Lesson Plan pg. 1
Lesson Plan
Created and Written by Stacy Saathoff, November 2015
1. Lesson title or theme: Corridos and Influential Women of the Mexican Revolution
2. Grade: 6th
Keywords: Women in history, Mexican Revolution, Mexico, Music, Corridos, Elementary
3. Time and expected duration: 7 days with 30-45 minute sessions per day
4. Materials and Book(s) to be used:
Computers with Internet access, materials for displaying corridos (varies depending on group),
wide range of art supplies, and a variety of books about the Mexican Revolution. A few options
for student use include Las Soldaderas by Elena Poniatowska which includes great photographs
of women in the revolution and is available in both Spanish and English; La Adelita by Elena
Poniatowska and Fernando Robles which discusses the possible origins of the ‘la adelita’ corrido
during the time of the Mexican Revolution and its lyrics available in Spanish. An option for
teacher background knowledge is Fearless Women in the Mexican Revolution and the Spanish
Civil War by Tabea Alexa Linhard.
5. State Standards and Common Core Standards:
o Social Studies Strand 2-World History Concept 9: Contemporary World
PO 2. Identify the connection between current and historical events and issues using information
from class discussions and various resources (e.g., newspapers, magazines, television, Internet,
books, maps).
o
The ArtsStrand 2-Relate Concept 1: Understanding the relationships among music,
the arts, and other disciplines outside the arts.
PO 1. Identifying/describing ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines are
related to music (e.g., science, math, history).
o English Language Arts and Literacy
-Craft and Structure: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on
meaning and tone. (6.RL.4)
-Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Integrate information presented in different media or formats
(e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or
issue. (6.RI.7)
-Research to Build and Present Knowledge: Conduct short research projects to answer a question,
drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate. (6.W.7)
Lesson Plan pg. 2
Objectives:
Language Objectives:
o Students will be able to read a variety of materials to learn about corridos and the Mexican
Revolution.
o Students will be able to orally discuss the information from their research in small groups.
o In small groups students will be able to orally present their final corrido to the rest of the class.
o Students will be able to listen to corridos from the Internet.
o Students will be able to write corridos using information from their research.
Content Objectives:
o Based on student research using books, the Internet, and class discussions, students will be able
to identify the connections between the Mexican Revolution and current social issues in Mexico,
such as the Zapatista Movement in Chiapas for example. (Social Studies Strand 2-World
History Concept 9: Contemporary World; PO 2)
o Based on student research and oral presentations, students will be able to describe the role of
music during particular historical events. (The ArtsStrand 2-Relate Concept 1: Understanding
the relationships among music, the arts, and other disciplines outside the arts; PO 1)
o Based on reading and writing corridos, students will be able to identify a particular structure,
figurative language, and meaning. Students will also use these elements for constructing their
own corridos. (English Language Arts and Literacy Craft and Structure; 6.RL.4)
o Using a variety of sources students will conduct a short research project on an assigned
influential woman of the Mexican Revolution. (English Language Arts and LiteracyIntegration
of Knowledge and Ideas; 6.RI.7 and Research to Build and Present Knowledge; 6.W.7)
7. Key Vocabulary:
-Mexican Revolution: Armed struggle taking place between the years of 1910 and 1920 which
changed Mexican politics and society.
-Corrido: Songs about socially relevant topics such as oppression. It is a narrative song and form
of poetry. Corridos began during the time of the Mexican Revolution.
8. Procedure of the lesson:
Overview of Timeline for Completion:
Day 1: Introduction to Mexican Revolution and Corridos
Days 2, 3, and 4: Research and writing of corridos in small groups
Day 5: Presentations and Discussion
Lesson Plan pg. 3
Day 6: Complete presentations and discussion
Day 7: Group quiz
Day 1
The first day of this lesson will consist of introducing students to the Mexican Revolution
and corridos. Students will first be asked what they know about the Mexican Revolution. They
will share these ideas with partners and then with the whole class. After a brief discussion, there
will be a more formal introduction of the topic to the students. This introduction can take many
forms. For example, students can watch and discuss segments of a PBS documentary titled The
Storm that Swept Mexico which can be accessed online at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVWcgOcvgV0. General information about the Mexican
Revolution can be found online by research ‘Mexican Revolution.’
Introduce students to the art form of corridos. Students in fact may know of some and ask
them to talk about the corridos they have heard. This YouTube video features a variety of
different corridos for students to listen to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_XG8NMCOPM The video also contains footage from the
revolution and photographs. Other websites on corridos can be found easily if students want to
look for others.
