Topic Overview
The Puerto Rican and Mexican Dance and Creativity
Project will serve to help students learn and practice
traditional salsa and Mexican Hat dances after learning
histories of both cultures. Through the Transformative
Approach to a multicultural curriculum, students will
reflect on their own identity and explore their creativity
through collage making and a paper based on their
experience in the unit. The curriculum will intrigue
students to examine their neighborhood, cultural
background and current issues that surround English
Language Learners today. Students will think critically
about the topic and use multiple types of intelligence to
express what they have learned.
By the completion of this
unit…
Students should be able to recognize that their own
personal identities and culture as well as the
identities and cultures of others are important
enough to be inserted in their curriculum and are
relevant in American society.
Context
McDonough Middle School/ Moylan School
6th grade class
15-20 students per class
75 minute classes
5 day unit during end of April- beginning of May
Heterogeneous grouping
Objectives:
•
Students will be able to learn basic dance moves from Salsa and Mexican
Hat Dance
•
Students will be able to understand the differences in cultures from an
ethnographic perspective
•
Students will be able to compare and contrast the two different cultures and
explain the similarities and differences
•
Students will be able to develop communication skills by working
collaboratively in groups and presenting what they learned
•
Students will be able to articulate their understanding of different cultures
through writing and rhetoric
Explanations:
•
Bloom’s Taxonomy
1.
T4 Analyze: Compare and Contrast
2.
T5 Synthesis: Assemble, Arrange, Prepare, Write
3.
T5 Evaluation: Argue, support, evaluate
Connecticut State Framework for 6th Grade History:
1.3 compare and contrast cultural contributions of a variety of past and present
civilizations
1.13: compare similarities and differences of cultural groups in different regions
(e.g. beliefs, values, traditions, institutions, etc)
•
Describe how social, cultural and economic circumstances influence individual
lives
Explanations Cont.
• 2.5: Present social studies topic using visual forms of evidence
(e.g. maps, pictures, multimedia, video)
• John Dewey: Cooperative Learning
• “to engage students in meaningful activities where they have to
work with others on problems” (Perspectives on Learning 56)
• “normal communication with others”- the process of
communication in which the learner was interacting with others
in purposeful activities or investigation of common interest”
(Perspectives on Learning 56)
• Multiple Theories of Intelligence
• Musical Intelligence
• Bodily Kinesthetic
• Linguistic Intelligence
Day 1: Trip to Real Art Ways
Gallery
• Activities: Real Art Ways: hosts a diverse group of
artists and art. It has an “emphasis on supporting
contemporary artists, fostering the creation of new
art and working in creative ways with the
community”. EX: Sabrina Marques’ exhibition “The
Dream of Cuba” focuses on Cuban art.
• Art Ways provides an atmosphere that includes
Hispanic and Latin American art.
• The purpose of this trip is to expose students to the
different cultures that surround them in their
community through art. It serves to kick start the
curriculum and get students to think about cultural
diversity.
• Students will tour the art gallery and answer
prompts in journals about their experience.
Day 3: Immersion Video Clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6Y0HAjLKYI
Show on Wednesday (Day 3) students learn about
Mexican culture and gain an understanding for issues
concerning Second Language Learners (ELL) in
urban schools
Students will learn that cultural differences and
language barriers do not determine intelligence
Assessment:
Creativity and Writing Project: Design a collage or poster in
groups of 3 or 4 reflecting on what you have learned in this
unit. This is will be presented in front of the class. Each
student will write a 2-3 page paper that will compare and
contrast what was learned about Puerto Rican and Mexican
Culture. The paper will be graded on a rubric given to
students.
• Students will be able to develop communication skills
working collaboratively in groups and presenting what they
learned
• Students will be able to articulate their understanding of
different cultures through writing and rhetoric
Activities:
Monday: Day trip
to Real Art Ways
Gallery
Tuesday: Trinity
Dance Club
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Wednesday:
Mexican Hat Dance •
•
Thursday: Cultural
Dish Day/ Group
Work
•
•
•
Friday: Presentation •
Day
Objectives:
Sabrina Marques Exhibition focuses on her conversations
with Cuban artists living in Miami
Journal entry writing at gallery
Group discussion about Hispanic and Latin American
culture in the community and about journal entries
•
present a PowerPoint about the history of Salsa
Performance by the Trinity’s Latin Dance Club
Club will show students basic dance steps
Homework: Write in your journals about families
festivities. Do you dance? Why or why not? Do you know
how to dance? Is dancing even important?
•
Students will be able to learn
basic dance moves from Salsa and
Mexican Hat Dance
present a PowerPoint about the national dance
learn and practice from a parent
Watch 12 minute movie “Immersion,” answer worksheet
questions and discuss responses in a socratic seminar)
•
Students will be able to learn
basic dance moves from Salsa and
Mexican Hat Dance
Students will be able to
understand the differences in
cultures from an ethnographic
perspective
Parents will cook cultural dishes from their background and
talk a little about the dish
Students will go over compare and contrast the two dances
they learned
Students will start their posters and collages in groups
•
Students will be able to compare
and contrast the two different
cultures and explain the
similarities and differences
Groups will present their collages and posters to the class
based on a group work rubric to evaluate participation and
group cohesion
•
Students will be able to develop
communication skills working
collaboratively in groups and
presenting what they learned
•
•
Students will be able to develop
communication skills working
collaboratively in groups and
presenting what they learned
Students will be able to
understand the differences in
cultures from an ethnographic
perspective
Resources:
• Parents to chaperone trip
• Gallery Access (Suggested donations)
• Trinity Dance Club
• Professor, faculty, student or parent to show Mexican Hat Dance
• Immersion Movie (Youtube)
• Parents to cook meals/ order from a restaurant
Connecticut Frameworks for History