A
Grade 2-3 WebQuest
Cheryl J.
Cox
(click
on name to contact author)
Copyright
© 1999-2006 ~ All
Rights Reserved
Links
checked and updated on Friday, September 1, 2006.
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Introduction
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Task
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Resources
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Process
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Evaluation
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Conclusion
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| Introduction |
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| Bienvenidos!
Welcome! Cinco de Mayo or
the Fifth of May commemorates the 1862 victory by Mexican forces, including
ordinary citizens, over French soldiers. The battle known as La
Batalla de Puebla or The Battle of Puebla
took place on May 5th. It is a day marked by many Mexicans and those
with Mexican ties as an important cultural event. Everyone likes a party
or fiesta
- so put on your party clothes and get ready to explore the roots of Hispanic
culture by learning more about this day in the history of Mexico. |
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Task
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 The
feature reporter for our town is on vacation. Our class has been
called upon to be "cub" reporters to cover the May article on Cinco de
Mayo. You will gather information and present your own personal understanding
about the history of Cinco de Mayo. Describe to your readers why
it is an important date to Hispanic culture by writing a summary about
the event. Be sure to tell the difference between Cinco de Mayo and Mexican
Independence Day.. While you will primarily be reporting on the past history
of Cinco de Mayo, be sure to tell about present day Cinco de Mayo celebrations
and importance.
You
will explore and celebrate the historic roots of Hispanic culture by:
1.
Listening to Mariachi music.
2.
Using your artistic abilities to make an authentic Mexican piñata.
3.
Demonstrating your culinary skills by cooking delicious soft tacos to enjoy
at our Cinco de Mayo "fiesta"! |
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Resources
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Read
these books about Cinco de Mayo
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Janet Riehecky
- Author
Krystyna Stasiak
- Illustrator
Although Maria
is not too successful at helping her family prepare for Cinco de Mayo,
she wins an art contest at the library and gets to break the piñata
back home. |
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Dianne M. MacMillian
- Author
Provides background
on the people and events that are commemorated on two important Mexican
holidays, Independence Day and Cinco de Mayo, and describes how these holidays
are celebrated. |
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Argentina Palacious
- Author
Howard Berelson
- Illustrator
Benito Juárez,
a Zapotec Indian, was raised in extreme poverty. With determination, and
a strong love for his country, Juárez became the president of Mexico
and defeated the French. |
Websites
with information on the history of Cinco de Mayo
Websites
about "fiesta food"!
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Find
out about your "burrito making ability". Make a breakfast
burrito and take the poll
to tell how your burrito turned out! Afterwards, complete this
WordSearch about
Mexican Food for Kids! |
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Learn
how to make delicious tacos (we'll make them during our "fiesta") with
"Taco in a Bag"! |
Websites
with Mariachi music!
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Spend
some time listening to Mariachi music at (where else?) MariachiRadio.com!
(You will need RealPlayer or Winamp installed on your computer.) |
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Send
a Cinco de Mayo greeting
card to a friend or family member! |
Website
on Piñatas
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Find
out how to make a piñata
(for our fiesta) with your classmates! |
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Process
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 Activity
#1 - Working within your four person group, visit the websites in the resource
section and find the answers to the following questions:
1.
What does the phrase Cinco de Mayo mean and why is it an important
day in Mexican history?
2.
Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day. When is the actual
date the people of Mexico celebrate as their day of independence?
3.
What was the actual battle called between the French and Mexican forces
on "Cinco de Mayo" and what year did it take place?
4.
Who was the leader of the Mexican forces?
5.
What is the meaning of the design on the Mexican flag?
After
answering the above questions, write a short paragraph describing
what Cinco de Mayo is (or isn't), and why it is important to our culture
today. Make sure each member of your group gets experience searching
the web for information. Use Microsoft Word to word
process your final paper to turn in. |
 Activity
#2 - Within your group, have each person select one of the following roles:
a. a Mexican soldier
b. a French soldier
c. a citizen
from a small village
d. a child whose
father was a soldier
Create
with your group a four slide presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint. Describe
your understanding of why we remember Cinco de Mayo and what took place
on that day in Mexican history. |
 Activity
#3 - Visit the resource websites on food. Take the burrito "test"
to find out what you like on your burrito tells about you. Using
the drawing tools in KidPix, draw a picture of your favorite kind of burrito
and tell me what your burrito "test" told about you! Print out two
copies - one for you to keep and one for our class "Burrito Book".
Also, look at the "The Taco Teacher" and read the recipe for our "fiesta
tacos". Is it lunchtime yet? |
 Activity
#4 - Using the websites in the resource section, visit the sites that have
Mariachi music. There are many different selections, so sample
several to get a real feeling for this style of music. |
 Activity
#5 - Working with your four person group, go to the website on making a
piñata and print out a copy for your use. Using the guide,
make a piñata for our fiesta. The materials you need for this
activity will be laid out on a desk in the room. |
 Activity
#6 - Taco making will take place as a class. We will go to
one of the kitchens to make our fiesta snack together! |
 Activity
#7 - Fiesta! Party! |
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Evaluation
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| You
will be evaluated on this webquest by how well you perform the assigned
activities within your small group.
The
major areas you will be evaluated on are:
1.
How much you contribute to the total group.
2.
How responsible you perform your duties within the group.
3.
How well you cooperate with group members.
You
will be rated on a scale of 1 to 4 as follows:
"1"
- You are a novice
group member.
"2"
- You are a developing
group member.
"3"
- You are a focused group
member.
"4"
- You are an exemplary group
member.
This
rubric can be viewed here. |
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| Conclusion |
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| Cinco
de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day. However, it is an important
date in the history of Mexico. Cinco de Mayo is a date to celebrate
the rich culture we share with our neighbors to the south. Whether
you live in Mexico or in the United States, the Hispanic lifestyle is rich
with tradition. Hopefully, you have learned something not only about
history, but the culture and traditions of the Hispanic people. |
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