The length of this lesson varies depending on school schedule, class size, interruptions, level and teacher.
The students will be able to perform the following tasks with reasonable facility and comfort:
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1. State at least five important facts about the history of Panama.
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2. Identify geographical facts about Panama on a map of Central America, including the capital, area of political conflict, important rivers cities, mountains, and water boundaries.
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3. Read, write, and pronounce the Spanish names of the rivers, capital and mountain ranges of Panama.
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4. State the main natural resources and monetary currency of Panama.
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5. Compare Panama with the U.S.A. and other countries of Central America.
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6. Write a short but well organized paragraph on the history of Panama with acceptable grammar and style.
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7. Draw a map of Panama.
MATERIALS
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1. Globe or Wall Map
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2. Filmstrip with cassette “Panama” available from Audio Visual Department or University of Bridgeport library on free of-charge loan.
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3. Crayons
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4. Outline map of Panama
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5. Mimeographed information fact sheet on Panama
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6. Overhead projector
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7. Drawing paper
The teacher begins with probing and warm-up questions such as Where is Panama located? Why study this country? It is surprising to find that not many students know the location and importance of countries like Panama.
After viewing and listening to the presentation, the teacher randomly calls on various students to paraphrase the material. Many students lack the ability to summarize what they hear. Students complete question SHEET #1. Again, depending on various factors, the first encounter with this unit takes at least one class period, which culminates with the homework assignment, depending on what the teacher wishes to assign.
SECTION II
An integral part of each section of this unit is keeping class minutes. The teacher assigns the task to a different student each day. These assignments can be given at the beginning of each week. There are many benefits that can be derived from keeping class minutes. It affords the student an extra opportunity to practice listening and notetaking, as well as being able to select important information and read aloud in front of a group. Students can have a quick review of missed material, they might recognize the importance of contributing to group effort, and perhaps a wandering mind will be brought back to class. The instructor can use class notes as an aid to self-evaluation by asking questions such as was the lesson well structure? Were important points omitted? Do my classroom management strategies need change? Did the students assimilate the material? Were important issues raised?
Before giving students their class minutes assignment, the instructor explicates the mechanical aspects of the procedure. This procedure varies according to teacher’s style, but might include the following. The format must be clear to the student, including the name of the student and teacher, date and subject. The teacher gives carbon paper to the student so that a copy of the minutes is available for reference and editing. Notes are taken by assigned student at beginning of the class, a copy is given to the instructor at the end of the class, then the student; takes home the other copy for editing. The next class day the same student reads the minutes which are edited and corrected by teacher and students. The next student assigned for this class session now takes minutes and follows same procedure.
After the teacher explains the note keeping procedures she continues with the following activities.
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1. Gives a brief recapitulation of previous class.
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2. Discusses the geography of Panama and shows geographical data on the globe, wall map or with overhead projector
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3. After discussion students are assigned the task of completing a map of Panama which has to be completed in class. Teacher walks around room checking and assisting.
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4. Gives a mini talk on keeping classnotes and if necessary, the teacher also gives an entire class a practice session on keeping notes or minutes on a particular class following the guidelines previously suggested.
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5. Homework assignment: write ten short sentences on the geography of Panama.
SECTION III
The teacher checks homework assignments and proceeds as follows:
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1. Warmup: previously designated student reads class minutes (of previous class). This takes less than three minutes. Minutes are edited by teacher and students with deletions and additions.
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2. The second main topic of this unit is introduced. The teacher proceeds with the following presentation and keeps these objectives in mind:
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a. students will attain a general understanding of “folklore” and be able to state general genres and one example of folktales, proverbs and folk art they are acquainted with.
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b. students will listen to the translated version of Seis Choreao and Cielito Lindo and write a short paragraph comparing both folksongs after having heard a class discussion presented by the teacher. (These two songs are available from the Connecticut Migratory Children’s Program at Hamden-New Haven Cooperative Educational Center upon request, free of charge).
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c. Students will be able to use, spell and define the folklore vocabulary listed in the Worksheet Vocabulary list for Folklore.
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d. Students improve their oral reading ability.
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e. Students will improve their note taking skills, their ability to paraphrase a given text and develop the skill of writing well organized and guided short paragraphs.
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f. Students will understand and appreciate the possible relationship between the folklore and history of a given country.
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3. The teacher presents the narrative section on the subject of folklore after probing and eliciting responses from students to questions like What is folklore? Do you know any folktales? proverbs old sayings?
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4. After presenting narrative material on the topic of folklore, students and teacher discuss questions on worksheet #4.
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5. Homework assignment: write out answers to questions on worksheet # 4.
SECTION IV
The teacher continues to develop the students understanding and appreciation of folklore material with the following activities:
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1. Previous class meetings are read and edited.
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2. Teacher prepares the students for the reading of Maria la Cenicienta (the Spanish version of Cinderella found in Panama and other Spanish speaking countries) by having one student tell the class the English version of Cinderella. The class also discusses the concept of “fairytales” and folktales.
