¡Cinco de Mayo!
A Themed Unit for 6th Graders
__________________
Kelly Covers
Brittney Gabrielson
Kelly Moon
Angie Bohnert
Education 449
May 1, 2009
Table of Contents
Daily Schedule (Kelly M.)………………………………………………………………………...Page 3
Overall Unit Description and Team Worms Rationale (Brittney)………………Page 4
Introductory Parent Letter from Team (Brittney)……………………………………Page 5-6
Special Education Letter (Angie and Kelly C.) …………………………………………Page 7-8
Multiple Intelligences Connections (Angie) ……………………………………………Page 9
Community/Family Involvement (Kelly M.) …………………………………………..Page 10
Creative Piece (Kelly C.)………………………………………………………………………..Page 11
Lesson Plans ……………………………………………………………………………………….Page 12 - 64
Reading (Angie and Kelly C.)
TESOL (Kelly M.)
Music (Brittney)
IEP (Angie and Kelly C.)………………………………………………………………………Page 65 - 70
Daily Schedule
Week 1: History
Monday
TESOL
Tuesday
Wednesday
X
Thursday
X
Music
Reading
Friday
X
X
X
Week 2: Culture
Monday
TESOL
Tuesday
X
Music
Reading
Friday
X
X
X
TESOL
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
X
Music
Reading
Thursday
X
Week 3: Celebrations
Monday
Reading
Wednesday
Friday
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Overall Unit Description
This year the 6th grade team will be studying a unit focusing on the Mexican
holiday Cinco de Mayo. This will be a three-week unit, or 15 lesson days, that will be
divided into three sections: History, Culture, and Celebration.
The three main subject areas included in this unit are Reading, English as a
Second Language (ESL), and General Music. Each of these classes will focus on
History, Culture, and Celebration in way related to Cinco de Mayo as well as a way
related to the class subject area.
The last day of the unit, on the 5th of May, will be a Cinco de Mayo Fiesta.
Parents, family members, and community members will be invited to join their
students in the celebration that is Cinco de Mayo. A guest speaker will be invited to
talk further about the history and celebration of the holiday. Students and parents
will be asked to bring in food that is appropriate to the Mexican culture, and
everyone will join in for lunch. After that, students will put on a performance of the
music they learned for their parents. The final activity of the fiesta will allow
students to work at different stations making crafts, playing games, or teaching their
parents and community members more about Cinco de Mayo.
We hope this unit will give students, as well as their parents, a better
understanding of the Mexican culture and their celebration of Cinco de Mayo. We
also hope that this unit opens up the student’s curiosity to learn about different
cultures.
Dear Parents:
The next three weeks of school, your 6th grader will be participating in our
first ever Cinco de Mayo Unit. This unit will involve their Reading, Spanish, and
Music classes.
Each week will have a different theme. The first week will focus on the
History of Cinco de Mayo. The second week will focus on the culture of the people
from Mexico. The final week will focus on the celebration of Cinco de Mayo as a
holiday.
This is where we need your participation. The last day of the unit will be our
big Cinco de Mayo Fiesta on Friday May 5th, which will incorporate everything the
students have learned about Cinco de Mayo. We will be inviting some community
members to our fiesta as well as you, the parents. We are asking for an audience to
be there, so the students can show off everything they have learned.
We are asking that students come dressed to the fiesta in appropriate
Mexican attire, or wearing the colors of the Mexican flag; red, white, and green. We
are also asking that food be provided at the fiesta; Mexican food of course. Some
ideas include; nachos with cheese and salsa, guacamole, tacos, burritos, enchiladas,
tortillas, refried beans, Spanish rice, etc.
Even if your student does not bring food, everyone is still invited. There will
be a guest speaker at 12:00 followed by lunch at 12:30. A student performance of all
the music learned will be followed after that. The day will end with students
separating to different stations to share their knowledge with you about Cinco de
Mayo.
We hope as many parents, family friends, and community members are able
to come as possible. Any further questions about being involved, contact Jefferson
Middle School.
Thank you,
The 6th Grade Team
Ms. Gabrielson- Music
Ms. Moon- Spanish
Ms. Covers- Reading/ Special Education
Ms. Bohnert- Reading/ Special Education
Dear Parents,
We are beginning a new interdisciplinary unit about Cinco de Mayo. In
this unit, students will learn about the history, culture and celebrations of Cinco
de Mayo. Your student will be involved in all the activities that are taking place.
Please remember that any specific accommodations that are required in the IEP
will be met in all of the activities. The classes that they will be learning about this
in are reading and music.
In the reading class, students will watch a documentary about the history
of Cinco de Mayo. They will also read and discuss the Mexican culture, and
compare it to their own cultures. After learning about these things, students will
plan their Cinco de Mayo celebration.
In music, students will be studying Mexican music. They will be making
their own instruments, and playing them in class and at a final performance.
They will also learn Mexican dances and songs. Incorporated in all of the music
lessons are lessons about Cinco de Mayo: history, culture, celebrations and
music theory.
For those of you who have a student learning to speak English, your
students will also be partaking in the following activities in addition to the
previously listed activities: reading, essay writing, journal writing, research
activities and group work. All of the activities will be learned in the TESOL room.
On the last day of our unit, we will be having a Cinco de Mayo celebration.
This will include a community member coming in to discuss Cinco de Mayo with
the students, food, games and a music performance. Students will dress up
either in traditional Mexican dress, or in the colors of the Mexican flag. On this
day, parents are invited to join their students in the celebration.
In order for your students to excel in this unit, there a few things that you
could do to help:

Check your students backpacks daily

Check their assignment notebooks for a list of assignments to be
completed

Have discussions about your family’s culture and traditions

If possible, attend the Cinco de Mayo celebration to see what your student
has accomplished
If you have any questions or concerns about how your child will be
accommodated or included in all of the activities, do not be afraid to ask. We
believe that all of the students can learn and participate in all of the Cinco de
Mayo activities planned. If any of you would like to participate more in any of the
Cinco de Mayo activities please let us know.
Thanks for your cooperation and concern.
Ms. Bohnert & Ms. Covers
Multiple Intelligences Connection Paragraphs
By: Angie Bohnert
Throughout this unit, we have done many things to incorporate multiple
intelligences. We begin the unit with a video and CLOZE, which are good for the
visual and linguistic intelligences. However, these are the intelligences that are
taught to most often. As the unit progresses, we give many opportunities to
include the other intelligences as well.
Throughout the unit, we do many activities. Students are often working in
groups, which is good for students whose primary intelligence is interpersonal
intelligence. It gives them opportunity to work and be involved with others. This
also can be a good time for students whose primary intelligence is intrapersonal
intelligence. When they get in the group and have to pick a job (recorder,
reporter, etc.), they will know what they do best and will be willing to take on that
role.
The music class also teaches to a few of the multiple intelligences. The
students are playing music and listening to music, so that is good for the musicalauditory intelligence. They are also dancing, which teaches to the bodilykinesthetic intelligence. The dance also appeals to the visual-spatial
intelligences because they are able to see the formations and movements.
By teaching to these intelligences, we are also teaching to the different
learning styles. By teaching in this way, all students have an equal opportunity to
learn because they are able to learn in whatever way is best for them.
Community and Family Involvement
By: Kelly Moon
Throughout our themed unit, we incorporate the community and students’
family into various activities. We believe community involvement is critical to the
learning process because it links students with different members of the
community. In doing so, this makes learning more relevant, connecting
classroom activities with the real world.
We created a parent letter to send out prior to the beginning of the unit.
The purpose of this letter is to describe the activities the students will be
participating in throughout the three-week period. Parents are encouraged to
discuss cultural differences with their students in preparation for the unit. The
letter also invites family members to come to the final celebration day of the unit
and provide a dish to pass if they wish to do so.
On this final day, community members will come in and talk about how
they celebrate Cinco de Mayo. We hope to invite the members through personal
invitation, and we hope to promote this final day by putting up flyers around the
community and having something said over the radio. Community members will
share what this holiday means to them and how they dress, they will also field
questions from the students. Students, family members, community members,
and teachers will engage in the final day’s activities, eat food, listen to speakers,
and listen to the musical performance created by the students. To record this
event, we will invite local newspapers to take pictures and interview students
about the experience.
Creative Component:
CLOZE Pre-Reading Strategy
CLOZE is a pre-reading strategy that informs the teacher of the students
prior knowledge, as well as, how much the students have learned. The CLOZE
strategy deletes words from a passage, and requires a student’s to fill in the
missing word from memory. Since our unit is on Cinco de Mayo, we chose to
delete words from a passage about Cinco de Mayo’s history. We are giving the
CLOZE to the students before the unit to see how much knowledge they already
have on Cinco de Mayo. If the CLOZE shows that the students know a lot about
the Cinco de Mayo, we will adjust the difficulty of the lessons. That is because we
are assuming the as a whole the class does not know a lot about the holiday. We
are also giving the CLOZE strategy after the end of the unit to see how much
they learned from the unit. Based on how the students do on the final CLOZE,
we may change the direction or stress different points the next time we do the
same interdisciplinary unit.
Standard:
No Standard
Week 1: Monday
Prerequisite Understanding:
There is no prerequisite understanding needed.
Learning Goals:
The students will be able to explain in their own words what is Cinco de
Mayo.
Objectives:
The students will be able to answer questions correctly on a worksheet
covering the content of the documentary film shown in class.
The students will be able to define accurately what Cinco de Mayo is.
Evidence:
The students will be informally assessed by observation. The students will be
observed while watching the documentary, and while discussing with a partner
what Cinco de Mayo is.
Sequence:
Introduction:
 Ask the class how many of them have heard of Cinco de Mayo.
 Handout the CLOZE to each of the students in the class.
o Inform the students that there is information missing in the
paragraph. Let the students know that it is there job to fill in
the missing answers.
o Inform the students that this is not graded, it is just for the
teacher to see how much information students already know.
 After the students have finished the CLOZE have all of the students
hand in their CLOZE.
 Next, hand out CLOZE handout that has all of the answers filled in
and read the passage as a class.
Middle:
 Notify the class that over the next few days they will be watching a
documentary on Cinco de Mayo.
 Give the students the following questions that they should answer
during the film on a worksheet.
o What does Cinco de Mayo represent for the Mexican
population?
o Why did the French decide to reconquer Mexico?
o Where did the largest battle in the struggle between the
Mexican military and the French take place?

