. It has shown me the reasons why some styles have remained constant through the years. It gave me insight into the meaning of costumes worn during ceremonies and during commemorative celebrations. Then too, this has taught me things that I can use to hook my students into wanting to know more. I can't wait to see the first of my students write messages on their personal clothing that no one understands but those who have taken the time and energy to study what all the hieroglyphs, symbols, and numbers mean. Maybe a new fad, however brief, will be born, writing messages in the language of the Mayas, or Aztecs.
Another reason for the writing of this unit as it is being done is to assist my students in their reading and writing skills. The focus of all school districts now is the federally mandated "No Child Left Behind." As our students read for research purposes and write the information they read, in essay form, they will solidify for themselves many of the concepts taught in their language arts classes. It has become increasingly important for students to have strong reading comprehension skills in my particular class because it is necessary to do so much research on the people and historical timeframes of the productions that are presented in our school. Students with strong comprehension skills open up time for more learning of construction techniques. And because the world in which we live is so very competitive those who can't analyze and interpret the written word will find they play a minor role in the larger scheme of life.
Rogers Performing Arts has been privileged to have a newly expanded Spanish department with the services of a full time teacher, who has come with a bag full of ideas. When this new teacher asked if my department would work with him on a project I agreed because I think my students benefit from working with other departments. It allows them to see that costume/and fashion does not operate in an educational vacuum, but is much a part of the wider society of learning.
After much brainstorming and discussion, the idea to have a festival was born. Of the four main holidays that Mexicans celebrate, the festival that observes the defeat of the French by a small group of Mexicans called Cinco de Mayo was chosen. It symbolizes Mexican unity and patriotism. Today it has been embraced throughout the United States as a celebration of freedom and liberty. It is a happy occasion that generates fun, games, food, music, crafts and dancing. A festival such as this allows the students to be immersed in the language and culture and learn a multiplicity of new things while having a good time. An active cafe is to be a part of our Cinco de Mayo celebration. Posters, murals, dramatizations, poetry, music, costumes, and more will be a part of the culminating activities.
When the study of Mexican history is introduced the students will notice they're only a few holidays that are celebrated and several of them are related to the history of their fight for independence from those who would take over their country.
It is necessary to understand the relevance of May 5, 1862 to some people. It is not the date celebrated for Mexican independence. Their independence day is celebrated annually on September l6. This represents the end of a war with Spain that lasted 10 years. They won the right to govern themselves. There were several more wars one of which would change the boundaries of the Mexican countryside. But the war that is the reason for Cinco de Mayo was a situation that generated national pride. In the aftermath of the Mexican American war the French invaded Mexico. Mexico was tired and poorly equipped to handle such a thing. The French had been assured of the backing of the United States and Spain. Eugenie wife of Napoleon wanted to extend her husbands monarchy and felt Mexico was the place to do so. Together they wanted to place Emperor Maximillian of Austria as head of this country because he was young, controllable and a relative. The conservative Mexican aristocracy and church leaders had issued an invitation for this to occur.
Five thousand tired but valiant farmers defeated an army more than twice their size When these farmers realized their way of life was threatened they wanted to fight along side of their president, Juarez, who like them, was from a poor peasant family The French were expecting no resistance and were taken by surprise. Many poor farmers died that day to preserve a way of life. This fight, as no other, became for many a symbol of unity, patriotism, freedom and liberty.
I want to take this opportunity to state than this particular celebration is observed as much if not more than by the Mexicans that live in the States than it is by those who still live in their native land. But it is, as I stated before, a happy celebration and one which we should share as a means of learning about others.
We then discussed ways to attract other departmental areas to voluntarily participate and make it a school wide unit. It was decided that we would create a lesson design that could be built into the schools calendar of events and into its curriculum guide for each departmental area for the coming year. Spanish is the only language taught at Rogers. The students must pass a special test in grade 8 that allows them to take an upper level Spanish class in grade 9. Therefore, the idea is that this unit could be beneficial in placing a sustained focus on the Spanish language in each department while allowing us all to have fun in working towards a specific final activity.
The Spanish teacher and I decided that he must work with each teacher closely so that they might not feel the extra burden of working outside of the state and Board of education mandates for their classes. He will be responsible for creating Spanish vocabulary for "word walls" to be placed in each classroom. He will place words around the building in order that students will see the language everywhere they go in the building. He will assist in any research needed by other academic areas outside of any suggestions and resources to be found in the bibliography if this unit.
