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Teacher's Guide for APPLESEEDS Fiesta!March 2000
This guide was prepared by Mickie Ross.
Vocabulary cascarones
chicos
fiesta
flambeau
lanchas
luminaria
mariachi
pi'ħata
quincea'ħera
raspas
vida Introduction
Spanish-speaking people make up about ten percent of the citizens of the United States today, and their numbers are growing. The Hispanic culture is an interesting one and learning about its celebrations is a fun way to understand more about the Hispanic way of life.
Mark It on the Map
Have students locate in an atlas the following places: Mexico
Puerto Rico
Caribbean Islands
Honduras
Panama
El Salvador
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Bolivia
Chile
Paraguay
Venezuela
Uruguay
Ecuador
Peru
Columbia
Argentina
Spain Questions for Discussion - Name four of the places that Spanish-speaking families come from.
- What are some of the uncommon things that Hispanic families like to celebrate?
- When is "Fiesta" held in San Antonio, Texas?
- Describe the "Battle of the Flowers" parade.
- Who gave the idea of making cascarones to the Mexican people?
- April Gonzalez plays with a mariachi band. What is one of her goals for the future?
Writing Workout
Students may complete one or more of the following activities: - Write a how-to composition about making cascarones. Bring the ingredients to class and have everyone make them.
- Make a list of celebrations in your community. Create a calendar showing the dates of the celebrations. Find other special days to celebrate and add them to the calendar. Plan a party for one of the days, complete with posters and invitations.
- Pretend you are a member of a mariachi band. Write about your experiences with the band and some of the occasions at which you perform.
Get Into Art
Students may complete one or more of the following activities: - Design floats for a parade to celebrate something in your community. Have the parade on your campus and invite community leaders to visit.
- Research Mexican artists such as Frida Kahlo and examine the style of their work.
- What is folk art? Find out and create some of your own.
Think About It - Think about the celebrations that are important to you. Share information with the class about the different ways special days are celebrated.
- Why do you think it is so important to Hispanics to continue with the celebrations they brought with them to America? Are there other ethnic groups that hold on to their traditions? How does that affect our world today and what impact has it had on the past?
Just for Fun
- Have a fiesta! Follow the steps on pages 17 - 18 or create your own.
- Listen to mariachi or Tejano music or watch a performance.
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