o The Mexican army finally won the battle of Cinco de Mayo. At
what point did the French decide to back down and
surrender?
o Why do you think the Americans decided to help out the
Mexican army?
Watch the first 20 minutes of the film.
Closure:
 Have all of the students share with a partner what Cinco de Mayo is.
 Pose the following question to the class, why is it important to learn
about Cinco de Mayo?
o Have students share their thoughts with the class.
Accommodations:
 George can take CLOZE in the resource room if he would like.
 George will be given the opportunity to gather his stuff together two minutes
before the end of class.
 Sally will be given prompts to when the answer to the question is coming up
in the film.
 Harry will be given the option to sit at a computer so he can type the answers
to the questions.
Materials Needed:
 Television
 Cinco de Mayo CLOZE
 DVD Player
 Paper
 Pencils
 History Channel Presents: Cinco de Mayo Documentary
 Documentary Question Worksheet
Technology Used:
 Television
 DVD Player
Bibliography:
The History Channel. Cinco de Mayo. Retrieved April 22, 2009 from
http://www.history.com/classroom/guides/cincodemayoSG.pdf
Name________________________
Cinco de Mayo Documentary
What does Cinco de Mayo represent for the Mexican population?
Why did the French decide to reconquer Mexico?
Where did the largest battle in the struggle between the Mexican military
and the French take place?
The Mexican army finally won the battle of Cinco de Mayo. At what point did
the French decide to back down and surrender?
Why do you think the Americans decided to help out the Mexican army?
NAME_______________________
CINCO DE MAYO CLOZE
The fifth of ____________ or Cinco de ________ is a celebratory
and significant date for __________________ as well as for many
_______________ States citizens who join them in observing this
critical chapter in Mexico’s struggle for _________________.
Although thousands of people celebrate Cinco de _____________,
not all understand the meaning behind the holiday and its
significance. The ________________ had been occupying Mexican
_________________ and were rapidly expanding toward a takeover
of Mexico City in the years leading up to this climactic
____________. In a pivotal showdown in _____________, troops
defeated the French and solidified the independence they had
won from ________________ decades before.
CINCO DE MAYO CLOZE
The fifth of May or Cinco de Mayo is a celebratory and
significant date for Mexicans as well as for many United States
citizens who join them in observing this critical chapter in
Mexico’s struggle for independence. Although thousands of
people celebrate Cinco de Mayo, not all understand the
meaning behind the holiday and its significance. The French
had been occupying Mexican territory and were rapidly
expanding toward a takeover of Mexico City in the years
leading up to this climactic battle. In a pivotal showdown in
Puebla, troops defeated the French and solidified the
independence they had won from Spain decades before.
Standard:
-
Week 1: Tuesday
To use English to achieve academically in all content areas: Students will use
English to obtain, process, construct, and provide subject matter information
in spoken and written form (Goal 2, Standard 2
from ESL Standards for PreK-12 Students: Grades 4-8)
Prerequisite Understanding:
Insight into the history of Cinco de Mayo (knowledge of the events and
reasons behind them)
Lesson Goal:
-
Students will be introduced to the history of the Cinco de Mayo holiday and
will retell the story with a hand-made timeline on the board.
Lesson Objectives:



Given a story reading activity, students will respond to questions from the
teacher.
Given the vocabulary activity where students are exposed to new vocabulary
in relation to this holiday, students will write spelling lists.
Given the spelling list activity, students will use these words in their retelling
of the story of Cinco de Mayo in their journals.
Evidence: Journal writing/written assessment
Sequence:


Introduction
o Gather students in a central location so all can hear and listen to the
story
o Read Fiesta! : Cinco de Mayo by June Behrens out loud to the class
o When finished, ask students the following questions:
 What was the story about?
 Where did the story take place?
 Why did it happen? How?
 Who was involved?
o Based on this story and the movie watched in reading the day before,
have the students put a timeline on the board, with pictures or simple
phrases, of the major events of Cinco de Mayo. Students will stay
seated unless called on to add something to the timeline
Middle

o Have students go back to their seats
o The last student to put something on the timeline will start the
vocabulary review activity.
o Place the dodge ball in his or her hands and have him or her choose a
strip of paper from the bucket. The student will read the word
outloud. He or she has a chance to define the word, but if he or she
cannot remember, the floor is open and anyone can answer. Use this
activity as a vocabulary review, not as a test. Once that student is
finished, he or she can pass the ball to another classmate. Continue
this activity until all words have been reviewed.
o Pass out a list of the reviewed vocabulary.
Closure
o With the time remaining, students will recreate the story of Cinco de
Mayo in their journals. Whatever is not finished will be homework.
Accommodations:



For students with lower proficiency levels, pair work on journal writing
should be encouraged
If anyone hesitates to vocalize their answers during the dodge ball activity,
encourage others to help that person instead of having the student pass the
ball to someone else.
For student with IEP:
o Harry will be given the opportunity to type his story on the computer
instead of typing it.
Materials:
-
Book Fiesta! : Cinco de Mayo by June Behrens
Vocabulary List:
-
Dodgeball
Bucket filled with vocabulary words
Benito Juarez
Mexican Constitution
Zapotec Indians
economic debt
General Ignacio Zaragoza
Napoleon III
Emperor Maximilian of Hapsburg
Puebla, Mexico
republic
independence
Technology Used:
 none
Bibliography
The History Channel. Cinco de Mayo. Retrieved April 22, 2009 from
http://www.history.com/classroom/guides/cincodemayoSG.pdf
Standard:
No Standard
Week 1: Wednesday
Prerequisite Understanding:
The students need to understand what occurred in the first half of the
documentary.
Learning Goals:
The students will be able to explain in their own words what is Cinco de
Mayo.
Objectives:
The students will be able to answer questions correctly on a worksheet
covering the content of the documentary film shown in class.
The students will be able to define accurately what Cinco de Mayo is.
Evidence:
The students will be informally assessed while watching the documentary.
Also, they will be informally assessed from the discussion about the questions from
the documentary.
Sequence:
Introduction:
 Review with the class what they learned before from the film?
o What is Cinco de Mayo?
o What does Cinco de Mayo stand for?
o What culture celebrates Cinco de Mayo?
o Whom was Mexico fighting with?
o Why is Cinco de Mayo an important day for the Mexican
population?
Middle:
 Instruct the students to get out their questions from the last class on
the Cinco de Mayo documentary.
o Have the students finish answering the questions while
watching the rest of the film.
 Watch the last 25 minutes of the film.
Closure:
 Now that the film is over we are going to discuss the answers to the
questions from the film.
 As a class go over the answers to the questions from the film.
Accommodations:



