Mexican Cultural Unit: Arts Part 1

Art should be a huge part of any cultural unit. One of the most easily conveyed aspects of Mexican culture is the art. The dance, the music, the art all have very specific images associated with them. I chose to teach specifically about clothing, music, and dance of Mexico.

KWL: What know, want to know, and have learned about Mexico
Before beginning the unit, I wanted to get an idea of what students already knew about Mexico. KWL charts are great way to gauge what students know already before you teach them anything. It also gives you an idea of what topics students may be interested in. Click here for more info on KWL charts.

Students started off by listing everything they knew about Mexico. Then we watched this promotional video about Mexico. I really like the video because there is no speaking, just images:

As they were watching the video students wrote down all the things they were interested in learning more about.

After teaching the entire unit students went back to their original worksheets and completed the last column. Here is one example:

Sima started off by stating the things she knew about Mexico (obviously some misperceptions that needed to be cleared up.) After watching the promotional video she listed things she wanted to learn about Mexico. Lastly after going through the unit she listed 5 things she remembers about Mexico.  

Rebozo
Instead of teaching about all kinds of Mexican clothing, I focused on the Rebozo. I started by reading the book "What Can You Do With a Rebozo" by Carmen Tafolla. This story is great because students get to see many different uses of the Rebozo in Mexican culture. We then had a discussion about things in our culture that has many uses in our culture.

I showed students two quick videos about different ways to tie a rebozo.

This video shows the creation of a flower using a rebozo.

This video shows a decorative way to wear a rebozo

It is important to focus on both the utility and the decorative purposes of the rebozo. For more information on rebozos check out Progressive Parenting, Mexican Clothing Co., Maryland Pink and Green, and Rebozos Tenancingo.

Then I passed out rebozos (large pashminas or scarves) to groups of 4 students. Each group had to choose their favorite use for the rebozo or come up with their own use. Each group came to the front of the class and presented their use for the rebozo.

This is the only picture I have, but I really impressed by the ideas students came up with (hammocks, hats, coats, costumes, etc.)

Students could also design their own rebozos on paper if you have time. Just take a sheet of paper and fold it long ways at least 3 times. Students then repeat one design on each of the three layers. At the end add yarn to the end using a hole punch and 3 inch pieces of yarn. Here is a mock:

Students can create their own rebozo designs.

Papel Picado
Our students learned about the Mexican folk art of papel picado. Learn more about what papel picado is from the Museum of International Folk Art and see authentic designs by Ay Mujer. Making papel picado can be very simple or very complex depending on the age of your students. I choose to make mine in the same way you would make a paper snowflake.

Then with each class I taught we created class banners using yarn and tape.