Classroom activities
During the month of February all classes will learn the basic curriculum on Mexican history and current culture. Because this is the beginning of an extensive project each day during this month will be spent on Mexico. Each student will keep a journal of information, impressions, opinions, and vocabulary. A quiz will be given each Monday on the previous weeks lessons..
Each grade level will have its own set of lesson plans and expected outcomes. They will also each have their own set of projects to choose from. They will construct this project using teacher-approved techniques. All grades of the Costume classes at the Rogers Performing Arts School will start this unit at the beginning of the second semester. One purpose of this is that they might have the maximum time available to learn as much useful Spanish as possible before the end of the school year. Another purpose is that each costume major will gain a working knowledge of historical costumes from Mexico. The outcomes are to construct useful and wearable clothing or accessories and participate in hosting a café to celebrate Cinco de Mayo
Grade six has this class two periods five days per week. They will focus on the Mexican culture two days per week or four periods each week till the last week of April
Grades seven and eight have this class three periods per day or 15 periods per week. They also will focus on this unit until the last week in April
Week one - Detailed discussion of the reasons for this unit. This will generate interest, excitement, and inspiration for the end of year projects. Teacher will introduce the word walls and language that will be learned in our departmental area. The Spanish teacher will spend several classes to assist Costume teacher set proper tone for historical information. Resources to be used at this time: Mexican Posters, Costumes, Music, Art, pictures of ancient civilizations and family life. At this time the Spanish and Costume classes will work together and attend the various field trips together. The costume teacher will also teach several Spanish classes to give correct information about the clothing Mexicans wore and the reasons behind specific practices.
Week two - Field trips to the local museum and the International rooms of the University of Pittsburgh will be taken. The docents will share historical information and artifacts from a variety of Mexican groups. This will be the week we view videos of Mexico gotten from the main branch of the Carnegie Library. Part of this weeks work will be to assign a time frame and areas of Mexico for the purpose of individual research by the students. Everyone will be required to use Internet and hard cover book sources. They will share their information with the group at the end of the month.. This allows for more information to be disseminated in a shorter period of time. All students will be responsible for a typed paper and poster board of pictures about the lifestyles of their selected group. Grade six must complete a two- page paper double spaced with a # 12 font. Grades seven and eight will complete a four-page paper double spaced with a # 12 font.
Week three and four - Comparison of ancient and current cultures through food clothes, art, religion, and music is our next concern. Resources to be used will be movies and videos on Mexican life, books on particular subjects i.e. food, costumes, classes with the Spanish teacher, speakers from the University, speakers from the Spanish community
March and April - The classes will spend two days per week focused on designing and constructing wearable art projects and artifacts reminiscent of authentic Mexican culture. Each will make a costume morgue [scrapbook] of clothing that represents historical looks and current clothing that use some of the colors, weaves, and styles of historic and ethnic clothing. This morgue is a handy reference when one must remember quickly what was worn when, as we dress certain productions.
In the first week of March grades six, seven, and eight will have three days of Master classes in weaving techniques using back loom, hand looms, and small table loom. These students will take a field trip to the studio of our professional weaver/ master teacher to see first hand how it's done on a large scale.
Grade six will be required to make a project using the weaving skills learned. Grades seven and eight can use at their discretion the skills learned to make an accessory for a larger project.
During the months of March and April grade six students will also make piñatas and masks for the cafe/festival in May. We can work with the art department in the making of these articles.
Grades seven and eight will have two projects required during these two months. They will design and construct a personal project using authentic Mexican clothing as inspiration for this garment. They can use any time frame but it must be an article that is wearable today. The second project will be to design and make a full-skirted outfit that replicates the outfits worn by the native Mexicans on special days. These skirts and matching blouses will be worn at the cafe/festival on Cinco de Mayo.
As the grade seven and eight students prepare for making their personal projects they will be asked to call upon the lessons learned previously in fabric manipulating, painting on fabric, appliqué, silk screening, marbleizing, and batiking. This will allow them to place faces and scenes such as the Olmec heads, the temples, glyphs, and gods on fabric.
During April and the first week of May parents and community partners will assist in creating the scene for the cafe/ festival. We will paint posters, make decorations, collect artifacts to be given away as prizes, and secure authentic foods to be sold. We will also participate in hosting a café to celebrate the holiday
My goal is to have a festival with all departments in Rogers CAPA participating.. The Spanish teacher and I will have a show featuring poetry, music, fashions, food, and games on the Saturday afternoon closest to May 5th The selection of this day is to allow more parents to take an active part in this production
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