As I write this unit I will include suggestions for other departments. I will include books and on line resources that I have found and reviewed. But I won't write any actual lesson plans for them to follow. Nor will I suggest any time frames for them to work under. I will however write very specific plans for my costume students, as we will have to design and construct articles of clothing to be worn during the final celebration.
This unit is a collaborative dream. It will also be a major undertaking. The staff at Rogers CAPA has a history of working collaboratively across disciplines. When I first came to Rogers the history teacher at that time wrote a series of skits about historical figures. Many of these figures were people that were involved in activities that changed how we viewed our world but had never gotten recognition. The drama department assisted in casting and directing. The costume department made the costumes. These skits opened up opportunities for the rest of the arts staff and academic programs to participate so the students became captivated by the culture of the people portrayed. These productions were called "Shapers of History."
In that same vein the drama and language arts departments currently hold a yearly "Theatre Festival". A play of a certain time frame and country is selected and cast. All departments are encouraged to become a participant. The language arts department read selected pieces written about or during that time. The art department decorates for the culminating activity. The costume department constructs clothing for the characters
reminiscent of that era. The play is put on for the students on a Friday. The following Saturday the play is repeated for parents, community partners and others who wish to eat, drink and become educated with us. We host a costumed luncheon where we dress and serve foods as authentically close to the historical time frame as possible.
The last cooperative gala we had at Rogers CAPA was a rousing success in that every department made a significant contribution. It was apparent that the students had become heavily invested in its success and understood the premise on which the festival was based. The focus was the Worlds Fair of 1904. The play selected was "Meet Me in St. Louis"
Because this was such a pivotal time historically we were called upon to research what changes were happening in our arts/academic areas and share them with our students. Because all of the departments actively participated we had A completely engaged student body. We had a frontal replica of an actual train from that time. The stagecraft students constructed it. The music department entertained us with music of that time. Visual artists created posters and decorated. We hosted a fair that mimicked the fair of 1904. It allowed students to play games, eat goodies, win prizes and have safe fun. The staff and students dressed in historic clothing. The PTA and various other groups opened booths to raise money and share information. This was a glorious two-day affair.
As a costume teacher I realize my part in this endeavor will be to focus on current culture and clothing both old and new. I will additionally teach about the art of the regions studied, because part of my students' class requirements will be to create wearable art. It is essential for my students to understand that in order to focus properly on the fashions or costumes people adorn them selves with, we must have more than a passing suggestion of the "Who, What, When, Why, Where, and How of their lives. This means we study the lifestyles of the populace. Who were they? What were their daily concerns? Were they well - to -do? Were they slaves or artisans, farmers or warriors? Where did they live? What was the climate? When did they live? How did they travel? How far afield did they travel from their homes? Who were their friends or foes? What supplies were available to be used in daily activities? Did they have a caste system or hierarchy? These and many more questions must be answered before we can design and create costumes for our festival. So, much of this unit will, of necessity, focus on Mexican history.
This unit will be a replica of how I teach my students as it includes the study of Mexican people. Each era of time has its own fashion history. Until recent times each country of the world had its own fashion identity. This is no longer true of most countries unless you focus on ethnic costumes. But whenever a play is to be dressed by my students we will research the people and the time. This is extremely important if we are to replicate the clothing worn. Many theatre lovers aren't sophisticated enough to recognize the clothing time frame. But I insist that my students dress the characters
truthfully and cater to the one person who will recognize a costume out of focus. So this unit will fit right in to my curriculum as I currently teach it.
The students I teach in the costume department are all in grades six, seven, and eight. They come to me with minimum to no experience in sewing. All of them do however audition to become a part of my class. They must exhibit a desire to learn, have lots of "outside of the box", imagination, and be willing to learn. These factors show up in the audition process. As I write this unit I take into consideration that each student works at his/her own pace. It should also be noted that some sketch better than others. Some sew better than others. Some make patterns better than others. Some design, make hats, make jewelry and more. So I must allow them to be successful where they can while encouraging them to work towards success in less capable areas. I further recognize that as learning is incremental the grade 8 students will know more than grade 6, so I design lessons to reflect where they should be on the learning continuum. My expectations are that each of these students will reach or pass the above average level of proficiency for my class.
From the perspective of the Spanish teacher, I wouldn't dream of telling him what to do, or how to teach as it involves his area of expertise. We will however work closely together and we will probably overlap when each of us touches on the cultural history of Spanish speaking countries, particularly Mexico.
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