Lesson One: Introduction to the Mexican Revolution
(This lesson plan is to be developed in a 70-minute class. However, it can be changed according to teachers needs)
Goal
To briefly introduce my students to the Mexican Revolution (understanding another culture to reinforce and expand their knowledge of other disciplines)
Learning Objectives
As a result of this lesson students will be able to:
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1. Practice their reading comprehension skills.
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2. Build on their oral reading skills.
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3. Develop understanding of other countries and cultures.
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4. Understand the importance of history as part of the identity of countries.
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5. Read and gather information of a text written in Spanish in order to select the main ideas.
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6. Broaden vocabulary.
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7. Express relevant information in their own words.
Materials
Text on the main events of the Mexican Revolution, timeline graphic organizer, map of Mexico.
Initiation
"Pass the bull" strategy: I usually start all of my classes passing around a foam bull toy asking questions- could be grammar, or anything. It is a great strategy because you assess students daily and it helps to start the class on a good tone, since they love it!
Students will be asked what they know about the Mexican Revolution.
Procedure
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1.The teacher will write the responses on the board so students can go on adding up to their classmates' answers.
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2. Students will read handout out loud in turns.
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3. Students will have 3 minutes to underline the vocabulary word they do not know.
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4. Students will ask the new words in turns. (I like them to ask vocabulary to their classmates, only if they do not know, I will answer.)
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5. The teacher will ask students questions about the text in order to find out if they have understood the main ideas.
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6. The teacher will focus on the main concepts again to make sure they are understood.
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7. Students will write in the graphic organizer what they consider to be the most important concepts or ideas of the lesson.
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8. Common exposure of the previous exercise- discussion.
Closure
To wrap up the lesson the teacher will ask the students to brainstorm what they learned that day.
Assessment / homework
For homework the students will be asked to write a 25-30 line paragraph in Spanish answering the question "¿Cuáles crees que fueron las razones que desencadenaron la Revolución Mexicana y cómo se podría haber evitado?" ("What are the reasons that led to the Mexican revolution and how might it have been avoided?")
Lesson Two: Murals, murals, murals
(This lesson plan is to be developed in a 60-minute class. However, it can be changed according to teachers needs)
Goal
To introduce my students to the process of viewing, interpreting and recognizing art.
Learning Objectives
As a result of this lesson students will be able to:
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1. Practice their reading comprehension skills.
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2. Build on their oral reading skills.
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3. Observe and describe specific details of a mural.
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4. Recognize different Mexican history figures or events.
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5. Read and gather information of a text written in Spanish in order to pair up the description of murals to the actual mural.
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6. Broaden vocabulary.
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7. Express reactions to a particular mural.
Materials
Numbered transparencies of the main and most representative murals created by "los tres grandes": Orozco, Siqueiros and Rivera, overhead projector, written Spanish description of the murals in the transparencies
Initiation
Teacher will "pass the bull" asking students questions about the Mexican Muralism Movement already discussed in the classroom
Procedure
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1. The teacher will give students a set of untitled, separated brief descriptions of different murals painted by Orozco, Rivera and Siqueiros.
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2. Different students will read the descriptions aloud.
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3. Students and teacher will closely look at the murals (that are numbered)
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4. One student at a time will explain a single mural and will try to guess the author.
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5. Students will be given some time to pair the descriptions of the murals with its author and with the number of transparencies they have seen.
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6. Students and teacher will correct the exercise and further comment on the murals.
Closure
Students will write the name of their favorite Mexican muralist on a piece of paper and give 3 reasons for their choice.
Assessment / homework
Students will choose their favorite Mexican Mural and explain their choice in a 30-line essay.
Lesson Three: Judith Baca, the SPARC (The Social and Public Art Resource center) and the Great Wall I
(This lesson plan is to be developed in a 70-minute class as well)
Goal
To guide students to understand the social, political and even pedagogical importance of art as an instrument of identity.
Learning Objectives
As a result of this lesson the students will be able to:
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1.Recognize the importance of the sense of community.
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2. Observe specific parts of the Great Wall of Los Angeles and recognize the different historical periods in which it is divided.
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3. Recognize the suffering Chicanos have experienced throughout history by decoding images in the mural.
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4. Observe and analyze.
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5. Search for relevant information and express it in the target language orally.
Materials
Smart board, computer with Internet access, speakers.
Initiation
"Pass the bull": the teacher asks students questions about the Mexican Revolution and/or the Mexican murals:
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-¿Me puedes decir en qué a–o comenzó la Revolución Mexicana? (When did the Mexican Revolution start?)
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-"¿Cuáles fueron algunas de las razones que llevaron a la Revolución en México?" ("What are some of the causes of the Mexican Revolution?")
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-Nombra algunos de los heroes de la Revolución. (Name some of the revolutionary heroes)
Procedure
1. The teacher will show on the smart board 3 videos form the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) web page,
(4)
pausing after each one in order to ask students to express their reactions to them.
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1. Historical Footage: PBS Special - Bill Moyers
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2. Great Wall Participant Testimonial: Ernestine Jimenez
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3. Historical Footage: Independent Filmmaker Donna Deitch
2. The teacher will navigate through the page in order to facilitate them some of the information about Judy Baca and what the Great Wall means and represents.
3. Students will read some of this information out loud.
4. Students and teacher will look at the Great Wall of Los Angeles in the same web page: the 4 sections for the 1940s-1950s.
5. Students will identify and discuss orally some of the relevant events and people on the mural.
6. Students will write down in their notebooks 10 of these events or figures in order to remember them for their homework assignment.
Closure
To wrap up the lesson the teacher will ask the students to discuss whether or not they consider murals as an effective form of expression.
Assessment / homework
Students will write a 30-line paragraph on what they consider the 6 main events of the history during the 50s-60s and why have they chosen them.
Lesson Four: Judith Baca, the SPARC and the Great Wall II
(This lesson plan is to be developed in a 50-minute class. However, it can be changed according to teachers needs)
Goal
To let students to search for relevant information independently with some given tasks
Learning Objectives
Special Needs
Students and teacher will go to the school's library
Materials
Computer with Internet access, printer
Initiation
Teacher gives students a paper with questions on the information they should find in the SPARC's web page
Procedure
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1. Teacher will pair up students so they can work together
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2. Teacher gives students time to search for the information asked
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3. Students will be asked some of those questions orally before the end of the period
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4. Teacher will collect the work
Closure
To wrap up the lesson the teacher will ask the students what part of the SPARC project dot they like the most/the least and why
