Mexican American Literature Weekly Update 11.17-11.21

WARNING:  This is a tentative calendar for the week.  I post this to provide my students with an opportunity to preview the week and to help them plan accordingly.  Sometimes things go exactly as planned and it is amazing. Sometimes they don’t because we might finish an objective faster than anticipated.  Sometimes what I believed would take ten minutes at the beginning of class ends up taking an entire class.  Sometimes there are some mornings when I get ideas and decide to change EVERYTHING because something else seems better.  Anyways, you get the picture: TENTATIVE…otherwise known as maybe, perhaps, we will see.  As my grandmother used to say, “we make plans and the universe laughs”.

Monday 11.17: Corridos as Counternarratives

UNIT GOAL: After investigating and analyzing perspectives on Mexican American War through primary documents, art, corridos and cuentos students will write a complete a unit portfolio which evaluates the impact of the annexation of Mexico’s northern territories by the United States on contemporary Mexican American culture, identity, and politics.

Objective: After analyzing POINT OF VIEW in popular corridos students will be able to identify central argument and purpose of archetype by completing analytical summaries, SOAPS Analysis, and writing their own corrido based on important post-Mexican American war figure.

Handouts: Corridos Infosheet, Corridos Notes

Homework: Notebooks due 11.21

Tuesday 11.18: Americo Paredes & “El Corrido de Joaquin Murrieta”

UNIT GOAL: After investigating and analyzing perspectives on Mexican American War through primary documents, art, corridos and cuentos students will write a complete a unit portfolio which evaluates the impact of the annexation of Mexico’s northern territories by the United States on contemporary Mexican American culture, identity, and politics.

Objective: After completing a web search on Americo Paredes, students will be able to write a background paragraph that describes the author’s background and influences.

Handouts: Corridos Infosheet, Corridos Notes, “El Corrido de Joaquin Murrieta”

Homework: Notebooks due 11.21

Wednesday 11.19: “El Corrido de Gregorio Cortez”

UNIT GOAL: After investigating and analyzing perspectives on Mexican American War through primary documents, art, corridos and cuentos students will write a complete a unit portfolio which evaluates the impact of the annexation of Mexico’s northern territories by the United States on contemporary Mexican American culture, identity, and politics.

Objective: After close reading of “El Corrido de Gregorio Cortez” students will be able to write an analytical summary that identifies the point of view and argument of the counternarrative.

Handouts: Corridos Infosheet, Corridos Notes, El Corrido de Gregorio Cortez

Homework: Notebooks due 11.21

Thursday 11.20: “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez” film

UNIT GOAL: After investigating and analyzing perspectives on Mexican American War through primary documents, art, corridos and cuentos students will write a complete a unit portfolio which evaluates the impact of the annexation of Mexico’s northern territories by the United States on contemporary Mexican American culture, identity, and politics.

Objective: After completing Cornell Notes while viewing the film, “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez,”  students will be able to summarize the film and write a character analysis of masculine figures as depicted in corridos. 

Handouts: Corridos Infosheet, Corridos Notes, El Corrido de Gregorio Cortez, Background

Homework: Notebooks due 11.21

Friday 11.21: “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez” film

UNIT GOAL: After investigating and analyzing perspectives on Mexican American War through primary documents, art, corridos and cuentos students will write a complete a unit portfolio which evaluates the impact of the annexation of Mexico’s northern territories by the United States on contemporary Mexican American culture, identity, and politics.

Objective: After completing Cornell Notes while viewing the film, “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez,”  students will be able to summarize the film and write a character analysis of masculine figures as depicted in corridos. 

Handouts: Corridos Infosheet, Corridos Notes, El Corrido de Gregorio Cortez, Film Questions

Homework: Notebooks due 11.21