Latin
Influences on
American
Culture:
An Interdisciplinary WebQuest In
Spanish & Social Studies
Created By:
Dennis Donovan
Heidi O’Sullivan
EDU 505 Multimedia Internet
Fall 2009
Dr. Yang
Introduction
 Do you know why America is called a melting
pot?
 Have you ever wondered where different
aspects of American culture come from?
 More specifically, have you ever thought about
linking things you learn about in your Spanish
class, to the world YOU live in?
Welcome To WebQuest!
 A WebQuest is an opportunity for you to use the internet
to expand your understanding of key concepts by taking
advantage of resources housed outside the walls of our
classroom. The sky is the limit, when the world is at YOUR
fingertips!
 In the following WebQuest, you will undertake a journey
through the World Wide Web to help you better
understand how Latinos and Latin culture have influenced
Modern American culture, norms, ideas, and values.
Where Do Latin Influences Come From?
 Latin America is made up of a number of
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countries in the Western Hemisphere.
As you may know, much of the Latin world
speaks Spanish. However, there are a
variety of other languages spoken in this
part of the world, such as French, Haitian
Creole, Portuguese, English, Dutch, and a
variety of indigenous languages.
Along with the diversity in languages,
comes a diversity in cultural and historical
experiences.
You may also notice how close the United
States is to the Latin American world.
This helps aid cultural diffusion or the
exchange of cultural traits, material
objects, ideas, or behavior patterns
between different peoples and groups.
Why Should We Study About
Latin Influences?
 There are over 51 million Latinos living in the United
States today.
 The more we know about Latin influences, the better we
can :
 understand Latino perspectives
 reduce stereotypes that divide and isolate people and groups
 achieve international and intra-national diplomacy
 create a collective cultural and societal identity
 advocate for social awareness and acceptance of diversity
Task
 Your task is to explore a variety of internet resources in Spanish and English
to increase your understanding of Latin American influences on the culture
of the United States.
 After your research, you will :
 Make a 5 minute minimum PSA, in which you and your group touch on
themes related to Latino culture or life. This PSA should be in Spanish (with
English subtitles).
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Some ideas might include: the necessity for starting an outreach program in your
community; combating stereotypes through vignettes; reducing intolerance by
modeling good practices; conveying the advantages to increased culturallinguistic understanding, whether intrinsic or extrinsic; or demonstrating the ways
that ideas are exchanged between Latin America and the United States. The idea
is to be persuasive in your approach.
 Individually, write a brief reflection about the group process, what you have
learned and how you will apply it, as well as any changes in your perspective
and the reasons why or why not. This may be done in English or Spanish,
depending on your preference.
Process
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Review the entire presentation to get an idea of what the WebQuest project will require.
Explore the resources on the next slide to help you decide where you are going to go with
your project.
Choose at least 4 resources from DIFFERENT categories to incorporate into your PSA. At
least 1 of your choices MUST be in Spanish.
Remember to take notes on aspects you may want to put in you PSA or Reflections
(Especially for citations, quotes, and examples)
Connect with your assigned group members to share ideas from your notes.
Using the “PSA Rubric” as a guideline to determine what you need to be successful: A)
Decide on your thesis statement; B) Determine roles for the project; C) Create your PSA.
As a group, present your PSA to the class. While observing other groups, assess them using
the rubric provided by the teacher.
Following the “Reflection Rubric” to determine what you will need to be successful, write
your reflection paper.
Each student will share 1 thing they learned and wrote about in their reflection paper with
the class.
