Bless Me Ultima Capstone Project-Research for Informative Speech
Choose one of the following topics, conduct extensive research on the topic, and prepare a 3-5 minute informative speech to be presented to the class. You must use a minimum of three sources and cite them in your speech, and you will be required to turn in a works cited list when you give your speech. Use the note taking guide to collect your source information and take notes. Consider the appropriate type of organization and visual aid to use in your speech. The informative speech will be delivered in manuscript format.
1. Research the history of New Mexico, with special attention to the movement of various peoples (Spanish, Native American,
Anglos) in and out of the state. Create a multimedia (text, images, music) presentation of this history. (3 Students)
2. Identify and research the attraction of New Mexico to various artists, including Anaya, D.H. Lawrence, Georgia O’Keeffe
Tony Hillerman, RC Gorman, Frank Howell, Joshua and Gene Tobey, Gustav Bauman, Allan Hauser, Diego Romero , and others. Prepare a speech that presents one or more of these artists and their lives and works in the context of their time in New
Mexico. Present this to the class. (3 Students)
3. Identify some of the representations of Mexican-Americans today, both in the national media and in your community
(immigration, farm workers, drug trafficking, etc.). Select one of these representations and prepare a speech or multimedia presentation discussing the explicit and implicit messages about Mexican-Americans conveyed by this reference, and give a speech about contemporary attitudes toward Latinos in local and national culture. (3 Students)
5. Research some of the herbs and plants mentioned in the novel, both as features of the New Mexican landscape and as elements of traditional healing methods. Organize and categorize them, and present your findings to the class. (1 Student)
6. Reread the myth of the Golden Carp that Samuel tells Antonio in Chapter Nueve , and the prophecy that Cico tells Antonio in
Chapter Once . The power of the myth and Antonio’s vision of the Golden Carp force him to question his faith in the singular
God of Catholicism. Research Myths of Latino or Southwestern Native American cultures and compare them to the myth of the
Golden Carp. (3 Students)
7. Choose a historical event or time period and report on the significant events and their influence on the development of New
Mexican culture. Possibilities include, but are not limited to: Chaco Culture (1), Pueblos (3), Colonization of New Mexico (2),
Spanish Missions (2), Pueblo Uprisings (8 Students total)
8. Research the role of the Currandera in New Mexican culture. Create a multi-media presentation of your findings. (1 student)
9. Research the Los Alamos National Laboratory during WWII, focusing on the role in the nuclear program. Present this information to the class in the form of a multimedia presentation. (1 Student)
10. Drawing from other selections we have read in this unit, “Called Out”, “Hope for Animals”, “My Life as a Bat”, etc., research the different ways humans interact with nature. Focus on one of the ways humans interact and research this, and then present your findings in a speech . (5 Students)
The following rubric will be used to evaluate projects:
Name_______________________________
Criteria
Research, Works Cited
Content- Accuracy/Mechanics
Content- Depth/Complexity
Content-Organization
Presentation-Speech Components
Comments:
0
Project:______________________________________
2 4 6 8 10 Total