I teach English at a Regional Aquaculture Center, The Sound School, in New Haven. Many of our students come to our school because they love aquaculture and/or need a smaller school environment. There are only 260 students in the entire school. Many of the students are at-risk high school students. This unit can be used not only for English class, but also for social studies and art classes. I will be using this unit with all the levels of junior English classes. Each lesson is intended to be used during a 40-minute class period, and also to be used, combining two to three lessons, for our hour and twenty minute blocks. I will explore how literature and art help shape Latino culture, sharing its values and identity. I will also give a brief history of Latino culture in the United States, addressing the variety of Latino populations in this country. Many of the activities in this unit will be project-based, creating greater student involvement. Lessons will also prepare students for the CAPT test. At a time in life when students are trying to understand and define their own identities, this unit will help them learn to explore not only a culture that makes up a third of the student population, but will also empower all students to better understand themselves through the models presented in the pieces we study.
In my American Literature classes, I teach a variety of literature including African-American, Japanese-American, Anglo-American, and Native-American. Although I do touch upon Latino literature, I do not know much about the writings or the culture. One of the reasons for this curriculum unit is so that I can fill the holes in my entire class curriculum. I also want to serve my student population better. In the past, I feel I have been doing a disservice to my Latino students. They know their culture at home, but many don’t know about the literature, art, and music of their own culture. They often feel that the education system doesn’t address them and that literature excludes them. I also, unknowingly may have been reinforcing stereotypes of the culture through my ignorance of the subject.
One aspect that I would especially like to focus on is the similarities and differences between the various Latino cultures. Many Americans group the different Latino cultures into one people, rather than recognizing and appreciating the diversity within. This unit will help differentiate the cultures, and also help the students appreciate their own diversity better. Although many teachers use the term “diversity” because it’s pedagogically fashionable in our society, I firmly believe that we all need to appreciate the differences in each other. Also it’s important to realize that these differences add to our culture as Americans and create a strong, bountiful beauty in our country. It is not a question of focusing on a minority; rather, it is a question of learning about us by comparing the values in our culture to those of others. Augenbraum and Stavans say, “A sense of self, place, and history pervades our literature” (xix). We can learn about our own history by exploring the history of others, a history that is both shared and dissimilar.
Each piece of literature and art will explore a different aspect of Latin culture. These selected pieces will allow our Latino population to explore their own cultural identity, while enabling our non-Latino students to appreciate and value traditions both similar to and different from their own. The students will be analyzing the works selected to determine exactly how the piece reflects a value and what value(s) is being dealt with. The students will then compare these values to their own personal and cultural values, thus making personal connections and interacting with the works. The students will also explore how culture shapes values and helps make people who they are. Hopefully, this will help students navigate through the confusing task of forging their own identity as independent members of the adolescent and adult society. All students will be given the opportunity to celebrate the diversity that makes them uniquely themselves. This exploration will take place through a variety of teaching modes, so I can accommodate the variety of learning styles among my students. Some techniques include, but are not limited to, writing prompts, small and whole group discussion, and analysis of literature and art.
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Students will explore Latino culture using a variety of art forms. One way they will analyze the material is through the five-paragraph essay. I use the writing process to teach them to develop their writing. They will prewrite, developing their thoughts, until they narrow down their topic and develop a thesis statement. Students will then write a rough draft, supporting their ideas with quotes from the text. They will peer-edit their work and write a final draft. Further, the students will view Latino art either at a museum or on slides. The students will then use a variety of materials to create an artistic representation of their feelings, which may end up being concrete or abstract. Materials for this project can include markers and colored pencils, different pieces of cloth or fabric, string or yarn, etc. The students will have to explain their art in front of the class.
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In the technology-ridden society that we live in today, it is important for students to be able to use technological resources to obtain information. I will break students up into groups of three for a research project. They will use traditional resources as well as the Internet for their research. I will assign students a Latino group to research: Puerto Rican, Chicano, Caribbean, Cuban, and Central American. Students are to investigate the traditions and art/artists of their assigned culture. They will present their information to the class in a five to ten minute oral presentation. They will need to create visual aids to enhance their presentations. Students will gain invaluable skills during this project that they will need for life. Not only will they learn how to research a topic and express ideas and information in writing, they will get practice in public speaking. Students do not get enough opportunities to practice this. They will also gain team-building skills that are essential in many jobs. Most students, although apprehensive about getting up in front of their peers, love this type of project. They must take responsibility for the information, but can be as creative as they like about the presentations themselves. As long as the information is clear, accurate, and logical, they have control over many of the logistics of the project. Students will also research a Latino writer, artist, or musician, or aspect of the culture, using the Internet to accomplish their research. They will then orally and visually present their material in front of the class, for a five to ten minute oral presentation. Not only is it important for students to know how to express their ideas in writing, it is imperative they get practice at communicating these ideas aloud in front of their peers.
An important part of the Connecticut curriculum is the CAPT test, Connecticut Academic Performance Test. Students, who do not pass the CAPT test as sophomores, retake the test as juniors. Not only is teaching the techniques of the test important to pass it, it is also important because it helps students hone their critical thinking skills. No matter what level the students are or what grade they are in, the test covers the four different elements to thinking: reaction, interpretation, connection, and evaluation. Whether the students are studying a piece of literature, art, or music, they will be asked to react or respond to the work. They will then interpret the work, making inferences into the purpose and message of the piece. Students will also make connections to their own prior knowledge and experience, thus making the learning process their own. Lastly, they will evaluate the work and judge its quality. All of this will be done in class discussions and in writing. This process empowers students to think for themselves and to believe in their own thoughts and ideas.
One of the problems of today’s youth is that they take second-hand knowledge as rote. It is imperative that we teach our students to think about what they see, hear, and learn. They must learn how to judge what is truthful and factually accurate. Especially with information so readily available on the Internet and on television, students must learn to decipher what is correct and incorrect information.
