Introduction/Rationale
The sun rises high into the brilliant blue sky beginning to heat up the cold morning. Snow-capped, rugged mountains surround the little town, which seems practically insignificant. Cock-a-doodle-do, bawk, bawk. Multi-colored chickens, black, brown, and white peck at the dirt, trying to scavenge any morsel they can find to eat. Oink, oink pigs move down the dirt-packed lane while a young, shoeless boy runs behind them yelling, "Yah, yah" helping them to move up the lane away from the town's center. A neighbor comes out of her one-room home. Turning on the grifo (faucet), water begins to flow into the metal hoya (pot) that she has – potatoes, rice or quinoa will be prepared for the noon-time meal. The two men dressed in old, sun-drenched, long-sleeved shirts, baggy work pants, and rubber boots slowly walk towards the fields stop to ask her when the cheese she makes will be ready. They carry bombas (metal pesticide containers) on their backs, hoses in their hands ready to spray the potato plants on which their livelihood is dependent. The faint smell of coffee lingers in the air.
Looking out over the valley, the green and brown patchwork resembles a hand-made quilt. Pieces sewn together, different hues: lime, forest, moss, kelly, coffee, bronze, russet, and chocolate blending together demonstrating the tedious, hard, and ritualistic work of the lives stitched into the terrain.
The daily life routine of my town, Fernandez Salvador, begins.
What makes where I served in the Peace Corps, Fernandez Salvador, unique? Was it because of my perspective, everything seemed so exotic, different, or perhaps even strange - from a chicken pecking on the ground in the morning to seeing it in a soup later that evening? Was it the practice of townspeople throwing buckets of freezing water on each other in celebration of Carnival? Was it the Sunday mass led by a priest who drove in on a motorcycle each week? Was it the idea that people "borrowed" what they wanted never to be returned? Was it because what I had taken for granted as familiar no longer was? My students face a similar situation in that they are new to this country/area and are beginning their journey of making the unfamiliar familiar just as I did during my time in Fernandez Salvador.
Delaware's Geography Standard Three states that students will develop an understanding of the diversity of human culture and the unique nature of places. The curriculum materials that we are to use for teaching highlight the beginnings, the development of culture including cultural hearths – epicenters from which distinct cultures originated. Throughout the year, our studies focus on different places and peoples over time trying to apply this concept to the ancient civilizations. However, the materials do not delve into helping students make a connection to their own cultural heritage/culture which is so important, especially for my students whom are all recent immigrants or migrants to our area. In this proposed unit, students will focus on the guiding questions: What makes a place unique? What cultural aspects help to create its uniqueness? Why and how can this uniqueness be preserved? and How does the role of making the unfamiliar familiar play a part in the uniqueness of place?
My students are English Language Learners (ELLs) who share Hispanic ethnicity. These adolescents moved to this country and were not part of the decision-making process. Most will never return to live in their country of origin. They will be "stuck in between" two countries, cultures and languages. The National Geographic standard states that students must have a clear understanding of the uniqueness of Place as it helps to "enrich their own sense of identity" – essential for my students in particular. Their acclimation process to a new place is vital to the preservation of their own culture, language, and memory of where they came from as well as to the understanding that there is a place for them here too. In the proposed unit, I would like for the students to read literature that highlights the uniqueness of New Orleans as a model to inspire two sets of writings (1) descriptive pieces that demonstrate the uniqueness of their original place, their homeland and, (2) where they are now. It is essential for them to understand that space can be crafted. They have agency in defining their place. In doing so, they will have opportunities to focus on these two places and to develop their writing skills in English. Students will then apply what they have learned first to their own lives and then to each of the ancient civilizations that we learn about throughout the year.
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