George will be given the opportunity to gather his stuff together two
minutes before the end of class.
Sally will be given prompts to when the answer to the question is
coming up in the film.
Harry will be given the option to sit at a computer so he can type the
answers to the questions.
Materials Needed:
 Television
 DVD Player
 Paper
 Pencils
 History Channel Presents: Cinco de Mayo Documentary
Technology Used:
 Television
 DVD Player
Bibliography:
The History Channel. Cinco de Mayo. Retrieved April 22, 2009 from
http://www.history.com/classroom/guides/cincodemayoSG.pdf
Standards:
-
Week 1: Thursday
To use English to communicate in social settings: Students will use learning
strategies to extend their communicative competence (Goal 1, Standard 3)
To use English to communicate in social settings: Students will interact in,
through, and with spoken and written English for personal expression and
enjoyment (Goal 1, Standard 2)
Prerequisite Understanding:
-
Insight into the history of Cinco de Mayo (knowledge of the events and
reasons behind them)
Firm knowledge base of adjectives (form and function)
Lesson Goal:
- Students will apply their understanding of adjectives to their writing.
- Students will deepen their understanding of the history of Cinco de Mayo.
- Student will collaborate with each other to develop a finished product.
Lesson Objectives:



Given the adjective role-playing activity, students will demonstrate ability to
use adjectives.
Given the journal writing activity, students will create a story using
vocabulary from lesson one and adjectives from previous activity.
Given the collaborative letter writing activity, students will formulate an
invitation to community members
Evidence:
-
Participation in adjectives charades game
Journal writing and use of adjectives and vocabulary
Sequence

Introduction
o Gather students in one area of the classroom
o Put the word adjective on the board
o Discuss the definition of an adjective (what are they, why are they
used)
o Explain to class that they will be watching a short video to which they
must pay close attention to the words pulled out of the bag.
o Review video with the following questions:


 What adjectives were used?
 If we didn’t use adjectives, what would happen to our writing?
o Students may remain in their seats for the next activity
o Introduce the adjective charades game:
 Introduce students to adjectives on note cards, taping them to
the board after a volunteer defines each one.
 Demonstrate how to “act out” a word by choosing a note card
and calling on a volunteer who thinks they know the word.
 If one student does not get the right word, choose another
volunteer.
 When all note cards have been acted out, have students sit
back in their seats (five second countdown) and pull out their
journals.
Middle: Journal writing activity
o Review history timeline from day before
o Put writing topic up on projector: pretend like you are a Mexican
soldier or pheasant during the war. What is happening? Where are
you? How do you feel? Who are you with? What is going to happen?
Closure:
o Collect student journals
o Mention to students that on last day of unit will be a community day,
we will invite community members
o Brainstorm ideas on computer (with projector): who should come?
Why should they come? What are we interested in? What should we
tell them?
o Create a group list
o Communicate that this group list will be turned into a letter and will
be sent out to community members.
o Pass out letter to home regarding show and tell lesson next week
Materials:
-
Note cards with adjectives written on them (scary, funny, loud, new, tough,
dangerous, etc.)
Student journals
Computer (Word program) and projector
Letter home
Accommodations:

Harry should be given to opportunity to type his journal, or be provided with
big lined paper.
Bibliography:
Kelly Moon
Susan Johnson, ESL teacher for Winona Public School District
Warburton, T. (2002). School house rock!. United States: Walt Disney Video.
Dear Student and Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
Next week, students will be sharing with the class about their cultural
heritage. Please answer the following questions with your child and write
the answers below. Students may also bring in one or two cultural artifacts
to share with the class.
1. What is your family history? Where is your family originally from?
2. What is your native language?
3. What kind of holidays do you celebrate in your culture?
4. What is your favorite part about your culture?
Week 1: Friday
Standard:
1c. Sing music representing diverse genres and cultures.
2a. Perform on at least one instrument in small or large ensemble
9c. Compare in different cultures of the world, under which conditions music
is typically performed (Holidays).
Prerequisite Understanding:
Keeping the beat and playing ostinatos with non-pitched percussion
instruments.
Objectives:
The students will learn songs telling about the history of Cinco de Mayo.
Evidence:
Students will be asked about the translation of “Cinco de Mayo” and if they
know which country the Mexicans were fighting against.
Sequence:
Introduction:
What have you been discussing in your Spanish and Reading classes this
week? Cinco de Mayo
They are celebrating freedom and liberty and their defeat against the French
Army.
To focus more on the history of Cinco de Mayo, I have a few songs for us to
learn. Many of these songs will be easy for you to learn since they are based
off of tunes of other popular songs.
Middle:
Teach students all of these songs, incorporating non-pitched percussion instruments
with the music.
All Around Puebla (Pop Goes the Weasel)
France invaded Mexico
In 1862,
Thinking they would march, march, march, march
Right into Mexico City.
But what they had not counted on
Was General Zaragoza
Who ordered his men to fight, fight, fight, fight,
Fight for their freedom.
So all around Puebla
The Mexicans chased the French,
Until the last French soldier gave up --
Cinco de Mayo!
Cinco de Mayo (Are You Sleeping?)
Cinco de Mayo,
Cinco de Mayo,
The fifth of May
,
The fifth of May
Is the anniversary
Of a great victory
For Mexico.
For Mexico
Today’s a Day to Celebrate (London Bridge)
Today's a day to celebrate,
Celebrate, celebrate,
Today's a day to celebrate
Courage under fire.
The Mexican Army, they were poor,
They were poor, they were poor,
The Mexican Army, they were poor,
But that did not stop them.
They followed orders and charged ahead,
Charged ahead, charged ahead,
They followed orders and charged ahead,
Routing the French forces.
A great victory they did win,
They did win, they did win,
A great victory they did win
In the Battle of Puebla.
Today’s the Fifth of May (The Farmer in the Dell)
Today's the fifth of May,
"Cinco de Mayo," we say,
Let's join hands and sing and play –
It's Cinco de Mayo today.
Cinco de Mayo Song-Ron Brown
Way down, South of the border
Way down, Mexico way
They’re having a big celebration
It’s on the 5th of May.
You can hear the castanets, they’re playing.
You can hear maracas keep the beat.
You can hear the guitars wildly playing.
You can watch them dancing in the street.
Oh, Cinco de Mayo.
It’s a Mexican holiday.
Oh, Cinco de Mayo.
It’s the 5th of May.
It’s a time to celebrate freedom.
It’s a time for independence too.
It’s a time to remember heroes.
It’s a time of pride for Mexico.
Oh, Cinco de Mayo.
It’s a Mexican holiday.
Oh, Cinco de Mayo.
It’s the 5th of May.
It’s the 5th of May.
Closure:
Encourage to memorize these songs for the performance at the fiesta.
Accommodations:
 Students will have an easier time learning the songs, because they are set to
familiar music they may already know.
 For students with IEPs:
o Sally can choose to only play an instrument or only sing if she gets
frustrated.
o Harry may choose to only play an instrument or only sing if doing
both is too much stimulation for him. He also may be allowed to wear
noise-reducing headphones if the music is too loud for him.
Materials Needed:
Songs: All Around the Puebla (Pop Goes the Weasel)
Cinco de Mayo (Are You Sleeping?)
Today’s a Day to Celebrate (London Bridge)
Today’s the Fifth of May (The Farmer in the Dell)
Cinco do Mayo Song (Ron Brown)
Technology Used:
 Computer websites
 Recordings of music
 Maracas
 Castanets
 Claves
 Tambourines
 Other non-pitched percussion instruments
Bibliography:
Cinco de Mayo Song: Song for Celebrating Cinco de Mayo Holiday Retrieved April 29,
2009 from
http://www.songsforteaching.com/holiday/cincodemayo.htm
The Holiday Zone: Cinco de Mayo Children’s Songs Retrieved April 29, 2009 from
http://www.theholidayzone.com/cinco/cinco-de-mayo-songs.html
Standard:
No Standard
Week 2: Monday
Prerequisite Understanding:
 History of Cinco de Mayo: who celebrates it and why
Objectives:
 Students will be able to accurately define the characteristics of the Mexican
culture.
Learning Goals:
 Students will compare and contrast Mexican and United States culture
through debating the language, religion, food, sports and arts and music
differences and similarities.
 Students will be able to explain the connections between cultures
Evidence:
 Student participation
 Student diagrams
Sequence:
Introduction:
 What is culture? Have discussion about what students think it is, and
come up with a class definition.
Middle:
 After the class has a definition of what culture is, students will be put
in groups of five or six. The culture reading will be passed out, and
students will read it aloud together. After they are done, they will
make a ven diagram that shows the Mexican culture characteristics,
the U.S. culture characteristics, and the things they have in common.
 When each group is finished, one person from each group will come to
the board and write one thing in each section of the diagram that they
came up with in their group. Once all groups have done this, we will
have a class discussion about the things that are up there, and will
write any other ideas that aren’t up there yet. This discussion will
include why we do things they don’t, why they do things we don’t, and
why we have the things in common that we do.
 During the discussion, students will take notes and add anything to
their diagrams that they didn’t have. They will keep the diagrams for
future reference.
Closure:
 Review what culture is: characteristics, similarities and differences.

