OBJECTIVE: To introduce students to The Popol Vuh; to elaborate on the ball game aspect of this Maya creation myth through script writing and subsequently, a staged reading.
METHOD: Students will be given an overview of the Maya and will view the film, The Popol Vuh by Patricia Amlin. After viewing the film and a brief discussion period, they will share in an oral reading of The Twin Brothers (Warriors, Gods & Spirits, pp. 32-39, which will also be discussed. From these sources, they will work in small groups to collaborate on script writing.
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SCRIPT WRITING:
Script form is introduced.
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SCENE NUMBER
SettingCHARACTERS NAME: Characters statement (stage directions).
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Each group will work similarly to the way they did when writing their stories about Quetzalcoatl (with each group taking a section of the story) using improvisation and story mapping.
While much of the story is serious, it offers several opportunities for comic
relief, e.g, when the first twins sit on the red-hot thrones. Students will be
encouraged to use such opportunities for comedy in their writing.
Students give oral readings of their scripted pieces for comments and suggestions
by the class.
Students revise their scripts.
Students rehearse their scripts for a staged reading, using pantomime to show the
action.
INVENTING A GAME: Using the information we have about the ballgame -- that it was played with a rubber ball that was to be propelled through rings or at markers; that players were not allowed to use their hands to hit the ball; that losers might have had their heads chopped off, etc. -- students will work to define the rules of the game. To aid in this process, several pictures from The Art of Mesoamerica of ancient ballcourts will be shown to the class and discussed.
#34 (p. 57) Nayarit-style clay model of a ballcourt with players and spectators
#69 (p. 95) The South Ballcourt at El Tajn
#72 (p. 97) Stone yoke carved with faces of defeated ballplayers (probably worn by a victorious ballplayer)
#73 (p. 97) Hachas in Classic Veracruz style; perhaps a portable marker on the ballcourt
#78 (p. 101) Stela 3, Santa Luca Cotzumalhuapa, (a ballplayer and a death god).
#109 (p. 138) The ballcourt at Copn
Additionally, students will use the guideline below:
What is the objective of the game? What are the players trying to do?How many players are there?
How are the players organized? In teams? Positions?
Where are the boundaries of the playing area within the ball court?
Do players need any special equipment to play the game?
Is there a time limit?
Can players plan ahead (use strategy) in the game?
Are there any penalties in the game?
From this initial work, students will give a theatrical representation of the game. This activity will be added to our final presentation of a staged reading of the students scripts. It will be used in the opening narration, which will be taken directly from the story of The Twin Brothers that talks about the historical aspects of this ancient game.
EVALUATION/PRESENTATION: After several rehearsals, students will present their staged reading to an audience -- either another class or special school presentation.
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Mexico and Me
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I love to sing to this beautiful land
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that reminds me of colonial times.
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The houses and streets are decorations
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in a holiday of flowers and chimes.
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(Mexico As Seen by Her Children, p.57)