Vocabulario
This station focuses on the new vocabulary for this unit
Please select two of the following activities to complete. These
will be graded on accuracy and quality.
You have 25 minutes to work.
Use 5 words each in a “juicy” sentence (at
least ten words long): quién, qué, dónde,
cómo, por qué, cuándo...
Make 10 wordles (word spelled so that it
looks like the item) for new vocabulary
words
Make up riddles about 6 new vocabulary
words (No es simpático. A él no le gusta el
héroe.)
Make a crossword puzzle using as many new
vocabulary words as possible. Have a
classmate complete a copy of the crossword
and initial it.
Geography
Using the resources provided, create a map of Mexico.
Use cheerios to represent the volcanoes.
Label the capital city, major bodies of water, and the volcanoes
Popo and Ixta
On a separate sheet of paper:
Using the map as a reference, explain how the geography of
Mexico influenced the myth of Popo and Ixta.
Read the Legend of the Muskrat and the Terrapin. How did the
region around the Chesapeake Bay influence this story?
You have 25 minutes to work
Mythology
This station focuses on mythology. You are expected to read the definition of
“myth” and the myth of the Muskrat and the Terrapin (which is a local myth)
Choose one of the following activities to demonstrate your comprehension of this
activity.
You have 25 minutes to work.
In the study of folklore, a myth is a religious narrative explaining how the
world and humankind came to be in their present form.
Illustrate both myths, emphasizing the
similarities between the two.
Write your own myth that explains a
natural phenomena, such as a volcano.
Be sure to keep the essential elements
of a myth intact.
Write a five paragraph essay, in
English, comparing and contrasting the
two myths.
Make a chart that details the elements
in both myths that are similar and
those that are different.
Create a timeline for the events in
both myths.
The Legend of Muskrat and Terrapin
Before there was an Earth as we know it, there was only water and the Creatures that lived there. High
above the water was the land of the Sky People and the large tree with white roots that stretched to the
four sacred directions.
One night, the Wife of Sky Chief had a vision that this tree would be uprooted and the hole that it
formed would lead to a very special place. The Chief of Sky People instructed the young men to pull the
tree up by the roots, but the roots were much too deep. The Chief pushed the young men aside and
wrapped his arms around the tree. Sky Chief pulled with all his might until the tree broke loose. Into the
hole everyone looked.
Sky Woman, the Wife of Sky Chief looked into the hole, leaning farther and farther, searching for the
very special place described to her in her vision. She leaned farther still. In an instant she lost her footing
and down she went into the water.
The Creatures of the water looked up at the falling woman and knew that she could not survive in their
world. Could she return to her world? Could the Creatures help her in their world? They had heard of a
place far below the watery surface of the world. A place they heard was made of Earth. How could they
reach the Earth and what would they do once they had it? There was no time to waste for Sky Woman
could not live long in their world. Straightaway, they held Creature Council and decided to give Duck the
honor of fetching Earth. Try as he might he could not reach the depth of the bottom where Earth was
supposed to be. Next they asked Beaver to try. With his strong tail and keen sense, he could find Earth.
But he returned to the surface exhausted, without Earth, he failed as well. The water was much too
deep and Earth much too far away. All the beautiful Creatures tried one by one, but no one was able to
reach the bottom where Earth was supposed to be. How sad the world was that day.
"Let me try", came a shy tiny voice, "please, let me try." It was little Muskrat. No one believed little
Muskrat could dive deep enough. He was so small, so weak, and so shy. How could he be strong
enough? But he was proud and he was brave. He believed in himself because he knew these waters. He
plunged below the water and disappeared. Muskrat swam and swam. Deeper he went into the
darkness, his lungs hurt, but still he swam downward.
The Creatures up above worried in silence. They feared their shy little friend Muskrat would be lost
forever. And so did little Muskrat himself. After a long, long time without finding Earth, he thought he
would die. At what seemed to be his last moment, he bumped into something. Was it Earth, could it be?
He reached out a tiny paw and grabbed a bit of it and up he went. He returned to the surface barely
alive and stretched a tiny paw high towards the Sky. All of the Creatures cried with glee "he has it, he
has the Earth!" The precious Earth began to drip from Muskrat's tiny paw. Quickly, all the Creatures
clamored "Where should we place it?". "Over here" cried Terrapin, "Place it on my back." They placed it
on her back and at once it began to grow Swiftly it grew high and wide on Terrapin's back just in time.
Sky Woman landed on this which grew on Terrapin's back. Seeds that had fallen from the Sky World
landed on this which grew on Terrapin's back. Other Creatures began to explore this which grew on
Terrapin's back.
And from this which grew on Terrapin's back all life on Mother Earth began.
Ixta y Popo
Había una vez, en el sur de México, un emperador contó una leyenda histórica. Todavía se dice
esta leyenda en México.
Una princesa guapa y hermosa vivía en un palacio con su padre, el emperador azteca. La
princesa se llamaba Ixtaccíhuatl, o “Ixta”. Ella es la heroína de la leyenda. Muchos hombres jovenes
estaban enamorados de ella y querían casarse con ella. Pero, a ella le encantaba un guerrero valiente. El
guerrero se llamaba Popocatépetl, o “Popo”. A él le encantaba ella también. Ellos dos querían casarse.
En el mundo azteca, no se permite casarse un guerrero con una princesa. Una princesa solo
puede casarse con un príncipe. Popo era guerrero en el ejército azteca. Un día él llevó a su ejército a
una guerra contra el enemigo. El emperador le dijo a Popo que un héroe de una batalla grande, quién
gana la guerra, puede ser un príncipe y casarse con la princesa.
La princesa le dijo a Popo <<Adiós Popo. Te quiero mucho. Quiero casarme contigo. Regresas
pronto. >>
Cuando él se fue a la batalla, ella estaba muy triste y lloró mucho. Esperó para el regreso de
Popo y planeó su boda.
Popo fue muy valiente y sí ganó la batalla y ganó la guerra. Pero, él tenía un enemigo. Otro
guerrero tenía celos, porqué a él le gustaba la princesa y quería casarse con ella. Su enemigo corrió al
palacio y dijo a la princesa que Popo murió en la guerra.
La princesa estaba muy triste. Le dijo al enemigo <<No te quiero. No voy a casarme contigo. >>
Ella estaba tan triste que murió.
Cuando Popo llegó al palacio, encontró a su querida. Lloró mucho. La llevó a la princesa a la
montaña más alta. Los dioses miraron a los dos enamorados, y los transformaron en volcanes uno al
lado del otro. El volcán Ixta parece una mujer dormida. Ella es tranquila. Pero, Popo, no es tranquilo. A
veces se despierta y llora por ella. El siempre protege a su querida.