John J. Donahue
Outlined below are some sample objectives and a complete set of sample questions for all five weeks of the curriculum. To review, students are asked to begin the class by reading that day's selection, discussion begins with a few specific questions about the text and review of the class notes so far, and then the period concludes with a formal written response to that day's selection and discussion.
Objectives
--Students will use their own knowledge and experience to create an initial definition for Latino culture.
--Student will examine and apply their definitions and the class definition of Latino culture to readings from the anthology.
Lesson One
--Read "New York from Within" by Pachín Marín, pp. 108-111 in
The Latino Reader
.
--Discussion: Describe the author's view of New York in your own words. Is the situation he describes typical of new arrivals to the United States?
--Classwork: Write a page with your partner.
Lesson Two
--Read the excerpt from
Memoirs of Bernardo Vega
by Bernardo Vega, pp. 165-173 in
The Latino Reader
.
--Discussion: What was it like to work in a Spanish-speaking cigar factory in New York City before World War II? What unifies all of these men from different countries? Does this help us define Latino culture?
--Classwork: Write a page with your partner.
Lesson Three
--Read the excerpt from
Hunger of Memory
by Richard Rodriguez, pp. 391-405 in
The Latino Reader
.
--Discussion: What did his early school experiences teach Rodriguez about the importance of the English language in the United States? Does he feel that Spanish could be a public language in the United States? Do you?
--Classwork: Write a page with your partner.
Lesson Four
--Read the excerpt from
Borderlands/La frontera
by Gloria Anzaldúa, pp. 444-452 in
The Latino Reader
.
--Discussion: Why does the author list so many different combinations of English and Spanish from her experience? Compare and contrast her ideas about language with the ideas that Rodriguez presented in the previous excerpt.
--Classwork: Write a page with your partner.
Lesson Five
--Read the excerpt from
Down these Mean Streets
by Piri Thomas, pp. 279-285 in
The Latino Reader
.
--Discussion: How does the main character's treatment at his new school change his understanding of his place in American society? Has America changed since the period he describes? How do outsiders' misunderstandings shape Latino culture?
--Classwork: Write a page with your partner.
Lesson Six
--Read the excerpt from
Nilda
by Nicholasa Mohr, pp. 317-328 in
The Latino Reader
.
--Discussion: Why does Nilda like her summer camp so much? Why doesn't she feel like an outsider when Olga says that Puerto Ricans aren't really Spanish? Compare and contrast her reaction with Piri Thomas' reaction in the previous excerpt.
--Classwork: Write a page with your partner.
Lesson Seven
--Read "AmeRícan" by Tato Laviera, p. 380 in
The Latino Reader
.
--Discussion: How does this poet define Puerto Rican culture? What does the author think are the most important elements of his culture? Can his definition be applied to a broader definition of Latino culture?
--Classwork: Write a page with your partner.
Lesson Eight
--Read "Puerto Rican Obituary" by Pedro Pietri, pp. 328-337 in
The Latino Reader
.
--Discussion: How does the author feel about the men he describes? Who does he hold responsible for their situation? Are the experiences he describes unique to Puerto Ricans or could they be applied to other Latinos?
--Classwork: Write a page with your partner.
Lesson Nine
--Read "A la Mujer Borrinque–a" by Sandra María Esteves, pp. 382-384 in
The Latino Reader
.
--Discussion: Esteves is describing her version of the archetypal Puerto Rican woman. What are her most important characteristics? What is her relationship with the men in her world? What about her world requires these specific qualities?
--Classwork: Write a page with your partner.
Lesson Ten
--Read "Ending Poem" by Rosario Morales and Aurora Levins Morales, pp. 438-440 in
The Latino Reader
.
--Discussion: What is the difference between the mother's and the daughter's understanding of what it means to be Puerto Rican? Compare and contrast these Puerto Rican women with the woman described in Esteves' poem.
--Classwork: Write a page with your partner.