Epic Poetry in Spanish Lessons: Cantar de Mio Cid
Rita Mercedes Begines Cid
Guide Entry to 24.01.02
This unit has been devised for high-school and middle-school native and heritage Spanish speakers or given the case, high school level IV non-native students, as the unit shows multiple possibilities for scaffolding. In addition, it involves the development of thinking, creativity, active participation and improves the students’ written and oral communication skills by using a poem from the Middle Ages as well as its adapted version (El Poema de Mio Cid). Students will get to know better about Spanish literature (more specifically about epic poetry or Cantar de Gesta “song of heroic deeds”). The focus of the unit will be the deeds of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, El Cid Campeador, a famous warrior who lived in the 11th century and whose accomplishments led to a number of historical accounts, legends and myths that were passed down orally. Apart from that, students will also learn about the historical and geographical context of the poem to broaden their understanding of this piece of literature. This didactic unit includes a wide range of learning strategies and different media: video, audiobooks, painting, games, open questions, comics, etc. so that the multiple intelligences can be catered accordingly.
(Developed for Spanish II NHS and Spanish IV, grades 10-12; recommended for Spanish grades 7-9)