Have students put away materials and get ready for lunch.
Accommodations:
 For students with IEPs:
o George will have two extra minutes to gather his materials, will keep
his diagram in his folder, write any assignments in his planner and
have his planner initialed by the teacher before leaving.
o Sally will have the option of using her nonverbal communication.
Materials Needed:
 Whiteboard/blackboard
 White board markers/chalk
 Culture reading
 Paper
 Pencils,
 Markers
Technology Used:
 None
Bibliography:
(2008). The history channel. Retrieved April 21, 2009, from All About Mexico Web site:
http://www.history.com/states.do?action=detail&state=All%20About%20Mexico&contentType=Sta
te_Generic&contentId=56706&parentId=MEXICO
Mexican Culture
Flag
This flag was adopted in 1968, but the overall design has been used since 1821.
Red, white, and green are the colors of the national liberation army in Mexico.
The central emblem is the Aztec pictogram for Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City),
the center of their empire. Throughout history, the flag has changed 4 times, as
the design of the coat of arms and the length-width ratios of the flag have been
modified. However, the coat of arms has had the same features throughout: an
eagle, holding a serpent in its talon, is perched on top of a prickly pear cactus;
the cactus is situated on a rock that rises above a lake. The coat of arms is
derived from an Aztec legend that their gods told them to build a city where they
spot an eagle and a serpent, which is now Mexico City.
People
Citizens of Mexico highly value their nation, independence and community. Their
culture is made up of influences handed down by countless civilizations. From
the early Mesoamerican civilizations to the diverse populations that live there
today, Mexico’s citizens have remained proud of their heritage and their country.
Family remains among the most important elements in Mexican society, both in
private and public life. From infancy to old age, an individual's status and
opportunities are strongly influenced by family ties. Many households, in both
rural and urban areas, are inhabited by three or more generations due to the
economic advantage (or necessity) of sharing one roof. Mexicans generally
establish strong links to family members, including in–laws and friends of the
family, who are generally thought of as aunts and uncles. The elderly, adults,
teenagers and small children commonly attend parties and dances together.
Weddings are generally lavish family-oriented events as are the traditional
quinceañera celebrations given in honor of a young woman's 15th birthday.
Languages
The majority of the Mexican population speaks Spanish, the official national
language. However, another 60 indigenous languages are still spoken in Mexico,
including Maya in the Yucatán and Huastec in northern Veracruz.
Religion
Catholicism has become the dominant Mexican religion since first being
introduced during Spanish colonization in the 16th century. Currently, more than
75 percent of Mexico’s population is Catholic, making Mexico the second-largest
Catholic country in the world after Brazil.
The Basílica of Guadalupe, built between the 16th and 18th centuries to honor
Mexico's patron saint, is located in Mexico City. Each year, hundreds of
thousands of people, many of them peasants, travel from near and far to worship
at the shrine. Although this is probably the most important and beloved religious
site in Mexico, thousands of other churches, convents, pilgrimage sites and
shrines exist throughout the country.
Mexico’s present population consists of Roman Catholics (76.5 percent),
Protestants (6.3 percent), Pentecostals (1.4 percent), and Jehovah's Witnesses
(1.1 percent). Another 14.7 percent are non-religious or are of other faiths.
Cuisine
Mexican cuisine varies greatly by region but depends heavily on an ancient trinity
of staples: corn (maize), beans and squash.
Another staple, rice, is usually served alongside beans. Mexicans also tend to
make liberal use of avocados (often in the form of guacamole), chili peppers,
amaranth, tomatoes, papayas, potatoes, lentils, plantains and vanilla (a flavoring
that is pre-Columbian in origin). Salt and hot peppers (often served in a red or
green sauce) are the most common condiments; maize tortillas complement
most main dishes.
Popular dishes vary by region and individual circumstances, but some of the
more widely enjoyed foods are tortillas (flat bread wraps made from wheat or
maize flour), enchiladas, cornmeal tamales (cooked within corn husks or banana
leaves), burritos, soft–shell tacos, tortas (sandwiches of chicken, pork or cheese
and vegetables enclosed in a hard roll), stuffed chili peppers and quesadillas
(tortillas filled with soft cheese and meat). Other favorites are soups and spicy
stews such as menudo (made from beef tripe and fresh vegetables) and pozole
(stewed hominy and pork). Seafood dishes such as pulpo (octopus), chipachole
(spicy crab soup) and ceviche (seafood marinated in lime or lemon juice) are
popular in coastal areas. In Oaxaca and a few other states, fried and spiced
chapulines (grasshoppers) are considered a delicacy. A favorite among the
Nahuatl Indians is huitlacoche (corn fungus) served wrapped in fat–fried
quesadillas.
Several well-known alcoholic beverages made in Mexico are derived from the
maguey and agave plants. Agave, in particular the blue agave, is used to make
tequila, Mexico's national liquor. The drink takes its name from Tequila, Jalisco,
where it originated.
Arts & Music
In every major city in Mexico, universities and museums provide institutional
support for art and cultural events. Among Mexico's internationally acclaimed
museums are the Museum of Folk Art, the sprawling National Museum of
Anthropology and its offshoot, the National Museum of History.
Murals, an ancient art form, grace the walls of public and private buildings
throughout Mexico. Generations of muralists–influenced by artistic legacies
traceable to the Aztecs, Mayans and other pre-Hispanic civilizations–have added
their stories to those of their ancestors, captivating passersby with evocative
figures and landscapes captured in rich colors and bold strokes.
Music, like food, is a mainstay of Mexican social life. The styles are diverse and
include both traditional and modern genres. Perhaps the best-known Mexican
genre is the ranchero. Popularized after the revolution, the ranchera came to
symbolize the new national consciousness and focuses largely on love,
patriotism and nature. Because of its familiar themes and rhythms, this song style
has become popular among mariachi musicians. Highly recognizable in their
customary silver–studded charro (cowboy) outfits and wide–brimmed hats,
mariachi groups have enjoyed notable commercial success and are often
featured at festivals, banquets and wedding.
Another popular genre is norteño (northern), which relies on the accordion and
12–string bass guitar for its characteristic stylizations. More recent musical
innovations include banda, which is similar to norteño music, and cumbia, which
is heavily influenced by music from the Caribbean islands. Becoming increasingly
popular among Mexican youths are modern genres such as pop, hip–hop and
rock–musical forms that gained popularity during the last century in the United
States.
Sports
There are many different sports played in Mexico. The following are just a few of
them.
Fùtbol (Soccer)
Soccer is the favorite sport of the vast majority of the population. Unlike other
Mexican sports, soccer can emotionally divide the country, especially when
Mexican rivals meet each other. People from all over the country attend matches,
which are usually held on Sundays. Winning the coveted Copa Libertadores, the
Latin American equivalent of the European Cup, is an honor that motivates both
players and fans alike.
Charreada
A charreada is a Mexican–style rodeo. Unlike American rodeo in which
participants are awarded prizes according to how quickly they perform,
charreada focuses primarily on style and skill. In a circular arena approximately
40 meters (44 yards) in diameter, Mexican cowboys and cowgirls wearing
traditional charro (cowboy) clothing participate in a series of events involving
bulls and horses. Today’s charros are ranchers, business people and
professionals who share an interest in preserving Mexico’s charreada traditions.
Bullfighting
Also known as fiesta brava, bullfighting has been popular in Mexico for the last
400 years. Like Spanish bullfighters, Mexican matadores perform specific moves,
occasionally using a piece of red cloth to attract a bull in a graceful manner.
Bullfights are often preceded by festivities such as rodeos, pig chases and
dances.
Lucha Libre
Mexican style professional wrestling, called Lucha Libre (free fight) embraces all
styles of wrestling: submission, high flying comedy and brawling. The sport
achieves an extraordinary level of artistic expression through costuming and
bravado performance. El Santo, possibly the most famous Lucha Libre wrestler,
often starred in films, wore his silver mask throughout his life and was eventually
buried in it. Other famous Luchadores include The Blue Demon, Mil Máscaras,
and Rey Mysterio, who eventually moved on to American wrestling where he
became even better known.
Week 2: Tuesday
Standard:
-
To use English in socially and culturally appropriate ways: Students will use
appropriate learning strategies to extend their sociolinguistic and
sociocultural competence (Goal 3, Standard 3)
Prerequisite Understanding:
-
Be able to answer questions about your own cultural background (questions
from letter to home).
Bring in artifact to share and describe to the class
Lesson Goals:
-
Students will listen and formulate opinions of the guest speaker and other
student presentations
Students will be exposed to other cultures and ways of thinking and
celebrating
Lesson Objectives:
-
Given the guest speaker activity, students will identify key features of
Spanish culture.
Given the show and tell activity, students will verbalize their own cultural
background in front of the class.
Given the follow-up writing activity, students will articulate their opinions of
the guest speaker and show and tell activity.
Evidence:
-
Observation of student engagement in question/answering sessions and
presentations
Journal writing: sharing at least three ideas or opinions
Sequence:


