Harriet J. Bauman
In order to attain the objectives of this unit, the students will participate in a variety of experiences. These experiences will range from large group to small group to individual activities, as well as aural-oral and written exercises. The students’ active involvement ensures a lively and entertaining ten weeks!
OBJECTIVE 1
To learn about the immigrant experience.
The immigrant experience is, in essence, a definition of American culture. Immigrants, coming from a defined culture and settling in the United States, adapt their customs to their new life, thus making the American culture richer. During the process of assimilation, however, immigrants go through many hardships such as prejudice, low-paying jobs, ramshackle houses, and not having enough to eat. To find the “streets paved with gold”, immigrants work very hard. Sometimes they succeed and sometimes they do not.
The stories of immigrants and their efforts to achieve the American Dream are fascinating. Students will be encouraged to share their knowledge of the human side of immigration in discussions based on facts from their American History textbooks and friends’ or relatives’ experiences. Excerpts from books such as
The Fortunate Pilgrim
by Mario Puzo and
The Jungle
by Upton Sinclair will help to broaden the discussions.
The discussions mentioned above will present the basic information that students need to know about immigration in general. To focus their attention on the Cajuns, student volunteers might present the historical facts in forms of skits or soliloquies as a person living at that time. They could draw pictures depicting historical events, or act as reporters and report the news of the dispersion. Some students might want to make a filmstrip or video tape based on the Cajuns’ history. Others might research and then depict famous or important historical figures, either by drawing pictures or acting in skits.
OBJECTIVE 2
To compare and contrast the immigrant experience with that of the Cajuns’ arrival and early settlements.
Certainly, most of the Acadians’ experiences in their exile parallel immigrant experiences. When they were loaded on ships, separated from their families, and put in alien places far from their familiar country, they had to contend with the anguish of not being accepted along with all their other problems.
The students will take the responsibility of presenting the similarities and differences between the experiences of immigrants and those of the Acadians. They will research the information in certain chapters in books provided on the Student Bibliography below, as well as the excerpts from
Evangeline
which focus on the exile. These discussions, in small groups, will treat specific and separate topics, such as why people emigrate, how immigrants fit in with an established community, why immigrants choose to settle in certain areas, what the Acadians’ choices were and how they accepted their fate.
Some students might choose to write a diary, pretending to be Acadian, and describe his/her daily life. Others might write a letter to their relatives in France describing their plight. Students might also choose to act out a skit in which they dramatize the Acadians’ experiences. Other students might write an account of the exile or the early settlements that could be put in a newspaper, or done orally as part of a radio or television broadcast, a type of “You Are There.”
OBJECTIVE 3
To understand the Cajuns as an ethnic group.
A discussion of what an ethnic group is and how the Cajuns have retained their identity while so many others have not will help the students to understand the strong ethnic pride of the Cajuns. The students will now concentrate on Cajun culture. Many of the activities for attaining this objective and the two that follow, will lead to aculminating event. This event will be a Cajun Festival with authentic music, costumes, dances, and food.
Certain excerpts from
Evangeline
highlight the Acadian culture, homes, costumes, customs, food, etc. The students can use these passages as a point of departure for their own projects. The students might want to refer to a list of suggested topics and projects supplied by the teacher (see below).
The students can research topics such as food, music, dance, costumes, customs, and holidays. Then working together or alone, they can make and present their project to the rest of the class.
Some students might want to demonstrate a recipe for the class. Then they could share a typical Cajun meal. The class could see Paul Prudhomme’s two videos on Cajun cooking and then try to duplicate one of the demonstrated recipes.
Students who are very interested in music might want to listen to tapes of Cajun music and then discuss its origins; and similarities and differences between Cajun music and Country and Western music. They might want to learn one or two songs and perform them for the class.
OBJECTIVE 4
To understand Cajun life today.
My first unit on the Acadians and reviewing their history and customs through reading
Evangeline
, will have given the students a well-developed understanding of the Cajuns’ background. The students will be able to use this knowledge to form opinions about Cajun life today.
It is very difficult to find material on present-day Cajun life outside of Louisiana. Therefore, the students will write to the Louisiana Board of Tourism for all the information they have about the Cajuns.
Some films can be shown in the classroom. A list of possible choices is included in the resource list at the end of this unit.
The students will learn about Cajun food and music; and through these two topics they will learn more about the Cajuns and their lifestyle today. The resurgence of ethnic pride manifests itself predominantly in Cajun music and food. Many of the activities mentioned above will lend themselves to helping the students understand the Cajuns today.
OBJECTIVE 5
To use the four language skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening to learn about the Cajuns.
Many of the activities mentioned above, especially the discussions, can be conducted in French. It depends on the abilities of the students whether an activity will be conducted in the target language or in English. Even though the main purpose of this unit is cultural, as many of the activities as possible should take place in French. Some exercises may be bilingual, students of lower ability doing them in English and those of higher ability doing them in French.
The students may read some of the folk tales listed in the Student Bibliography, and then write their own, in French, based on historical events or interesting customs. They can write skits for other students to act out, as well. Some students may want to write a collection of articles about Cajun life and put them together like a newspaper or magazine.
After listening to some songs in Cajun French, some students may want to translate them into English. Other students may want to write their own Cajun song.
Interviews of famous Cajun musicians offer students many opportunities to work with their language skills. They can read and translate an interview into English. They can study an interview for cultural information. They may focus on a paragraph in Cajun French to see the similarities and differences in its structure from a similar paragraph in traditional French.
Students may also be encouraged to write a short story, a poem, or a song in French and Cajun French. This activity would be for advanced students who are more adept at learning languages, and who can recognize the subtleties in structure.
SAMPLE ASSIGNMENT SHEET
Dear Student:
For the next ten weeks we will be learning about the Cajuns of southern Louisiana. You will be doing several projects either alone or with other students in small groups (no more than four!). You may select five different topics and at least five different types of projects from the lists below. When you have made your choices please see me to be added to the Project List.
TOPICS
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history
-
tourism
-
daily life
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famous people
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music
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dispersion of Acadians
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first settlements in Louisiana
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holidays
-
festivals —
-
folk tales
-
geography
-
food
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Cajun houses
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Cajun language
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Cajun dances
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Cajun dress
-
Cajun life today
TYPE OF PROJECT
-
personal diary
-
time line
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letter
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tourist poster
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filmstrip
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videotape
-
skit
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calendar of historical dates, birthdays of famous people, holidays and festivals
-
diorama
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booklet
-
pictures
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maps
-
mural
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montage
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collage
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puppet show
-
oral report
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written report
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newspaper
-
demonstration
(Other lists may be included with specific names of famous people, or holidays, etc.)