Resources
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People/Cultural Identity
http://robertoclemente.si.edu/spanish/index.htm
http://latino.si.edu/virtualgallery/Lowrider/Car_intro1.html
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http://americanart.si.edu/education/corazon/index.cfm?l=s
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http://www.apsanet.org/content_41251.cfm
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http://www.nclr.org/content/resources/detail/48390/
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http://www.nclr.org/content/resources/detail/56560/
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/24/us/politics/24richardson.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/news/topic/hispanic.shtml
http://www.uta.fi/FAST/US1/SPAN/cisneros.html
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/latino.in.america/
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Music
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http://www.musicadelpueblo.org/
http://www.folkways.si.edu/explore_folkways/latino_chicago.aspx
http://www.folkways.si.edu/explore_folkways/bomba_plena.aspx
http://www.folkways.si.edu/explore_folkways/la_nueva.aspx
http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/musica/index_es.asp
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More Resources
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Social Studies Connections
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http://latino.si.edu/SpainLegacy/Archive/spanish/about_exhibit.html (Click on California y el suroes)
http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/group_detail.cfm?key=1253&gkey=100&page=1
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5237.html
http://futurity.org/society-culture/cultural-ties-help-latino-teens-flourish/
http://college.usc.edu/latinamericanstudies/
http://www.americas-society.org/article.php?id=1951
http://www.americas-society.org/article.php?id=1953
http://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/officialamerican/englishonly/
http://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/officialamerican/banenglish/
http://smithsonianeducation.org/textiles/espanol/about/index.htm (Click also on Gallery)
Language
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http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/mexicanamerica/glossary.html
http://www.mla.org/census_main
http://www.uta.fi/FAST/US1/SPAN/
http://pbs-newshour.onstreammedia.com/cgi-bin/visearch?user=pbsnewshour&template=play220asf.html&query=&squery=%2BClipID%3A6+%2BVideoAsset%3Apbsnh102303&inputField=undef
ined&ccstart=2861308&ccend=3336596&videoID=pbsnh102303
http://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/americanvarieties/spanglish/usa/
http://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/americanvarieties/spanglish/threat/
http://www.uta.fi/FAST/US1/SPAN/caramelo.html
http://www.uta.fi/FAST/US1/SPAN/latino.html
Even More Resources
 Food
 http://web.mit.edu/21F.714/www/spring99/comida/comida.html
 http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/travel/15weekend.html?scp=1&sq=El
%20Basurero&st=cse
 http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmexican.html
 http://www.texmextogo.com/TexMexFoodHistory.htm
 http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/latino-beach-party/1595.html
 http://www.foodnetwork.com/regional-international/latin-americancooking/index.html
 Holidays
 http://latino.si.edu/DayoftheDead/
 http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/miami-latino-christmas/652.html
 http://clnet.ucla.edu/cinco.html
 http://www.viajeros.com/articulos/carnaval-de-miami-el-festival-masimportante-de-la-cultura-latina
Evaluation (PSA)
Criteria
Content/Development:
A thesis statement defines the direction of the PSA.
o A position is clearly taken on the importance of cultural diffusion.
Uses at least 1 stated citation from each of the four CHOSEN categories of internet
resources provided to support your stance (they may affirm what you are saying or add a
new perspective) (REMEMBER 1 CATEGORY MUST BE IN SPANISH)
At least 1 direct quote is used.
Give at least two examples of diffusion.
The producers’ voices are evident in terms of making a persuasive argument.
Content should be based primarily on factual evidence.
Opinions should also be supported by evidence and should be presented as well but in a
very limited fashion. No more than ¼ of the total PSA. Your view should be evident in the
way you argue rather than explicitly stated.
Organization:
Ideas flow in a logical and convincing manner.
Producers remain on topic and on task throughout the PSA.
Group members have evident equal roles in executing the PSA, which are listed in the
credits of the PSA (movie, PowerPoint Slide, programs, or posters).
Language Use/Conventions:
Standard English and Spanish are used, where specified in the task.
Errors in mechanics, spelling, grammar, usage, and conventions do not impede the
meaning of the PSA.
Meaning is facilitated by strategies that provide cohesion, social and cultural
appropriateness, and get around unknown vocabulary and language structures.
TOTAL
Points
Worth
30
15
25
70
Points
Earned
Comments
Evaluation (Reflection)
Criteria
Points
Worth
The group process
•Do you think your group members contributed equally?
•Did you feel the composition of your group aided or hindered your learning?
•How did you overcome any differences in opinion?
5
What have you learned & how will you apply it?
•Describe at least 2 specific examples of what you have learned with proper citations.
•State at least 1 application PER example.
10
How have your perspectives changed?
•Give at least 1 specific reason of why or why not.
10
Language Use/Conventions:
Standard English or standard Spanish is used.
Errors in mechanics, spelling, grammar, usage, and conventions do not impede the
meaning of the reflection.
Meaning is facilitated by strategies that provide cohesion, social and cultural
appropriateness, and get around unknown vocabulary and language structures.
5
TOTAL
30
Points
Earned
Comments
Conclusion
 The groups will share their PSAs with each other.
 After the PSAs are viewed, classmates will use the rubric to
provide feedback to their peers.
 These evaluations will be collected by the teachers and
returned to participants along with their final grade after
everyone has presented and reflections have been graded.
 Each student will share 1 thing they learned and wrote
about in their reflection paper with the class.
 Great Job! You’re Finished!