This unit will be introduced with the book
Hill of Fire
written by Thomas P. Lewis and illustrated by Joan Sandin. The story is based on the eruption of Paricutin volcano in 1943. It takes place in the state of Michoacan, on a farm owned by an Indian named Dionisio Pulido.
The story describes a farmer that is not very happy because he feels that on his farm, “nothing ever happens.” Every day he is faced with the same breakfast and the same chores. The people in the village feel that the farmer is foolish because they are happy with everything that they have. (At this point, I would ask students to name some of the things that they have in their town to see if they name some of the same things that the village has such as a school and church). As the story continues, the farmer is working on his farm with his ox and plow. As his plow is digging the earth, it gets stuck and gray smoke starts to escape from the hole. The hole hisses and spits out sparks and soon they realize that a volcano is erupting. The farmer and his village move to a new location which ends up being a little bigger and better than the old one. The farmer becomes content on this new village and no longer complains that “nothing ever happens.”
I feel that this book is a great introduction to this unit because it shows a lot of different people and what they do in this village. There are also children in school and a description of an old church with a bell. Students immediately begin to see what life is like for a Mexican farmer and his family during the 1940’s. They will be able to relate to the way the little boy in the story decides to play a game when he has nothing better to do by throwing pebbles in a hole that he dug in the earth.
Another book that I feel would be effective during the unit’s introduction is called
Friends from the Other Side
written by Gloria Anzaldua and illustrated by Consuelo Mendez. This is the story of a Mexican boy named Joaquin who crossed the Rio Grande River into Texas with his mother in search for a new life. Upon his arrival, he befriends a young Mexican American girl named Prietita. Prietita protects Joaquin from her family and friends that tease him and call him the mojadito or the wetback. Eventually, Joaquin must hide from the Boarder Patrol who drives up and down the streets looking for illegal immigrants. Prietita hides the boy and they make a successful escape.
This book does a great job at showing children what it is like to be a Mexican child in a poorer community. It deals with friendships, economy, and community. It also introduces students to a Mexican card game called loteria which students will be doing as a result of this unit. This book also provides teachers an opportunity to explain why numbers of Mexicans that try to make it safely across the borders of the United States. It lends itself to let the students act out with each other a make-believe situation where they can pretend that someone from the class is an immigrant that knows nothing of the country he just came to. How can other students make him/her feel comfortable and welcome just as Prietita did to Joaquin.
One final great quality of
Friends from the Other Side
is that it is written in Spanish as well as English. One page has the English text and the other page has the same text in Spanish. This allows students to hear the Spanish language in story form. It lets them compare Spanish sentences directly to English sentences. It also provides them an opportunity to learn some Spanish vocabulary that is important in their every day lives such as the words friend, food, and play.
Another book that is incorporated into the unit is called
Uncle Nacho’s Hat.
This is a Nicaraguan folk tale adapted by Harriet Rohmer and illustrated by Mira Reisberg. This book is also written in Spanish and in English in the same fashion as
Friends from the Other Side
. This tale is about a man called Uncle Nacho who discovers that his hat is old, full of holes, and is no good to him anymore. His niece realizes this and buys him a new hat. But Uncle Nacho has trouble giving up his old hat. He tries to get rid of it but it keeps finding its way back to him. After telling his niece of this problem, she recommends that he stop thinking of his old hat and start thinking of his new hat.
This book provides a good opportunity to introduce children to the Mexican sombrero. It’s a good point to have children start to learn more about traditional Mexican clothing and make their own. From this story, students can make sombreros and Mexican Indian huipils which is a simple sack like shirt with openings for the head and arms.
