Demographics
I teach at Bancroft Elementary School — one of the top bilingual public schools in D.C.—located in the neighborhood of Mount Pleasant, which has a large population of Latin American immigrants. Many students are immigrants from Central America (i.e., El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala). These students enter school without knowing English, and about 50% of Bancroft students are English Language Learners.1 Yet, while Bancroft has a large Latin American population, it is also in a gentrifying neighborhood with many students whose native language is English. Beginning in first grade, students spend half the day in Spanish instruction and half the day in English instruction. This unit will help students of all backgrounds and language needs leverage art as a learning tool. Whether students are instructed in English or Spanish, they will be able to “read” the text. In general, this unit will teach students that art is an international language. Many examples of art from American landscape artists feature natural landscapes in Latin America in addition to the United States, tying together the places of origin of Latin American students with their current learning environment and community. More importantly, students will immerse themselves in their communities by visiting Rock Creek Park and the National Gallery of Art.
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