Southern Mexico: Past and Present Author: Marti Middlebrook School: Highland Elementary – Hamilton, Ohio Grade Level: 2nd Subject Area: Language Arts, Social Studies, Art Topics: Geography of Mexico, Mayan History, Aztec History, Mexican Culture and Traditions, Arts and Crafts, Food, Literature, and Comparison of Cultures Time Frame: 17 days – a 45-minute lesson each day Unit Summary: Students will gain an understanding of the rich culture and the past and present history of Southern Mexico. They will be able to describe ways in which language, stories, music, and artistic creations serve as expressions of culture and influence the behavior of people living in Southern Mexico. Teacher prepared lessons utilizing literature, photographs, PowerPoint presentations, maps, and foods will help students to meet the goals of the unit. Second grade state standards will be met through the implementation of these lessons. ESTABLISHED GOALS – The benchmarks in this unit are taken from the Grade Two Ohio Social Studies Grade Level Indicators. Geography • Read and interpret a variety of maps. • Describe and locate landforms and bodies of water in photographs, maps, and 3-d models. History • Place a series of related events in chronological order on a timeline. • Use historical artifacts, photographs, maps, and folklore to answer questions about daily life in the past. • Identify the work that people performed in the past and explain how jobs in the past are similar or different from those of today. • Recognize the importance of individual action and character and explain how they have made a difference in others’ lives with emphasis on the importance of: o Social and political leaders. o Explorers, inventors, and scientists. • Describe the cultural practices and products of people in Mexico. • Describe ways in which language, stories, folktales, music, and artistic creations serve as expressions of culture and influence the behavior of people living in a particular culture. Economics • Explain how resources can be used in various ways. • Explain how people are both buyers and sellers of goods and services. • Recognize that most people work in jobs in which they produce a few special goods or services. • Explain why people in Mexico earn a living in a variety of ways. • Recognize that money is a generally accepted medium of exchange for goods and services and that different countries use different forms of money. Social Studies Skills and Methods • Obtain information from oral, visual, and print sources. • Predict the next event in a sequence. • Communicate information in writing. UNDERSTANDINGS – Students will understand the following concepts: • Mexico is located on the continent of North America. Students will be able to locate the country on a map along with the bodies of water and countries on its borders. • Southern Mexico has different landforms and climates that influence the lives of the inhabitants. • The history of Mexico played an integral part in the development of contemporary culture in southern Mexico. Middlebrook – Southern Mexico p. 2 of 2 • The people of southern Mexico use resources to produce goods and services as a means of earning a living. • Traditions and folklore portray the heritage of southern Mexico. • The diversity of southern Mexico’s people and culture has contributed to the heritage of Mexico and the United States. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS • What is the geography of Mexico? • What is the history and culture of Mexico? • How do the people of Mexico use its resources to provide goods and services? Students will know or be able to do the following: • Locate Mexico on a map. They will label the capital, main port, pyramid sites, and major cities of southern Mexico. • Identify the landforms and climates of southern Mexico. • Identify aspects of contemporary culture in southern Mexico that have been influenced by past history. • Identify three resources of southern Mexico. • Explain how a family in southern Mexico earns a living. • Determine the knowledge or tradition that is explained in a Mexican folktale. • Discuss and illustrate an aspect of the cultural heritage of southern Mexico. • Identify ways that diverse indigenous groups have contributed to the heritage of Mexico and the United States. • Compare their life to the life of a child in Mexico. ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE • Color and label Mexico on a world map and a map of North America. Label Mexico City, major cities of southern Mexico, Chichen Itza, Edzna, Palenque, Monte Alban, Teotihuacan, and the major bodies of water. • Identify and label pictures of different landforms and climates of southern Mexico: mountains, rainforests, coastlines, canyons, rivers, and cenotes. o Choose a climate and draw a picture of a child wearing appropriate clothing for that climate. • Complete a timeline depicting the pre-Hispanic Mayan history of Mexico to present day life. Middlebrook – Southern Mexico p. 3 of 3 • Draw a process map depicting the steps from raw material to finished product for a marimba and a Zapotec weaving. Explain each step in writing. Middlebrook – Southern Mexico p. 4 of 4 OVERVIEW OF LEARNING PLAN • Lesson One: Preview of Unit/Map Skills o Students will complete a KWL class chart after locating Mexico on a world map and a map of North America. o Discuss climate and show landform pictures to help children plan their packing. They will draw and label items packed in their suitcase. • Lesson Two: Introduction of Unit o Students will complete a passport, pack for a trip and board the plane for their imaginary trip to Cancun, Mexico. o Students will be served agua de chia and a traditional Mexican cookie as they preview photos of what the unit will cover. • Lesson Three: History o Define the terms history, timeline, and culture. o Read the book Aztecs and the Maya by Robert Coupe. o View site of Cortes’ landing and discuss his influence on the future of Mexico. o Start a list of Mayan jobs and illustrate one job performed during this time. • Lesson Four: History o View PowerPoint slides of the Mayan pyramids. o Read Illustrated Book on How the Mayas Lived by Roxanne Burns and David Grepe. • Lesson Five: History o View PowerPoint slides of the pyramids of Teotihuacan and Tenochtitlan. o Read Illustrated Book on How the Aztecs Lived by Roxanne Burns and David Grepe. o Make a group list of important facts. o Compare and contrast the Mayas and the Aztecs using a Venn diagram. o Complete a timeline of the history. • Lesson Six: The Indigenous People o View photos of the costumes of the different groups of the region. Discuss the similarities and differences. o View photos of several markets and discuss their importance. Compare to markets/supermarkets of the United States. o View photos of homes. Students will draw a picture of an indigenous home and a picture of their own home and compare the two in writing. o Religious customs will be discussed. Have students recall the conquest of Mexico by Cortes and the Spaniards. Ask: What do you think the religious practices would be like today if the Spaniards had not come to Mexico? • Lesson Seven: The Marketplace o Read the book Market Day by Lois Ehlert. Discuss the importance of the market and the Mexican folk art illustrated in the book. o Display photos of numerous marketplaces of southern Mexico. Middlebrook – Southern Mexico p. 5 of 5 o Note the different products sold. Students will make a picture dictionary of the foods sold in the markets. They will label the foods with the Spanish words for the foods. o Children will make tortillas and hot chocolate. • Lesson Eight: Music o Listen to marimba music on the CD, ” La Magia de Chiapas, Mexico, Marimba Nandayapa.” o View photos of the Nandayapa family’s marimba workshop. Emphasize that it is a family business. o Discuss resources used to make a marimba and produce a product map of the process. • Lesson Nine: Zapotec Weaving o Read the book The Art of Zapotec Weaving by Marti Middlebrook. o Display traditional weaving patterns and explain that each pattern is of cultural significance. o Students will design their own weaving pattern with a preliminary sketch and then orchestrate their design with oil pastels on colored construction paper. • Lesson Ten: Pottery/Clay Figures o View photos of the Doña Rosa pottery and the clay figures of the Aguilar sisters. o Read the book A Dozen Angels by Ruth and Neil Thompson. o Discuss the importance of family members working together. o Emphasize how the artists are continuing the work of their ancestors and expressing their culture through their art work. o Design and produce a piece of pottery or a figurine out of clay. • Lesson Eleven: Folklore o Share as many folktales as possible throughout the unit. See resources for suggested titles. Compare them to one another. o Read The Lizard and the Sun by Alma Flor Ada. Complete the comprehension worksheet. • Lesson Twelve: Life in the Big Cities of Veracruz and Mexico City o Define the words port, export, and import. Determine why it is important for a country to have large ports. View photos of the port of Veracruz. Research on the Internet what products are exported from Mexico at this port. o Define the words capital and government. View photos of Mexico City. Ask: Why do you think Mexico City is so big? o Compare/contrast the big cities to the small villages/cities using a Venn diagram. Write about where you would rather live. • Lesson Thirteen: Family o Read the books: In My Family and Family Pictures by Carmen Lomas Garza. Ask: How is the family in these books like your family? o Complete a graphic organizer and write about how families in Mexico and the United States are alike. • Lesson Fourteen: Children of Mexico o View photos of many children during their daily activities and discuss how they spend their time.