After students have explored corridos, introduce them to the structure of the ballads. This
website provides more detailed information including the lyrical and musical characteristics of
corridos. A sample corrido is also provided, with lyrics in English and Spanish, by clicking on
the links to the right on the web page. http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/corridos/
Divide students into groups of four or five students. There may be smaller groups
depending on the number of students. There will be a total of eight groups. Students will be
responsible for researching the woman they have been assigned and to write a corrido based on
her life. Each group will be assigned one of the following influential women to research:
-Hermila Galindo
-Dolores Jiménez y Muro
-María Sandoval de Zarco
-Petra Herrera
-Beatriz González
-Angela ‘Angel’ Jiménez
-Margarita Neri
-Dolores Correa Zapata
Days 2, 3, and 4
To begin Day 2 students can share ideas from yesterday and what they learned. Students
will then work in their small groups. Students are to be creative with what they decide to do. The
instructions are for students to work in their small groups and research the influential woman
Lesson Plan pg. 4
they were assigned. From that research each group will write a corrido about her life. The
corrido will then be displayed in some form including a photograph of the influential woman.
The two requirements for this assignment are that through whichever medium the group chooses
the lyrics must be included and a photograph of the influential woman is also included
somewhere in the display. The corrido lyrics can be written in English, Spanish, or both
languages. A simple sample project on Margarita Neri follows this lesson plan. Students may use
any medium to meet these requirements and display their work. Possible ideas include a digital
story, short video, PowerPoint, small mural, collage, or poster. Each group will present their
work so students should keep this in mind when thinking about their display. Students will use
days 2, 3, and 4 to work on their research, corrido lyrics, and display. Teacher will monitor
students and circulate throughout the classroom offering feedback and suggestions if needed.
Day 5
Today four small groups will share their work with the class. Allow time for students to
ask questions and provide peer feedback. The teacher will use a checklist to assess each group to
be sure certain elements are included in their presentation. A sample checklist is below this
lesson plan. After the presentations, engage the students in an open discussion about what they
have learned through their research and why it is important to understand this history. Also ask
students how this part of Mexican history connects to current social issues in Mexico.
Day 6
Today the other four groups will present their work following the same format as Day 5.
Continue the discussion from Day 5. Students may also decide for each group to create questions
for the class discussion. The group can ask the rest of the class their particular question and then
facilitate the discussion on the question they created. Have students share any final thoughts or
ideas.
Day 7
Students will return to their small groups again today. To conclude and assess student
knowledge on this series of lessons students will complete a group quiz. Each group will be
given a quiz and asked to respond in writing using complete sentences. A sample group quiz is
included after this lesson plan. The teacher will collect the quizzes and assess student responses.
*Students may also want to celebrate their work by inviting students from other grade levels to
visit and each group can present.
9. Evaluation:
Evaluation will take place on Days, 5, 6, and 7 using the presentation checklist and group quiz.
Samples provided below.
Lesson Plan pg. 5
La Poderosa Margarita Neri
Brave fighter from Quintana Roo
with Dutch and Maya roots
seeking justice for her country
during the Mexican Revolution.
November 20 celebrates the revolution
beginning in 1910 ending in 1920
she was a leader and commander of troops marching
through Tabasco and Chiapas.
Her name is Margarita Neri or ‘La Neri’
and with a machete in hand she challenged
expectations and traditional norms of women in society
to become a famous Zapatista commander.
Mexico under the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz
saw an economic boom and modernization,
but left peasants and indigenous communities
suffering with a call for revolution.
Lesson Plan pg. 6
The dictator was overthrown and forced into exile
while the nation rose up and a brave soldadera
became one of the few female military leaders among
the ranks of men.
She was a commander so powerful that
the governor of Guerrero, upon hearing of her arrival,
hid in a crate and was sent out of town
to escape his fear.
She teaches us to fight for what we believe is just
despite the gender inequality we face for being
women in places
where men dominate.
Perhaps seen as a feminist today
her strength and resilience encourages women for generations
to come to believe in their own power
to create change.
Lesson Plan pg. 7
Corridos and Influential Women of the Mexican Revolution
PRESENTATION CHECKLIST
_____ Clear evidence of research conducted
_____ Group highlights key points about assigned influential woman
_____ A medium (PowerPoint, collage, video, etc.) is used to share
information the group learned
_____ Photo of woman included in display
_____ Corrido lyrics included in display
_____ Demonstrated ability to explain display to the class
_____ Demonstrated ability to answer questions posed by peers
Lesson Plan pg. 8
Corridos and Influential Women of the Mexican Revolution
Group Quiz
Names of group members:____________________________________________________
Date: ___________________
*Answer the following questions using complete sentences based on the knowledge
you have gained through this series of lessons. Use the back of this sheet if necessary.
1.) Discuss two important facts that you learned about the Mexican Revolution.
2.) Explain three elements of corridos.
3.) Write two questions you would ask one of these influential women of the Mexican
Revolution if you had the chance to interview her. Be sure to state who you
would interview and why.
4.) How does music play a role in historical events?
5.) Discuss two connections that you can make between the Mexican Revolution
and current social issues in Mexico.