San Diego Jewish Academy 9th Grade Humanities Borders, Mexican-American Cultural Research Project

Project Rationale:

To recognize and understand some social, political, and cultural border topics of Mexico and America as a continuation of our discussion of Sandra Cisneros' "ghosts" from The House on Mango Street; to learn and apply PowerPoint and presentation skills.

Abstract:

title (the power of naming things)

clear explanation of how your topic shows the cultural border topics of Mexico and America; include

• historical background of your topic
• key figures and events
• resultant effects

direct quotes from primary source documents

15 copies of your handout for classmates and your most loved favorite teachers of all time and all time to come during presentation

Works Cited in MLA Format

Group Techniques - shows how to identify skills and roles

How to conduct web research systematically and develop a well supported paper.

Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication (LA L&S 1.3-1.9)

• Choose logical patterns of organization (e.g., chronological, topical, cause and effect) to inform and to persuade, by soliciting agreement or action, or to unite audiences behind a common belief or cause. (1.3)
• Choose appropriate techniques for developing the introduction and conclusion (e.g., by using literary quotations, anecdotes, references to authoritative sources). (1.4)
• Recognize and use elements of classical speech forms (e.g., introduction, first and second transitions, body, conclusion) in formulating rational arguments and applying the art of persuasion and debate. (1.5)
• Present and advance a clear thesis statement and choose appropriate types of proof (e.g., statistics, testimony, specific instances) that meet standard tests for evidence, including credibility, validity, and relevance. (1.6)
• Use props, visual aids, graphs, and electronic media to enhance the appeal and accuracy of presentations. (1.7)
• Produce concise notes for extemporaneous delivery. (1.8)
• Analyze the occasion and the interests of the audience and choose effective verbal and nonverbal techniques (e.g., voice, gestures, eye contact) for presentations. (1.9)

Deliver expository presentations (LA SA 2.2a-f)

• Marshal evidence in support of a thesis and related claims, including information on all relevant perspectives. (2.2a)
• Convey information and ideas from primary and secondary sources accurately and coherently. (2.2b)
• Make distinctions between the relative value and significance of specific data, facts, and ideas. (2.2c)
• Include visual aids by employing appropriate technology to organize and display information on charts, maps, and graphs. (2.2d)
• Anticipate and address the listener's potential misunderstandings, biases, and expectations. 2.2e)
• Use technical terms and notations accurately. (2.3f)

Well-rehearsed and organized

Planned to meet time limit of 20 minutes

PowerPoint/Presentation Tips - http://www.tokitty.com/ppttips.htm - focuses on the creation of the PowerPoint slides.

10 Little-Known, Rarely Discussed, Highly Effective Presentation Techniques by Marjorie Brody at: http://www.powerpointers.com/showarticle.asp?articleid=25

21 Tips For Spellbinding Speeches by Eileen Kugler at: http://www.powerpointers.com/showarticle.asp?articleid=82

Mike and William

Brianna and Jake

Sammy, Rachel, and Yosi

Jessica and Josh

Aaron and Elyssa

Tali and Elizabeth

Topics:

Indian vs. Spanish: Class structures: How have contemporary class structures in Mexico been influenced by cultural differences between those of native descent and those of Spanish descent? What are some of the issues that exist? What attempts have been made to unify the people of Mexico? How does this issue effect life on the border?

Celebrations: Religious vs. cultural -- what's the difference, which are which? Which are both? Which cross the border?

• NYPOST.com: Travel Foucus Articles - CInco de Mayo Celebrations Span Two Countries - http://atevo.nypost.com/guides/focus/item/0,3721,4504185,00.html - It told us about Cinco de Mayo including the history, how it is celebrated, and how and where it is celebrated in the United States. - Will and Mike

Art and Literature: Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Sandra Cisneros, Sandra Benitez: how have Mexican artists influenced American art? What do Mexican-American artists say about their role in art? How is the role of a "border" artist different than the role of an artist with one main culture?

• Check out a Flash movie: "Frida e-motion" that made Melissa long for creative sessions at the Bagdad Cafe - Frida Kahlo & contemporary thoughts by Daniela Falini - http://www.fridakahlo.it/ - Kahlo represented revolutionary and edgy ideas and the site follows suit. - Tali

Dual identity: Mexican Americans: what is it like to have two cultures, languages, lives, homes? How do Mexican-Americans reconcile the two? In what ways are dual identities celebrated? In what ways are they difficult?

