Classroom Activities
Presented here are 3 sample activities for this unit. Teachers can use the ideas for a single lesson or plan an entire integrated unit based upon the strategies aforementioned.
Sample Activity 1
Title: Latinos en Estados Unidos - Puerto Rican and Dominican Identity
Grade Range: 6th - 8th Grade
Subjects: Social Studies and Literacy (Reading and Writing):
Duration of Lesson: 4-8 Class Periods of at Least 45 Minutes.
Specific Goals
Identify significant Latino cultural groups in the Americas and in the city of Philadelphia.
Explain the history of Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic, and explore the shared experiences Puerto Ricans and Dominicans have with African Americans.
Analyze how movies, internet, and popular magazines create stereotypes of Latinos.
Use primary, print and electronic sources to gather information for research topics.
Understand cognates and the relationship between some Spanish and English words and read and analyze bilingual text to write reflective responses.
Inquiry Question: What does it mean to be Latino in the United States?
Warm Up Activity - Before Reading: / Vocabulary Squares (Cognates)
Students will first scan the Spanish text in the lyrics Latinos en Estados Unidos (http://www.hsp.org/files/celiacruz.pdf) then locate cognates to create vocabulary squares. (example nación for nation) After this, students will share at least 4 vocabulary squares they completed with a peer. The vocabulary square will provide the part of speech or word origin; synonym or antonym; a symbol or icon for the word, and a brief definition for the word. Lastly students will listen to the Spanish version of the song, with English version to read a long.
Mini Lesson - Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic Background.
Using the World Cultures and Geography: Western Hemisphere text book and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Latinos in Philadelphia web site and resources (http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=103 ) the teacher will present historical background and timeline of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans migration and immigration in the US and to Philadelphia in particular. The students and teacher will read oral histories of Latin Americans families living in Philadelphia.
Activities - Constructed Response (TAG) - the Lyrics Latinos en Estados Unidos
Students will listen to the song one more time and do a close reading of the lyrics paying attention to how the song describes what it is like to be Latino in America. The teacher and students will explore the figurative language found in the lyrics as well discuss the importance of the refrain "let's unite, let's unite." Students will than write a constructed response to the following prompt.
In the song Latinos en Estados Unidos, the speaker shows that it is important that Latinos respect and honor their cultural heritage. Who is the speaker talking to and why is the speaker providing a message about Latin pride. Provide at least 3 examples from the text to support your answer. Students will use the TAG strategy to complete this prompt.
T- Turn opening statement into prompt.
A- Answer the prompt.
G - Give details from the text to support answer.
Wrap up or Extension— Latino Life in America - Growing Up Puerto Rican or Dominican In Philadelphia
As a wrap-up students may compose poems or short narrative stories using 3rd person point of view of what it must be like growing up Puerto Rican or Dominican in Philadelphia. Students can use ideas from the World Cultures and Geography: Western Hemisphere text book, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Latinos in Philadelphia web site and the lyrics Latinos en Estados Unidos.
Sample Activity 2
Title: Bilingual Pen Pals Letters and Inquiry Projects
Grade Range: 6th - 8th Grade
Subjects: Social Studies and Literacy (Reading and Writing):
Duration of Lesson: 4-8 Class Periods of at Least 45 Minutes.
Specific Goals:
Learn the format and style of bilingual-friendly letters.
Begin the inquiry process of finding out what cultural connections Puerto Ricans and Dominicans share with African Americans.
Inquiry Question: What cultural connections do Puerto Ricans and Dominicans share with African Americans?
Warm Up Activity - KWL
Students will complete a KWL chart listing what they already know about Puerto Rican and Dominican culture? What new things they want to know? After the project is complete they can list what new things they learned.
Mini Lesson - Format of Friendly Bilingual Letter
Teacher will model how to write a friendly letter; covering formatting and structuring tips. Teacher will also review some Spanish salutations that could be used in the opening or closing of letters.