Introduction
o Introduce students to guest speaker from Mexico
o Allow guest speaker to share his cultural history and artifact specific
to Cinco de Mayo celebration
o Allow students to ask questions
Middle
o Explain that now that the guest speaker has shared, it is how time for
everyone else to do the same
o Everyone is able to share for approximately 1-2 minutes, leaving 1-2
minutes for others to ask up to 3 questions.
o Once everyone has presented, students may put artifacts back in their
lockers/cubbies and return to their seats.
o Ask students to take out their journals

Closure
o Put topic of writing activity on the computer projector:
Write about three presentations you liked today. Be sure to answer
these questions: who did it, what was it about, and why you liked it.
o Collect journals and send students to next class
Materials:
-
Student journals
Guest speaker
Computer
Accommodations:


Harry will be given the opportunity to write up a script and read directly
from it what he is going to present to the class.
Harry will be able to type his journal or write it on big lined paper.
Bibliography:
Kelly Moon
Guest Speaker
Week 2: Wednesday
Standard:
1c. Sing music representing diverse genres and cultures.
2a. Perform on at least one instrument in small or large ensemble
9c. Compare in different cultures of the world, under which conditions music
is typically performed (Holidays).
Prerequisite Understanding:
Maintaining the beat of music.
Objectives:
Students will learn more about the Mexican culture by learning about their
favorite dance, the “Mexican Hat Dance”
Evidence:
Students will be assessed on their participation and ability to keep the beat while
playing an instrument.
Sequence:
Today I would like to talk about the Mexican culture. Much of their culture consists
of music and dancing.
What kind of music and dancing are associated with the American culture?
Rap, Hip-hop, break dancing.
We are going to learn about the Mexican Hat Dance, which is a famous dance in the
Mexican culture, and also a traditional dance for Cinco de Mayo.
In Mexico, this dance is known as the Jarabe Tapatio; which is the title of the dance
as well as the music that accompanies it. This dance is also known as the National
Dance of Mexico.
This dance has become a popular folk dance throughout Mexico and Southwestern
part of the US, such as Texas, Arizona, and California. This dance is a symbol of
national pride and honor of the Mexican people, which is why it is performed at
Cinco de Mayo festivals.
The dance tells the story of love and courtship. It can be performed by just one
couple or by many couples, which is what we will do for class. The traditional dress
is a charro suit, which is a three-piece suit made up of a vest, jacket, and pants with
many silver buttons down the seam.
I have a sombrero to show everyone; today we are all going to make our own out of
construction paper so we have a sombrero to dance around when we learn the
dance on Friday.
You can use this sombrero as an example to create your own. Everyone choose a
color of construction paper and round the corners to make it into a circle. Use
markers to draw another circle in the middle.
For the rest of the hour, play the “Mexican Hat Dance” is the background while the
students are making their sombreros, so they get used to hearing how the music
goes. Students can decorate their sombrero with different colored markers or by
using different colored glitters.
Accommodations:
This activity gives children who are inhibited to dance by themselves the
opportunity to dance with a group.
 For students with IEPs:
o Harry and George may be given written directions accompanied by
picture directions.
o Sally and Harry may choose to take their materials into a separate
area/room.
Materials Needed:
 Recording of the “Mexican Hat Dance”
 Construction paper
 Markers
 Scissors
 Glue
 Glitter
 Or Actual Sombrero
Technology Used:
 Audio recording- CD player
 Computer to show video of Mexican Hat Dance
Bibliography:
“How to do the Mexican Hat Dance” Retrieved April 29, 2009 from
http://parenting.ivillage.com/tp/tpactivities/0,,9www,00.html
YouTube- MEXICAN HAT DANCE Retrieved April 29, 2009 from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq5c09ExG3o
http://www.ristramnnchile.com/images/mini_sombrero.jpg
Standards:
-
-
Week 2: Thursday
To use English in socially and culturally appropriate ways: Students will use
the appropriate language variety, register, and genre according to audience,
purpose, and setting (Goal 3, Standard 1)
To use English in socially and culturally appropriate ways: Students will use
appropriate learning strategies to extend their sociolinguistic and
sociocultural competence (Goal 3, Standard 3)
Prerequisite Understanding:
-
A general understanding of the cultures represented in your classroom
History of the 4th of July, a commonly celebrated American holiday
Differences between Cinco de Mayo in Mexico and Cinco de Mayo in the U.S.
Lesson Goal:
-
Students will collaborate in groups and enhance their note-taking and
organization skills
Lesson Objectives:
-
Given the journal writing activity, students will identify cultural celebrations
they enjoy.
Given the group research activity, students will take notes on their given
topic.
Given the group research activity, students will articulate their findings with
the class.
Evidence: Journal Writing, class discussion, and collected worksheet
Sequence:

Introduction
o Have everyone write in their journals about their favorite holiday and
why
o Have 3-5 students share their writing with the class
o Ask students the following questions:
 Why is it important to know about other cultures celebrations?
 What are some ways we can learn about them?
o Ask students to return to their seats and pull out a pencil

