Lesson Set Title: Mexican Mythology and Legends
Subject: Spanish or Language Arts
Grade level: Middle School or 9th grade high school
Developed from contributions by Lois Breaux, Linda Haushalter, Pete Schmidt
Objectives:
As a result of these lessons, students will be able to:
1. Compare and analyze myths and legends
2. Identify key elements of Mexican culture
3. Write an original myth or legend that employs elements of Mexican culture
State Standards:
1B.5a-Relate reading
to prior knowledge and experience and make connections to related information
1.C.5e-Evaluate how authors and illustrators use
text and art across materials to express their ideas
2.B.5b-Apply knowledge gained from literature as a means of understanding contemporary and historical economic, social and political issues and perspectives
Materials:
KWL sheets
The Punishment of Leubio and Flor
Mexican Myths and Folklore stories
Comparing Myths with Legends Worksheet
On Your Own Worksheet
Paper for notes, pencils/pens
Day 1: Preparing for
the museum visit
1. The class will brainstorm what they know about myths and folklore. General questions to ascertain prior knowledge:
a. What is a myth?
b. What is folklore? Is it the same as a legend?
c. What are the elements of myths and folklore?
d. What is the purpose of myths and folklore?
2. The class will discuss Mexican culture through use of a KWL worksheet (See Appendix A). The worksheet is distributed to students. A student is asked to serve as secretary for the class and will work at an overhead projector. Students complete the “what do you KNOW about Mexican culture” section of the worksheet then share their information with the class. The prompts below can provide additional cues. The secretary writes down the responses. Some questions to prompt student responses:
a.
What kinds of animals are indigenous to
b. What is the terrain like? What is the weather like?
c.
What kind of clothing is traditional in
d. What foods are associated with Mexican culture?
3. The museum visit will provide the opportunity to know more about Mexican culture and then express this culture in the form of myths and legends. To do this, students will need to determine what is a myth and what is a legend. Students are read along to the story “The Punishment of Leubio and Flor.”
(at http://www.elbalero.gob.mx/kids/about/html/myths/home.html with other options for stories).
4. After reading the
story, students are asked to consider the key elements of this story found in
“Comparing Myths with Legends” (See Appendix B). This information is written on
the board. On an overhead transparency, students are guided through each of the
elements, comparing myths with legends and determining whether the elements of
the story they have read is more closely related to a myth or a legend.
5. Students are told that they will be
responsible for writing a myth or legend that uses elements of Mexican culture.
For homework, they are asked to think about WHAT they will need to know about
Mexican culture to complete this task. These questions are to be placed in the
W column in their KWL worksheet (See Appendix A)
Day 2 - Myths and
Legends of
1. Divide the class
into small groups. Each group will read
two stories and report back to the class with a summary of their story using
the Comparing Myths with Legends
Worksheet (See Appendix B). Some suggested stories are:
From the Mayan tradition (www.kstrom.net/isk/maya/mayastor.html)
Stories and myths from other parts of
2. Students are to read the two stories assigned and complete a story map (See Appendix C). They are then to report out to the group on one of the stories as assigned by the teacher. Students will be scored out on their completion of the story map (See Appendix D).
3. Students are directed that they will be visiting the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum (MFACM) on the next day to generate ideas for their own creation of a myth or legend that employs elements of Mexican culture. Each student is asked to complete the “On your own” worksheet (See Appendix E).
Appendix A
Mexican Culture
|
|
|
|
Appendix B
Comparing Myths With Legends
Use prior knowledge and activities you've completed to help you fill in the chart below. Make your answers general. That is, your answers should apply generally to all legends and all myths, not just the ones in the anthology.
|
|
Legends |
Myths |
|
The setting |
A place that you could visit (a desert, a mountain range, a river) |
Involves locations that you would not be able to visit (e.g., stars, center of the earth, heaven) |
|
The time |
Long ago; once upon a time |
Before time; in another time |
|
Characters |
A person who might have lived at one time |
The characters are not human beings but have both human and super-human/natural characteristics |
|
Important ideas. |
· Often conveys a direct message · Simple conflict · will often include humor |
· The message considers an important theme; a deep value of the culture · Tells of the origin of a natural phenomena(for example, how the world was created, how people first used fire as a tool) · tone is usually serious. |
|
Can the story be adapted and re-told in another setting? |
Yes |
Not easily |
How
would you class the two stories that you read?
Discuss
your complete chart with your group of classmates. It's okay to have answers
that are different. However, be ready to support your answers with details from
the stories and with ideas you've developed by doing the activities.
Appendix C
Story Map
For the story that
you have read, please relate the following information:
Who are the main
characters in the story? Describe them briefly in terms of what purpose they
have in the story.
What is the central
problem in the story and how is it resolved? What do you understand as the
message that it is conveying?
Outline the main
events in this story in their sequence and briefly indicate how the events move
the story forward.
What is the place and
time of this story? How is this setting important to the story?
Indicate whether this
story is a legend or a myth and why.
Appendix D
Story Map rubric
|
Features |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
Character Development |
- Important characters are not identified |
- A main character is identified and briefly described or important characters are listed |
- All important characters are identified and briefly described with few inaccuracies |
- All important characters are identified and briefly and accurately described |
- All important characters are identified, accurately described and their roles are interpreted relative to the story line |
-All important characters are identified, accurately described and their roles are interpreted relative to the story line and each other |
|
Problem Resolution |
- No problem or resolution stated |
- Problem or resolution briefly stated |
- Problem and resolution stated, either problem or resolution clearly described |
- Problem and resolution are clearly described |
- Problem and resolution are clearly and accurately described with explanation or reflection |
- Problem and resolution are clearly and accurately described with an explanation and reflection on its significance |
|
Main events and Sequence |
- No sequencing of events |
- Some episodes are listed with omissions and inaccuracies in chronology |
- Most significant episodes listed with few inaccuracies in chronology |
- All significant episodes listed in proper sequence |
- All significant episodes listed in proper sequence with some explanation of relationships |
- All significant episodes listed in proper sequence with relationships clearly stated |
|
Setting |
- Not identified |
- Settings are briefly and generally cited |
- All settings identified |
- Identification of all settings with some description |
- Identification of all settings with full and accurate description |
- Identification of all settings fully and accurately, reflection on how setting impacts on story |
Appendix E
Name________________________
On Your Own
1.