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3. Students read Maria la Cenicienta as directed by the individual style of the teacher. This story is on worksheet #5.
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4. After reading and discussing Maria la Cenicienta students work on questions on the story.
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5. Homework assignment: write out questions and answers on Maria la Cenicienta.
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6. Next class session begins with reading of class minutes, followed by correcting and editing. Homework is reviewed and corrected.
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7. The rest of this section is used to help the students write a short play based on Maria la Cenicienta. It has been found that many students enjoy creating their own playlets and dialogues. The teacher can assist by introducing the students to techniques like diversified copying, and by enlisting the assistance of the Drama department of the particular school. The language teacher and English or Drama teacher can work together in a team teaching situation and help the class prepare a drama for the school assembly or PTA.
SECTION V
In this section the teacher emphasizes that many aspects of history are sometimes reflected in the folklore of a given country.
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1. Minutes of the previous class we read by the designated student. Minutes are edited and corrected by teacher and students.
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2. The teacher gives each student a copy of La Isla del Encanto. She assigns short passages to various students who read aloud. After reading and discussion, the students answer comprehension questions.
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3. Homework assignment: write a two paragraph summary of La Isla del Encanto. If time permits students may write a short play based on La Isla del Encanto. The teacher can find excellent techniques in Viola Spolin’s
Improvisations for the Theatre
.
There are a variety of activities that can be used to further enhance the students’ appreciation and knowledge of folklore that will at the same time heighten his cultural awareness and improve reading, writing and listening skills. In the area of proverbs, aphorisms and old sayings, the teacher can ask the students to write down as many completions as they can to common proverbs such as: it never rains but _____; where there is a will, there _____; a stitch in time _____ and so on. There are a variety of exercises and activities that can be used besides these:
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1. Compare proverbs in Spanish and English. For example “a bird in one hand is worth two in the bush” is comparable to “más vale pájaro en mano que cien volando.” Students can be asked to give literal and personal interpretations, which may include “a bird in the hand is worth more than a hundred flying” or the saying “Don’t count the chickens before they are hatched.” Excellent examples of proverbs from Mexico, Panama and other countries are found in Frances Toor’s
A Treasury of Mexican Folkways
.
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2. Students can be encouraged to interview their teachers, principal and relatives for proverbs and old sayings. They write the proverbs from the adults’ dictation. These dictations are a valuable listening and writing exercise when edited and viewed by the instructor.
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3. The teacher writes two proverbs on the board, a student acts out one of them in front of the class, and the rest of the students must guess which one is being acted.
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4. A technique which has been used by many teachers is interpretation of different situations with a drum. The teacher can write two proverbs on the board and a student interprets one of these. The class guesses which one is being interpreted they may listen for the number of beats in given groupings of “drummings”, especially if the student is attempting to catch the spirit of the proverb by tapping out the number of syllables of the word.
SECTION VI
One practical and comical final activity is to present the various versions of Tingalay or Tingalayo which is a popular verse improvisation found in Central America and the Caribbean. The teacher initiates discussion by asking if the students have heard Harry Belfonte sing. Then the teacher plays or mentions “Matilda” or “Stop the Carnival”, which are very popular. The English and Spanish versions of Tingalayo are written on the blackboard. Students compare both and eventually memorize the Spanish version because it has few words to learn:
Refrain:
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Tingalay-O
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Come, little donkey, come;
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Tingalay-o
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Come, little donkey, come.
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My donkey eat, my donkey sleep,
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My donkey kick with his two hind feet.
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Refrain
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My donkey walk, my donkey talk,
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My donkey eat with a knife and fork
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Refrain
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My donkey sing, my donkey hum,
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My donkey play on his little round drum
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*****
Refrain:
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Tingalay-o
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Ven, mi burrito, ven.
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Tingalay-o
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Ven mi burrito, ven.
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Burrito si, burrito no
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Burrito come con tenedor
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The teacher can play the complete song (available from Sheridan Middle School, Foreign Language Department upon request). Students will realize that both versions are not quite the same: The English version begins with Little donkey (burrito), yes, Little donkey, no,”; they will see “ven” in the Spanish version and “come” and will eventually realize the different meanings, etc. Students continue activity trying to complete their sentences like: My donkey laugh, my donkey cry, My donkey wink with his little right...(eye for example).
Maria la Cenicienta Mary Cinderella
Once upon a time there was a widower who had a daughter named Maria. Every morning the girl used to go to her next door neighbor for embers with which to start her fire. The neighbor, a widow, would give her morsels of bread dipped in honey, saying: “Tell your father to marry me and you will have honey-dipped bread the rest of your life.” The girl would go back to her father and say to him: “Father, you should marry our neighbor; she is very kind and always gives me bread dipped in honey.”
Her father would reply: “No, Maria. Now she dips it in honey, but later she would dip it in gall.”
“I don’t believe it father,” the girl would insist. “Our neighbor is so very kind.”
At last her father agreed to marry the woman, but he warned Maria not to complain if her stepmother should prove to be wicked.
