This curriculum unit deals with women writers in Latin America. Julia Alvarez and Esmeralda Santiago are the two authors researched. Similarly both women write about themselves and their immigrant experience. I will present a brief history of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. I will also discuss the current issue of diversity and the terminology relating to Latin America. I will provide biographical information on Julia Alvarez and Esmeralda Santiago to be discussed prior to reading the literature.
This unit gives a literary overview and outlines critical thinking questions and activities for three works of literature: When I Was Puerto Rican, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, and Names/Nombres. This unit is structured and organized to bring about maximum success. Before reading teachers should encourage pre-reading strategies and vocabulary enrichment and development. In doing so, students will improve in the area of decoding, fluency, and reading comprehension. Teachers should also be committed to educate students through the writing process. Refer to the Appendix for reading and writing strategies. Finally, as a culminating activity students will give oral presentations by sharing their autobiographies. Students may also bring in food to share and to help express their culture.
(Developed for Special Education and Reading, grade 7; recommended for English and Reading, grades 7-10)
