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Día de los Muertos / Day of the Dead – A Multicultural Unit for Grade 3. Amber Blair Ben Miller Missy Mirus Sam Stratman Wilmington College. Literature Review.
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Día de los Muertos / Day of the Dead – A Multicultural Unit for Grade 3 Amber Blair Ben Miller Missy Mirus Sam Stratman Wilmington College
Literature Review • Multicultural education and its implications were first felt on a wide-ranging basis following the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s in the United States (Langer de Ramirez, 2006). • Since that time, Langer de Ramirez noted that multicultural education has developed beyond literature that explores race, to include issues of gender, ethnic groups, socioeconomic groups, sexual orientation, and many others.
Literature Review(continued) • Langer de Ramirez (2006) stated that multicultural education, when done effectively, can allow teachers and students to view, analyze, and contribute to change within the framework of society. • The four main benefits of using multicultural literature, as presented by Norton (2005), include a feeling of pride for members of the cultural group being studied, learning about the complexity and diversity of the United States, the development of a more balanced view on history that affected the United States, and the exploration of social justice issues.
Literature Review(continued) • In one article (Wesley, 2007) the belief that the arts can serve as an effective source of critical analysis as well as self reflection when addressing multicultural learning was presented. • The use of cultural dances, music, and art can enrich student learning and their experience when learning about or from another culture or group.
Literature Review(continued) • Langer de Ramirez (2006) explained that the term Latino refers more to a language of origin than anything else, and so those Latin-based language speakers in Africa or Asia would possibly be included in such discussions. • Hispanic, on the other hand, refers to those people who have ancestry that is able to be traced back to Spain or Latin America (Langer de Ramirez, 2006) • While Stavans (2000) agreed that Hispanic refers to peoples from Spain or Latin America, he argued that Latino is term that now has come to refer to anyone of Hispanic background that was born or is now living in the United States. • With this confusion, and uncertainty in definition, the terms Hispanic and Latino, for the purpose of this project, will be used interchangeably to refer to traditions, cultures, and peoples of Spain, Mexico, Central America, and South America.
Literature Review(continued) • Stavans (2000) stated that by 2020 Hispanic-Americans will have become the largest minority in the United States, and soon after that one-quarter of the United States population will have some Hispanic background. • With such staggering statistics, there should be no doubt that Latino studies should be represented in curricula throughout the United States.
Literature Review(continued) • Latino studies of literature and culture should also be incorporated into classroom teaching because of the negative stereotypes that surround Hispanic-Americans, and have surrounded the group for decades. • Glab (1981) stated that often Latinos are often negatively stereotyped, when represented at all, and such representations or lack of Latino culture studies leads to negative self-perception among those of Latin American ethnicity. • Schools, teachers, and administrators have an opportunity, through the teaching of authentic positive Hispanic studies, to reverse such negative self-perception while also enriching the lives and educational experience of all students in the classroom.
Literature Review(continued) • Latino and Hispanic culture and literature should also be addressed in classroom learning because doing so provides insight into our own American culture. • Glab (1981) argued that due to the relative closeness in geography and shared history (including colonization related to Spain and Mexico), a focus on Latino studies is sensible and provides wonderful chances to supplement learning about American history. • Glab also stated that Hispanic studies provide opportunities for a wide variety of cultural studies that enrich student learning, including the study of non-western indigenous Indian tribes and modern Euro-American culture in countries such as Argentina and Brazil.
Teaching Context • The third grade students that this unit will presented to are students in a heterogeneously grouped class of many ability levels. • Within the rural school district there are four school buildings: a primary school for kindergarten through second grade, an elementary building for grades three through five, the middle school which services sixth through eighth grade, and the high school which houses students in grades nine through twelve. • The elementary school has been rated excellent on the state rating system (Spaulding Elementary School) for the last five years. • While this unit’s focus is on Latino culture and The Day of the Dead, there is not a significant percentage of the population that has Hispanic roots.
Teaching Context(continued) • This unit was designed to be presented over a three-week period. • The class size is assumed to be 25 students. • Classes meet each day for forty minutes a day. • The elementary school classroom will have a small collection of materials pertaining to Latino culture and this unit. • The teacher also has a DVD and VHS player that is connected to an LCD projector for video-viewing needs. • The teacher will have access to kitchen and oven within the school for one of the days during the unit. • Students will also be able to access the school’s library which has other sources to supplement learning, and the school computer lab for any needs they might have.
Topic • This unit will address the topic of Día de los Muertos, which, when translated into English, means the Day of the Dead. • This holiday has strong roots in Latino traditions and will be compared to Halloween in order to better understand the Hispanic culture.
Goals and Objectives • The objectives and goals for this unit have been taken standards, benchmarks, and indicators from the State Content Standards for Ohio in language arts, mathematics, social studies, and fine arts. • These goals and objectives are provided in the following slides.
Content • In planning instruction about an unfamiliar culture, the celebration of important spiritual holidays touch on a number of key social, religious and culinary traditions. • This unit examines the holiday known as “The Day of the Dead,” a celebration that offers a unique entree into an examination of Latino and Hispanic cultures. • The structure of the unit is adapted to ensure that we use a number of essential disciplines, reading, writing, mathematics, and artistic skills, among many, to broaden the cultural sensitivities of our students. • The holiday, known as “Día de los Muertos” in Spanish, coincides with the Catholic celebration of All Souls’ Day and All Saints Day, which fall every year on October 31 and November 1. • With its origins in ancient Inca civilization, it cannot be considered a Christian holiday, owing more to ancient spiritual practices that have been modified over many successive generations.