Activities: Composing Letters
Students will draft and revise friendly letters to their new pen pals at the Marín School. Students letters should include information their hobbies and interests; things they have learned about Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic; question about what kind of music their pen-pal likes; and about their pen-pals' family heritage.
Wrap up or Extension - I Search - Inquiry
After completing their first pen-pal letters, students may begin their inquiry projects on what cultural connections Puerto Ricans and Dominicans share with African Americans. Students will use the internet, as well as other secondary and primary sources to write their own first person narrative about their process and discoveries.
Sample Lesson Plan 3
Title: On the One or Two: So You Want to Latin Dance?
Grade Range: 6th - 8th Grade
Subjects: Social Studies and Literacy (Reading and Writing):
Duration of Lesson: 6-8 Class Periods of at Least 45 Minutes.
Specific Goals
Produce, perform and exhibit Latin style dances, music and bilingual poetry.
Display multi-media and art reflecting the connections between Puerto Rican, Dominican and African American popular cultural.
Inquiry Question: How is Puerto Rican and Dominican Dance, Music and Poetry related to African American forms of self expression?
Warm Up Activity - Bilingual Text Rendering - "In The Beginning"
Students will first silently read the poem "In the Beginning" by Sandra Maria Esteves; then in groups of four read the poem a loud. After this, students will choose a word, phrase, or line that in some way stands out; their words may be Spanish or English. As a whole class students will recite their selected word, phrase, or line from this poem.
Students will share aloud one word that summarizes their feelings after reading this bilingual poem "In The Beginning." Afterwards, they may create beats to accompany the recitation of this poem.
Mini Lesson - Demonstrate Clave Beat
The teacher or teaching artist will provide a mini-lesson on the origin of the clave beat. The clave is Afro-Cuban music, based on a call and response pattern. The basic clave follows a 3-2 or 2-3 pattern meaning either the measure with the three strokes is played first with the two-stroke measure following, or the two stroke is played first followed by the three-stroke measure. (Washburn 15, July 2007) The teacher or teaching artist will model how clave based dances are related to the call and response patterns.
Activities - Mad Hot Ballroom- How To Salsa and Merengue
Students will do a close viewing of the film Mad Hot Ballroom paying attention to how the Latin Dance styles are performed in the documentary. The teacher and students will explore the conflicts young people face in competing in a city wide dance contest as well as discuss issues related to social class found in the film. Students' response notes may cover the following questions.
What are the basic steps of Salsa or Merengue?
How did seeing the film change your views about Latin or ballroom dancing?
Did seeing this film inspire you to want to learn new dance styles? Why or why not?
How are salsa or merengue dance styles similar to African American dance styles?
How does it make you feel to know that a most of the kids at one school PS 115 in Washington Heights were predominately Dominican, while the kids from the other schools PS 150 and PS 112 were more culturally diverse?
Wrap up or Extension — Filadelfian Poets Café
This unit may culminate with a Nuyroican style showcase. With support from a community arts partnership such as the Philadelphia Arts Education Partnership and Asociación de Músicos Latino Americanos or Taller Puertorriqueño the students' showcase may be presented at outside venues. In preparation for the show case students may work in groups of fours; students will form production teams to produce a digital rendition of bilingual spoken word poems, Latin dance moves or music lyrics. For examples students may perform the recitations of "Bilingual/ Bilingüe" by Rhina Espitlata, "You Bring Out the Latino in Me" written by Erick Piedrasanta a 16 year old writer, or "Dance With Bill T. Jones" by Susan Kuklin. Students could use the clave beat as background rhythms to accompany the recitation of poems or include dance movements to serve as interpretations of the poems. The teacher or teaching artist will model how to use story boards, for students to produce their own digital film or pod cast. Students may use images found when preparing their research, how-to essays, pen-pal letters as well as create their own illustrations. Students will use a multi-media images and present live performances of bilingual poetry, spoken word, Latin dance moves to reflect on their inquiry findings
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