The neighbor had a daughter of her own, whose name was Sofia. She was Maria’s age. No sooner did the marriage take place than the woman began to beat and maltreat Maria, who was so much prettier than Sofia; she nicknamed her la Cenicienta, Cinderella, and put her to work in the kitchen dressed in old rags.
Maria Cenicienta owned a heifer calf with which she loved to play every free moment of the day. The envious woman persuaded her husband to buy a calf for her own daughter to play with, and eventually she demanded that he should have Maria’s calf slaughtered because la Cenicienta wasted too much time playing with it. The father gave in.
When Maria heard about the killing, she burst into tears and ran to the calf. While she petted it and fondled it, the calf said to her: “Do not cry, Maria; next to my heart you will find a small magic wand which has the power to make all your wishes come true; the moment I am killed, you ask to wash my insides in the brook. Take the wand and keep it securely attached to your waist. No one should see it.”
The following day the calf was slaughtered and Maria went to the brook to wash the insides. Sure enough, she found the magic wand and hid it in her sash. When she had finished rinsing the insides and had placed them in her wash basin, they slipped and drifted down the stream.
Terrified at the thought of punishment that awaited her at the hand of her stepmother, she began to cry.
“Why are you crying, Maria,” said a kind voice in back of her. The girl turned about and saw a little old lady dressed in blue. “Why should I not cry, my good lady?” answered Maria. “My wash basin and the insides of a calf I just finished washing drifted down the stream; when my stepmother sees me come home without them, she is going to beat me to death.”
“Do not cry,” said the little old lady, “go to that cottage by the brook, lie down and sleep a while; in the meantime I shall look for what you have lost.”
Maria went to the cottage; she swept it, made a fire and prepared supper for the little old lady and then she lay down and fell asleep. After some time there was a knocking at the door. She got up and went to open it: the washbasin and the insides were on the doorstep. She picked them up and went home.
“What took you so long?” asked the stepmother. Maria told her just what happened.
“What is that on your forehead?” asked the stepmother.
“I don’t know,” said Maria.
A mirror was brought to her and in it she saw a star shining on her forehead. The stepmother tried to rub it out, but the harder she rubbed the more the star would sparkle. Finally, she bandaged the girl’s head with an old rag so that no one should see the shining star which made Cinderella stand out even more brightly next to her step-sister.
Sofia then said to her mother: “Mother, I want to have my calf killed and I will do just as Cinderella did so that I, too, will have a star on my forehead.”
The woman had Sofia’s calf killed; the girl went to the brook, began to wash the calf’s insides, sent the washbasin down the stream, and then she pretended to cry. Immediately the little old woman in blue appeared and said: “Why are you crying little girl?” “Should I not cry when my washbasin went down the stream?” said Sofia. “Go and take in nap in that cottage by the brook,” said the old lady, “and when you wake up you will find your washbasin.”
The girl went to the cottage and said to herself, peevishly: “I can’t sleep in this hard bed in this dirty house.” She sat on a chair and waited. After some time, she went to the door and finding her washbasin there, she took it and went home. When the mother say her, she said: “What is that on your forehead Sofia?” A mirror was brought and the girl saw the crest of a turkey in the middle of her forehead. The mother tried to remove it but the harder she pulled, the larger and uglier the crest would grown. Finally, she bandaged her daughter’s head in a silk kerchief.
One day there was to be a ball at the palace and Maria Cinderella, who wanted to go, took out her magic wand and wished for fine clothes, carriages, and servants, so that she might appear in grand style. Instantly her wish was granted and with those fine clothes she appeared prettier. When everyone in the house was fast asleep, she stepped into her carriage and soon arrived at the palace. The ballroom became suffused with the light of the star on Maria’s forehead and the prince was so taken with her that all night long he danced with no one but her. When the time came for Maria to leave, she fled from the ballroom and ran to her carriage. The prince tried to follow her, but she was so quick that he could not catch up with her and was left holding one of the girl’s glass slippers which she had lost in her flight.
The next morning the prince gave orders to all servants to search the city for the girl who had worn the glass slipper, announcing that he wanted her, and no one else for his wife. The servants went from house to house, but the slipper would fit no one.
When Cinderella’s stepmother heard that the prince’s servants were to stop at her house, she told her daughter to bandage her feet tightly so that slipper would fit her and that the prince would marry her. Fearing that they might see Maria with the star on her forehead, she hid her under the kneading trough.
Sofia had a little dog and when the prince’s servants arrived and were trying the slipper on the girl’s foot, the dog began calling out; “Bow-wow-wow! A turkey crest upon the bench; a star beneath the kneading trough!” And as the dog kept repeating the same thing over and over again, one of the servants became suspicious. The servant tried the glass slipper on Cinderella, after he found her. Then Cinderella took out of pocket the other slipper and put it on her other foot; and everyone knew that she was the one who had danced with the prince the night before. Cinderella was taken to the prince who recognized her immediately. What happened next? Guess? You are right! A royal wedding took place and the prince and Cinderella lived happily ever after.