Middle
o Introduce research activity: ask students to define research, what you

need to do when you research, and what we are going to be
researching.
o Write the instructions on the board or display on a LCD screen
 What do they celebrate?
 Why do they celebrate?
 How do they celebrate?
o Divide class into groups of three:
 Assign each group one of the following topics: Korea, Japan,
and Mexico
 Assign each group member a responsibility: recorder, book
researcher, computer researcher
Closure
o Each group will share what they learned for two minutes
o Review importance of learning about other cultures
o Collect worksheet when finished
Materials:
-
Library cart of books
Computers
Group research worksheet
LCD screen
Accommodations:
o Harry will be given the option to have somebody else read his journal
to the class.
o Harry will be given to type up his work on the computer, or used big
lined paper.
o Harry should be given the opportunity to have somebody else write
his ideas on his worksheet.
Bibliography:
Kelly Moon
Susan Johnson, ESL teacher for Winona Public School District
What’s Your Culture?
1. What culture are you
learning about?
2. What do they
celebrate?
3. Why do they celebrate?
4. How do they celebrate?
-
Week 2: Friday
Standard:
1c. Sing music representing diverse genres and cultures.
2a. Perform on at least one instrument in small or large ensemble
9c. Compare in different cultures of the world, under which conditions music
is typically performed (Holidays).
Prerequisite Understanding:
Maintaining the beat of music.
Objectives:
Students will learn more about the Mexican culture by learning the “Mexican
Hat Dance”
Evidence:
Students will be assessed on if they are able to understand the dance.
Sequence:
Introduction:
 We are going to learn how to do “The Mexican Hat Dance” that we discussed
on Wednesday.
 As stated earlier, this dance can either be a couple dance or performed with
many couple, which is what we will do.
Middle:
 First have the children experience the music by just listening to the
recording.
 Everyone stand up and we will learn the footwork.
 Right foot flexed forward, then left, then right. (Clap-clap) Left foot flexed
forward, then right, then left. (Clap-Clap) S: Echo
 Once you have that down, while you’re doing the footwork, your arms can be
crossed in front of you”. Have S try all of that with the music.
 Next have students form two parallel lines, facing a partner across from
them.
 Now you are paired up with a person standing across from you, who will be
your partner. Since they are facing the opposite direction of you, it will look
like they are doing something different. Remember to start with the right
foot.
 Play music, and have students perform what they already know. Stop music
when it comes to the next part.
 The part that happens next is when you dance with your partner. This is the
part of the dance when the couple will dance around the sombrero. Link
elbows with your partner and skip around the sombrero to the right. Switch
directions when the music changes. When the music comes back to what it
sounded like at the beginning, start with the same footwork as we did earlier.

Practice circling around the sombrero first, and put into context by
performing it with the music. Practice a few times.
Closure:
 For our upcoming fiesta in two Fridays, we will be performing this routine in
front of community members and your other teachers. We will use the
sombreros you made the other day to dance around.
Accommodations:
 This activity gives children who are inhibited to dance by themselves the
opportunity to dance with a group.
 For students with IEPs:
o George may choose to wear noise-reducing headphones.
o Sally may have the choice of her dancing partner.
Materials Needed:
 Recording of the “Mexican Hat Dance”
 Construction paper
 Markers
 Scissors
 Glue
 Glitter
 Or Actual Sombrero
Technology Used:
 Audio recording- CD player
 Computer to show video of Mexican Hat Dance
Bibliography:
How to do the Mexican Hat Dance Retrieved April 29, 2009 from
http://parenting.ivillage.com/tp/tpactivities/0,,9www,00.html
YouTube- MEXICAN HAT DANCE Retrieved April 29, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq5c09ExG3o
Standard:
No Standard
Week 3: Monday
Prerequisite Understanding:
 History of Cinco de Mayo: who celebrates it and why
 Knowledge of Mexican culture
Objectives:
 Students will make flags in the theme of Cinco de Mayo using their
knowledge of the holiday.
 Students will plan a Cinco de Mayo celebration using their knowledge of the
holiday and the culture.
Evidence:
 Groups will hand in a written copy of their party plan along with their flags.
 Group presentations
Sequence:
Introduction:
 Review class definition of culture
 Talk about assignments for the day: party planning and flag making
Middle:
 Put students into groups. They will work together to plan a Cinco de
Mayo celebration using their knowledge of the holiday: they will plan
the food, music and activities.
 Students will then make a flag: the flag should be based on their
knowledge of the history of Cinco de Mayo and the Mexican culture.
 When all students are finished, each group will share with the class
how they would have their celebration and why, and how they
decorated their flags and why.
 Give the students the CLOZE again that they received the first day of
class. Have the student complete the CLOZE again.
Closure:
 Students will discuss which group’s celebration ideas and flags they
liked the best and why.
 Relate discussion to next day party: how students should dress, what
activities will be taking place, expected behavior, etc.
 Have students get ready for lunch
Accommodations:
 For students with IEPs:
o Sally may choose to use her non-verbal communication method.
o Harry may choose to remain seated while his group presents.
o George will have two extra minutes at the end of the lesson to gather
his materials, right down assignments and get his assignment
notebook initialed by the teacher.
Materials Needed:
 Paper,
 Pencils,
 Markers
 CLOZE
Technology Used:
 None
Bibliography:
(2008). The history channel. Retrieved April 21,2009, from Cinco de Mayo Web site:
http://www.history.com/classroom/guides/cincodemayoSG.pdf
NAME_______________________
CINCO DE MAYO CLOZE
The fifth of ____________ or Cinco de ________ is a celebratory
and significant date for __________________ as well as for many
_______________ States citizens who join them in observing this
critical chapter in Mexico’s struggle for _________________.
Although thousands of people celebrate Cinco de _____________,
not all understand the meaning behind the holiday and its
significance. The ________________ had been occupying Mexican
_________________ and were rapidly expanding toward a takeover
of Mexico City in the years leading up to this climactic
____________. In a pivotal showdown in _____________, troops
defeated the French and solidified the independence they had
won from ________________ decades before.
CINCO DE MAYO CLOZE
The fifth of May or Cinco de Mayo is a celebratory and
significant date for Mexicans as well as for many United States
citizens who join them in observing this critical chapter in
Mexico’s struggle for independence. Although thousands of
people celebrate Cinco de Mayo, not all understand the
meaning behind the holiday and its significance. The French
had been occupying Mexican territory and were rapidly
expanding toward a takeover of Mexico City in the years
leading up to this climactic battle. In a pivotal showdown in
Puebla, troops defeated the French and solidified the
independence they had won from Spain decades before.
Week 3 – Tuesday
Standards:
- To use English to communicate in social settings: Students will use English to
participate in social interactions (Goal 1, Standard 1)
- To use English to achieve academically in all content areas: Students will
use English to interact in the classroom (Goal 2, Standard 1)
Lesson Goal:
- Students will partake in a stations activity to review the past two weeks of
history and culture and to introduce the concept of Cinco de Mayo
Celebration
Objectives:
- Given the station activity, students will be exposed to the different aspects of
Cinco de Mayo: Food, dress, and music.
Evidence: Note sheet
Sequence:
 Introduction
o Tell students that today they will be doing station activities dealing
with food, dress, and music
o Show what will be happening at each station:
 Station 1: Read Mexican food recipes and copy down your
favorite one to give to someone who cooks
 Station 2: Look at different pictures of Mexican Cinco de Mayo
dress and describe what they look like
 Station 3: Listen to music and describe what it sounds like
 Middle
o Count students off so there are groups of three (three groups total)
o Students will go to each station and complete a note sheet that they
will later paste into their journals – five minutes for each station
o When students are finished at a station, they can work on a Cinco de
Mayo word search with the vocabulary from week one.
 Closure
o Ask students what recipes they found, what type of dress they saw,
and what type of music they heard
o Discuss Friday’s events with the students and remind students to
wear their designated colors
Accommodations:
o Harry will be given a schedule letting his know what order he follows
for the stations.
o Harry will be given the option to let somebody else write his thoughts
on his worksheet.
Materials:
- Mexican Recipe books
- Pictures of Traditional Dress
- Music and CD Player
- Note sheet
- Word search
Technology Used:
o CD player
Bibliography:
Discovery Education. Retrieved April 22, 2009 from
http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com
Kelly Moon
Station Activity
Station
1
Write down your favorite recipe:
Station
2
Describe what you see.
Station
3
Describe what you hear.
Cinco de Mayo
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Week 3: Wednesday
Standard:
1c. Sing music representing diverse genres and cultures.
2a. Perform on at least one instrument in small or large ensemble
9c. Compare in different cultures of the world, under which conditions music
is typically performed (Holidays).
Prerequisite Understanding:
Understanding of how to keep the beat in a group of four.
Objectives:
The student will learn more about the Mexican culture by listening to and
experiencing its famous music.
Evidence:
Ask students to demonstrate how they will be playing their specific
instrument.
Sequence:
Introduction:
 This week’s theme is celebration. Much of Mexico’s holidays, especially Cinco
do Mayo, are celebrated with the use of music. How many of you have heard
the son La Bamba?
 We will be listening to that as well as learning the lyrics in Spanish as well as
the English translation.
Middle:
 Play recording of “La Bamba”
 Do line by line echo with S of the lyrics in Spanish-through talking, and then
singing.
 Explain translation.
 Hand out non-pitched percussion instruments having students take turns
playing them. Play through song 3 times, so that every student gets a chance
to play.
 Maracas play-One, Two, Three, Four
 Tambourine- Shake-two, Shake-four
 Claves- One-Two-Three and Four and
 Teacher-Guitar chords-C, F, and G
 Sing through song to get lyrics down
Closure:
 Perform song 3 times with instruments
La Bamba
Para bailar La Bamba
Para bailar La Bamba
Se necessita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia
Para mi, para ti, ay arriba, ay arriba
Ay, arriba arriba
Por ti sere, por ti sere, por ti sere
Yo no soy marinero
Yo no soy marinero, soy capitan
Soy capitan, soy capitan
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba, bam
Para bailar La Bamba
Para bailar La Bamba
Se necessita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia
Para mi, para ti, ay arriba, ay arriba
(Guitar solo - Richie & instrumental)
Para bailar La Bamba
Para bailar La Bamba
Se necessita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia
Para mi, para ti, ay arriba, ay arriba
Ay, arriba arriba
Por ti sere, por ti sere, por ti sere
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
FADESBamba, bamba.
English translation:
In order to dance The Bamba
In order to dance the Bamba
You need a little bit of grace
A little bit of grace
For me, for you, ah up, ah up(or higher and higher)
Ah, up, up (literally "faster, faster")
By you I will be, by you I will be, by you I will be
(Por can also mean by and not just for)
I am not a sailor,
I am not a sailor, I am a captain
I am a captain, I am a captain
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba, bam
In order To dance The Bamba
In order To dance The Bamba
You need a little bit of grace
A little bit of grace
For me, for you, ah up, ah up (higher and higher)
(Guitar only - Richie and set of instruments)
In order to dance The Bamba
In order to dance The Bamba
You need a little bit of grace
A little bit of grace
For me, for you, ah up, ah up
Ah, up, up.
For you I will be, for you I will be, for you I will be
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
FADESBamba, bamba.
Accommodations:
 For students with IEPs:
o Sally can choose to only play an instrument or only sing if she get
frustrated.
o Harry may choose to only play an instrument or only sing if doing
both is too much stimulation for him. He also may be allowed to wear
noise-reducing headphones if the music is too loud for him.
Materials Needed:
 Recording of “La Bamba” by Ritchie Valens
 Overhead of “La Bamba” lyrics
 Projector and screen
 Non-pitched percussion instruments- Claves, Tambourines, Maracas
 Acoustic Guitar
Technology Used:
 Computer website

