Cinco de Mayo A Patriotic Mexican Holiday

Transcription

1 Third Grade Hispanic/Latino Curriculum Lesson Plan Content/Theme: Grade Level: 3 Primary Benchmark: SS3.G.4.4 Identify contributions from various ethnic groups to the United States Time: Two to three class periods. Objectives: 1. The student will understand the significance of this patriotic Mexican Holiday. 2. The student will state opinions. 3. The student will describe similarities and differences between Cinco de Mayo and other holidays in the United States. Materials: Paper, pencils, crayons, red, white, and blue construction paper cut into 3 x 5 index cards, green, white, and red construction paper cut into 3 x 5 index cards, a flag of Mexico, a map of the United States and Mexico. Round cardboard pizza plate, tissue paper, X-acto knife. Preparation: Prior to the lesson, read suggested books listed under Additional Resources. Activities: 1. Pair the students for this activity. 2. Ask the students what patriotic holiday is celebrated on the 4 th of July. 3. Distribute the red, white, and blue index cards to the paired groups. Have the students, in pairs, write and illustrate on each index card one thing that they do to celebrate the 4 th of July. Make sure that there is only one description/picture per card. 4. Explain to the class that you will be studying another holiday called, Cinco de Mayo, which means, Fifth of May. Let the students know that this is a very important patriotic holiday for Mexican and Mexican Americans. 5. Ask the students what they know about Cinco de Mayo. 6. Write the students response on the board. 7. Give the students the reading passage and/or you may read a book to them from the Additional Resources listed below. 8. Let the students know that you will be distributing green, red, and white cards. 9. Ask the students why you gave them red, white, and blue cards on the July fourth assignment. 10. Ask the students why they think that you gave them green, white, and red index cards? 11. Let the students know that green, white, and red are the colors of the Mexican flag. Show the class the Mexican flag. 12. On a map, show the students where Mexico is located in relation to the United States.

2 13. After the students read and/or listen to the story, have the paired groups write and illustrate what things are done to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Make sure that there is only one description/picture per card. 14. Have the paired groups compare the red, white, and blue index cards from the 4 th of July assignment with the green, white, and red cards from the Cinco de Mayo assignment. 15. Ask the students to compare what is similar and what is different 16. Are there more similarities than differences? 17. On the board chart the students response. 18. Encourage the students to find their Mexican and Mexican American friends and ask them how they celebrate Cinco de Mayo here in our county. 19. Have the students report their findings to the class. 20. As a grand finale, students can make sombreros and sarapes and dance the Mexican Hat Dance. ESOL Strategies: Visual Charts and interviewing Assessment: 1. Student group and individual participation 2. Index cards collected from the paired groups 3. Individual student observations from their interview with Mexican and Mexican American peers

3 Each year on the Fifth of May, Mexican and Mexican-Americans celebrate a great holiday. This holiday is called, Cinco de Mayo. It was on May 5, 1862 that the small Mexican army defeated the powerful French army. The small Mexican army defeated the French army in a place called Pueblo, Mexico. A Mexican General named, Ignacio Zaragoza, led the Mexican army. This holiday is meaningful for all Americans. Since that time, no foreign nation has dared to invade Mexican shores. Many towns and cities celebrate Cinco de Mayo. They celebrate with grand parades, mock battles, dances, fireworks, flower festivals, floats, costumed persons, mariachi bands, and many other events. Marchers dressed as French and Mexican soldiers are armed with machetes and old-fashioned rifles. They parade alongside women wearing long skirts and flowery hats. These women represent the women who, during the battle, traveled with the men. These women worked to comfort and feed the soldiers. At mid-afternoon, a pretend battle begins in a plaza. Rifles and cannons roar. There is lots of smoke and shouting. At nightfall, the pretend Mexican and French soldiers meet face-to-face for a pretend sword battle. The Mexican soldiers, of course, always win. A gigantic fireworks display ends the celebration.

4 Materials Needed: Directions for making sombreros round cardboard pizza plate that come with most frozen pizzas (Have each student bring one). leftover decorative items (including small silk flowers and fringe) construction paper and tissue paper scraps thin pieces of ribbon or yard small objects X-acto knife scissors glue Preparation: Student Directions: 1. Measure the students heads. Draw a circle on their cardboard pizza plates to cut out for their heads. 2. You may want to ask some parent or school volunteers to help cut the circles with X-acto knives. 3. Make two small holes, opposite each other, a little bit out from the cutout circle for threading ribbon or yarn. 4. You may want to pre-cut ribbon or yarn for the students. These pieces of ribbon or yarn will run from the sombreros to under the students chins. 1. Decorate your cardboard pizza plate to make your very own sombrero. Add small silk flowers, fringe or any other small object you want. Use construction paper and tissue paper scraps to make other decorations for your sombrero. 2. Take the pieces of ribbon or yarn, and thread one piece up through the bottom of the small hole on your sombrero. Tie a not in the top. Do the same with the other piece of ribbon or yarn. 3. Put on your sombrero, tie it under your chin, and do a Mexican dance!

5 Additional Resources: Behrens, June. (1978). Fiesta! Cinco de Mayo. Chicago: Children Press. Cinco de Mayo by Janet Riehecky, illustrated by Krystyna Stasiak Although Maria is not too successful at helping her family prepare for Cinco de Mayo, she wins an art contest at the library and gets to break the piñata back home. Includes instructions for making tacos and three crafts. The Latino Holiday Book: From Cinco De Mayo to Día De Los Muertos: The Celebrations and Traditions of Hispanic-Americans by Valerie Menard A full year of Hispanic-Amercan celebrations and special traditions including: new year's traditions, Día de los Reyes, Calle Ocho, Easter, Cinco de Mayo, the feast day of San Juan Bautista, the Cuban and Mexican celebrations of independence and more. Viva Mexico! : The Story of Benito Juarez and Cinco De Mayo (Stories of America) by Argentina Palacios, illustrated by Howard Berelson, Alex Haley Benito Juárez, a Zapotec Indian, was born and raised in extreme poverty. With hard work, determination, and strong love for his country, Juárez became the president of Mexico and defeated the French, who had occupied the country for five years.