Compare the main characters in a myth and a legend you like. Which one do you
admire the most? Why?
2. What
kind of story—a myth or a legend—will you try writing ? Why?
3. Get
a head start on your story by jotting down some ideas. Then briefly describe
the main character in your story.
|
Idea |
Main Character |
|
|
|
Day 3 – At the museum
1. Collect the “on your own” worksheets that students were to have completed the previous evening.
2. At the MFACM, direct students that they are encouraged to investigate all parts of the museum, but should give particular attention to gathering elements that they will use in the construction of their own story/poem and the accompanying illustration (Appendix F). Particular pieces in the Mexicanidad exhibit that relate to myths and legends include but are not limited to:
Gabriel Olay Olay’s Chimalli (Jaguar)
Maria Castillo’s Ancient Memories
The New Awakening – beadwork that contains a wealth of images
Charles Carillo’s The Flight into
Juan Horta’s The Devil
Various masks
The Legend of the Volcanoes
3. Students are to hand in their notes and illustrations
4. Remind students their short stories or poems are due in XX days (to be determined by teacher based on the developmental level of the students).
Appendix F
Mexican Fine Art Center Museum Name ________________________
NOTES
You are asked to locate the following elements to be incorporated into your myth of legend. For each element (you are welcome to have more than one for a category and leave some elements blank if they do not fit into your story), indicate the art piece where you took this element from and the year it was produced. You are also asked to create sketches of the elements that you might be using in your legend or myth. There sheets are to be handed in at the end of the museum visit.
|
People |
Animals |
Setting |
Conflict |
Clothing |
Foods |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTES:
Sketch ideas for your
Illustration.
Lesson Plan: Presentation of Mexican Myths and Legends
Day 4: Should take place two or more days after the visit
1.
2. Students are given specific instructions on how to proceed in the construction of their story or poem. It is explained that although all students will be responsible for submitting their poem or story and illustration in XX days, only 2 or 3 pairs will present each day over the next two weeks (Appendix G).
3. Student pairs are given time to get together with their partners and begin a rough draft of the story/poem and illustration.
4. Using the KWL sheet (Appendix A), students are to indicate what they have LEARNED about Mexican culture as a result of the visit to the MFACM
Day XX – After the visit - Presentation of myths and legends that use elements of Mexican culture
Presentation to class of short story/poem that is illustrated by picture they created.
Appendix G
Mexican Myths and
Legends Project
For the past two
days, we have been looking at myths and legends that are taken from the
cultures of
To find out more
about these cultures, we are visiting the
Please note that you
have several options in this assignment:
·
Your
project can be a short story or a poem. If it is a story, it should not be
longer than about 2 pages double spaced. Poems can be shorter but must either
tell a story or be a reflection on a myth or legend that we have looked at in
class.
·
Your
story or poem can be original or it can be a new version of an existing myth or
legend of the Mexican people. It should NOT be a setting of a myth or legend
from another culture that is placed in a Mexican context. Your effort should
try to convey what you have learned about what is important to the culture of
the Mexican and Mexican American peoples as a result of the visit to the MFACM.
·
You are
also asked to construct an illustration that relates to the story or poem.
Since you are working as partners, one person may choose to do the writing and
the other person work on the illustration or you can work together. This
illustration will be placed on a large sheet of poster paper to be provided by
the teacher.
·
The
project will be completed in XX days and we will then present our myths and
legends over the next couple of weeks.
Mexican Myths and
Legends Project Name
__________________________
Rubric
|
|
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
Structure |
Clear, well thought out. Accurately followed the structure of assignment. |
Generally clear and thought out. Followed the structure of assignment. |
Somewhat clear and thought out. Did not clearly follow the assignment |
Did not follow the structure of the assignment clearly |
|
Written Short
Story/poem |
Ideas in the story flowed to resolution. Made clear, accurate connections to Mexican culture |
Ideas in the story made sense but lacked consistent flow. The work made connections to Mexican culture that were generally accurate |
At least one significant gap in the events and ideas presented. There were accurate connections to Mexican culture |
Ideas and events did not create a cohesive story. There was no direct connection to Mexican culture. |
|
Grammar and Conventions |
Accurate command of punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and grammar. |
Generally effective punctuation, capitalization, spelling and grammar but three or more minor errors noted. |
Good punctuation, capitalization, spelling and grammar but one or more major errors warrant a re-editing of the work |
Several major problems with punctuation, spelling, grammar. The work needs to be re-written. |
|
Illustration |
Used all the required elements in the picture |
Used most of the required elements in the picture |
Used some of the required elements in the picture |
Did not use the required elements of assignment in the picture |
|
Illustration |
Well organized, neatly and creatively clearly conveyed the essentials of the story (characters, setting, story, major theme) |
Simple, direct illustration rendered with some care; two or more of the key elements of the story clearly conveyed |
Illustration needed to be prepared with greater neatness and care; simple representation that conveys clearly one element of the story |
Illustration is a rough sketch that has some relationship to the story. |
Comments: