Activities
Activity One
Activity One will be the first lesson I teach for this unit. Journals usually serve as a 5-7 minute warm-up activity that tie a quote or a series of open-ended questions to a topic being taught in class. Journal writing is an essential component of a middle school Language Arts classroom. It allows for meaningful connections to curriculum that may or may not be appealing to the developing, distracted, or disgruntled adolescent. I read journal entries when I collect notebooks, about twice a quarter. Historically, this journal topic has lasted the entire class period, 90 minutes. I have found that students really appreciate taking the entire class to discuss this topic because the topic relates directly to them, it is often a topic not tackled in a classroom setting and I allow everyone to contribute. In order to ensure the discussion of each question in one class period I will designate about 10 minutes of discussion per question. When the 10-minute mark approaches I say that we only have time for one or two more comments, making sure to first select any student who volunteered to speak but has not yet shared. As with any other transitional activity in the classroom, if the side-chatter becomes excessive I will count to 3. Students are aware that by three they are to be seated and silent. This strategy will probably be implemented because the students get so passionate about their personal experiences. Because of the high-level of student interest, this activity will be extended over a two-class period.
Day One
I have two objectives for today's activity.
- The students will be able to make personal connections to literature.
- The students will be able to understand the causes and effects of racism and stereotypes by writing about personal experiences in a journal.
The overhead is another tool used daily in my classroom. Middle school students need a routine so when they arrive to my class there will always be a warm-up on the overhead. Students know that I give a timed warm-up every class period. I will have the following questions on an overhead transparency when the students arrive. Define racism (in your own words). Does racism exist a) in your school b) in your neighborhood c) in Charlotte? What is a stereotype? Why do people stereotype others? Have you ever been stereotyped, if yes, how did it make you feel? When have you stereotyped others? The students respond to their questions in the Interactive Notebook, a spiral notebook that houses all work done in Language Arts for the entire year. The questions are designed to stimulate their brain and get them ready for the critical thinking skills they need to employ throughout the unit. They will be given about 20 minutes to write. Before they share their answers to the stereotype questions I will read the chapter "Those Who Don't" from Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street. This chapter describes, in beautiful language, how other races are scared to come into the main character, Esperanza's, neighborhood because it is home to Latinos. I will ask the students to identify stereotypes and racism evident in the chapter. By juxtaposing this chapter with their responses the students will be able to use critical thinking skills to make connections between their experiences and those on Mango Street. This will be the first of many first-person Latino perspectives examined in the unit. Then the discussion ensues. I will remind students that only one person may speak at a time and to be respectful of their peer's opinions. I will call on students to raise their hands. At times I will have to mediate, but for the most part the students really take control of the discussion. Their homework will be to write one paragraph (in their Interactive Notebook) summarizing the class discussion.
Day Two
I have two objectives for today's activity.
- The students will be able to identify text organizers in non-fiction text by reading a selection and locating chronological order signal words and by generating a graphic aid.
- The students will be able to identify and analyze cause/effect relationships in non-fiction text by reading a selection from Cheech Marin's Chicano Visions American Painters on the Verge, comparing and contrasting two maps, and creating a graphic aid.
The warm-up for today is a one-paragraph response to the question: "Historically, what causes one culture to discriminate against another?"