Immigration: Life in a border town: how does immigration work? What happens to those for whom it doesn't work? What are some issues (social, economic, political) a city like San Diego must confront? What attempts are being made to solve border-crossing issues? What do you think current policy should be?

Family structure: Positions in the family: what roles do gender, religion, economics play in the Mexican-American family structure? Are these different roles than in a Mexican family?

Leaders of Social/Political Movements: Cesar Chavez: what role did Chavez play in the lives of Mexican-Americans in California? What methods did he use to influence others'?

• Ask Jeeves - http://ask.com/main/askjeeves.asp?ask=cesar+chavez&origin=0&site_name=Jeeves&m - Yosi

Please email your response to either mtnjuice@aol.com or mrdoug@aznet.net no later than Tuesday, December 19th at 11:59 pm.

Use the PowerPoint presentations, group abstracts, House on Mango Street, the two poems read in class, your notes from the readings, and other sources at your disposal.

There are literal, physical borders in our lives as well as metaphorical, intangible borders. In the poems, novel, and PowerPoint presentations we've discussed some real and symbolic borders in the lives of Mexicans and Americans.

Create a short story (using Cisneros' chapters as a model) or a long poem (using Anzaldua as a model) including characters and setting from our Borders study. In your piece, show, not tell what you've discovered about Mexican-American borders.

Make sure you include:

• historical background
• key figures and events
• resultant effects

Be creative.

Show and support what you know.

Cooperative Learning - Team Expectations - Some of the common fears about working with groups include student fears that each member will not pull their weight as a part of the group. Students are scared that their grade will be lower as a result of the group learning vs. learning they do individually. One way to address this issue is to use a group activity to allow the group to outline acceptable group behavior. Put together a form and ask groups to first list behaviors (expectations) they expect from each individual, each pair and as a group as a whole. Groups then can use this as a way to monitor individual contributions to the group and as a way to evaluate group participation. (NOTE: This content is taken from materials presented at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Instructional Excellence Retreat, May 1996. Barbara J. Millis, PhD, Associate Director for Faculty Development, United States Air Force Academy, Facilitator)

Step one - Searching for content

• Generate list of key search words - general to specific.
• Select a search engine. (Google loads the quickest)
  • AOL NetFind - http://www.aol.com/netfind/
  • AltaVista - http://www.altavista.com
  • Dogpile - http://www.dogpile.com/
  • Excite - http://www.excite.com/Info/
  • Google - http://www.google.com
  • InfoSeek - http://infoseek.go.com/
  • Lycos - http://www.lycos.com/
  • Snap - http://www.snap.com/
    Mama feels this site is a must visit for information on Arts and Humanities.
  • Webcrawler - http://www.webcrawler.com/
  • Yahoo - http://www.yahoo.com/
• Go through list of links (read descriptions and select best possibilities.
• Go to first viable link.
• Skim for content and source (credibility - educational, commercial, or crackpot site).
• If nothing go back to search engine list of links.
• If it looks promising, add link to "favorites" list.
• Print the web page.
• Save as a text file (go to File menu and you'll see the text option in the pop-up menu at the bottom of the directory).
• Copy the url
• Open the text document and paste the url at the top of the document, then save the file.
• Go back to the search page and continue the same process until you have amassed enough solid content or you've run out of time.

Step two - Sorting content | Top

• Select and open text file generated by search.
• Skim for usable content and quotes.
• Highlight or boldface and enlarge any content that looks like it may be usable.
• Print the text file after you've highlighted relevant information.
• Go to the next test file and do the same as above.

Step three - Starting draft

• If you have not already created an outline, do so.
• Dump the highlighted text from each file into the outline.
  Make sure to copy the url with each highlighted block of text.
• Sort through outline and look for highlighted text that would work as quotes and text that needs to be paraphrased.
  Make sure the url follows each block of text.
• Lose what doesn't work as supporting evidence.
  Make sure you save the outline with all of the text just in case you may need it later.
• Start the Works Cited page.

Step four - Revision and editing

• Make sure you get plenty of credible feedback.
• One True Sentence
• Show, Not Tell
• Using Quotes
• Quotes - tons of them
• Works Cited in MLA Format