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Folklife Resources for Educators

Materials Related to Mexico

There are 9 items in this list.

Corridos sin Fronteras: A New World Ballad Tradition
by Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES)
http://www.corridos.org/main2.asp?language=E

Bilingual (Spanish and English) interactive educational website for elementary, middle, and high school teachers and students. Site introduces students to the historical and cultural importance of the corrido, a popular narrative poem or ballad found in Spanish-speaking areas of the Americas. The site includes lesson plans and historical and contextual background on the development of the corrido, including its use in expressions of social justice and the telling of stories of oppression and history. Examples of corridos are presented through video and audio recordings on the site and students are encouraged to create their own corridos. Subject areas covered include music, the performing arts, history, language arts, and Spanish-language traditions of Mexico and the United States.

Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 Curriculum: Performing Arts; Music; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture
Resource Type: Video recordings; Primary sources; Audio recordings; Activities Language: English; Spanish
Subjects: Music; Storytelling; Texas--Social life and customs; Mexico--Social life and customs; Corridos; Ballads; Songwriting; Mexican Americans
Geographic locations: United States; Texas; Mexico

Sponsoring Organization:
Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES)
470 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Suite 7103
Washington DC 20024
(202) 633-3168
http://www.sites.si.edu/


Mexican-American Corona Maker: Eva Castellanoz
by Local Learning: The National Network for Folk Arts in Education
http://locallearningnetwork.org/guest-artist/eva-castellanoz/

K-12 curriculum ideas for studying the life and artistry of 1987 NEA National Heritage Fellow Eva Castellanoz, master corona maker and healer, who has been making paper and wax flower bouquets and coronas, or crowns, in the Mexican-American community for over fifty years. These resources can be used in the curriculum areas of language arts, geography, social studies, and the visual arts. Includes an activity for making paper and wax flowers, background on her Mexican-American culture, her life in Oregon,including her role as a community curandera, or healer, and additional resources for background research.

Grade Level: K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Geography; Art and Culture
Resource Type: Activities Language: English
Subjects: Mexican Americans; Healers; Paper flowers; Paper work; Oregon--Social life and customs; Migrant agricultural laborers
Geographic locations: Oregon; Mexico

Sponsoring Organization:
Local Learning: The National Network for Folk Arts in Education
c/o City Lore
72 East First Street
New York NY 10003
http://locallearningnetwork.org/


The Colonia Mexicana of Bethlehem Steel
by Historical Society of Pennsylvania
http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=922

Lesson plan with activities related to the influx of Mexican immigrant workers employed by Bethlehem Steel during the early 20th century and history in Pennsylvania. The unit is geared to the middle and high school classroom for use in the curriculum areas of history, geography, and the arts and humanities. The unit focuses on Bethlehem Steel's recruitment of workers from Mexico, beginning in 1923, with student activities centering on the analysis of a Mexican corrido and newspaper articles from the time. Background materials include a glossary, resources for teachers and students, and links to primary source materials, including photographs and oral histories, drawn from the collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and other materials. The lesson plan is correlated to the Pennsylvania Department of Education Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, History, Geography, and Arts and Humanities.

Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12 Curriculum: Geography; Performing Arts; Music; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture
Resource Type: Primary sources; Lesson plans; Audio recordings; Activities Language: English; Spanish
Subjects: Industrialization; Cultural geography; Steel industry and trade; Immigrant labor; Iron and steel workers; Mexico--Social life and customs; Ballads; Labor history; Immigrants; Pennsylvania--Social life and customs; Mexican Americans; Music; Corridos
Geographic locations: Pennsylvania; Mexico

Sponsoring Organization:
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia PA 19107
(215) 732-6200
http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=1


Cerámica y Cultura: The Story of Spanish and Mexican Mayólica
by Museum of International Folk Art
http://www.moifa.org/eventsedu/education/teachersguide.pdf

A teacher resource guide for grades K-12, created in 2003, which details the history and cultural background of Spanish and Mexican mayólica ceramic pottery. It was developed in conjunction with a traveling exhibition of the same name, which opened at the Museum of International Folk Art in 2002. The guide presents materials for educators to use in introducing students to forms and functions of mayólica ceramic pieces as a way to show how to study culture through the examination of objects and as a point of departure for developing their own creative expression. It includes background information on mayólica for incorporation into classroom lesson plans, questions for discussion, and student activities related to calligraphy, design-making, ceramic tiles, and other projects. (50 p. PDF)

Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 Curriculum: History and Social Studies; Art and Culture
Resource Type: Activities Language: English
Subjects: Cultural relations; Spain--Social life and customs; Crafts; Pottery; Folk art; Ethnic arts; Material culture; Mexico--Social life and customs; Decorative arts
Geographic locations: Spain; Mexico; General

Sponsoring Organization:
Museum of International Folk Art
PO Box 2087
Santa Fe NM 87504-2087
(505) 476-1200
http://www.moifa.org/


Collections Seldom Seen
by Museum of International Folk Art
http://www.moifa.org/eventsedu/education/seldomseen/cssintrocur.html

Curriculum guide that grew out of an exhibition, "Collections Seldom Seen," at the Museum of International Folk Art which brought together objects from the permanent collections chosen by several museum curators. The guide includes cultural and historical background on the chosen objects organized by geographic focus (Asia, Latin America, the United States, and Europe) and textile arts in general, plus two lesson plans with student activities, based on New Mexico state standards. The lesson plans are "How to Make a Japanese Scroll" and "Print Making," based on woodblock printing traditions used in the making of Brazilian literatura de cordel. The guide also highlights the role of the curator in the development of museum exhibitions.

Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 Curriculum: Art and Culture; History and Social Studies
Resource Type: Activities; Lesson plans Language: English
Subjects: Decorative arts; Jewelry; Folk art; Scrolls; Museums--Curatorship; Clothing and dress; Wood-engraving; Textile fabrics; Pottery; Costume; Chapbooks, Brazilian
Geographic locations: United States; Philippines; Morocco; Mexico; Japan; Europe; Cameroon; Brazil; Bolivia; Austria; Asia

Sponsoring Organization:
Museum of International Folk Art
PO Box 2087
Santa Fe NM 87504-2087
(505) 476-1200
http://www.moifa.org/


CARNAVAL!
by Museum of International Folk Art
http://www.moifa.org/eventsedu/education/carnaval_guide.pdf

Curriculum guide, developed in 2004 in conjunction with the traveling exhibition CARNAVAL! produced at the Museum of International Folk Art. The guide highlights Carnival traditions in areas in Europe and the Americas where the festival is an important part of community life. It includes background information on Carnival traditions in Laza, Spain; Venice, Italy; Basel, Switzerland; Tlaxcala, Mexico; Oruro, Bolivia; Recife and Olinda, Brazil; Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; and New Orleans, Louisiana for incorporation into classroom lesson plans. There are an additional thirty pages of student activities with directions for making masks, costumes, giant puppets, floats, illuminated lanterns, simple musical instruments, and banners. National Content Standards for Fine Arts, Music, Dance, Theater, Social Studies, and Language Arts are included in the guide, which teachers can use to integrate Carnaval's content into their lesson plans. (50 p. PDF)

Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 Curriculum: Performing Arts; Music; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture
Resource Type: Activities Language: English
Subjects: Religious life and customs; Carnival; Masks; Festivals; Ethnic folklore
Geographic locations: Mexico; Trinidad and Tobago; Switzerland; Spain; Louisiana; Italy; Brazil; Bolivia

Sponsoring Organization:
Museum of International Folk Art
PO Box 2087
Santa Fe NM 87504-2087
(505) 476-1200
http://www.moifa.org/


Papel Picado: A Traditional Mexican Folk Art
by Museum of International Folk Art
http://www.moifa.org/eventsedu/education/muertos/papelpicado.html

Lesson plan with art activities created by the Museum of International Folk Art on the topic of traditional cut paper folk art called "papel picado," found in former Spanish colonies. For most holidays in Mexico, the brightly-colored strings of cut tissue paper banners are strung in homes and across streets. Curriculum materials are geared towards grades 1-8 and are correlated with the New Mexico State Content Standards for Art.

Grade Level: K-2; 3-5; 6-8 Curriculum: Art and Culture
Resource Type: Activities; Lesson plans Language: English
Subjects: Holidays; Mexico--Social life and customs; Paper work; Folk art; Crafts; Decorative arts
Geographic locations: Mexico

Sponsoring Organization:
Museum of International Folk Art
PO Box 2087
Santa Fe NM 87504-2087
(505) 476-1200
http://www.moifa.org/


Explore Culture Online
by Arizona State Museum
http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/explore.shtml

Online educational activities, podcasts, videos, exhibitions, oral histories, databases, bibliographies, and multimedia resources created for the Arizona State Museum about their exhibits, collections, and programs related to the material culture of Southwest Native Americans. Includes cultural and archaeological topics such as masks, pottery, textiles, painting, and weaving from Northern Mexico, New Mexico, and Arizona. Can be used in the classroom.

Grade Level: All ages; K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 Curriculum: Performing Arts; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture
Resource Type: Video recordings; Podcasts; Audio recordings; Activities Language: English; Spanish
Subjects: Arizona--Social life and customs; Indians of North America; Painting; Tohono O'odham Indians; Hopi Indians; Archaeology; Pottery; Games; Weaving; Textile fabrics; Material culture; Masks; Navajo Indians; Mexico--Social life and customs; Crafts; New Mexico--Social life and customs
Geographic locations: New Mexico; Mexico; Arizona

Sponsoring Organization:
Arizona State Museum
The University of Arizona
Tucson AZ 85721-0026
(520) 621-6302
http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/


Skeleton Esqueleto Puppets and Día de Muertos Ofrendas
by Museum of International Folk Art
http://moifa.org/eventsedu/education/muertos/skeletonpuppets.html

Two activities associated with Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) for students in grades 1-8. Also known as All Souls' Day, Día de Muertos is rooted in both indigenous and Catholic religious belief and is increasingly being celebrated throughout the United States. The Skeleton Esqueleto Puppets activity will help students learn how puppets can reflect the cultures from which they come from, using Mexican skeleton puppets as an example. The Día de Muertos Ofrendas activity will give students an understanding of how ofrendas, or altars, are set up in people's homes for dead relatives during this holiday. The activities correlate to New Mexico State Content Standards for Art and Social Studies.

Grade Level: K-2; 3-5; 6-8 Curriculum: History and Social Studies; Art and Culture
Resource Type: Activities Language: English
Subjects: Religious life and customs; Holidays; Altars; Puppets; All Souls' Day; Mexico--Social life and customs; Crafts; Decorative arts
Geographic locations: United States; Mexico

Sponsoring Organization:
Museum of International Folk Art
PO Box 2087
Santa Fe NM 87504-2087
(505) 476-1200
http://www.moifa.org/


 

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   June 23, 2011
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