Content(continued) • The celebration of this holiday is a time for family and friends to gather and remember those who have died. • By helping our students to learn more about how Latino culture honors its ancestors, we open their eyes to an otherwise unfamiliar world. • In this unit, students will learn about customs and practices for creating popular artwork by making masks and special holiday alters dedicated to deceased loved ones. • Students will use maps, texts and the web to study physical and human geography of Latin American culture, including exercises designed to compare the similarities and differences between various customs. • Students can expect to learn important lessons about music with the composition of songs and poetry used by many families to celebrate the life of their ancestors during the holiday. • Finally, students will examine the mathematics of baking the types of breads that are offered as gifts during the holiday.
Materials and Resources(continued) Additional materials that will be required of the students are as follows: materials from home to decorate his/her mask, and display items for the alter.
Initiating the Unit • To begin the instruction for this unit the students will be completing a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting The Day of the Dead and Halloween. • As a class, students will suggest ideas as the teacher fills them in on the board. • Students will be encouraged to also complete a Venn diagram at their desk. • To aid in this process students will also have visual symbols representing the two holidays that will need to be placed into the diagram on the board.
Culminating Activity • Students will work in groups to make a loaf of the traditional Day of the Dead Bread. • On the following day students will eat their bread while they watch the selected Day of the Dead Educational Video. • After the video, 32 minutes, the class will discuss expectations and assignments pertaining to the field trip. • Students will wrap up by completing a K-W-L chart answering what they know about The Day of the Dead and what they still want to know. • This will be a guide to help the teacher prepare the scavenger hunt based on what the students still want to know for the field trip. • Upon return from the field trip students will complete the rest of their K-W-L chart and write a paragraph about what they have learned, liked, and or disliked about this unit. • Students will be encouraged to share their thoughts with the class.
References Glab, E. (1981). Latin American culture studies: Information and materials for teaching about Latin America. Revised Edition. Retrieved from ERIC database. Langer de Ramirez, L. (2006). Voices of diversity: Stories, activities, and resources for the multicultural classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Norton, D.E. (2005). Chapter 4: Latino Literature In Multicultural Children’s Literature: Through the Eyes of Many Children (141-195). Columbus, OH: Pearson.
References(continued) Spaulding Elementary School (n.d.) Goshen Local School District. Retrieved June 22, 2010, from http://glswiki.goshenlocalschools.org/groups/ses_main/ Stavans, I. (2000). The quest for a Latino literary tradition. Chronicle of Higher Education, 47(14), B13. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database. Wesley, S. (2007). Multicultural diversity: Learning through the arts. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, (116), 13-23. Retrieved from ERIC database.
Appendix One • Our group decided that for our students to fully understand the Day of the Dead that we would be taking a field trip to the Cincinnati Museum Center where they celebrate the Latin American Culture Fest in November. • The Spanish holiday Día de los Muertos is very colorful and decorative. • The Hispanic people decorate the graves in honor of the nearest family members and friends. They believe by decorating and celebrating it will honor the spirits of the fallen family and friends. • Our group feels that the Cincinnati Museum Center does a great job reenacting this Hispanic holiday. • On Tuesday, November 2nd we will be taking our trip since that is the Day of the Dead. • Every kid is responsible for bringing 5 dollars to pay for the buses. There are 200 kids total going on the field trip. • The total cost of the buses, including bus drivers’ time, will be $1,000.00. There will be four buses. Each bus will carry two different classes, plus chaperones.
Appendix One(continued) • The students will need to dress for the weather, wear shoes instead of sandals, and need to pack their lunch and write their name on the sack or bag for less confusion. • Students will be eating their lunches outside on the steps by the fountain to enjoy the view of the city. • The buses will be leaving the school at 9:30 and arriving at our destination around 10:30. • We will be at the museum 3 hours. • At 1:30 the students will board the buses and begin the trip back home and will arrive at the school around 2:30.
Live music and other authentic cultural activities will be held in this area.
Additional authentic cultural activities will be held in this area.
Students will view an educational film regarding Hispanic culture.
At the end of the field trip, teachers will gather their students here to reflect on the educational experience of visiting the Latin American Culture Fest. They will also load onto the buses from this point.
Appendix Seven Check list for presenting Student Name: ________ Student speaks with a loud voice. ________ Student needs to have and use a visual aid when presenting. ________ Knowledgeable for their topic. ________ Answers question to the best of their ability. ________ Makes eye contact during the presentation.
Appendix Eight Appendix Eight Where I Live in the USA Label Me! PrintoutFollow the directions below, then label the map. Name: __________________ 1. What is the name of the country in which you live? _______________________ 2. What is the name of the state in which you live? _______________________ 3. What is the name of the city in which you live? _______________________ 4. Label N (north), S (south), E (east), and W (west) on the compass rose near the bottom right of the map. 5. Label Canada (the country north of the USA) and Mexico (the country south of the USA).
Appendix Nine Name: Fill in the chart.