CD player, or computer
Bibliography:
Ritchie Valens- La Bamba Lyrics Retrieved April 29, 2009 from
http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/r/ritchie_valens/la_bamba.html
La Bamba Chords by Misc Traditional @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com Retrieved April 29,
2009 from
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/m/misc_traditional/la_bamba_crd.htm
Week 3: Thursday
Standard:
1c. Sing music representing diverse genres and cultures.
2a. Perform on at least one instrument in small or large ensemble
9c. Compare in different cultures of the world, under which conditions music
is typically performed (Holidays).
Prerequisite Understanding:
Students must understand how to maintain a steady beat.
Objectives:
Students will make their own maracas and create ostinato patterns.
Evidence:
Students will be assessed on their ability to make up rhythm patterns with their
maracas.
Sequence:
 One of the main ways that the people of Mexico celebrate is through music.
And with music in Mexico, there are certain instruments that are prominent.
What instruments come to mind when thinking of Mexican music or culture?
 Make your own maracas, that can be used later on in class as well as our
fiesta this Friday.
 Make maracas based on directions
 For the rest of class, have students split into two groups.
How to make it:
 Paint cups with tan paint and let dry.
 Decorate cups by painting on swirling or curvy lines. We used red paint for
ours. You can also paint zig-zags. We used white for ours. Paint the bottom
of each cup red.
 Place a handful of dried beans into one of the cups.
 Put a layer of hot glue onto the rim of the cup with the beans in it before
quickly placing the other cup on top of it, lining up the rims of both cups.
Allow to dry completely.
 Finish any decorating you would like, such as adding pom-poms around the
center (to hide the glue line). We also used mini pom-poms to dot the peaks
of the zig-zags.
 Once your glue is completely dry, shake your maraca!
Tips:
 Smaller children may enjoy using stickers instead of trying to manipulate
pom-poms and buttons. Older kids may like to get even more intricate by
painting on more detailed and thinner lines.
 If you don't have any dried beans, use a few pennies instead.
Accommodations:
 For students with IEPs:
o Harry and George may be given written directions accompanied by
picture directions.
o Sally may choose to take her materials into a separate area/room.
Materials Needed:
 2 Styrofoam cups per person
 Tan, red, and white acrylic paint
 Decorative accents, such as pom-poms, buttons, and glitter
 Hot glue gun
 Dried beans
Technology Used:
 None
Bibliography:
Maracas- Kaboose.com Retrieved April 29, 2009 from
http://crafts.kaboose.com/maracas.html
Week 3: Friday
Standard:
Music:
1c. Sing music representing diverse genres and cultures, with expression
appropriate for the work being performed.
2a. Perform on at least one instrument accurately in a small ensemble.
9c. Compare, in the Mexican culture, functions the music serves, roles of
musicians, and conditions under which music is typically performed.
TESOL:
Goal 1, Standard 1: To use English to communicate in social settings:
Students will use English to participate in social interactions
Goal 3, Standard 1: To use English in socially and culturally appropriate
ways: Students will use the appropriate language variety, register, and genre
according to audience, purpose, and setting
Prerequisite Understanding:
The students will need to understand the culture, language and music of the
Mexican culture.
The students will need to understand the history behind Cinco de Mayo,
along with the celebrations of Cinco de Mayo.
Learning Goals:
The students will partake in Cinco de Mayo festivities.
Objectives:
The students will display and verbally share their knowledge of Cinco de
Mayo through the day’s festivities.
The students will actively engage in a discussion with a community member.
Evidence:
Students will be informally assessed through observation on their
participation in the Cinco de Mayo festivities.
Sequence:
Introduction:
 Since today is Cinco de Mayo, the students were instructed to either
come in traditional dress, or wear the colors of the Mexican Flag.
 When students arrive in the classroom, they will all receive a
sombrero to wear throughout the day’s festivities.