The excerpt my students will read falls under the heading "The Roots of Migrant Consciousness," which in ten brief paragraphs summarizes the origin of the term Chicano, or "politicized Mexican-American who have resided in what is today the Southwestern United States since the earliest days of Spanish exploration in this region, the early 1600s" (Marin, 12). Students will read the excerpt aloud. The strategy I use for read-alouds is as follows: starting on one side of the room, going up and down each row, each student reads one paragraph, no matter how short or long, without stopping. This strategy has many great attributes: the students must pay attention so they know when to begin reading, I do not have to interrupt the fluidity by calling on several students to read, and all students know the expectations - making read-alouds more comfortable. I always pause at key points during the reading and ask comprehension questions to keep the students engaged and to assess their understanding. One of the key elements of non-fiction text is that the 5W & H questions are always answered. This will serve as the teacher modeling and guided practice components of the lesson. Together we will begin to complete a 5W & H Chart (who, what, where, when, why, how questions). I will draw one on the overhead and students will record one in their notebook. I will begin the chart with them by answering the "who" question: Aztecs, Spaniard settlers and Chicanos. The most important strategy for reading comprehension is referencing the text. My students have been taught to go back in the text and highlight where they find their answers. I will model this strategy on the overhead by underlining the sentences that tell the reader "who" the selection is discussing. Students will work in pairs to complete the rest of the chart - of course going back and highlighting their answer in the selection. For now students may write their response in phrases; as the unit progresses, they will take the responses generated on the 5W & H chart and create a written summary in paragraph form using transitional words they learned throughout the study of text organizers in the unit.
I mentioned above that students will work in pairs to complete the 5W & H chart. Another essential element in middle school classrooms is cooperative learning. My desks are arranged in pairs. During a typical lesson I will model the skill being taught that day, guide them through a practice activity and then allow them to work in pairs on the next activity. Students learn so much more when they are constructively working with their peers. Often times, when working on EOG-style multiple choice questions or open-ended teacher-made questions they will actually debate over who has the correct answer. By making them go back and justify their answers by highlighting the text they have an easier time supporting their answer choice. Cooperative learning fosters discussion, respect and participation among my students.
Next I will distribute maps of the original "Aztlán" region and of present-day Mexico and the U.S. I will model how to use the text organizers such as titles, legends, and graphics to understand the information on a map. I will do so by asking questions such as: What can I learn from the title? What countries do you see? Why is the date significant? These questions will foster the critical thinking skills needed to analyze similarities and differences of the Aztlán map and the present-day U.S./Mexico map. The two maps will serve as an example of a non-fiction text as well as a reference for future readings.
The "independent" practice segment of the lesson will also be done with a partner. The following questions will be answered in the Interactive Notebook. Describe the clash between the Aztecs and the Spaniards. Historically, how did Spaniards treat other cultures? What were the results of the Spanish and Indian violence? What caused the earliest wave of Mexican immigration? What does it mean to be Chicano? I want these questions answered in pairs because it will allow the students to see each other's perspectives. Since some of the questions are direct reading comprehension questions they will be able to reference the text in their answers. When students answer orally I always make one of the two justify how they came to a consensus about their answer. The students are accountable for taking an active role in the paired activity because they never know who will be the one to justify.
The lesson will conclude with a wrap-up discussion on the current stereotypes Mexican-Americans, Mexican immigrants and Chicanos currently face in the U.S. as well as any other questions that were unanswered in the warm-up activity. For homework students will create a timeline of events from "The Roots of Migrant Consciousness." Students can chose to create a traditional timeline, a picture timeline, a story-board or any other graphic representation of the events in chronological order. The flexibility in the homework assignment allows the learning styles of the students to flourish. As I mentioned in the Introduction, NWSA is a magnet art school and our students come up with very creative ways to organize their knowledge. Although I gave them creative license on this assignment, all student are still producing a graphic aid depicting the chronological order of the text read in class. Creating a product is one of the best ways for a student to enhance his understanding of a concept.
Activity Two
This objective for this lesson is:
1. The students will be able to make thematic connections and comparisons between different types of texts by listening to and reading a corrido, reading a short story and viewing a film.
This activity will extend through at least two class periods. Corridos have a longstanding place in the oral traditions of Mexico. They are folk ballads of the border region which emerged by the beginning of the 20th century and many narrate social injustices and community responses to them. The book Alambrista and the U.S. Mexico Border includes a DVD of the film Alambrista as well as the CD of the soundtrack which includes corridos. The penultimate chapter of the book, which provides lyrics to many of its corrido-style songs, allows students to see how oral traditions used to serve as a way of delivering news throughout communities.
I will read aloud the short story by Daniel Chacón, "Godoy Lives." This short story takes the reader on a journey through the border-crossing station through the eyes of a very nervous Mexican illegal immigrant. At the beginning of the story, Juan is about to embark on an adventure to the U.S. at the encouragement and assistance of his wife Maria. He must take the identity of a deceased man named Miguel Valencia Godoy. "Godoy" encounters an INS officer who tells him that he is his long lost cousin. The INS officer takes him in to live with his family, finds him a job and eventually tells him that he is has inherited a large sum of money and that his mother suffers from memory loss. Throughout the series ironic, yet fortunate, events, Godoy begins to love his job, his money and eventually the company of a beautiful, young woman. I want the students to examine why Juan decides to stay in the U.S. and live as "Godoy." Working in pairs throughout the entire activity today, students will create a character chart. In one column the students will list his character traits, another will contain dialogue, another will contain his emotions, and another will contain his actions. Students will need to reference the text and provide quotes from the story as their response in the chart. Their answers will lead them to the character's motivation to leave his wife in Mexico and take on another man's identity in the U.S.
Students will then read (and listen to) the corrido "Adiós California" sung from the point-of-view of an immigrant who affirms that once he reaps the benefits of laboring he will be able to return to his homeland and provide for his family. The line "I'll return, I'll return, I'll return" is repeated four times to emphasize his devotion to Mexico and his family. Students will be asked to cite lines in the corrido that either support the motives Juan illustrates in "Godoy Lives" or contradict his actions. Students will also read excerpts from Alambrista and the U.S. Mexico Border on p. 67-70. These pages provide first-hand accounts of the difficulty and rewards of the journey across the border. Next, students will read the chapter "Geraldo No Last Name," from Cisneros's The House on Mango Street. Not only does this chapter illustrate the lonely, desperate life of a migrant worker, it also provides the reader with society's viewpoint of these men. Words like brazer and wetback are used to refer to Geraldo. The reader, in one short vignette, is privy to the pain, anonymity, stereotypes, racism and isolation Geraldo faced. His death represents so many others who have gone North and never returned. Students will be able to now compare and contrast all four texts as well as discuss society's view on these three men. Their homework will be to write a corrido-style epilogue from Juan's perspective.
Activity Three
I have two objectives for this activity.
- The students will be able to create an authentic Mexican immigrant persona by writing a series of vignettes from his/her point-of-view.
- The students will be able to use facts from non-fiction passages in order to create authentic fictional stories.
This activity will take place toward the end of the unit. I want to expose students to as many different first-person narratives about Mexican immigration as possible before assigning this writing activity. By now students will have encountered the history of Mexican culture, news articles (NY Times, Charlotte Observer), editorials (Yale Herald, The New York Times), political cartoons and short stories (from Lengua Fresca), corridos, and excerpts from The House on Mango Street. Their study of non-fiction at this point is extensive, reading text structured by four types of text organizers, and creating graphic representations of the information read. This activity allows students to work independently and create a persona - a present-day Mexican immigrant living on either side of the border.
The students will be able to synthesize the facts learned about Mexican immigration by writing a series of ten vignettes from the point-of-view of a Mexican immigrant. Students will demonstrate their ability to create a persona and maintain consistency throughout the series of writing. The activity will extend over a two-class period. Students will be required to create a cover page and a table of contents. The cover page must include any colors, symbols, or illustrations that are significant to their persona (representing the tone or mood of the writing, the struggles, fears, joys, etc.). The entire project will be worth 150 points, 10 points for each vignette, 10 points for the table of contents, 10 for mechanics, 10 for neatness and creativity and 20 points for the cover page. The content will be graded on how accurate or authentic the writing is for the persona created.
Assessment
The culminating assessment will be an essay that requires students to write from the point-of-view of a Mexican immigrant; this will be one test grade (100 points). Throughout the essay, students must use examples they have learned in the readings and film as well as class discussions. The following is a list of topics they need to cover in their essay: their motivation to immigrate, their journey across the border (physically and emotionally), and their decision to stay in the U.S. indefinitely or return to Mexico.
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