Murales del Barrio
Isabel Espino de Valdivia Ph.D.
NEH-2011: Latino Identity in New York
Pittsburgh-Pennsylvania
Target Students
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Intermediate low speakers of Spanish as a
Second Language.
Intermediate Low Speaker
(ACTFL)
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Speakers handle a limited number of uncomplicated
communicative tasks by creating with the language in
straightforward social situations.
Topics: Predictable and concrete topics for survival in
the target language culture: Self and family, some daily
activities and personal preferences.
Struggle to answer direct questions or requests for
information.
ACTFL Language Testing
Standard: Oral Communication
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Students engage in conversations, provide
and obtain information, express feelings and
emotions and exchange opinions.
Standards for Foreign language learnersACTFL
Standard 2.2: Cultures
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Students demonstrate an understanding of
the relationship between the products and
perspectives of the culture studied.
Objectives
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Students will be able to describe scenes
about the mural: The Spirit of East Harlem.
Students will be able to express their
feelings and emotions.
Students will be able to express their
opinions and explain the significance and
content of the mural.
Teacher Preparation
Materials and Resources:
 Photos, images
 Computer
 LCD projector
 Video clips
 Picture cards
Day 1: Essential Questions
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¿ Qué es arte público?
¿ Qué tipos de arte público hay?
¿ Dónde puedes encontrar arte público en
Pittsburgh?
¿ Es importante? ¿ Por qué?
Motivation
Video clip of barrio and mural from
youtube:
Mural of El Barrio-Juntos/worldWide
 Students ask and answer questions about
the video, such as:
¿ Qué ven en este video?
¿ Dónde creen que está el mural?
¿En qué ciudad?
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Introduction
This lesson is included in the thematic unit
of Daily Routines.
 Think-pair-share activity: Students ask each
other questions on their daily routines and
report back to the class.
Development
Review vocabulary on daily routines and
activities needed to describe the mural:
 Fly swatter game: One student from each team comes to the
front of the room facing the class, with their back to the board. Each
student has a fly swatter. When the teacher says a word, they have to
turn around, and touch the word the teacher has said with the fly
swatter. The first one to touch the word gets a point for their team.
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Charades
Learning Activities
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The teacher shows the mural: The Spirit of East
Harlem( 1978. Hank Prussing and Manny Vega)
Think-Pair-share: Students observe and share
opinions about the picture: People and activities
Class discussion: Students ask and answer
questions to describe the scenes, share opinions
and make comparisons: For example:
¿ Qué hacen? ¿ Dónde están? ¿ Cuántos años
tienen? ¿ Pasa lo mismo en tu barrio? ¿Qué te
parecen las personas en el mural?
Learning Activities
Viewing Activity:
 Students watch video clip: Lisset
Martínez Herryman (Art Historian) talks
about The Spirit of Harlem.
Entrevista a Lisset Martinez Herryman
Learning Activities
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Students watch the video and answer
questions about the authors, how the mural
was created, and its significance.
Class discussion about the video and new
vocabulary
Medial Summary
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Students work in small groups.
Teacher assigns a different scene on the
mural to each group.
Each group will write a paragraph on big
paper to share with the class
Students have to include new vocabulary to
describe their pictures.
Independent Practice and
Summary
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Students select a favorite scene in the mural
and create a story around it:
Include names, personality, job, hobbies,
family, conflicts, etc.
Summary: Students present story to the
class.
Day 2: Differentiated
Homework
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Students will present story to class in any of
the following formats:
-comic,
-poster,
-power point,
-essay
Day 3: Extended Activity
Students, working in groups , select another
mural picture to research a Latino Artist and
present to the class:
 Pedro Pietri mural
 Julia de Burgos mural
 Frida Kahlo mural
 Celia Cruz mural
Differentiated Instruction
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Create vocabulary flash cards online for
independent review and study at home.
(quizlet.com)
Provide a variety of text: a written
transcription of Lisset’s video
Modify grouping according to students
interests or preferences.
Differentiated Homework: Choice of format
for story.
Vocabulary
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Vida cotidiana
Arreglado
Mantenido
Tareas diarias
Inmortalizar
Inmigrantes
Puertorriqueños
Habitantes
Fotografiar
Visualidad
Composición(arte)
Juegos de mesa
Dominó
Materials
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Photos
Websites
Youtube video clip
Video clip: Lisset Martínez Herryman
talking about The Spirit of Harlem.
Visuals
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The Spirit of Harlem (own picture)
Video clips
Pictures of other murales (own pictures)
References
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Mural of El Barrio NYC - Travel Video NYC
[Online Video clip] Available
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOwe6
GV2sjY July 20, 2011.
The ACTFL Language Testing Office:
Proficiency Guidelines
http://www.languagetesting.com/scale.htm
July 26, 2011.