Once the students all arrive in the classroom the teacher will go over
the schedule of events for the day.
o First, there will be a member of the community coming in to
speak to the students about how they celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
As well as, what Cinco de Mayo means to them.
o Second, parents are invited into the classroom to have a Cinco
de Mayo feast with their child.
o Third, everyone will put on their music performance that they
learned for the school and parents.
o Lastly, students will break up into their stations.
Middle:
 Community Member Guest Speaker
o The speaker will discuss about how the celebrate Cinco de
Mayo.
o The speaker will inform the students what Cinco de Mayo
means to them.
o The speaker will show the students traditional dress worn for
Cinco de Mayo.
o Lastly, there will be a time for students to ask questions.
 Cinco de Mayo Feast
o Parents will be invited into the classroom to partake in the feast
with the students.
o Mexican music will be played in the background while they are
eating.
o The following food will be provided at the feast. Parents are
allowed to bring a dish if they wish.
 Chips
 Salsa
 Guacamole
 Churros
 Refried beans
 Beef Fajitas
 Tortilla Soup
 Mango Juice
 Orange Jarritos Soda
o As the students are eating, ask the students what is their
favorite kind of Mexican food that they tried today.
 Music Performance
o The students will perform the musical performance they
learned in music class for their parents and the school.
 Stations – All of the stations are run by students.
o Trivia Station


In this station, the students will try to stump people with
questions about the history, and culture of Cinco de
Mayo.
The students have pre-made questions that they will ask
different individuals. If the student or parent answers
the question correct, they will get a piece of Mexican
candy.
o Cinco
 In this station, the students will be playing a new game of
Bingo. Instead of saying Bingo at the top of the game
board, it will now say Cinco.
 The numbers will be said in Spanish instead of English.
To help students out with their numbers they will be
given a number sheet with the number written in both
English and Spanish. That way the student can look up
the number after it is called.
o Mini Sombrero
 At this station the students will make mini sombreros.
 At this station will be a parent volunteer or teacher to
supervise the hot glue gun.
 First the students will paint the paper plate and
Styrofoam cup with tan paint and the outer edge of the
plate rim red. Then they will have to let the paint dry
completely.
 Students will be instructed to go to other stations
while their paint is dryings.
 Next the students will hot glue the Styrofoam cup to the
center of the paper plate to form your hat.
 Third, the students will glue the brown felt around the
bottom of the Styrofoam cup (the edge that is touching
the plate) to make the hatband. All with, gluing the red
and orange felt over the brown to create stripes.
 Finally, they will glue the pom-poms to the red edge of
the paper plate, alternating colors as you go (green,
white, red, yellow, brown, orange, green, white, etc.).
Closure:
 Gather all of the students back into the classroom.
 Have the class discuss their favorite parts and least favorite parts of
the day.
 Pose the question to the class, what would you do different if we could
do the day over again.
Accommodations:


Sally will be given the opportunity to go in a safe, quiet space during
the festivities if she needs to gather her thoughts, and feelings. If Sally
wants someone will be available with her during this time to talk with.
Harry will be given a schedule for the day so he knows what to expect
in the new routine.
Materials Needed:
 Mexican candy
 Sombreros
 Morcoras (made
previously in class)
 Guitar
 Percussion instruments
 CD Player
 Mexican music CD
 Chips
 Salsa
 Guacamole
For Craft Activity:
 Styrofoam or paper
cups
 Mini paper plates
 Brown, red, and orange
felt.
 Acrylic paint in red and
tan
 Medium pom-poms in
red, green, yellow,
orange, white and
brown
 Paint brushes
 Hot glue gun










Churros
Refried beans
Beef Fajitas
Tortilla Soup
Mango Juice
Orange Jarritos Soda
Plates
Napkins
Cups
Silverware
Technology Used:
 CD player
Bibliography:
Formaro, A. Mini Sombrero. Retrieved April 30, 2009 from
http://crafts.kaboose.com/mini-sombrero.html
Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
Meeting Date: __________2/5/09______________
Student Information
Student:
George Smith
Gender:
M
Grade:
6th
DOB:
2/7/97
Parent/Guardian Information
Parent/Guardians Names:
Joseph and Betty Smith
Disability Category
Other Health Impairments: Attention Deficit Disorder.
Present Level of Performance
George’s IQ is 110 according to the Wechsler Scale of Intelligence. George enjoys
playing football, and soccer with his friends. He also helps around the house by doing
household chores and yard work. George’s teachers state that George has problems
staying on task and is off task about 40% of the time in class. They also state that
George has very impulsive behaviors and appears to not “think” before he speaks.
Another problem that George has is he tends to misplace or lose his materials and
homework assignments. His teachers report that he only turns in about 30% of his
homework assignments.
Goals/Objectives
GOALS:
George will increase his time on task by 25% by the end of this semester.
George will increase the assignments handed in 50% by the end of this semester.
OBJECTIVES:
George will be placed on a behavioral intervention plan that rewards him for time on
task.
George will be given a planner that all of his teachers need to initial that all of his
assignments are written down.
George will have a folder for each class that is used to keep all materials in.
Accommodations
George will be given the opportunity to take all tests in the resource room.
George will be given the opportunity to have two minutes at the end of class to get all
materials, homework assignments, etc. ready.
Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
Meeting Date: __________2/4/09______________
Student Information
Student:
Sally Schultz
Gender:
F
Grade:
6th
DOB:
3/11/97
Parent/Guardian Information
Parent/Guardians Names:
Shaun and Susan Schultz
Disability Category
Emotional Behavioral Disorder
Present Level of Performance
Sally’s IQ is 105 according to the Wechsler Scale of Intelligence. Sally enjoys shopping,
talking on the phone, and hanging out with her two best friends. Sally’s parents say that
Sally cleans her own room, and does the dishes once a week at home. Sally’s teachers
state that Sally often times yells at classmates for no apparent reason. Sally currently
has about 10 outbursts per week. However, most teachers say that Sally is a nice girl
and that she enjoys silent reading time. Sally also refuses to do her homework, which
results in her grades failing. She currently does exceptionally well on tests, but turns in
only 5% of her homework assignments.
Goals/Objectives
GOALS:
Sally will increase her homework assignments handed in by 80% by the end of the
school year.
Sally will decrease her outbursts of yelling in class to only 3 outbursts per week by the
end of the school year
OBJECTIVES:
Sally will be placed on a behavioral intervention plan that rewards her for decreasing
the amount of outbursts per week.
Sally will work on developing a nonverbal method of communicating her feelings.
Sally will be given a planner that all of his teachers need to initial that all of her
assignments are written down.
Accommodations
Sally will be given the opportunity to go in a safe, quiet space twice a day to gather her
thoughts, and feelings. If Sally wants someone will be available with her during this
time to talk with.
Sally will receive shorter homework assignments, when applicable.
Sally should be given the opportunity to use her nonverbal method of communication in
class.
Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
Meeting Date: __________2/3/09______________
Student Information
Student:
Harry Garcia
Gender:
M
Grade:
6th
DOB:
4/20/97
Parent/Guardian Information
Parent/Guardians Names:
James and Lily Garcia
Disability Category
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Asperger’s Syndrome
Present Level of Performance
Harry’s IQ is 120 according to the Wechsler Scale of Intelligence. Harry enjoys reading
books about dinosaurs, and can tell you anything you ever wanted to know about
dinosaurs. Harry’s parents say that he tends to keep to himself, but sometimes plays
with his younger siblings. In school Harry’s teachers report that he is quiet, and appears
to become bored easily. His teachers also report that Harry becomes very upset when
there is a change in routine or in the school day. Harry’s handwriting often appears to
be illegible, if he writes 10 words only 2 of them are legible. Also, Harry becomes very
upset when there are too many things going on at once. Harry is also currently
attending TESOL classes to work on his learning of English and better his
communication with others.
Goals/Objectives
GOALS:
Harry will increase the legibility of his handwriting by the end of the school year by
20%.
Harry will interact more with others in the classroom in a positive way at least once a
day.
OBJECTIVES:
Harry will be placed in groups or paired with students for certain classroom activities.
Harry will work on his handwriting everyday in English class for 10 minutes.
Accommodations
Harry will be given big lined paper to complete his assignments on.
Harry will be allowed to type instead of handwrite his assignments.
Harry will be given a schedule on Mondays that shows the school schedule for the week.
Harry will be given the opportunity to work on his assignments, and tests in the TESOL
room.