Hispanic/Latino Curriculum - Third Grade Language Arts Lesson Plan
“The Woman Who Outshone the Sun”
The Legend of Lucia Zenteno
From a poem by Alejandro Cruz Martinez
Content/Theme:
Zapotec Legends
Grade Level:
Third Grade
Textbook Connection: “The Woman Who Outshone the Sun” (available through
WebCat)
or
Scott Foresman, Grade 3, Unit 2, “The Woman Who Outshone the Sun,” pg 119 (off
adoption).
Primary Benchmark :
LA 3.1.7.3- The student will determine explicit ideas and information in grade-level text,
including but not limited to main idea, relevant supporting details, strongly implied message
and inference, and chronological order of events.
Secondary Benchmark:
SS.3.G.2.4- Describe the physical features of the United States, Canada, Mexico and the
Carribean. (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, mountains, deserts, plains, grasslands).
Strand: Reading Process
Geography
Time: 1 Class Period
Objectives:
• Students will learn about the Oaxaca region and the Zapotecs.
• Students will use context clues to answer questions about the Zapotecs.
Teacher Preparation/Materials:
• Story, “The Woman Who Outshone the Sun,”
• Multicultural Information/Handout
• Map of Mexico
• Materials to make a diorama of the story - shoe box, paper, markers, yarn for
hair.
Activities:
1. Provide pre and during reading activities to assure comprehension of the text.
2. Show the map of the Mexico region. Tell students the information in the
multicultural section.
3. Tell students that legends and folktales are very similar. Ask students to define
legend and write it on the board.
4. Read “The Woman Who Outshone the Sun.”
5. Pair students and ask them to make puppets and a setting with a shoebox and
some paper, markers, glue, and long strands of yarn for hair. Tell students they
are to make a paper woman with hair and draw a river and a village in the
shoebox.
6. When students are finished with their diorama, have them practice retelling the
story with their props. As an extension to this activity, students may share their
stories with the lower grade levels.
7. Hand out worksheet on the Zapotecs and explain to students how to read the
passage and use the words and details in order to answer the questions.
Answers: 1. C, 2. D, 3. D, 4. D 5. Answers vary.
ESOL Strategies: Shared Reading, TPR, Read Aloud, Alternative Assessment
Assessment: Student Participation, Group Work, and Writing Assignment
Resources: www.oaxaca-reservations.com
Multicultural Content Information:
The population of Mexico is composed of a mixture of people. Some come from
European ancestors. Most come from or are themselves indigenous people. The Aztec,
Maya, and Olmec civilizations are the best known, but there are also other important groups
of people. The legend The Woman Who Outshone the Sun comes from the Zapotec
tradition. The Zapotecs have lived for more than three thousand years in the central region
of the state of Oaxaca, situated at the southern end of Mexico. This region is very
mountainous. There are many valleys where people live, and a tropical coast with pretty
beaches. One of the most important archeological sites of Mexico, Monte Albán, is located
in this region. Their history has not collected the same attention as the Maya and "Aztec,"
and it is said that for many years the early traces of civilization that dot Oaxaca were
attributed to "Olmecs."
The Zapotec people believe that their ancestors emerged from caves, or that they
turned from trees or jaguars into people. From their beliefs, many legends have arisen.
There are currently almost half a million people who are speakers of the Zapotec language.
They continue living in Oaxaca, but many of them have migrated to Mexico City or to Los
Angeles, California..
Name____________________________________________________
THE ZAPOTEC PEOPLE
The population of Mexico is composed of a mixture of people. Some come
from European ancestors. Most come from indigenous people. These are
people that are originally from that area. The Aztec, Maya, Olmec, and
Zapotec are just four groups of indigenous people. The Zapotecs have
lived in the southern end of Mexico in a state called Oaxaca for more than three thousand years.
This region is very mountainous. There are many valleys where people live, and a tropical coast
with pretty beaches. Originally, the Zapotecs were hunters and gatherers, they tamed a number
of wild species, and they built cities and governments. They also developed a system of writing
and created a calendar system. The Zapotecs tell stories to explain where they are from. Some
believe that their ancestors came from the earth, from caves. Others believe they turned from
trees into people. Some believe they turned from Jaguars into people. And some believe that
they came from supernatural beings that lived among the clouds. In fact, the name Zapotecs
means “The Cloud People." The Zapotecs have a very rich history and culture.
Directions: Answer the following questions according to the details in the above reading passage.
1. The word “indigenous” means:
a. “The Cloud People”
c. people that are originally from an place
b. people from Europe
d. people who move to a place
2. Where do the Zapotecs live?
a. South America
c. Europe
b. America
d. Southern Mexico
3.
a.
b.
c.
d.
How did the Zapotecs live long ago?
They built pyramids and lived in them.
They had parties and lived in huts.
They sold fruit in markets.
They hunted for food and made cities and governments.
4. Where do some Zapotecs believe they came from?
a. jaguars
b. caves
c. clouds
d. all of the above
5. What would be a good title for the above paragraph?_____________________________
MAP OF MEXICO